Top-N-Tilt for 4000 series

bebster · Aug 19, 2003

I've had difficulty understanding what this option is exactly, and what the cost/benefits of it are? Thanks for any explanations or info.

GreenMtnMan · Aug 19, 2003

Top-N-Tilt is an option that adds some hydraulic controls to your 3 point hitch. It consists of two additional hydraulic cylinders that replace parts of the 3ph assembly.

One of the new cylinders ("TOP") replaces the 3ph top link. This cylinder allows you to hydraulically lengthen and shorten the top link from the seat, which effectively allows you to tilt the implement front-to-back.

The other new cylinder ("TILT") replaces the lift arm on the right side. This one allows you to adjust the lift arm length hydraulically, allowing you to raise and lower the right side of the implement, tilting it right-to-left

Top-N-Tilt lets you do things from the drivers seat that you would otherwise have to do by stopping the tractor, getting off, and adjusting the links manually, sometimes many times a day. I can tilt a box blade left-to-right to give a crown to a road or to scrape along an incline at an angle different from the tractor. I can back up to a hill and drop a rotary cutter on the down slope side or raise the rotary cutter to cut an uphill slope. When attaching implements you can back up to them and adjust the 3ph from the drivers seat to line up all the links, even when the tractor and/or implement aren't on level ground. There is no end to the fun you can have with TnT.

Cost-Benefit? How do you rate satisfaction and ease of use? It would add somewhere around $1500-2000 to the price of a JD TEN series machine installed by the dealer. The TnT kit is around $750, plus you need two additional SCVs and a field diverter kit. The field diverter kit allows you to flip a switch and use the loader joystick to control the TnT cylinders (assuming you already have a loader).

Like one person said here on TBN (paraphrasing) don't ever use a tractor with TnT if you don't intend on buying it, because once you do you will never be satisfied without it.

I have it, and I wouldn't want to be without it. Well worth the money if you have the budget for it.

BenderKC · Aug 20, 2003

Excellent explanation. I understand this better than ever before.

Neophyte · Aug 20, 2003

( I can back up to a hill and drop a rotary cutter on the down slope side or raise the rotary cutter to cut an uphill slope. )

I was having a hard time justifying T&T until you mentioned this. I could see this feature being extremely useful on my property. At a minimum, I will ge getting a hydraulic top link for this reason.

Thank you.

rancar · Aug 20, 2003

I've had difficulty understanding what this option is exactly, and what the cost/benefits of it are? 

Others here have explained the benefits well enough. Here now is a pic of Top-N-Tilt on my JD 4710.

...Bob

bebster · Aug 20, 2003

Thanks for a great explanation! I've got the problem of keeping the edges of my dirt road cleared of brush that creeps in. (see attached picture) Problem is that the road has sunk a little and the edge tends to be almost a foot higher than the road itself.

Do you think with this Top-N-Tilt rig I can get the rotary cutter up onto the edge by backing onto it? If I could that would be terrific and make the Top-N-Tilt a great investment.

GreenMtnMan · Aug 20, 2003

How thick is the brush? 2 inch saplings could be cut with a medium duty cutter like the JD MX5, but backing into them might be problematic. The road looks sort of narrow for a CUT and a rotary cutter to work sideways on. I'm sure you'd be scalping the high edge of the ruts, too Top-N-Tilt or no. If the terrain allows and the thickest brush isn't much more than two inches maybe you could just drive up and down the side of the road and mow it down with a good cutter. I've mowed down stuff that looked pretty thick without a whimper from my 4310/MX5 combo. Or, maybe you could use a HD loader bucket and a toothbar to push the encroaching trees and brush over. If it's too thick for that then I'd think about hiring a dozer to get it all into shape and using the CUT to keep it that way. If you do use a cutter to knock it down be sure to keep the loader bucket low to bend/break the brush down so it doesn't bash against the bottom of the tractor (wiring and suction filters can be damaged if you high-center on something)

Maybe someone with more experience can offer better advice.

bebster · Aug 20, 2003

Thanks -- forgot to mention that it's a 4410 w/ MX5 cutter. You're right about driving down the side of the road where possible -- that would do it (except where there are trees bigger than 2"). The goal would be to cut back about 5' on either side of the road (that would allow a bigger vehicle to get buy with no scratching at all).

But would the Top-N-Tilt be helpful then? Not really needed it seems except where I could back across the road from one side and lift the cutter up and set it down on the other side next to a big tree for example.

How high can you raise the cutter with a Top-N-Tilt compared to standard 3PH lift? I would guess that tilt doesn't really help since it adjusts the angle and not the height.

GreenMtnMan · Aug 20, 2003

I don't think you'd regret having TnT, but you have to decide the cost-benefit based on your needs and budget. I don't think I've every used my cutter without using TnT somewhere and looking at your road I would guess you'd find it very beneficial. As far as raising it, you will be able to raise the back end of the MX5 somewhere around a foot above normal 3ph height but the front height won't change much when you do.

Neophyte · Aug 21, 2003

Bebster,

I think that brush may be a little too much for a sickle-bar mower. However, others who use them could tell you better. You would definitely need to cut the thick stuff first with a chainsaw or your MX5. The nice thing about a sickle bar mower is you can use it at any angle from 90 degrees verticle to 70 degrees downward. With a 7' sickle bar mower, you could drive along side the road with it verticle and trim out a 7' wall of light brush ... maybe. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

BEFCO Sickle Bar Mower

Or you could always go with one of these babies if you have about $4000 burning a whole in your pocket. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

VMC Ditch Mower