3 pt with down pressure

[Tkirkland]

Is there anyway to get down pressure on 3pt implements? Our soil is pretty rocky and my 6' BB just skips over the rocks. I have added weight to the BB and that helps some but not quite enough.

Also, has anybody ever used a hydraulic cylinder as the top link so that you can angle the blades on the fly?

 

[Chipperman]

Tkirkland
As far I am aware Belarus was the only tractor I new of that had down pressure and that type of down pressure would not work for what you are trying to do. Do you have the speed valve set all the way open so your 3 pt can move (up or down) as fast as possible.
Happy Tractoring
Chipperman /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[HomeBrew2]

Like chipperman said, I'm afraid.
You're pretty much stuck with making use of the scarifiers and/or shortening the top link some to get a more agressive angle on the cutting edge. Also, if your BB has a rigid rear-most blade, you can remove it so it doesn't interfere with the front blade.

 

[glawall]

The rest have said all that can be said about the down pressure. There are a couple of companies that make a hydraulic top link. I am not shure who at the moment, but I have seen them advertised. If I find out who, I will reply again.

GLaWall
Your Mahindra Tractor Dealer
Batavia, NY

 

[Tim_in_IA]

look in the customization or attachment areas on this site for a "top n tilt" setup. Also, there are downpressure kits they make for posthole diggers, don't know if you could modify them to work. My dad has a IH 560 that has a 2point fast hitch. When we attached the 3 point kit and put some pins in the fast hitch to stiffen it, it gave it downpressure. Don't think you'd go out and buy an old tractor and a kit just so you had downpressure though /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

 

[Tkirkland]

Thanks to all that posted... I think I'll just pile more rocks on top of the BB to add weight... and get the added benefit of increased FEL stability!

 

[Boomerang1]

Replace you lift rods with hydraulic cylinders, raise the rock shaft all the way up and use the cylinders to put down pressure on the implement. This puts a lot of stress on everything and will break something sooner or later.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Out of curiousity:
Are your scarifier shanks able to dig into your dirt/rocks?
Are you trying to grade solid rock?
How fast are you driving the tractor?
Do you have a box blade with a fixed rear blade?
Have you adjusted your top link?
Do you have a box blade with tapered sides (thus reveiling more of the scarifiers)?
I think there are some of us here that would like to help that have had the same original question as you. I, for one, have concluded that I could, theoretically, pile my house on my BB and get no better results without adjusting something other than weight.
Cheers!

 

[Tkirkland]

HomeBrew2

Yep, the shanks can dig up some of the rocks... trouble is I have soooo many. Probably about 50-50 rock/soil in some areas.

I usually go very slow when blading on the rocks. It seems to help.

Yes, my rear blade is fixed.

I do find that the blade will move rocks better with some weight on it.. regardless of top link position.. going forward or backward etc...

 

[HomeBrew2]

Sounds like you're getting it. I don't have near as many rocks as you but really hard packed clay. Sometimes it takes me half a dozen passes of chiseling with the shanks just to penetrate a short area. Once I break thru and get some slots established, I start doing a zig zag pattern to break up the areas between the shank slots ... that's about when I can get some real grading done. Good luck with it.

 

[SonnieP]

Have you thought about getting some 1/2" steel sheets cut the appropriate size and welding to the box blade? I was reading in a thread somewhere here where someone suggested this to add weight to their box blade.

You may be able to strap several pieces on top and weld a few pieces on the back, as well as adding pieces to the sides... obviously you have to want them to be there permanently.

I know Tufline has the option of 1/4" sides or 1/2" sides on some of their box blades and the extra 1/4" adds ~75lbs total weight.

What's the normal size of sides? 12" X 12" or so... you have a 6' BB so adding 1/4" to the sides and back could add as much as 300lbs. Does that sound right? I don't know how much steel weighs but I'm sure someone here can tell ya.

 

[deansdad]

varies depending on the grade.....but a ballpark would be:
41# for one square foot @ 1" thickness

 

[SonnieP]

Hmmm.... that would mean at 37.5lbs per side on the Tufline with only a 1/4" that it is obviously larger than 12" X 12" sides. Those sides would have to be pretty large because it would take what... 24" X 24" at 1/4" to make a sq. ft. of 1"... am I figuring that right?

Makes me curious as to how they come up with 37.5lbs per side. They must be adding some somewhere else as well.

 

[deansdad]

Got me wondering as well and questioning my memory (you know - 2nd thing to go <g>) on density of steel plate. 490-495 #/CF so the 41 #/SF/In is pretty close http://www.reade.com/Particle_Briefings/spec_gra2.html
Your calculations are OTM 12x12x1=144=24x24x.25
Can't help with the riddle on exactly how they come up with their figures though...sorry

 

[SonnieP]

They just about have to be adding some more metal somewhere other than the sides because I don't think their sides are 4 sq. ft. in area on each side.

I'll probably go with the TB384 anyway... it weighs 1138lbs.

I considered the Woods XB84 but I understand it cost around $1600 or so. OUCH!