Cant hook up bushhog..

[skytime24]

I'm feeling pretty stupid, I took the bush hog off my tractor when it was delivered and today I tried to hook it up and can't get the lift arms to go on, mind you I spent about 30 min adjusting the tractor position and another 30 min moving the 1000lb bush hog back and fourth with a metal bar and still can't get the darn thing on.. Now I gotta wait until tomorrow for my cousin to come over and help you. I have a lot of family within 5 miles.. Man I feel dumb.

 

[skytime24]

Is the leveling bar supposed to be all the way up to make it level with the lift bar on the left

 

[flusher]

I'm feeling pretty stupid, I took the bush hog off my tractor when it was delivered and today I tried to hook it up and can't get the lift arms to go on, mind you I spent about 30 min adjusting the tractor position and another 30 min moving the 1000lb bush hog back and fourth with a metal bar and still can't get the darn thing on.. Now I gotta wait until tomorrow for my cousin to come over and help you. I have a lot of family within 5 miles.. Man I feel dumb.

The procedure is to remove the pins that lock the swaybars that are connected to the lower arms so they can move freely. Then get the tractor in line with the mower so it's close enough that you can get the left lower arm attached. Then use your pry bar to get the right pin on the mower into alignment with the right 3pt arm. Use the up-down adjustment on the right arm to get the ball joint aligned with the pin and then kick the arm into place. Works every time, but be prepared to do a little work with the pry par.

The other alternative if you really don't want to sweat a little is to buy one of those Deltahook gizmos that attach to the 3pt and to the mower.

3 point hitch | 3 point quick hitch | 3 point tractor hitch | The Deltahook

Warning: be prepared for sticker shock if you go this route.

Good luck and be careful out there.

 

[Gary Fowler]

After you get it on following Flushers advice, don't forget to set the tractor on a level slab and re-level the bush hog by adjusting the right side up or down as required.

 

[skytime24]

I did re move the pins, I didn't even think about it my car port isn't completely level.

 

[dave1949]

On my New Holland TC40, if I lower the lift arms below the pins, I can usually lift the 3pt lift arm manually (with the engine off) enough to get lined up with the pin. My tractor came with extending lift arms too, a great feature for small/light equipment.

Best of all is putting a dolly under the front of mower when you remove it from the tractor. Of course, concrete helps with that.

 

[jeff9366]

LEFT SIDE CONNECTION​

Connect the 'Hog to the LEFT side Lower Link first. Use three point hitch hydraulics to set 'Hog connection level with left Lower Link eye, or just a tad lower. You can lift the Lower Links a bit manually to get the 'Hog connection point onto the left Lower Link eye. Secure connection with a lynch pin.

(LEFT side is without manual up/down adjustability via the three point hitch Lifting Rod on the right side.)

RIGHT SIDE CONNECTION​

To connect RIGHT Lower Link, adjust RIGHT Lower Link up/down via manual Lifting Rod on RIGHT side of three point hitch. Hopefully, after making this adjustment the right side of the 'Hog will connect to the right Lower Link eye.

If it is off just an infuriating smidge, connect the Top Link and adjust the Top Link in/out a small amount and that will usually tilt the 'Hog enough to allow the right side of the 'Hog to connect to the RIGHT Lower Link eye.

Secure connection with a lynch pin.


Lift the connected 'Hog with three point hitch hydraulics about 6" and snug your sway stabilizers.



KEY: The LEFT Lower Link can only be adjusted up/down via three point hitch hydraulics.

The only manual adjustment of the Lower Links is to the individual RIGHT Lower Link, via the manual Lifting Rod.

For virtually all implements the connection sequence is left, right, top, PTO.

Connecting implements is mostly technique. You will acquire the technique over time.


If you make a similar post in the future tell us what tractor is involved and what brand of Rotary Cutter. We can provide better tailored directions. Use standard tractor nomenclature from your Operator's Manual or you introduce confusion. (Not Lift Arms; Lower Links)

 

[JD5210]

What often is the problem is that one is not able to line up the tractor with the attachment. I had some old cables from a garage door, I put loops on each end on two of them. I back up as best as I can to the attachment. Put the loop on the attachment, run the cable through the ball of the draft link, then attach the other loop back on the attachment. The loop is small enough, so with a pin it will not slide off. I do this on each side. Then just drive the tractor a short distance, set the draft links, so they are at the same height as the attachment, the tractor drags the attachment and lines it up with the draft links. I then back up a little, take off the cables, back up a little more and the draft links line up with the attachment.

Most likely your next problem will be attaching the PTO shaft to the tractor. What I do is just attach the bottom links to the attachment, make sure the attachment is straight with the tractor and as level with the tractor as you can make it. For each of my attachments I have a rope with loops on the ends. Using the unattached top link of the attachment put one end of the rope thru the pin, then around the PTO shaft then thru the pin. Now the heavy PTO shaft is being support by the attachment and not me, the rope is at a length so the PTO shaft is level with the PTO on the tractor.

I put paint on each one of the curves of the PTO shaft. With the tractor OFF, I have no problem turning the PTO shaft by hand on the tractor to line up the paint marks with the PTO shaft on the tractor.

 

[jeff9366]

What often is the problem is that one is not able to line up the tractor with the attachment. I had some old cables from a garage door, I put loops on each end on two of them. I back up as best as I can to the attachment. Put the loop on the attachment, run the cable through the ball of the draft link, then attach the other loop back on the attachment. The loop is small enough, so with a pin it will not slide off. I do this on each side. Then just drive the tractor a short distance, set the draft links, so they are at the same height as the attachment, the tractor drags the attachment and lines it up with the draft links. I then back up a little, take off the cables, back up a little more and the draft links line up with the attachment.

