Inching control: anyone have it?

[stevem5215]

Steiner and Ventrac probably have the easiest quick connect system of anything out there. On my Steiner you just drive up to it lower the front hitch forks down to the level you need and push onto the attachment and lower the locking lever. Hook up the hydro lines if they have them and or connect the belt to drive the unit. It's pretty simple. Even the full size loader they offer is via quick attach and while it's not a one minute job it's probably a five minute one.

Steve

 

[daugen]

Thanks Steve. My challenge is this needs to be my "big" tractor and I need to pull a disc and a seven foot mower. And run a potato plow. And lift a man cage high in the air. Those units aren't sized to do row crop farming, not enough clearance. But excluding farming, I think they are very cool pieces of equipment, and having spent most of my life in hilly PA on the other end of the state, and scaring myself on hills way too many times with conventional high center of gravity units. I had to do all my hill work with my Gravely riding tractor, which has a very low CG with the engine in the rear and down low.

I like the Kubota low profile model of the M5. But my is it pricey. I have orchards and those big low flotation tires would be easier on the property, yet still have enough guts to pull a ground engaging implement. Just can't row crop cultivate with it because of low clearance and width of tires. And that's what I have the Super A for, cultivating potatoes one row at a time. But I prepare the field with a disc and that takes weight and a lot of traction. I want to go one size larger, not smaller. But yeah, neat tech. I need it super sized...

 

[mred2]

I don't have anything with inching control on the rear, but I have an older Iseki TL3200 with 18 speeds, 3 gear shifts. If you put it in low, low with you on the ground, idle speed, you can put it into gear without the clutch as it is moving so slow. I have many times put it into reverse while beside the tractor to back it up. I have also used it to pull an old car, while walking beside it, I can go back to the car and turn the wheel and walk up to steer the tractor. When I said slow, I mean SLOW. High, high and 3rd gear is about 12 mph at top RPM.

 

[CADplans]

My tractor weighs easily double what a 4066R weighs,, and my tractor has a 3 point that is easier to connect than a tractor equipped with "inching"

Inching does nothing to help if your tractor is at an angle to the implement,,
neither does a quick hitch,

The extendable hitch arms on my 40 year old tractor resolves both,,

Lift the top lever, the arms extend up to 6 inches,, also each side is independent,, so, if the tractor is at an angle, one arm can be extended more.

My flail mower would be almost impossible to connect without the extendable arms,, and I have an "inching" system on the tractor.

For inching,
I can point the front loader bucket down, stab the bucket into the ground, and by rocking the bucket slightly, the tractor will inch back or forward,

The extendable arms also help when it is time to disconnect the 3 point attachment.
By lifting the lever, if there is "back force" on the lift arm pin, the force can be removed.
Sometimes a small crowbar is needed to lift the latch if the force is great enough.

Still, the crowbar is better than hammering the pin out of the lift arm when disconnecting,,, :thumbsup:

 

[dragoneggs]

Advantage to having an older model where the inching feature is just tapping the reverse HST pedal while standing beside. No seat switch.

I can do this with my BX (standing up) to inch to connect FEL Q/A implements. Tapping it won't kill it... doing more than that, will!

 

[mbu]

Here is a video with John Deere's hitch assist in action. As one will see in this video, it takes a number of steps to operate it...

Connect and Go: The 4R Series Hitch Assist - YouTube

 

[oosik]

Its like I said - attaching 3-point implements is difficult and can become dangerous. Thirty six years and my only problems with my hands is age. The ONLY time I ever got hurt with the 3-point - I had a second person helping. I was hunched down and he lowered one of the lower arms down on my knee. It was only a bruise but shocked the crap out of me.

My claim to fame on this implement attachment situation - - I may be slow but I still have all my parts and they work pretty well.

 

[goeduck]

My tractor weighs easily double what a 4066R weighs,, and my tractor has a 3 point that is easier to connect than a tractor equipped with "inching"

That old International 584 was WAY ahead of its time! Not only on the 3 pt arms but 4WD to boot. Very nice :thumbsup: I wish I had one.

 

[chim]

...................Inching does nothing to help if your tractor is at an angle to the implement,..................:

Being able to move the tractor slightly has helped me connect implements that weren't lined up exactly right. If I get the first arm on the draw pin and move the tractor slightly it rotates the implement to enable me to get the second draw pin hooked up.

