3-Point Hitch 3-point newbie

[bem1965]

Hi all,

I have a Iseki TS 2220 F.

I am very new to tractors so this is propably just ignorance but I would like to know for sure...

My tractor has been used as a snow remover for the last ten years prior to me buying it. On the 3-point there is a counter wheight box full of wheights.n I have remover the counter wheight box (after removing the snow bucket).

PTO works both high and low speed.

But I am a little unsure of operating the 3-point hitch....

I have turned the knob "lowering speed adjustment lever" to "Fast". When I move the "Hydraulic control lever" up and down nothing seems to happen, it might be that the arms was raised a tad, but hard to tell...

If I understand the 3-point correctly the arms ought to lower by their own wheigt when I put the "Hydraulic control lever" in the down position.
Is it possible that I need to add wheigt to the 3-point lifting arms to get them to lower? This seems a bit problematic, If the arms are in the up position it is a bit troublesome to heist 150 kg of counter wheigt up and fasten to the arms. I now that farmers of yesteryear were all supermen, but this seems a bit over the top, not even my grandfather was strong enough to lift the big implements!

Any help would be appreciated!

/Lars

 

[yooper1]

You may have answered it on your own already.

You may need to have weight on the 3-pt for the arms to lower.

I am not saying all 3-pts have to have weight but yours may.

Sounds like you have the correct idea of how to work it also.

Try some weight.

Maybe put the lever in the down position (with the tractor off NOT RUNNING) and stand on one of the arms?

Good luck in getting it working...

 

[boggen]

others be much more helpful than I. and more likely know some details about your specific tractor model. and correct questions to ask you.

turn the tractor on. you might need to "engage" the PTO. so it spins on back of the tractor. and then use the lever to see if the arms raise and/or lower. the PTO is a small little shaft between the arms and just slightly above them on back of the tractor. and below the center top link of the 3 point hitch.

if they raise. how much do they raise? (at the end farther away from tractor.) get a tape measure out and check. ((be careful of the spinning pto)) and if need be shut tractor down before measuring))

put lever down and see if it drops and if so how much does it drop?

===================

if the arms are completely raised and they are not lowering but an inch. perhaps you have a check valve or ball or like device in the hydraulic system that is not letting hyd pressure out.

are you sure you are using correct lever? one lever most likely engages PTO while another operates hydraulics for the lift arms. some times levers are on sides of seats, behind a seat. some place around the dash / steering wheel. some times on the floor. some times a foot lever were you might think a brake or gas peddle might be. do you need to engage a "hand clutch" lever vs a foot clutch lever to engage the PTO?

====================

also check your "hydurlic fluid" levels. along with all other oil levels engine oil level, transmission oil level. etc... i don't know much about tractors. just what i have. and if you are low on oil. you might have some air in the lines. and you might need to operate the hydraulics (all of them a couple dozen times) ((fully extend and fully contract all hyd cylinders each time)) to get air out once you you have oil up to correct levels.

the arms on tractor may not go clear down to the very ground. for say a custom made weight box. and previous owner might of had a stand or some concrete bricks or wood that they previously sat the weight box down on. when they removed it. to make it for easier re-hooking back up.

 

[PGBiodiesel]

If it carried around a heavy weight for ten years and was never lifted it might be plugged.
Check the filter screens, fluid level and possibly change them.

Goodluck

 

[RiZak]

There is a valve under my seat to control the flow (speed) of the arms going down. You may have one also and having it shut.

 

[PGBiodiesel]

Isn't it amazing how people don't read what you write.

Are your levers marked on the tractor so you know for sure you are moving the ones you need to, the direction you need to?

Do you have the manuals for the tractor?

Some PTOs may run with an internal hydraulic motor, but most are gear driven so would have nothing to do with the 3-point lift hydraulic system.
Totally seperate, if one works doesn't mean the other will.

Yes, 3-point lifts are power up and gravity down(own weight, nothing extra needed) although some of the new big ones have power down.

Is there much rust on the tractor?

Was the snow blade on a FEL or set-up like a 6-way dozer blade or just out front on an undercarriage lift frame?

Did you have hydraulic controls for it?

Really sounds like you may need to flush the entire hydraulic system.

Another thought, do you have any other hydraulics that work?
If not, the pump might be bad.

I would do the clean & flush all fluids.

How is it going?

 

[TripleR]

Some tractors have a "lock" or "transport" selector so the 3 PH won't come down during transport; don't know if your model does or not.

 

[MHarryE]

Like RiZaK, my tractor has a flow control knob that is intended to regulate drop speed and is adjustable for implement weight, operator feel, etc. If I turn this flow control enough toward slow, my arms won't drop even with the weight of an implement on them. I'd first look for something simple like this before tearing into things. TripleR's suggestion to look for a transport lock also sounds like something to be at the top of your list.

 

[bem1965]

Thanks all for clarifications!

I have a FEL that works.

I will try with adding weight to the lifting arms. My weight box is only about 10 kg empty, the weights that goes into it is 20 kg each, thank Tor for the winch.

All fluids were changed after I bought the tractor.

If the problem is not solved I will follow up......

 

[scoutcub]

I've had a similar issue with a tractor. Stand on the 3-point, and push the "down" lever. (Hopefully within reach)
That worked for me.

good luck!

 

[PGBiodiesel]

Thanks all for clarifications!

I have a FEL that works.

I will try with adding weight to the lifting arms. My weight box is only about 10 kg empty, the weights that goes into it is 20 kg each, thank Tor for the winch.

