Thoughts on hydraulic top link..

[kw22614]

I know nothing about them, but it's quite a chore continually adjusting the top link manually. I have a BX1860 and use a fixed box blade. How would I install a hyd top link and would I need to add another hyd fitting to hook it to? Would I need to drain the entire HST, more hoses? What's a good brand for my small hp tractor? About how much of a financial investment? Sorry - I'm completely green on this so I guess I'm looking for a step-by-step.

 

[ovrszd]

You came to the right place. You'll get more opinions about TnT here than you can digest.

I built mine. We have a local vendor here on TBN that sells them, Brian, at Fit Rite Hydraulics. He'll be on here shortly.

Yes you need rear remotes to run the cylinder. Brian can answer any specific questions about that too.

You might want to consider a tilt cylinder as well. This would require a second rear remote. But it allows you to change the 3pt side to side as well.

Top link allows you to do this.




Side link allows you to do this.

 

[k0ua]

I know nothing about them, but it's quite a chore continually adjusting the top link manually. I have a BX1860 and use a fixed box blade. How would I install a hyd top link and would I need to add another hyd fitting to hook it to? Would I need to drain the entire HST, more hoses? What's a good brand for my small hp tractor? About how much of a financial investment? Sorry - I'm completely green on this so I guess I'm looking for a step-by-step.

You of course will need a set (2) hydraulic Quick Connects installed on your tractor with a control valve to operate them installed on your tractor in the power beyond circuit, then you purchase they hydraulic cylinder and run the hoses to the hydraulic Quick connects. That is one way.

Another way would be to put an Electric/hydraulic diverter valve on your Curl/Dump circuit on your existing Front End Loader. and use the existing valve to control the hydraulic flow when you need it by switching the electric switch to divert the flow to the rear outlets and controlling it with the curl/dump then switching the switch back to make the hydraulic circuit back to the normal loader curl/dump function. You can either do it yourself, with lots of reading or you can contact Brian at Fit Right Hydraulics and he will fix you up. Brian is on this forum all the time as MtViewRanch. The easiest path is just talk to Brian, But if you want to "know more" I will try to help you, and there are some hydraulic professionals lurking around here too. I am not, one of them but a lot of it has "soaked in" thru the years, (kinda like hydraulic fluid) Below is the link for Brians web site,

Fit Rite Hydraulics - fitritehydraulics.com

 

[murphy1244]

I have the Top link and I would not like to do with out it.

 

[ovrszd]

I'll also add, Brian will help you with advice and ideas and it's all free. If you want to purchase, then he'll help you with that as well.

A very good source for technical Hydaulic knowledge is "JJ". He'll find this thread shortly as well.

 

[DFB]

I have had my hyd toplink setup for at least 12 years now. Couldn't imagine any other way!

Not that I have forgotten though...we have 3 tractors at the orchard that don't have them

 

[kw22614]

thanks ovrszd, kOua & Murph. Just checked out Fit Rite site - I understand a lot more now. Been a 'self-proclaimed' mechanic for many a year and catch on quick. I see he has almost complete kits for tnt, but way out of my budget - at least for now (still a great wish!). Guess I'll be hopefully getting good at manual adjusting for quite a while. Thanks guys! KW

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I know nothing about them, but it's quite a chore continually adjusting the top link manually. I have a BX1860 and use a fixed box blade. How would I install a hyd top link and would I need to add another hyd fitting to hook it to? Would I need to drain the entire HST, more hoses? What's a good brand for my small hp tractor? About how much of a financial investment? Sorry - I'm completely green on this so I guess I'm looking for a step-by-step.

The best way to determine exactly what length top link you should have is to get the true mid stroke pin-pin length. The best way to get that distance is to have your box blade on the ground, level front-back and side-side. (both front and rear cutting edges touching the ground equally) With that distance the best working length of your hydraulic top link can be determined.

Depending on just what you want to do will determine what will be the best route for you to go. Costs will vary depending on what type of controls you want to use. I typically recommend a minimum or 2 sets of rear remotes, but what people want and end up with can vary quite a bit. Last year a sold a set with 4 sets of rear remotes, about a month later we ended up adding a fifth.

Best to really think about what you have planned to do.

 

[ovrszd]

Where ya been Brian????

 

[k0ua]

thanks ovrszd, kOua & Murph. Just checked out Fit Rite site - I understand a lot more now. Been a 'self-proclaimed' mechanic for many a year and catch on quick. I see he has almost complete kits for tnt, but way out of my budget - at least for now (still a great wish!). Guess I'll be hopefully getting good at manual adjusting for quite a while. Thanks guys! KW

KW, where you really start your mouth watering for a TNT kit is when you start doing a lot of blading. It is not just the hooking up, it is the constant need to adjust blade angles of attack, and side to side angle, and or hydraulic angle of a scrape blade too.. Then the constant getting on and off of the tractor gets old after while. You either get good at estimating the angles you need and get them set manually, or you wear your axe out getting on and off the tractor.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Where ya been Brian????

