So I'm finalizing the installation of the belly mower on my L3010. As background, it came as part of the deal (and was actually my hot button for purchase) but I only learned after the fact, the fellow was including it, and his photos showed it installed . . .
. . . but in point of fact it was merely mounted in place for photography and not actually installed. Moreover, he had never actually used it because he relied on the included brush hog for clearing his field. So just hook it up, right? Nope. There's more to it.
Thus began the saga of learning how to install it, getting it adjusted, plus troubleshooting, etc. Saga? Yeah, another word for long story because in fact, I'm not an experienced farmer (nor real tractor guy). Instead, I'm a somewhat mechanically-ept sort, e.g. a dilettante. This, because I've used a zero turn for 20 years and this tractor involves learning something new. Major point being, there's more to it than just mount and go.
Meanwhile, along the way I learned why he never used it. For example, after buying it (it was located 3hr away and because of my lower back, that long a trip is quite painful I had another fellow fetch it for me), when I asked why it wasn't actually connected, he mentioned something about it have a binding point in the transmission such that it wouldn't rotate. Thing is, while I had it sitting on the fork lift tines (in order to work on), I didn't feel anything wrong with the transmission, it rotated fine.
However, once I installed the new set of blades, then it bound up as I rotated the input shaft by hand. Hmmm, why is this? Well, seems the sheet metal surrounding the blade path for two of the three blades was distorted (bent out of shape). So as the blades rotated around two of them hit steel. Nothing I couldn't cure with an engineer's hammer to pound back into its original position, thus allowing the blades to swing freely.
Other details involved sourcing the proper clevis pins because he had it mounted using nuts and bolts, fabricating a missing linkage (RC-72A missing link, a brief how-to), delving into clocking the driveshaft (the RC72-29A driveshaft clocking mystery), sourcing the correct blades, and finally, getting it setup and properly adjusted (L3010 float mode).
This brings us the spreader bar, or in John Deere parlance, the load control shaft. In short, I don't have one! This is what it looks like . . .
. . . and as a temporary measure I used a piece of threaded rod until I can source one . . .
Anyway, I've been online looking around and am somewhat surprised I can't find one on eBay. However, if I use the search term load control shaft, which I 'think' is the same thing (but in green-speak vs orange-speak), then I can find one (plenty, in fact). They're a bit pricey and this is why I am here asking questions.
Does anybody have one handy? Would you kindly share dimensions, please? The bores for the pivot balls in the 3-point seem to be 7/8" but assuming clearance in terms of farming implements, I suspect the diameter would be 3/4", instead - but - I'd love confirmation of these dimensions as I can pick up the John Deere, Ford, Massey Ferguson equivalent on eBay rather easily.
Note; different terminology, so instead of spreader bar, it's listed as a cross bar, drawbar, load control shaft, etc. These, in various lengths, e.g. 26" or 32" and listed as Category I or Category II (and I'm so new I don't have a clue what's mounted on my tractor).
Thoughts?
--
John
. . . but in point of fact it was merely mounted in place for photography and not actually installed. Moreover, he had never actually used it because he relied on the included brush hog for clearing his field. So just hook it up, right? Nope. There's more to it.
Thus began the saga of learning how to install it, getting it adjusted, plus troubleshooting, etc. Saga? Yeah, another word for long story because in fact, I'm not an experienced farmer (nor real tractor guy). Instead, I'm a somewhat mechanically-ept sort, e.g. a dilettante. This, because I've used a zero turn for 20 years and this tractor involves learning something new. Major point being, there's more to it than just mount and go.
Meanwhile, along the way I learned why he never used it. For example, after buying it (it was located 3hr away and because of my lower back, that long a trip is quite painful I had another fellow fetch it for me), when I asked why it wasn't actually connected, he mentioned something about it have a binding point in the transmission such that it wouldn't rotate. Thing is, while I had it sitting on the fork lift tines (in order to work on), I didn't feel anything wrong with the transmission, it rotated fine.
However, once I installed the new set of blades, then it bound up as I rotated the input shaft by hand. Hmmm, why is this? Well, seems the sheet metal surrounding the blade path for two of the three blades was distorted (bent out of shape). So as the blades rotated around two of them hit steel. Nothing I couldn't cure with an engineer's hammer to pound back into its original position, thus allowing the blades to swing freely.
Other details involved sourcing the proper clevis pins because he had it mounted using nuts and bolts, fabricating a missing linkage (RC-72A missing link, a brief how-to), delving into clocking the driveshaft (the RC72-29A driveshaft clocking mystery), sourcing the correct blades, and finally, getting it setup and properly adjusted (L3010 float mode).
This brings us the spreader bar, or in John Deere parlance, the load control shaft. In short, I don't have one! This is what it looks like . . .
. . . and as a temporary measure I used a piece of threaded rod until I can source one . . .
Anyway, I've been online looking around and am somewhat surprised I can't find one on eBay. However, if I use the search term load control shaft, which I 'think' is the same thing (but in green-speak vs orange-speak), then I can find one (plenty, in fact). They're a bit pricey and this is why I am here asking questions.
Does anybody have one handy? Would you kindly share dimensions, please? The bores for the pivot balls in the 3-point seem to be 7/8" but assuming clearance in terms of farming implements, I suspect the diameter would be 3/4", instead - but - I'd love confirmation of these dimensions as I can pick up the John Deere, Ford, Massey Ferguson equivalent on eBay rather easily.
Note; different terminology, so instead of spreader bar, it's listed as a cross bar, drawbar, load control shaft, etc. These, in various lengths, e.g. 26" or 32" and listed as Category I or Category II (and I'm so new I don't have a clue what's mounted on my tractor).
Thoughts?
--
John
