3 pt mowing without top bar attached ?

[G McCall]

Has anyone mowed without the top 3 point bar attached ?

Without the Top bar of the 3 point system attached, the mower would follow rough ground and become a pull behind.

Pros and Cons ??

 

[valleydweller1]

I've tried it, it worked fine when going straight. I have to raise the deck to turn quite a bit on my land (there are very few straight stretches unbroken by fences, trees, creeks, etc) and it doesn't work well in that instance.

If you have a lot of straight sections or slow turns then it should work fine.

Greg

 

[zzvyb6]

Put a length of chain in it instead of a toplink. You get the best of both worlds: it floats and you can pick it up.

One caution: With the top free or chained, the mower deck can fly up if it hits something. This can break your driveline, fling a blade over to the neighbors, scare the crap out of you, and make you go runnig for the top link. Keep the chain as short as possible to get the job done. Maybe add some weights to the mower deck to get it down.

 

[RobJ]

It seems most of the newer BH's have or have an option for a movable top link. The previous owner had welded mine together, I fixed it...

 

[MReeb]

I mounted wheels on the front of my 3 point mower so I leave the third link off so I can get it to "float" across the terrain. My property is extremly flat so I'm not worried about the angle of the tractor to the mower changing much. If you have ditches, etc... to contend with watch that you don't create too great of an angle for the PTO shaft. Worst case do what zzvyb6 said and use a piece of chain just in case.

 

[djradz]

Has anyone mowed without the top 3 point bar attached ?

Without the Top bar of the 3 point system attached, the mower would follow rough ground and become a pull behind.

Pros and Cons ??

Yes it would, and these are used frequently, although less as in the past. You'll loose some of the functionity and the ability to really raise the deck high if you hit something.

Another alternative is to install a flexible/toggle top connection on the mower or use a chain arrangement for the tractor top link, as mentioned above.

If you want some improved following of the terrain, you may want to try "check chains". See the pic attached.

 

[RobJ]

I mounted wheels on the front of my 3 point mower so I leave the third link off so I can get it to "float" across the terrain. My property is extremly flat so I'm not worried about the angle of the tractor to the mower changing much. If you have ditches, etc... to contend with watch that you don't create too great of an angle for the PTO shaft. Worst case do what zzvyb6 said and use a piece of chain just in case.

Just curious, if your terrain is flat, then why add the wheels in the first place? I'm guessing this is a BH not an older style FM that only has 2 rear wheels.

Rob

 

[MReeb]

Just curious, if your terrain is flat, then why add the wheels in the first place? I'm guessing this is a BH not an older style FM that only has 2 rear wheels.

Rob

You are right, I added the wheels in the front so I could keep the cutting height uniform and just basically pulling the mower around with the 3 point arms.

 

[xlr82v2]

I used to do it quite a bit with my 8n and my old BH that had no "floating" toplink... it was rigid.

Works good, never had any problems with it trying to flip up, but then again, I was mostly just clipping my "improved" parts of my property. If I was in the rough stuff, I'd put the toplink on so I could lift the rear of the BH as well.

 

[John861]

Put a length of chain in it instead of a toplink. You get the best of both worlds: it floats and you can pick it up.

One caution: With the top free or chained, the mower deck can fly up if it hits something. This can break your driveline, fling a blade over to the neighbors, scare the crap out of you, and make you go runnig for the top link. Keep the chain as short as possible to get the job done. Maybe add some weights to the mower deck to get it down.

If you go the chain route, run the chain through a length of pipe that is shorter than the chain. That way, the implement can't flip up far enough to cause any trouble. You will need to figure out what length of chain works best to give you the float that you want and the safety that you need.

-John

 

[RalphVa]

I use a slack chain in place of the top link. Main reason for doing this is it keeps the brush hog trail wheel quiet when just going about with the brush hog raised. With the chain, the trail wheel just runs on the ground quiet as a mouse. Could run without the chain if you don't run over mounds going backwards. The chain will catch it to keep it from really going over the back side of the mound (or down a creek bank).

I've often though about attaching wheels to the front sides of the brush hog, to keep it from digging in when the rear tractor wheels go down. Could use one of those wheels used for tractor tongues. I attached one to one side of my Gravely cart when I had it, to keep it from tipping back if too much weight shifted rearwards. Could use a pair of them to each side of the brush hog. The wheels would probably cause the tractor wheels to loose traction on occasion.

Ralph

 

[valleydweller1]

You are right, I added the wheels in the front so I could keep the cutting height uniform and just basically pulling the mower around with the 3 point arms.

Did you make the front wheels adjustable? If so, how?

