3-point implement hook up problems

TGKY

Active member

Equipment
L4701DT
May 24, 2018
109
35
28
US
Hello- here is my second I’m new to this tractor question
On my l4701 it seems like my sway bars will barely open wide enough to get around the pins in my 60” tiller and 60” bush hog.
I do have the pins all the way out so the sway bars will sway freely.
Is there another trick or do the lift arms on these just not spread open much. It seems odd. Makes things hard to hook up.
Thanks in advance.
 

ayak

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3301 HST
Feb 16, 2018
568
720
93
WV
Compare the orientation of yours to these pics, especially at the ‘angle-out’ of the forks of the side links.
33C8B61D-B6A8-47E7-888C-45295C9A0EA6.jpeg

6E30F041-573D-48F2-B25A-9FBB09E1B90D.jpeg

6D5AF18C-173E-415B-B8CB-A944B7025336.png
 

Russell King

Well-known member

Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
Jun 17, 2012
4,603
975
113
Austin, Texas
You may have to turn the pins towards the inside of the implements if that is possible.
 
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GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,673
3,925
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
RK beat me....
CAT 1 opening is 26"ish...I'm thinking the tiller may have 'combopins', CAT1/2 style,so remove pins ,reinsyall pointing in. Picture of the tiller or make/model would help.
 

NCL4701

Well-known member

Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572 box scrape, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
2,488
3,508
113
Central Piedmont, NC
I have the same issue with mine. For our old Howse rotary cutter with fixed pins facing out, there’s a total of about a 1/2” clearance to get the arms on. The movement of the lift arms is limited to prevent potentially hitting the R4 tires with wheels adjusted to a mid-width position.

Options I know of:
1.With some implements you may be able to turn the pins around to the inside. Some hitch geometry won’t allow that without binding at some point in the hitch travel.

2. Use a quick hitch or Pat’s so you have a cup mating to the implement pin instead of a hole. With the cup, it just has to go under the pin, not around it.

3. Accept your fate and deal with it. Not a terrible plan if it’s something you don’t deal with often or something light enough you can throw a hip into it to jog it around a bit. Most of my implements are on castered dollies on a concrete floor so they’re easy. The rotary cutter is on blocks in a dirt floored shed, so it requires the hip check alignment. That’s what I do now. However, as I get older, I reserve the right to change to another option.
 

rkidd

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
B2650, FEL With QA 60"mmm, 3pt FDR1672,homemade ballast box, BB 1572 box scraper
Dec 7, 2015
743
67
28
Jefferson Ohio
I can see from your picture that your sway bars will open up more, but your backhoe attatchment bracket is what is not allowing it to open all the way. Not sure how to get around that one.
 

ayak

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3301 HST
Feb 16, 2018
568
720
93
WV
I can see from your picture that your sway bars will open up more, but your backhoe attatchment bracket is what is not allowing it to open all the way. Not sure how to get around that one.
Actually those aren’t the OP’s pics—they’re mine😁. And I can hit the last hole in that sway bar to fully widen, the pic angle just doesn’t show it.
It’s pretty easy to get the angle on the two side link forks going ‘in’ instead of ‘out’—that’s all I was trying to show in case it was something nice and easy.
 
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TGKY

Active member

Equipment
L4701DT
May 24, 2018
109
35
28
US
Thanks everyone. When I get home from work this evening I’ll compare my set up to those pics and if I need to I’ll check my tiller to see if there is room to flip the pins.
Appreciate the help
 

TGKY

Active member

Equipment
L4701DT
May 24, 2018
109
35
28
US
I ended up solving this for me by removing the cotter pins from the clevis pin that attaches the telescoping stabilizer to the lift arm so I can quickly detach the telescoping arm. Get full motion of the lift arm and then put it back. It’s not ideal but it’s way better than the killing myself I was doing.
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,673
3,925
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
yes...., the stab arms MUST be undone to get implement on, then readjusted, as required to LIMIT the left-right swing of the implement. How much swing ,depends on implement.
Kinda like the top link....change an implement, you have to readjust, every time.
 

CGMKCM

Active member

Equipment
RVT-1100C, ZD323, L4760
Jan 26, 2021
371
175
43
Randolph county N.C.
I ended up solving this for me by removing the cotter pins from the clevis pin that attaches the telescoping stabilizer to the lift arm so I can quickly detach the telescoping arm. Get full motion of the lift arm and then put it back. It’s not ideal but it’s way better than the killing myself I was doing.
The first thing I did when I brought the tractor home was ditch those little pins. After 120 operating hours I have had no problems.