Pretty smart. I will try this.

 

[skytime24]

Thanks for all the info, I'm pretty sure I'm not lined up, my problem is in the carport I'm between 4 post and don't have a lot of room. I'll try that stuff tomorrow, spent another 20 min trying to do it but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try again.

Would it help to set the bush hog on blocks?

 

[dave1949]

I set my hog on blocks. It has to sit outside, so it keeps the front off the ground and makes it easy to go around it with the weed whip. The raised height will probably work in your favor for getting it connected.

It would be worth your while to get/make a heavy duty dolly, lay a piece of scrap plywood or what you have under it, and rest the front of the mower on the dolly next time you take it off the tractor.

 

[Creamer]

LEFT SIDE CONNECTION​

Connect the 'Hog to the LEFT side Lower Link first. Use three point hitch hydraulics to set 'Hog connection level with left Lower Link eye, or just a tad lower. You can lift the Lower Links a bit manually to get the 'Hog connection point onto the left Lower Link eye. Secure connection with a lynch pin.

(LEFT side is without manual up/down adjustability via the three point hitch Lifting Rod on the right side.)

RIGHT SIDE CONNECTION​

To connect RIGHT Lower Link, adjust RIGHT Lower Link up/down via manual Lifting Rod on RIGHT side of three point hitch. Hopefully, after making this adjustment the right side of the 'Hog will connect to the right Lower Link eye.

If it is off just an infuriating smidge, connect the Top Link and adjust the Top Link in/out a small amount and that will usually tilt the 'Hog enough to allow the right side of the 'Hog to connect to the RIGHT Lower Link eye.

Secure connection with a lynch pin.


Lift the connected 'Hog with three point hitch hydraulics about 6" and snug your sway stabilizers.



KEY: The LEFT Lower Link can only be adjusted up/down via three point hitch hydraulics.

The only manual adjustment of the Lower Links is to the individual RIGHT Lower Link, via the manual Lifting Rod.

For virtually all implements the connection sequence is left, right, top, PTO.

Connecting implements is mostly technique. You will acquire the technique over time.


If you make a similar post in the future tell us what tractor is involved and what brand of Rotary Cutter. We can provide better tailored directions. Use standard tractor nomenclature from your Operator's Manual or you introduce confusion. (Not Lift Arms; Lower Links)

Are you kidding me? I never heard of all this stuff and I grew up on a large farm and hooked an unhooked equipment all the time - heavy stuff. Now I just have my toys but if it takes me more than two minutes to get connected to a piece of equipment it probably because of too many beers.

As someone else said back up straight, lower the lift arms down lower than necessary as you can manually lift them a little. Once you have one hooked, you can either move the tractor or move the implement (I usually park on relatively level sod and leave the tractor parked without brakes and then I just push it a little to get the other side lined up. No quick hitch, no extending or adjusting arms, no need for any of that. Maybe it is because I learned with 100+ Hp stuff that you either lined it up and did it right or you didn't get it.

 

[tree farmer]

Since my machine shed has a gravel floor, I drop my 'hog' with a 6"x8' round wood post crossways about a foot or so back. With the tail wheel supporting the back, it's fairly easy to push it around where it needs to be. I also put the FEL bucket in the dump position and slightly pick up the front of the tractor. Then I can move the tractor back or forward slightly with the bucket curl....Dan.

 

[Recoveryhill]

Pat's Quick Attach and a 4" longer top link.....just say'in......

 

[RaydaKub]

I grew up running my dad's Case 730 in the late 60's and 70's. Those tractors had a latch on the bottom of the arm that you could flip down and slide the ball coupler out from the arm. It extended about 4 inches and also allowed the coupler to pivot to a position almost straight up from the arm. I never realized until I joined TBN almost 30 years later what a pain 3ph equipment is to hook up. I just thought every mfg had similar means to allow the user to adjust stuff and then lock it in place after it was attached. The fact that you could reach the bottom linkage of the 3ph control lever from behind the tractor was a bonus. I had no idea how good life was!

 

[k0ua]

Having telescoping lower links and telescoping sway bars, now I have no trouble, but if you tractor is not equipped with them you can make the job much easier with a set of Carter quick attach, or Pat's quick hitch or any of the true 1 piece quick hitches, all the way from the Harbor Freight, to the John Deer or Land Pride. All will work and lessen your frustration. Of course with practice, skill and cunning you can get by with what you have, and get better each time you do it. But these other devices can sure make life easier. Keep in mind you will likely need a PTO extension or a longer PTO shaft withe the Pats and the quick hitches.. and also likely a longer top link with the Pat's. Good luck in which ever way you decide to go.

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[GPintheMitten]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xeh23Csx1QM&desktop_uri=/watch?v=xeh23Csx1QM

I found that telescoping stabizer arms made it much easier for me to attach implements. I was considering Pats eazy change but decided after putting the telescoping stabilizers on I didnt need anything else.

I git mine from Mark Hodge at Stabilworks. Heres his youtube demo.

 

[skytime24]

The 2 bars on the hog, are they supposed to be bent slightly tword the rear of the brushhog?

 

[k0ua]

The 2 bars on the hog, are they supposed to be bent slightly tword the rear of the brushhog?

A picture would be worth, a thousand words... bars? do you mean the 7/8 inch pins that the lower links slip on? If so.. no. Nothing should be bent.

 

[GPintheMitten]

http://m.youtube.com/results?q=how to hook up 3pt implement&oq=&gs_l=

Another you tube showing how to hook up 3pt implements. In his video he didnt explain that he first made sure the stabilizer bars were loose enough to allow side to side play in the lower link arms.