Attaching implement with hydraulic top link

[BackRoad]

Thanks for the detail on the top link ball. Very helpful.

 

[DieselBound]

Attaching a top link is the least work IMO. Extendable lower link arms are wonderful: not all my 3pt implements would work on a quick hitch (I spent years battling the same issue with my B7800 and finally gave up; reminds me I need to sell my Pat's gizmos to someone who might find them useful).

 

[TmbrWlkr]

I have a Kioti DK5010 on order. It will come with extendable link arms and telescoping stabilizers. Will this be enough to replace my Pats system? (kind of promised that they would remain on my L3400 that I am selling).

 

[DieselBound]

I have a Kioti DK5010 on order. It will come with extendable link arms and telescoping stabilizers. Will this be enough to replace my Pats system? (kind of promised that they would remain on my L3400 that I am selling).

Some depends on your expectations. I only know that it's hard to square up perfectly and that applies to QHs as well. With what you'll get on the DK I think you'll be fine. You're going to have to lay hands on (necessary for PTO-driven implements, which I mostly use), but I find that it's not a big deal as long as you remember to come up short on the implement so that you then have room to pull the link arms out (give yourself room for adjustments). Hopefully you have a remote lever at the rear to raise and lower your 3pt: I could wish for a remote lever for the top link hydraulics, but it wouldn't be worth any added expense. The release levers on the link arms can be a pain to release sometimes (more an issue when disconnecting than connecting as they'll have weight and tension on them).

All said, I DO, however, like QH implements. I find it a lot easier to slide in pins than to pull link arms over pins: especially necessary for my B7800.

 

[TmbrWlkr]

Some depends on your expectations. I only know that it's hard to square up perfectly and that applies to QHs as well. With what you'll get on the DK I think you'll be fine. You're going to have to lay hands on (necessary for PTO-driven implements, which I mostly use), but I find that it's not a big deal as long as you remember to come up short on the implement so that you then have room to pull the link arms out (give yourself room for adjustments). Hopefully you have a remote lever at the rear to raise and lower your 3pt: I could wish for a remote lever for the top link hydraulics, but it wouldn't be worth any added expense. The release levers on the link arms can be a pain to release sometimes (more an issue when disconnecting than connecting as they'll have weight and tension on them).

All said, I DO, however, like QH implements. I find it a lot easier to slide in pins than to pull link arms over pins: especially necessary for my B7800.

I didn’t have any expectations of never getting off the machine as most of my implements are PTO driven. Additionally several have “captured” pins with supports on both ends. I agree that squaring up is difficult especially with the minimal room on the captured end implements. You observation about release levers being hard to engage is a bit of an eye opener and rarely mentioned, but the remote rear operating lever will hopefully mitigate that. A bit of d*#king around is acceptable.
I am seriously considering a hydraulic TNT kit though for adjusting implement trim - getting to old to be cranking heavy stuff into adjustment.
Have you seen those Euro-ball hooks? Look slick but expensive.

 

[IndyJay]

Hopefully you have a remote lever at the rear to raise and lower your 3pt

The DK10 Series tractor does have a remote lever to raise and lower the 3pt.

 

[DieselBound]

I didn’t have any expectations of never getting off the machine as most of my implements are PTO driven. Additionally several have “captured” pins with supports on both ends. I agree that squaring up is difficult especially with the minimal room on the captured end implements. You observation about release levers being hard to engage is a bit of an eye opener and rarely mentioned, but the remote rear operating lever will hopefully mitigate that. A bit of d*#king around is acceptable.
I am seriously considering a hydraulic TNT kit though for adjusting implement trim - getting to old to be cranking heavy stuff into adjustment.
Have you seen those Euro-ball hooks? Look slick but expensive.

Yup, with a PTO-driven implement you don't have a lot to gain with a QH. And even with non-PTO equipment there are ones that also require action back there: hydraulics, such as on my box blade (back blades, larger ones, tend to also have hydrualics).

It's an issue of releasing the arm extension levers (on the tops of the link arms) that can be a it of a pain. I sometimes stomp on them. Anything under tension can become a bit of a pain.

The remote 3pt lift lever allows you to be right there in the back and adjust height for connecting/disconnecting. CAUTION: you have to watch yourself as the lever action can result in rapid movements of very heavy pieces of equipment! (always think in terms of an "out"- how to position such that you won't get caught/pinned)

I like the idea of the Euro-balls, but I couldn't see there being enough value to justify their expense. I also feel that pins, as much of a hassle as they can sometimes be, provide a much more secure connection: home much more secure is the question, and I'd figure that since the Euro-balls are in widespread use they're ample enough.

Bottom line is that if you're doing a lot of swapping of implements you might not be thinking about your tasks efficiently: I suffer from ADD, but when it comes to tasks with implements I can muster the discipline to resist ADD impulses. I tend to have implement-specific tasks in mind and look to combine them in order to justify connecting up a particular implement: I will forgo doing some work because there just isn't enough of it to justify swapping out implements; when I get enough tasks together for the implement I'll do the swap and then do the work. Sure, sometimes you just have to do something NOW; and while that does happen, it is my belief that if you're thinking ahead you can minimize these situations. My equipment rental guy tells me that lots of people rent equipment and aren't quite sure what they're going to do: I only rent when I have a list of things to do (and I put them in sequence based on distance, something that is essential when you're running track-based machines over larger areas- they're slow compared to our [wheeled] CUTs).

 

[oosik]

All my implements are Cat 2. They all sit out in the orchard, except the Wally chipper, on their own pallet. I do not have any brand of quick hitch - I do have extendable 3-point arms. It's not that bad. Back up real close & use the extendable arms.

I can't hold up the hydraulic top link and reach the activation lever. Use a short rope to tie up the top link. Start the tractor - extend the link.

 

[Mudfarmer]

Pat's quick hitch and hydraulic toplink on all three tractors. Easy to hitch, easy to use. Would not have it any other way.

 

[DieselBound]

All my implements are Cat 2. They all sit out in the orchard, except the Wally chipper, on their own pallet. I do not have any brand of quick hitch - I do have extendable 3-point arms. It's not that bad. Back up real close & use the extendable arms.

I can't hold up the hydraulic top link and reach the activation lever. Use a short rope to tie up the top link. Start the tractor - extend the link.

Yeah, those pallets just seem to be lurking everywhere! (it's what I also use- pain, though, as grass and such grows up in them and I have to move them in order to make things look purdy)

My top link is CAT1. For some reason that was what was stock (and lowers CAT2) so I went with same for hydraulic (it seems to have worked just fine). Lighter than CAT2s. Implements are a match: CAT1 top-link and CAT2 lowers. I even confuse myself (bystanders shouldn't feel left out)!

If I were doing a LOT of swaps I might re-think things, but as I stated above, PLANNING helps reduce headaches and work. And when I should find myself grumbling over hooking implements up to the NX5510 I need only remind myself about what a pain in the behind my B7800 is (QH and Pat's both were jettisoned from the B7800 as they didn't solve my primary needs).