M7060 hydraulic top link

britej

Member

Equipment
M7060HD
Jun 5, 2020
40
2
8
Queen City Texas
I searched this, as I am sure this has been covered, but had no luck. I recently purchased a new M7060HD. I traded my John Deere 5203 2wd in and am loving this tractor. I would like to get a hydraulic top link. Is there a turn key kit out there, with hoses, connectors, and the cylinder? I searched and found one place that builds kits, but he is 20 something weeks backed up.

If no kit, where is the best place to buy these parts? I assume I need a 3 inch bore and a 1.5 inch shaft, but how long does it need to be?

Also, as I have never had a hydraulic top link, how is hooking up implements? I normally hook the lift arms up to whatever, then turn my top link out to match the hole. I assume you cant just pull the shaft out of a hydraulic top link to meet the top hole??...

Thanks in advance.
 

Dave_eng

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
M7040, Nuffield 465
Oct 6, 2012
5,140
938
113
Williamstown Ontario Canada
I searched this, as I am sure this has been covered, but had no luck. I recently purchased a new M7060HD. I traded my John Deere 5203 2wd in and am loving this tractor. I would like to get a hydraulic top link. Is there a turn key kit out there, with hoses, connectors, and the cylinder? I searched and found one place that builds kits, but he is 20 something weeks backed up.

If no kit, where is the best place to buy these parts? I assume I need a 3 inch bore and a 1.5 inch shaft, but how long does it need to be?

Also, as I have never had a hydraulic top link, how is hooking up implements? I normally hook the lift arms up to whatever, then turn my top link out to match the hole. I assume you cant just pull the shaft out of a hydraulic top link to meet the top hole??...

Thanks in advance.
To start with I assume your tractor has at least a single rear remote hydraulic connection. Is this available for what you want to do?

Your tractor utilizes a category 2 three point hitch which sets basic dimensional parameters.

First here is a photo of a basic top link showing the Cat 2 dimensions

forum cat 2.jpg


Next a hydraulic top link

forum cat 2 2.jpg

forum cat 2 3.jpg


There is nothng special about a hydraulic top link. It is just a simple cylinder.

The one above has an additional feature being pilot operated check valves.

These check valves help avoid cylinders slowly drifting out of the position you have set.

There is no magical way to easy connecting to implements short of an additional person in the driver's seat or for some a quick hitch setup.

Dave
 

britej

Member

Equipment
M7060HD
Jun 5, 2020
40
2
8
Queen City Texas
It does have one set of rear remotes. I believe my top link is cat 1 on the tractor side and cat2 on the implement side. I would need a cylinder to match. I will check tsc this weekend. I live on a farm and grade a 3/4 mile gravel drive. The hydro top link would be super handy.
 

Dave_eng

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
M7040, Nuffield 465
Oct 6, 2012
5,140
938
113
Williamstown Ontario Canada
It does have one set of rear remotes. I believe my top link is cat 1 on the tractor side and cat2 on the implement side. I would need a cylinder to match. I will check tsc this weekend. I live on a farm and grade a 3/4 mile gravel drive. The hydro top link would be super handy.
It does have one set of rear remotes. I believe my top link is cat 1 on the tractor side and cat2 on the implement side. I would need a cylinder to match. I will check tsc this weekend. I live on a farm and grade a 3/4 mile gravel drive. The hydro top link would be super handy.
Your tractor does have the ability to handle Cat 1 stuff but it does so by using bushings to make the holes in the lower arms and in the top link smaller. Your tractor likely has these bushings in its tool box.

In short, you need cat 2. This is better because you can always make holes smaller using bushings but too small holes and you cannot make them larger.

forum cat 2 4.jpg


Dave
 

Thunder chicken

Active member

Equipment
M7060
Dec 29, 2019
294
117
43
Northern ontario
It does have one set of rear remotes. I believe my top link is cat 1 on the tractor side and cat2 on the implement side.
I believe you are correct.
i mangled my OEM top link (trying to adjust it too far, got a pipe wrench to 'show it'... oops)
The new cat 2 link needs a bushing in it on the tractor side.
if i could weld good enough or had a shop nearby that wasn't weeks behind, i'd get them to weld a cat 1 end on one end of a cylinder. A cat 2 end may not fit.... i had to touch this princess auto one with a grinder to make it fit between . Keep us posted on what you end up doing! i'm also wanting to set one up, however, getting i. and out of the cab 4 times to touch the remote lever to line the end up rather than just turn it a few times may also be a bother :)
 

notforhire

Active member

Equipment
Kubota L47
Dec 5, 2019
106
38
28
Meadows of Dan VA.
I used a Cat-1 hydraulic top link on my JD 5055e for years. The tractor has a Cat-2 hitch and all my attachments are Cat-1. The Cat-1 top link was installed on the tractor side using a Cat-1 pin with bushings on the ends to fit the larger mounting holes on the tractor. Because the top link stayed attached to the tractor most of the time, the additional parts (bushings) were not an issue.
The biggest benefit of a hydraulic top link, is being able to make adjustments "on the fly" more than the initial hook up of the implement.
Being able to control which cutting edge of a box blade is contacting the ground allows you to change from digging in, to distributing material and back dragging without stopping forward motion.
I would never want to go back to a mechanical top link for my usage.
 