Hard to be everywhere at once.

 

[ovrszd]

KW, where you really start your mouth watering for a TNT kit is when you start doing a lot of blading. It is not just the hooking up, it is the constant need to adjust blade angles of attack, and side to side angle, and or hydraulic angle of a scrape blade too.. Then the constant getting on and off of the tractor gets old after while. You either get good at estimating the angles you need and get them set manually, or you wear your axe out getting on and off the tractor.

Yep. When I use my scrape blade I set the 3pt and TnT so the mainframe of the blade is levelwhen sitting on the groun. Then I don't touch the 3pt lever again. I use the two hydraulic levers to raise/lower (top link) or tilt (side link) the blade. Makes ya look like a professional!!!

 

[kw22614]

Thanks again all - I got my used 48" King Kutter fixed bb just before this crazy winter and haven't had a chance to get to know it yet. As this was also the first snowy season with my bx, I moved snow off my front yard 75'x12' gravel driveway and need to move back all the displaced gravel from the yard and relevel (hopefully my snow plowing fel skills will get better too). I also have about 500'x12' back yard gravel driveway that needs releveling and almost 2 acres of back yard that needs filling, grading, cutting in a drainage swail or 2 and releveling too. I know with all the work on the yard alone it'd be best to have tnt. Just not sure how I'd afford it unless maybe finding a great deal on a used one from a wrecked or blown tractor. I haven't even seen any even listed for my sized small bx the smallest is for the b models.

 

[ovrszd]

KW, get on that gravel retrieval while it's frozen. A BB will scrape up the gravel and do minimal grass damage if you get it now.

Everyone,,, I mean everyone that pushes snow off a gravel drive push off some rock.

Somewhere on here I saw a thread where a guy built some shoes on his BB so it was carried a couple inches off the ground so it minimized gravel loss. I'll look around and see if I kept any pictures.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Thanks again all - I got my used 48" King Kutter fixed bb just before this crazy winter and haven't had a chance to get to know it yet. As this was also the first snowy season with my bx, I moved snow off my front yard 75'x12' gravel driveway and need to move back all the displaced gravel from the yard and relevel (hopefully my snow plowing fel skills will get better too). I also have about 500'x12' back yard gravel driveway that needs releveling and almost 2 acres of back yard that needs filling, grading, cutting in a drainage swail or 2 and releveling too. I know with all the work on the yard alone it'd be best to have tnt. Just not sure how I'd afford it unless maybe finding a great deal on a used one from a wrecked or blown tractor. I haven't even seen any even listed for my sized small bx the smallest is for the b models.

I just finished a system for a BX2230. Expecting the customer to put up a few more pictures with everything installed. But it is not cheap. I may be wrong, but I don't think that any other company is building complete sets for them. Just not a big enough demand for the other manufactures to consider it I guess. :confused3:

 

[kw22614]

Thanks Brian. I looked at that link and your full site. Your work looks exceptional and by the many accolades here and on other threads as well. I would imagine all the 3 point gear of that BX2230 is the same size for all the BX models except for maybe the subframes as my bx1860 won't accept a backhoe. I guess I'd wish for 2 rear remotes for top and side tilt and seperate controls for them, not shared with fel by elec switch. As my machine is small am I limited to the same install point(at the rops) as that bx2230? Would I need to get my own hose or hoses from the front valve's PB back to the new remotes? Where and how could I mount the controls to use on the fly? Do you offer everything I'd need, hoses and everything? Any chance of an estimate with shipping to 20112? Please feel free to pm me. Thanks

 

[Fallon]

I'm happy with the FitRite gear I got. The TnT cylinders are the cheap & easy part. Plumbing in the valves & hoses is the hard task.

 

[Andytx]

I found out two years ago I needed a hyd top link. I bought one to mainly to use on my elston 300 gopher plow. When it comes to using it on any three point hook up attachment they are worth their weight in gold....

 

[Baby Grand]

Brian is an honorable guy and a pleasure to do business with. The FitRite TNT system he delivered came with clear instructions and mounted right up. It transformed my tractor into a much more productive machine by greatly reducing the time wasted constantly adjusting the 3pt hitch and letting me use that time to get the work done. The hard & expensive part was getting the remotes & installing them, but now that it's done I wished I'd done it years ago.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Brian is an honorable guy and a pleasure to do business with. The FitRite TNT system he delivered came with clear instructions and mounted right up. It transformed my tractor into a much more productive machine by greatly reducing the time wasted constantly adjusting the 3pt hitch and letting me use that time to get the work done. The hard & expensive part was getting the remotes & installing them, but now that it's done I wished I'd done it years ago.

^^^ My thoughts exactly. I have had my TnT system 3 years now. If you like to do dirt work with your tractor and strive to do a good job you will never regret spending the money to get a TnT system in my opinion.