Is there a way to apply down pressure on a three point hitch

[LouNY]

When your blade is hopping try adjusting your top link,
if it's hydraulic it's easy, mechanical not so much.
If you shorten your toplink and lower the lift arms more you will change the attack angle of the cutting edge,
sometimes that will work well.
You mentioned this is an add on blade for a rake, if this is the type that hangs in front of the rake tines when the tines are dragging as well as the blade the tines can cause jumping.

 

[JPRambo]

With a weight distributing hitch the equal and opposite reaction is lifting the rear of the truck lowering the front of the truck.

 

[oosik]

With any land engagement implement - weight is your friend. I had an 8 foot Land Pride rear blade - 565#. In the summer all it could do was make ripples down my driveway. Now I have an 8 foot Rhino @ 1100#. A REAL world of difference.

 

[CobyRupert]

With a weight distributing hitch the equal and opposite reaction is lifting the rear of the truck lowering the front of the truck.

It seems that's the only way they can work. So if one is misadjusted (a lot) you could get a scenario where vehicles back tires are lifted in air when passing through a dip?
....so, even if properly configured, a vehicle with weight distributing hitch might be more likely to jack-knife in braking /turning situations (where rear traction may have prevented it) or get stuck when in 2 wheel drive, etc...

Apologies to OP for the sidetrack, hopefully he has his answers by now.

 

[rfc143]

If you have draft control, it should be right next to the position control, similar to this...
View attachment 594572

No Draft Control.

 

[rfc143]

When your blade is hopping try adjusting your top link,
if it's hydraulic it's easy, mechanical not so much.
If you shorten your toplink and lower the lift arms more you will change the attack angle of the cutting edge,
sometimes that will work well.
You mentioned this is an add on blade for a rake, if this is the type that hangs in front of the rake tines when the tines are dragging as well as the blade the tines can cause jumping.

The tines are not dragging, but the blade relies on the tines for its support. I think what's happening is that the blade "loads up" pushing backwards on the tines, then the tines spring the blade forward. I've thought of building struts fixing the blade in place so that the blade is pulling against the struts, rather than the springiness of the tines.

I'm wondering though if I'm worrying about nothing. The result on a thin layer of ice and snow is that it makes a series of grooves across my driveway about 4-6 inches apart. It may actually help the traction lol. I'm still experimenting. I'm just not sure how it's going to work in the summer when I need to erase washboard. If it does the same thing then, I will have to do something about it. I do have about 150 lbs of weight I could try on it, but I doubt that'd do much.

 

[LouNY]

The tines are not dragging, but the blade relies on the tines for its support. I think what's happening is that the blade "loads up" pushing backwards on the tines, then the tines spring the blade forward. I've thought of building struts fixing the blade in place so that the blade is pulling against the struts, rather than the springiness of the tines.

I'm wondering though if I'm worrying about nothing. The result on a thin layer of ice and snow is that it makes a series of grooves across my driveway about 4-6 inches apart. It may actually help the traction lol. I'm still experimenting. I'm just not sure how it's going to work in the summer when I need to erase washboard. If it does the same thing then, I will have to do something about it. I do have about 150 lbs of weight I could try on it, but I doubt that'd do much.

You can vary the top link length and see what effect that has,
also are you pulling it straight or is it angled.
Also as the cutting edge on the blade gets used it may bounce a bit less.

 

[Farmer495]

Only tractors made in recent years that had down pressure on the 3pt hitches were some Belarus models.

 

[Farmer495]

It seems that's the only way they can work. So if one is misadjusted (a lot) you could get a scenario where vehicles back tires are lifted in air when passing through a dip?
....so, even if properly configured, a vehicle with weight distributing hitch might be more likely to jack-knife in braking /turning situations (where rear traction may have prevented it) or get stuck when in 2 wheel drive, etc...

Apologies to OP for the sidetrack, hopefully he has his answers by now.

I run a WD hitch, it technically is using the rear axle as a fulcrum to put weight on the front axle, and some back onto the trailer axle. When setting one up you actually are suppose to measure the distance on the FRONT wheel to the fender to see how much you gained. At least with my Reese, I don't think you could lift the rear axle clear, the torsion bars do have some give. If you watch most RVs going the WD hitch is set up wrong and not doing it's job.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Only tractors made in recent years that had down pressure on the 3pt hitches were some Belarus models.

Actually John Deere now has it as an option on the 40xxR series tractors.