3 Point Hitch question..

[Anonymous-0]

I was talking to a Mechanic about my three point hitch problem that I was haveing. I told him about the Rock shaft slowly easing down from the top while the tractor was off. I have a 1700 lb bush hog on there. He was telling me that this is more or less normal for a tractor that age (1967 4020). I told him when the tractor is running when I raise the lever clear to the top the implement goes all the way up nicely. You can even here the engine NOT lugg down when the implement is all the way up.

Question, is this normal for yall to have yalls 3 point hitch slowly go down after the tractor is shut off??

 

[Mike M]

KINDA ? Those 4020's are known for not staying up I think. I reseated the thermal relief valve on ours and it helped alot.

 

[rrlund]

I think it's a matter of wear. My Oliver 1550 and 1850 settle down. My 1600 has fewer hours and holds up.

 

[Don L C]

Yea I think age has something to do with it.....When the equipment is new.....and shut off it could be resting in the down position.....no need to have the strain on the system......just think about it......good luck Don

 

[Don L C]

Yea I think age has something to do with it.....When the equipment is new.....and shut off it could be resting in the down position.....no need to have the strain on the system......just think about it......good luck Don

 

[Don L C]

Yea I think age has something to do with it.....When the equipment is new.....and shut off it could be resting in the down position.....no need to have the strain on the system......just think about it......good luck Don

 

[thurlow]

Had one or more of the things since '65; still got 4 of 'em. Never saw one that the 3-point hitch would stay up with a load on it.

 

[Mathias NY]

It sounds normal, how slow is 'slow'? Do you mean over the course of a few minutes or hours? If it drops over a few minutes you may want to have it looked at. A few hours is probably normal for a machine of that vintage.

Why not just lower the hitch when you are done with the tractor? It is always safer to leave the implements lowered. The tractor will also start easier without the load on the hydraulic pump.

 

[Allan in NE]

No,

It's not normal for 'em to drop; it simply means that there is a "slow" leak internally.

But, what the heck, if it lifts okay and if the draft functions normally, who cares? Easier to just "put up with it" than tear into that monster to fix the silly 25 cent leak.

When it gets bad enough to demand a repair, you'll know it. :>)

Allan

 

[JDemaris]

I've fixed many Deere tractors with that problem. Just about every time the trouble was just the packing in the lift-cylinder. Just pull the rockshaft over off and replace the packing. On a few, the valve and seat also has some leakage.
I fixed two 4020s and one 1020 this winter - all were leaking down due to the piston-packing.

 

[MH]

My 1020 does the same thing. Have thought about repacking the lift cylinder, maybe one day.

 

[JDemaris]

Deere has a new type of packing for the 1020. More durable then the original and more tolerant of a worn or scored cylinder wall.

 

[aFORDable]

Any 3pt that seeps down when not running has a by pass of hydraulic fluid mostly likely due to a bad packing or a groved cylinder wall due to wear. I agree with the earlier post, it would be no big deal to me. I have one that does that but then I always lower my 3pt. when I shut the tractor down anyway for the same reasons mentioned below. To me it sure wouldn"t be worth tearing down for repair as long as the lift is working properly.

 

[super99]

Don't own one, but have been around them since about 1966, never seen one stay up yet. Chris

 

[Hugh MacKay]

Raleigh: My IH 1066 did that from the day it was new. Hitch stayed up with no load, even at a 1,000# it would got down. Never leaked anywhere. we were putting 1,200 hours per year on it back then. Personally I think they should be all that way, or at least you should let it down take the load off your hydraulics when the tractor is not running. Long as it stays where I put it while working, all that matters.

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

If the lift does not leak down while the tractor is running or constantly correct itself from leaking while running its ok.All implements should be lowerd while not in use anyway.And they should be because the danger involved with kids or animals be able to get under them.1700 lbs is a lot for the hydraulic system to support for a long period of time anyway.

 

[paul]

I only have one tractor that does not leak down - they must have an internal lock valve on the hyds on that model - it'll holed up the 4000 lb bean bar for a week or more, does not move. Most all do leak down when the engine is off over time.

--->Paul

 

[Allan in NE]

Of course there was a leak if it settled.

Absolute physical impossibility for it not to; that oil went somewhere.

Allan

 

[Hugh MacKay]

Allan: I should have said no external leak.

 

[Mark-Mi]

I have owned 3 4020's and they all setttled down faster than you could change a couple cultivater shovels.The JD dealer once told me that was a built in safty feature.All our IH tractors held up.1066,186,756.Mark