3-Point Hitch Help removing a King Kutter rotary cutter

[DonHite]

I have a LS XG 3135H XG3025 tractor. When it was delivered it had a King Kutter rotary cutter that I bought on it. I also bought a hay spear for it that was delivered as well. Now I need to take the cutter off and put the hay spear on. However since this is the first time I owned a tractor I am struggling getting it off. I only found one video on removal: How to Take a Brush Hog off a Tractor - YouTube however the tractor here is not like mine. I have the cutter all the way down on the ground. I took off the PTO and took off the upper link. I pulled the pins on both lower links but cannot get them to pull off. What an I missing? Thanks in advance, Don

 

[Peter 315]

Did you get it off yet?

 

[LouNY]

Any luck yet?
Do you have a picture?

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Did you release / loosen the lower arm stabilizers? That would allow them to move off the pins. If it has been sitting outside for a while, there might be a bit of rust preventing them from sliding off. Could be as simple as the weight of the mower pushing against the pins / arms.

Good luck, let us know how you made out... or should I say OFF...

 

[Hay Dude]

Make sure mower is completely lowered to ground. Remove lower link pins!! Raise the 3pt hitch just a touch. Not enough to lift the mower. Take a block of 2x4 about 2 feet long in non dominant hand and a 2lb sledge in dominant hand. Hold the block flat side against the inside of the lower link. Give the 2x4 a good whack with the little sledge and drive the arm off the pin.

 

[newbury]

Ar the lower links maxed out in their downward movement? Can you raise the lower links (& the cutter) and slide like a 4x4 under it? Then lower the links.

 

[DonHite]

Thank you everyone for your replies. It is dark here now so I will try again in the morning and keep you posted. I will attach a picture if I am still having trouble. Thanks again, Don

 

[airbiscuit]

I'm guessing you can't get it off because you can't separate the lower 3pt arms enough. You need to pull the pins on the 3pt stabilizer bars (gold colored bars connected to the lower arms. See arrow in photo below.

 

[airbiscuit]

See the video at 2:34

 

[alexsbuddy]

I would definitely recommend that you get a 3 pt quick hitch. It will make using 3 pt implements so much easier and eliminate the strain on your back. Harbor Freight carries them and you can usually get one on sale (or with a coupon) for $78-$89.

As for the mower, I lower the mower on to cinder blocks (one at each corner of the mower) when I take it off. Keeps it off the ground and makes hooking it up and taking it off even easier.

 

[CobyRupert]

I took off the PTO and took off the upper link. I pulled the pins on both lower links but cannot get them to pull off. What an I missing? Thanks in advance, Don

A big hammer.

Just make sure the stabilizer linkage has enough slack to let the lift arm swing out from the mower’s pins.
If the lift arms can swing, you might not even need a hammer. You may just need to move the tractor forward or backwards, probably backwards, a 1/8” or less to free the tension between the mower’s pin and the tractor’s lift arms.
That is, I think for the arms to swing outwards, in an arc, they “want” the mower to be moving forward, or tractor moving slightly backward, to compensate for this arc. But if the mower is 800lbs lying on the ground and doesn’t move there’s going to be friction.

 

[jeff9366]

I have the cutter all the way down on the ground. I took off the PTO and took off the upper link. I pulled the pins on both lower links but cannot get them to pull off. What an I missing?

Reconnect the Top Link.

The Top Link will move your implement both up/down and in/out, eliminating bind on draft pins at one point. Adjust Top Link in/out until the Lower Link pins are willing to slide. If the implement is on level ground both pins will probably unbind at the same adjustment. Remove the LEFT PIN first.

If implement rests on uneven ground you may have to adjust the Top Link a second time to produce slack for the second/right pin.
If implement rests on uneven ground and Top Link does not quite free second/right pin, screw right Lifting Rod adjustment in/out a tad. Vertical adjustment is only on the right Lifting Rod. The left Lifting Rod is solid.

Removal is one of those technique things.

When the pins are out, lube them.

In my early tractor days I used to struggle so, mounting implements. Now they go on/off fairly easily and quickly, even the formerly exasperating implement PTO shaft mating to tractor PTO splines.

Make sure the stabilizer linkage has enough slack to let the lift arm swing out from the mower's pins.

If it has telescoping stabilizers, you need to pull the pins in those to allow the arms to swing out.

YES​

 

[LD1]

If it has telescoping stabilizers, you need to pull the pins in those to allow the arms to swing out.

IF that is done....you have to keep in mind that as the arm swings out, the eye is actually trying to move closer to the tractor so unhooking on a hill or uneven ground with park brake set is tough.

Not advocating you do anything to get hurt, but I unhook on level ground with park brake off so the tractor can roll with little effort

 

[DonHite]

I tried the previous instructions this morning with no luck and did my chores in the barn cleaning manure etc. with it still attached.

Then I lowered the deck to the ground, pulled the PTO, took off the top bar and then took both stabilizer bar pins out from where they attach to the tractor and let them hang. I still cannot get them to move all the way off.

 

[Hay Dude]

View attachment 648145

I tried the previous instructions this morning with no luck and did my chores in the barn cleaning manure etc. with it still attached.

Then I lowered the deck to the ground, pulled the PTO, took off the top bar and then took both stabilizer bar pins out from where they attach to the tractor and let them hang. I still cannot get them to move all the way off.

From that picture, it looks like your adjusted all the way “out”. You may have to unbolt the adjustable stabilizers from the lower arms so they can slide off. It’s not a rust problem, that’s for sure :laughing:
Never saw a mower with pins mounted so wide (or a tractor with a narrow adjustability on the lower arms).

 

[DonHite]

"You may have to unbolt the adjustable stabilizers from the lower arms so they can slide off"

I thought about that but wanted to do it the "Proper way" I will go out and do that now. Thanks

 

[Peter 315]

Is the other side the same? You can just unbolt one side to get it off , Looks like the links are to long for that tractor....

 

[DonHite]

Taking the bolts out did the trick. It is not the Proper way to do it, but at this point I don't care. Thank you everyone for your guidance. I am an old Case skid loader guy and this is my first tractor so I have a lot to learn. Thanks again and I will probably beg for help putting it back on.

 

[airbiscuit]

Next time, try turning the tail wheel 90 degrees and push the whole mower to one side. That might give enough clearance to get one side off. As tight as that seems to be, that could be a trick to mount again. You could take the lower pins off the mower and reattach with them facing inside.

 

[Hay Dude]

"You may have to unbolt the adjustable stabilizers from the lower arms so they can slide off"

I thought about that but wanted to do it the "Proper way" I will go out and do that now. Thanks

Don, take a look where your adjustable stabilizers bolt to the tractor. See if there’s a second hole, or position available. If there is, there’s a chance it’ll make the stabilizers shorter, thus allowing them to be spread wider.