3 point hitch damage -- not having a good day today.

Bigfish50 · Dec 8, 2018

Kioti NX 5010 HST. This morning I was leveling an area and moving around some dirt with both my box blade and bucket and had an accident while backing up. Ran into a stump that was about a foot high with my box blade and it severely bent my left lower 3 point arm and also broke the cast steel or iron that holds the arm in place at the tractor. Its kind of difficult to tell where the castings are attached but it looks as if they could be attached the brake housing on the rear axle? Anyhow, like to know if anyone has a similar experience and steps taken to address the issue.

Thanks!

goeduck · Dec 9, 2018

Uh oh. Any pictures that you can post?

Overtaxed · Dec 9, 2018

Holy crap, how fast were you going? I guess you could have gotten the 3PT out of alignment before you hit, but it doesn't seem it should have bent if things were lined up right, does it? On my NX, I often use a BB rear cutting edge in reverse to roll up some soil to distribute and have had that stop the tractor more than once in low range reverse (hit a rock/stump or just too much soil on the blade). Nothing bent, and I'd be real mad if it did, with the exception of a "running start", the 3PT should be able to take the power of the tractor and put it to the ground, right? So if your tractor can put down 40HP with loaded tires before the HST goes into bypass, the 3PT should be able to take 40HP of stress without bending?

Deere Dude · Dec 9, 2018

Very sorry to hear that, but that happens quite often. I bent two of them with the first one replaced under warranty even though it is operator error. It almost always is. Then I also snapped one. I was able to fix one by bending it straight using a log splitter as a ram. One I had to weld back together.

Those hitches are strong and meant to be pulling ahead, but judicious rear work can be done. The casting that broke will more than likely have to be replaced with knew.

JimR · Dec 9, 2018

Oh man, that really stinks. I've bumped into hidden objects backing up without bending or breaking anything with my NX4510HST. Fortunately each time I was not going fast and the tractor just stopped dead. Mine is in the shop for repairs, otherwise I would take a look at the housing and give you my opinion on it.

ruffdog · Dec 9, 2018

If hit just right, the 3pt arms are not that strong with side loads. They lift and pull loads quite well though.

goeduck · Dec 9, 2018

The arms are easy to replace or bend back. It is the break at the attachment point of the tractor that is concerning.

JimR · Dec 9, 2018

Is that part you broke off part of the side gear case housing?

Bigfish50 · Dec 9, 2018

I'll try to get pics at some point today but just to give a better idea as to what happened I was running at 2000 rpms in low range approaching full HST pedal in reverse after dumping a bucket of dirt and working to get in position for another scoop. The box blade was angled so that the left side was digging in significantly deeper than the right to achieve the grade I needed. I think that could have been the reason the casting on the inside broke on that left side as it looks to have put the 3 point arm in a twist. My EA box blade was undamaged which surprises me given the level of damage to the 3 point hitch components. Tires are loaded so I'm sure that also played a role when I barely didn't miss that stump