All fluids were changed after I bought the tractor.

If the problem is not solved I will follow up......

If the original planned use was to only move snow the lift arms may have been removed and repositioned to rest in the down position at a higher level than normal so no pressure on the hydraulic system. Especially if the system was failing and causing the weight box to drag.

So even if the fluids were changed the system needs to be cleaned and flushed to remove blockages in the ports to the 3-point system.

If the lift-arms will not lift there is no flow.

Goodluck

 

[irvingj]

Halsning fran New Hampshire!

On my SCUT, if I have nothing mounted on the 3PH system (no mower deck, no implement), I have to manually pull down on the arms to get them to drop, providing the 3PH lever is in the "Lower" position and the "Drop Speed" knob is not fully closed.

Without your weight box, you may have to do the same- sounds like a "gravity down" system.

Wilkommen til TBN!

 

[Soundguy]

turn the tractor on. you might need to "engage" the PTO. so it spins on back of the tractor. and then use the lever to see if the arms raise and/or lower. the PTO is a small little shaft between the arms and just slightly above them on back of the tractor. and below the center top link of the 3 point hitch.
.

it's a pretty sure thing that the arms SHOULD lower without the pto on.. even IF the pto had to be on to raise them.. IE.. in the case of a machine with a non live belly pump like a ford 8n.

the exhaust feature should still work without the pto.. it's not a DA cyl.. it's SA.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

a pi would help visualize this.

also.. do the arms RAIS when the touch control lever is moved up?

is there some kind of diverter in the system that switches hyds to the loader.. etc?

soundguy

 

[boggen]

any chance of some pictures? rear of tractor showing all of the 3 pt hitch arms / chains / etc... on it.... but without the weight box.

and if possible picture of controls on tractor?

============
others got me to thinking. if weight box was on tractor all the time. the last owner may have tossed on a linkage from arms to another part of tractor to permanently fix the arms in place per say. or at least greatly reduce how far the arms can move up and down and perhaps they just wiggle a little bit up and down.

============

Originally Posted by boggen
turn the tractor on. you might need to "engage" the PTO. so it spins on back of the tractor. and then use the lever to see if the arms raise and/or lower. the PTO is a small little shaft between the arms and just slightly above them on back of the tractor. and below the center top link of the 3 point hitch.
.
it's a pretty sure thing that the arms SHOULD lower without the pto on.. even IF the pto had to be on to raise them.. IE.. in the case of a machine with a non live belly pump like a ford 8n.

the exhaust feature should still work without the pto.. it's not a DA cyl.. it's SA.

soundguy

ya took me out of context some there, but regardless, i would think so as well. *arms* lowering even without tractor on and need to just move correct levers / button and maybe a little down pressure / weight on arms. but as you and others have said. transport lock, small twist valve or lever to slow down how fast the arms lower.

and comments about a valve stuck, or clogged up. is good sense to. example this past winter, allis chalmers CA the cylinders would either get stuck all the way up or part way between. and would not drop or raise. after replacing all seals, gaskets, 0-rings. along with replacing broken pto shaft that drives the hyd pump. everything is fine. and assuming the gunk on the stuff was reason for the problems.

for me it was not as simple as change filters, cleaning screens, complete oil change. due to stuff was done built up and clogging the ball bearings that were acting like check valves. and not letting the hyd fluid flow like it should.

 

[Soundguy]

ya took me out of context some there, but regardless, i would think so as well. .

I wasn't trying to.. and don't really think I did.

not many tractors ( none I can currently think of using SA hyds ) need the pto running to lower the 3pt hitch... that's usually a valving issue.

Perhaps if you had pilot operated check valves on a DA rear 3pt.. then you might need the TRACTOR running.. but doubtfull the pto needs to be on..

that was the only point I was trying to convey.. wasn't trying to be contrary..

soundguy

 

[boggen]

SA = single acting cylinder ((one hose goes to cylinder))
DA = double acting cylinder ((has two hoses connecting to cylinder))

===============
don't worry about it SoundGuy. just trying to bring up different possibilities and i know, more so now, i didn't explain myself as good as i should of.

 

[bem1965]

Oh dear! !

When I finally got to the farm and started up the tractor I noticed that the FEL was moving extremely slow....
Found a leak and fixed it......
Empty hydraulic reservoir....
Filled up with fresh oil and suddenly not only the FEL worked OK but the three point raises and lowers as You might expect. If there is a load on the arms they go down, otherwise not.

I must confess that I didn't even check the level before since I knew the hydraulic sytem was serviced only a month before I bought the tractor, I even spoke to the service guy on the phone....
Lesson relerned again? Never, ever trust anyone but yourself!
/Lars

 

[irvingj]

Glad to hear it was something simple!

"Never overlook the obvious" is something I've told myself too many times to count..:ashamed:

 

[Soundguy]

glad to hear you found the leak. keep an eye on it a while and make sure the level does not keep dropping.

also, use a good quality oil for the hyds.. many use a utf, especially if it is a common sump machine

soundguy

Oh dear! !

When I finally got to the farm and started up the tractor I noticed that the FEL was moving extremely slow....
Found a leak and fixed it......
Empty hydraulic reservoir....
Filled up with fresh oil and suddenly not only the FEL worked OK but the three point raises and lowers as You might expect. If there is a load on the arms they go down, otherwise not.

I must confess that I didn't even check the level before since I knew the hydraulic sytem was serviced only a month before I bought the tractor, I even spoke to the service guy on the phone....
Lesson relerned again? Never, ever trust anyone but yourself!
/Lars