 

[kthompson]

I believe you can get tractor with HST in the size you are discussing. We have a B2710 kubota and I used the hst pedals to help line up the lift levers often but I do put it in low range. At idle basically a creep. If you get good extension arms and keep the parts clean and lubed some they work good. Have both Kubota and JD with arms with this built it and it helps a lot. A possible options for hooking up is to use tow implements if an option. No idea the implements you use but there are tow box blades, sprayers, disc, and of course many 3 pth implements can be converted to tow. If you ever use tow implements you will find they have real advantages but do give up some also.

As to the pto shafts, just wondering here. The issue is you need good access and two strong hands to work the latch mechanism as you slide it onto the tractor's pto shaft. Maybe it would be easier to install the shaft onto the tractor first, hook up the implement and then hook up the shaft to the implement end. Realize this will bring other issues like how to keep the drive line in place as you back tractor into place with the implement but you some shafts use a shear bolt on the implement end that should be easier to connect than the tractor end.

No idea how a pto hooks on a skidsteer but is that something that could be converted for tractor use?

 

[k0ua]

Implements that need "PTO", are hydraulic in nature, NOT mechanical PTO driven. So you hook up the hydraulic hoses instead of a PTO coupler. You need about 25GPM to operate most of them.

 

[Jchonline]

what a marvelous contraption.
reminds me of the seriously cool garden tractor trash bins one used to be able to get, I think from JD ?,
that had hydraulic arms and lifted the rear bags out, dumped them, and returned to the mower and you never had to get out of your seat.

Why don't they have them any more? I can guess....all those lift arms and hydraulic cylinders, have to believe they are going to get bent by not so careful operation, and then warranty claims and unhappiness. Simply too complicated.
Trick is to make it easy but also durable as can be. Without costing 8 grand...(that might include the cost of the whole front pto drivetrain also?)
When I priced my L it was close to 8 grand to put a blower on it 6 years ago.

The Europeans have been doing front pto implements for a long time. I think we are just catching up to them,
but checking all the blocks will make for a very expensive tractor.
I hope Kubota figured it out here.
Maybe they can migrate that quick connect concept to other implements.

JD dealer said they had never seen a unit come in with inching control.
I really wonder if it is truly available.

I saw one 2 months ago at our JD dealer on a 4066R. It worked just fine. Loved the idea. JD cab was just too cramped for me.

 

[daugen]

Inching does nothing to help if your tractor is at an angle to the implement

Agreed. In my perfect world there would be two rocker switches, one for each rear wheel that could act independently. When our tractors go all electric, I bet that feature arrives...

 

[daugen]

I saw one 2 months ago at our JD dealer on a 4066R. It worked just fine. Loved the idea. JD cab was just too cramped for me.

thanks. So it's out there.
where is my 100 hp 5M or 5R with comparable features? And can I have a hydro trans while I'm making my wish list? That no one offers either.
was told doesn't exist....

 

[newbury]

I've only a few 3 pt implements but after 3 back surgeries I've found that hooking up my implements can be painful. My solution has been to get the implement on a smooth concrete floor on as many Harbor Freight furniture moving dollies as it takes (sometimes 2, sometimes 4). Even my 900 pound chipper twists and turns relatively easily. I just have to be careful to keep the floor CLEAN because more than once I've been stopped by a pebble that got in the way.

I have PECs on both tractors and they help with the final hookup.

The $30 to $40 worth of furniture movers and good bungee cords to support the well greased PTO shafts have turned what was a royal pain into just a pain.

I would prefer Drew's approach - 1 implement, 1 tractor, but can't afford it.

 

[goeduck]

Inching does nothing to help if your tractor is at an angle to the implement

I try to get lined up square but do need to turn the wheel sometimes when I am bumping back

 

[newbury]

I've also found it helped me to mark my rear wheel and implement position on the concrete when I disconnected an implement so I could aim for the same marks when I went to hook back up.

 

[Oldoak]

I've also found it helped me to mark my rear wheel and implement position on the concrete when I disconnected an implement so I could aim for the same marks when I went to hook back up.

That is an excellent idea. Wish I had done that when I detached my backhoe earlier this year.

 

[kenmac]

While it's not located on the rear fender. I can inch my Kubota MX5100 back a few inches with the HST pedal. It really helps when hooking something up

 

[npalen]

I find that the hydraulic top link is a great "inching control". It can be used to line up the lower pins even if the tractor is not square with the implement.
The hydraulic top link, for me, has changed the mounting of a three point implement from an exercise in frustration to finesse.