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britej

Member

Equipment
M7060HD
Jun 5, 2020
40
2
8
Queen City Texas
Correct. I dont think a cat 2 will fit the tractor side without some modification... It looks to be too wide.. but I may be wrong. I will take some measurements and go to Attwoods or TSC this weekend to check out what they have. Thank you all for your help.
 
Oct 8, 2014
623
4
16
oregon
Surplus Center for the cylinder. Local shop for your hydro lines. I used bailing wire to template the curves I wanted then straightened to measure length.
 

MtnViewRanch

Active member
Oct 10, 2012
719
176
43
Lakeside Ca.
I searched this, as I am sure this has been covered, but had no luck. I recently purchased a new M7060HD. I traded my John Deere 5203 2wd in and am loving this tractor. I would like to get a hydraulic top link. Is there a turn key kit out there, with hoses, connectors, and the cylinder? I searched and found one place that builds kits, but he is 20 something weeks backed up.

If no kit, where is the best place to buy these parts? I assume I need a 3 inch bore and a 1.5 inch shaft, but how long does it need to be?

Also, as I have never had a hydraulic top link, how is hooking up implements? I normally hook the lift arms up to whatever, then turn my top link out to match the hole. I assume you cant just pull the shaft out of a hydraulic top link to meet the top hole??...

Thanks in advance.
This is the closest off the shelf unit that I know of that will work satisfactory for your tractor.

https://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/threads/m7060-hydraulic-top-link.46282/

You will still need to narrow the tractor end and get a bushing to down size for the cat 1 pin.

What you are looking for (plug and play) is the exact reason for the 23 week lead times at Fit Rite Hydraulics. A lot of people must want plug and play systems.
 

wgator

Active member

Equipment
L4701HST, FEL and other stuff.
Jul 28, 2018
482
147
43
NC
It does have one set of rear remotes. I believe my top link is cat 1 on the tractor side and cat2 on the implement side. I would need a cylinder to match. I will check tsc this weekend. I live on a farm and grade a 3/4 mile gravel drive. The hydro top link would be super handy.
Haytools.com has this: Hydraulic top link, CAT-1&2, 25.5"-40 70m, Tractor, Cat 1 Implement Cat 2- #36958- For 60 series Kubota. Lists price as $245.00
Here is a link to their page with this one:
 

notforhire

Active member

Equipment
Kubota L47
Dec 5, 2019
106
38
28
Meadows of Dan VA.
To the OP. Are your attachments Cat-1 or Cat-2? If they are Cat-2 you may want to have a Cat-2 top link.

I just remembered, a friend of mine just bought a Cat-2 Hyd. top link from Tractor Supply for his 100hp New Holland. He told me that it was necessary to reduce the width of the tractor end of the new top link so it would fit. I didn't give it a thought till I read this post. Evedently this isn't unique to your Kubota.
 

britej

Member

Equipment
M7060HD
Jun 5, 2020
40
2
8
Queen City Texas
That's an option for sure. But it looks like Haytools has one to mirror the factory manual top link. I have left them a a message to check on availability.

my attachments are a mix of cat 1 and cat 2 tops... I have a 10 foot 3point bushhog that is super heavy and definitely want to stay with a cat 2 top link pin for that cutter.
 

jimr63

Active member

Equipment
M5-091HDC, L47TLB, L4701F, ZD1211-72, GR2120-54, RTV-X1140
Jun 24, 2015
120
47
28
SOMD
I have a hydraulic top link on my cab tractor and the best way to go about hooking up implements is to have a quick hitch on the 3 point. Makes hooking up to stuff a breeze. Can't imagine having to go back to the lever a million times just to be able to put a pin through the top link.
 

Dave_eng

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
M7040, Nuffield 465
Oct 6, 2012
5,140
938
113
Williamstown Ontario Canada
The original hydraulic top link I posted says the ball ends of the Cat 2 top link are 2" in width.

The top link attachment point on the M7040-M7060 is 2-1/8" so the 2" width is a nice easy fit with minimal side to side movement.

Dave
 
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