Can I ask for help choosing the best length for a hydraulic top link?

[2funkids]

I have a cat 1, 30 hp tractor and I added remotes to it and I am looking at hydraulic top links at surplus center. they have two available, one with 11 inches of travel and one with 8 inches. Would it be better to have more adjustability in or out? I don't have enough experience with attachments like many of you do to make a good decision. One goes 18" to 26" and the other one goes from 21" to 32" Right now about 24" puts the top link in line vertically with the owner links.

Thanks for the help.

 

[whis]

measure open and closed length of your top link get one that will do the same

 

[whirly]

In reality it depends on the implements you have or are going to get and how you want to use them.

I have a great hydraulic top link with 11" of travel which works well with most of my implements - flail, chipper, subsoiler and most things I do with the boxblade. It goes from 24" to 35" but on my CAT 2 tractor the 24" is not short enough to get my box blade teeth to dig very aggressively. When I put a pipe layer on my subsoiler it was not short enough to get it to "dive" fast from the start so the first 20' of pipe was laid shallower than desired.

My suggestion is to check the top link lengths you normally use with your implements and go from there.

 

[brown40]

In reality it depends on the implements you have or are going to get and how you want to use them.

I have a great hydraulic top link with 11" of travel which works well with most of my implements - flail, chipper, subsoiler and most things I do with the boxblade. It goes from 24" to 35" but on my CAT 2 tractor the 24" is not short enough to get my box blade teeth to dig very aggressively. When I put a pipe layer on my subsoiler it was not short enough to get it to "dive" fast from the start so the first 20' of pipe was laid shallower than desired.

My suggestion is to check the top link lengths you normally use with your implements and go from there.

+1--Your current implements dictate what you need; you can get draft adjustment by extending or shortening your lower links on the 3pt, but better to have one size fit all.

 

[2funkids]

Thanks for the comments. My current link is 18" retracted and aroundn 31" extended. 24-1/2" is the point where the top link matches the length of the bottom links. I have a box blade that I have adjusted at 24.5. My carry all is also at 24.5 so it's level. My landscape rake is retracted quite a bit more and the top link is closer to the tractor. This is all I have but I would like to get a brush hog. Surplus center has two links, one 18-26 and another 21-32. So with the larger one I loose 3" of retraction and I would only have 3-1/2 of retract from the level straight up point and it is 1" longer when extended than my standard link.

So it seems to me that the smaller one would be a better fit, do you agree?

And just so I am not missing something, Can I ask what types of applications/attachments requires you to lengthen your top link quite a bit?

Thanks again!!

 

[whirly]

If you are going to get a brush hog and you have rolling terrain then you MAY want more retraction to lift the rear-end higher for transport. That extra 3" of retraction could mean as much as a foot of lift at the back of your brush hog.

I have rolling terrain and use the max extension to get my subsoiler clear of the ground for transport. I also use max extension with the subsoiler when pulling large lava bombs out of the ground ... works great. However, it doesn't sound like you would really need the 32" extension but if occasionally you do, you can always use the old top link.

 

[2funkids]

Ok, so you extend it with the subs soiler to kind of hook it up and tuck the tip under the tractor? I can see where the longer link would help with that.

Any more reasons to extend a link all the way?

 

[whirly]

I forgot the obvious ... hooking up the implements. Like I said I have my implements on dollies so I use the toplink to help position my implements.

Maybe dumping your carry-all.

If you go to surpluscenter(dot)com and enter the part # 9-7682-11 you will see a top link that is a happy medium between what you have already chosen.

 

[2funkids]

I forgot the obvious ... hooking up the implements. Like I said I have my implements on dollies so I use the toplink to help position my implements.

Maybe dumping your carry-all.

If you go to surpluscenter(dot)com and enter the part # 9-7682-11 you will see a top link that is a happy medium between what you have already chosen.

Yep that's the one that would allow me to retract down to 20-7/8 and the smaller one let's me retract to 18". Dumping the carry all is a great point! Ahhh. Pros and cons...still can't decide..

 

[2funkids]

+1--Your current implements dictate what you need; you can get draft adjustment by extending or shortening your lower links on the 3pt, but better to have one size fit all.

I don't know how to make a draft adjustment? My bottom links are solid with a ball pivot on both ends?