Changing between Cat 1 and 2 implements

[ibeamcarver]

I'm looking at renting an M108 to see if it does the work I need. Does anyone know if I can either get combination lift arm ball joint, or easily swap out the lift arm balls for going between Cat 1 and Cat 2 for different implements? My cousin's Massey Ferguson has lift arm ball joint with removable pins to swap between different ball sizes.

thanks

 

[Killer RC]

It'd be best if you can rent a tractor with Cat 2 lift arms and a Cat 2 Top link (1" diameter holes) and when you are using a Cat 1 implement (3/4" diameter pin) then you will need to put a spacer sleeve inside the Cat 2 top link ball. Tractor Supply sells em for a few dollars.

 

[Killer RC]

Or maybe you could fit these overtop of Cat 1 lift arms to fit a Cat 2 implement?

http://www.agrisupply.com/pats-3-point-quick-hitch-category-2/p/70079/

 

[hodge]

I haven't seen a kubota with interchangeable ball ends. Depending on what you plan to do, the only option to use your own tractor may be to change the link pins.

 

[Tx Jim]

Or maybe you could fit these overtop of Cat 1 lift arms to fit a Cat 2 implement?

http://www.agrisupply.com/pats-3-point-quick-hitch-category-2/p/70079/

Without the adapter sleeves the Pat's QH won't help going from Cat ll to Cat l

 

[Stubbyie]

It would not be the best thing to do but is common, especially if you have two tractors with different 3-point lift 'sizes' (or 'categories')---one Cat-1 and one Cat-2. Not the best because can make hooking up slightly more difficult, parts to lose, and the bushings do wear from the necessary slop-fit.

Install Cat-1 pins on all implements and when using with Cat-2 tractor just install the correct size bushing through the ball on the end of the lift arm.

Or keep a couple spare sets of lift pins and change them out as needed but this will become a PiA over time.

Look up online (SpeeCo website for instance) the difference in pin sizes between Cat-1 and Cat-2: the lift arms are different and so are the top-links, although you can obtain or combine two top-links to make a 'bastard' top-link with a different size on each end.

Tractor Supply or local Co-Op should have the bushings: I always keep some on hand and they cost about a buck a pair of two for lift arms.

Note that if any operator tries hard enough through rough use the Cat-1 pins can be bent by Cat-2 tractor and / or a Cat-2 tractor can tear up a possibly lighter weight Cat-1 implement.

Please post back your experiences so we may all learn.

 

[ibeamcarver]

Thanks all, the tractor has Cat 2 3pt, so I'm going to try the reducer bushings for Cat 1 implements and just take it easy with them. I'll let you know how it goes in a couple of months.

 

[ipz2222]

Just remember, the top link pin is different than the lift arm pin in each cat size ie, 1 and 2 are different. Another way of saying is,, the top pin is allways smaller than the lift arm pin, in each catagory. You can put a sleeve on a cat 1 implent to fit the cat2 tractor but you can't make a cat 2 implement fit a cat 1 tractor unless you change the pins on the implement. And if you have a quick attach 3ph, forget it.