Toplink Box Blade and Hydraulic Top Link

[dourobob]

Well, I have finally done the deed and ordered the BB20 - 72 from MidWest (through a local KIOTI dealer). Now, in anticipation of its arrival I was looking at a few posts about Hydraulic Top Links and wondering .......

If any one uses a hydraulic top link on your BB, can you tell me why I just can't do without it?
While some of the advantages appear obvious, once again, the budget comes into play and I anticipate the "Armstrong" adjustments will have to do for the time being.

I'd also appreciate any comments from experienced users who cope without this hydraulic convenience /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Would you use it a great deal if you had it or would it just be an expensive add-on that gets minimal usage?

Thanks

Bob

 

[Bird]

Bob, I did without it for several years; just adjusted the top link manually. But when using the box blade, it was so much trouble and took so long to change the adjustment that I frequently just used the 3-point lift instead of re-adjusting the top link. When I put the TNT on the tractor, I was frequently adjusting it on the fly and I could do the jobs I wanted to do better in a fourth of the time. It's also quite handy when hooking up implements, and it was handy when I needed to lift a mower higher (tilt the back end up) to clean underneath, or needed to tilt an implement more to go on or off the trailer without it hitting the ground.

Certainly you can do without it, but if you ever have it, you'll wonder why it doesn't come as standard equipment.

 

[OkieG]

Like dourobob, I think an hydraulic toplink could be helpful. Do you also have a "tilt" cylinder? Most, if not all my boxblading is done with the blade level. If you do have "tilt", do you find that useful? How useful is it compared to the hyd. toplink?

OkieG

 

[Bird]

Yep, I had both top and tilt. I used the top link all the time, and actually rarely used the tilt on the side link. There were, of course, times when it was handy and was used, but not nearly as much as I had expected.

 

[tdenny]

Bird,

I'd be just the opposite I'd get much more use out of the tilt right now. I have a lot of areas that are very uneven and tilting would really help me. I gotten to the point where I put the scarifiers on the side I want to move in and taking the others out. I think this might be like the "poor Man's tilt". How much would a top and tilt setup run?

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> How much would a top and tilt setup run? </font>
Depends on the tractor. Estimate $500 - $1,000 for 2 rear remotes, 2 hyd cylinders and hoses. Low end of the range if you do it yourself, high end if you have the dealer do it after the sale.

 

[Bird]

Mike's prices are about right. When I did mine myself on my B2710, I was a bit new to the idea and I spent about $800. I know now how I could have done it, and where I could have gotten some of the parts, considerably cheaper, maybe a couple of hundred anyway.

 

[MikePA]

I should have added, that if I had to do it over again, I would have had the dealer add 2 rear remotes and the Top cylinder when I bought the tractor since, when compared to the cost of the tractor, the 2 remotes at $250 (full retail) and a cylinder, was a nit.

I would not have paid for the Tilt since I was not sure how/if I'd use it.

The next time I have the dealer out to do some service on the tractor, I will probably tell them to install the remotes.

 

[tdenny]

Thanks guys. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[JATO_RaT]

For my use, 3 remotes are needed. Remember, a set of 3 remotes means 6 connectors. I use a pair for the top link, a pair for the tilt and that last or 3rd pair for anything from my hydraulic rippers on my box scraper to the hydraulic input on a landscape rake, etc. By having that 3rd set, you have the ability to operate those things you never thought of. The difference in cost between a 2 valve and 3 valve control was minimal. Rat...