Using a chain as top link with attachments

[John0829]

I had a bunch of old 1/4" chain, that I have no idea where it came from, after I got hit in the back a few times by my cutter I spent an afternoon spot welding short piece of chain to it. Not been hit since.

 

[Chewwy]

Using the chain now, I find that I can cut closer to the ground and not leave any skid ruts. I lifted the back wheel so that I can angle the front end of the hog up. I know this goes against traditional wisdom which says the back end should be higher to throw any debris out that way. But this way, I don't have to lift the mower every time I turn, which saves wear and tear on the lift arms.

How does turning put wear and tear on your lift arns? And are you refering to the two lower arms on your 3pt hitch?

 

[BalaamsJackass]

How does turning put wear and tear on your lift arns? And are you refering to the two lower arms on your 3pt hitch?

I find I have to lift the mower every time I turn or the skids will scalp the ground.

 

[shooterdon]

I know this is an old thread, but I am considering a top link chain on my land plane to try to reduce the undulations in my driveway.

Every time the tractor goes up and down it seems to make things worse.

Thoughts??

 

[Chewwy]

I know this is an old thread, but I am considering a top link chain on my land plane to try to reduce the undulations in my driveway.

Every time the tractor goes up and down it seems to make things worse.

Thoughts??

Other than lifting to plane off the surface when it is NOT being used, the top link is not necessary when using a land plane. A land plane rides on its skids.

 

[deserteagle71]

Every time the tractor goes up and down it seems to make things worse.

Thoughts??

What Chewwy said. A land plane should be riding on its skids to where the up and down movements of the tractor do not affect it at all. Are you having some of the weight of the land plane held up by the tractor's 3 point hitch?

Or are you maybe using a box blade which has no skids?

 

[Gordon Gould]

I know this is an old thread, but I am considering a top link chain on my land plane to try to reduce the undulations in my driveway.

Every time the tractor goes up and down it seems to make things worse.

Thoughts??

Shooter, I have done this in the past and it worked very well for me. I used a choker hook to connect to the tractor top link pin and a logging slider on the land plan pin to make the length adjustable.

A cautionary note !!! My grader is fairly long, 4'-6", and it is heavy in the back end with that swinging tail gate. That is a large part of why it worked well I think. When you pull the land plane forward the rear end will want to roll up because of the resistance the forward blade sees. The top link holds it down a chain will not. When I used the chain I first made several passes with a regular top link to make sure the surface was all loosened up and there were no buried snags. If you hit a rock the rear end will come up and flip over into the tractor in a hurry. To fast to react. That is the main problem. So go very slow at first and add enough weight to the rear of your plane to keep the runners flat on the road surface as you pull it. Make sure there are no snaggy spots. I run mine fairly deep.

I don't use the chain any more because I can do a just as good job since I got a hydraulic top link.

gg

 

[kneedeep]

Are your lift arms adjustable?
They should go lower than the lift pins and float with the plane as it is pulled.
If the plane raises up when rear tires go over the humps, the lift arms should be longer.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Are your lift arms adjustable?
They should go lower than the lift pins and float with the plane as it is pulled.
If the plane raises up when rear tires go over the humps, the lift arms should be longer.

A land plane is run flat on the road surface. You adjust the top link so that is the case. BUT, when the front tires drop like happens going over a rise or into a rut the tractor pivots forward and the top link pull the the back of the land land plane up off the road surface. The opposite happens when the front wheels go up a rise. The tractor pivots back pushing down/back on the top link which raise the front of the landplane just like lengthening the top link would.

Shooter, one thing you can do to help prevent the plane from flipping over is to run the chain thru a piece of pipe. If it is the right length it will catch the plane before it flips. The pipe will be shorter than the chain by a little.

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

Here is some more while we are on the subject. If you can make your top link parallel or close to parallel to the lift arms for any dirt engaging implement by selecting holes on the tractor and implement end of the top link then as you raise or lower the implement with the 3ph lever The implement will stay at the same angle. Will not roll up when raised. In the case of the land plane it will stay parallel to the road as it goes up and down as long as the tractor stays level.

gg