Greg

 

[oldhippy]

I use a king kutter finish mower that came with a chain hook up on it from factory and that allows the deck to float up to a point. Have had no problem with this set up at all. It has a top link to a frame on mower and then the chain runs from that. If you didn't have that frame you would need to make sure chain could not get into pto shaft. big dan

 

[3RRL]

I've read several posts about using check chains and I still don't get it.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't check chains keep the front of the mower at a constant position relative to the tractor rear end? Same as the 3pt lower lift arms with the top link hooked up? Unless you have 3pt leak down, I see it as being a redundant feature. The front of the mower can't go down any further in relation to the tractor with or without check chains if the 3pt doesn't leak down and stays where you put it. The 3 connecting points of the 3pt form a triangle which if set, and can't leak down, it does not allow a change in geometry or position of the front of the mower in relation to the tractor rear.

I can see them letting the front of the mower raise up, but the 3pt can do that too since it floats up, but not down. So even if you use the check chains and then lower the 3pt all the way, you get no addition benefit as if you set the 3pt at that position.
I don't get it, but I'm probably missing something. Can somebody explain the added feature? Is it so you don't have to set the bottom position to the same place every time? So that you hit the same level when lowering the 3pt then? What if you come to a spot where you actually want the front to be lower than where you set the check chain length?

I can see a floating top link or swivel bar or even a chain there to allow the rear wheel to remain in contact with the ground, but I don't get what extra feature the check chains have over the 3pt unless it's just the convenience of set height.

 

[MReeb]

Did you make the front wheels adjustable? If so, how?

Greg

I don't mean to hijack your thread G McCall, so if you want I can make another thread if you'd like.
I welded two pieces of square tubing together in the shape of an L to the frame of the mower (the horizontal of the L is welded to the deck of the mower and the vertical sticks out past the deck by 12") Drill a hole or two in the vertical piece half way, etc... up it for the pin.
The wheels have the same offset mount just like the rear wheel that came with the mower. I cut a piece of round pipe that would fit over the rotating part of the wheel mount and drove the roll pin into place. I used a piece of square tubing to fit over the round pipe and drilled a hole through it where the roll pin goes (so I could remove the wheel later if needed) I drilled a bunch of holes up the length of the square tubing for my height adjustment.
I then welded the square tube to the round pipe.
The whole new wheel assembly was then stuck inside the L bracket on the deck. Pop a pin through the hole at the height you want and you're good to go.
Only thing I would have done differently was to leave a bit of the round pipe stick out past the square tube to mount a grease zerk. Presently I just pop out the roll pin once in a while and smear some grease around.

 

[PSDStu]

Is it so you don't have to set the bottom position to the same place every time? So that you hit the same level when lowering the 3pt then? What if you come to a spot where you actually want the front to be lower than where you set the check chain length?

Bingo!

Rob, I use check chains for my BH because I don't have position control for my 3pt. It allows me to raise the 3pt and lower it back to right where I want it without having to fiddle around with the 1/4" handle.

If I come to an area where I want the front to be lower I usually try and mow that area in a differant direction... like say running across a small ditch..... then running parallel up the ditch.

If I had position control then I don't see the need for check chains.

Stu

 

[bjcsc]

I've read several posts about using check chains and I still don't get it.

Same here. The last time this came up I was scratching my head, too. The only time I've seen "check chains" used is with implements that can put high torsional loads on the 3pt., ex. my boom flail mower uses them.

Rob, I use check chains for my BH because I don't have position control for my 3pt.

What kind of 3pt. doesn't have position control? I can't imagine it even being remotely useful. Do you mean that you don't have an adjustable stop?

 

[aczlan]

What kind of 3pt. doesn't have position control? I can't imagine it even being remotely useful. Do you mean that you don't have an adjustable stop?

the smaller Kubotas have what they call a 1/4" Valve, it looks like this, in my opinion it is better than no 3pt but not much. I always snag it on my FIL's B7500 when I am driving.

Aaron Z

 

[3RRL]

Bingo!

Rob, I use check chains for my BH because I don't have position control for my 3pt. It allows me to raise the 3pt and lower it back to right where I want it without having to fiddle around with the 1/4" handle.

If I come to an area where I want the front to be lower I usually try and mow that area in a differant direction... like say running across a small ditch..... then running parallel up the ditch.

If I had position control then I don't see the need for check chains.

Stu

Ahhh,
I didn't know that.
Mine does have it so I was thinking the same as bjcsc noted. I just assumed all tractors had position control ... shows how much I know.
Anyway, that's why I asked the question.
Thanks.

 

[bjcsc]

the smaller Kubotas have what they call a 1/4" Valve, it looks like this, in my opinion it is better than no 3pt but not much.
Aaron Z

I agree, and like Rob, had no idea that even existed. Those tractors must have some serious other selling points because that would be a deal killer for me. Wow...I can't imagine doing a lot of the stuff I do with a 3pt. like that...thanks for the education...