Brush Hog to 3pt

[Tall T]

Just now I tried to hook up the MF to my 3 pt so as to move it down in front of my shop.

I discover that I can't connect one of my sway bars, so like a typical newbie, I tie the sway bar that won't reach, up with a rubber bungie. but of course when trying to move it downs the slope, the right side of the mower is catching in the tire lugs.
After wrestling with it for a bit, at the bottom of a slope, using a pipe to keep levering it free, I drop it right there.

So I'm thinking . . . maybe I have to use my two check chains instead of the rigid sway bars. But when downloading the photos
I have a new thought:
I always wondered what the second hole was for on the left sway bar end. If I connect the right sway bar first and then use the second hole on the left sway bar . . . maybe that's why that second hole is there. (?)

Edit: Pin base to pin base on the MF is 31.5"
on my carryall only 25.25"

So the extra hole on my sway bar must be for wider pin placement of the attachment. Is that right?

Thanks,
Terry

Left Bar with the extra hole.

Closest I could come to lining up holes in right bar.

 

[Billybuck]

Did you try raising the deck with the hydraulics? Those holes will become more aligned as the deck is raised.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 13:22:20 04/14/15) Just now I tried to hook up the MF to my 3 pt so as to move it down in front of my shop.

I discover that I can't connect one of my sway bars, so like a typical newbie, I tie the sway bar that won't reach, up with a rubber bungie. but of course when trying to move it downs the slope, the right side of the mower is catching in the tire lugs.
After wrestling with it for a bit, at the bottom of a slope, using a pipe to keep levering it free, I drop it right there.

So I'm thinking . . . maybe I have to use my two check chains instead of the rigid sway bars. But when downloading the photos
I have a new thought:
I always wondered what the second hole was for on the left sway bar end. If I connect the right sway bar first and then use the second hole on the left sway bar . . . maybe that's why that second hole is there. (?)

Edit: Pin base to pin base on the MF is 31.5"
on my carryall only 25.25"

So the extra hole on my sway bar must be for wider pin placement of the attachment. Is that right?

Thanks,
Terry

Left Bar with the extra hole.

Closest I could come to lining up holes in right bar.

Hmmm...I've never seen sway bars like those. But now you know the reason for adjustable sway bars. I use one. I hook up the regular bar first the adjust the other one so it fits right.

In your case you might just have to to a little grunting to get it right. looking at your bottom pic, it looks like your mower needs to be pushed to the left side of the tractor. Sometimes they can be a pia to hook up if you're doing it yourself. Sometimes I use a 4 X 4 fence post to push the mower in the direction it needs to go. The way your mower is now in the pics, stand about ten feet in back of it and look. Is it centered behind the tractor?

It sure would be nice to park the mower on a set of those piano mover dolleys that Harbor Freight sells but I don't think they would work so well in dirt. They'd be a cinch on concrete. You could just push the mower where it needed to go.

Oh yeah, you should still have those check chains hooked up even with the sway bars. Just a little added protection.

 

[maxwell99]

Tall,
for now just use one side stabilizer only!!!!!

Are those round rings bolted to the lift arms or welded to the lift arms?.

They may have been sized for a implement with a different width lower pin spacing.

You are going to have to determine the proper width of the lift arms when in the raised
using your stabilizers. If the lower pins of your hog are different width, then you may
only be able to use one stabilizer.

Do not force the lift and bend your lift arms.

 

[Ultradog MN]

I would say those eyelets on your lift arms are something someone transmogrified at home.
Do they both work properly on other implements?
I agree with Maxwell - one side will be sufficient.
I never used them at all till I got that real heavy mower.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 15:53:09 04/14/15) I would say those eyelets on your lift arms are something someone transmogrified at home.
Do they both work properly on other implements?
I agree with Maxwell - one side will be sufficient.
I never used them at all till I got that real heavy mower.

I think he said he did have the left side connected and the mower still moved into his right tire.

If he had his check chains hooked up this would not happen. I ran my mower for a long time before I got sway bars and the check chains kept it out of the tires.

 

[Tall T]

(reply to post at 14:32:02 04/14/15)

Billy,

Yep, that was my first brainstorm too but raising it, or turning the tractor to scooch it over, didn't work.

But when I look at exactly how much it is out of alignment with the hole, that is exactly the distance between the left side end hole and the extra hole.

Thanks,
T

 

[Tall T]

Cary,

You wrote:
Hmmm...I've never seen sway bars like those. But now you know the reason for adjustable sway bars. I use one. I hook up the regular bar first the adjust the other one so it fits right.

[color=orange:7fee1a37ff]Yes, those sliding ones I have. I was thinking that myself.[/color:7fee1a37ff]

In your case you might just have to to a little grunting to get it right. looking at your bottom pic, it looks like your mower needs to be pushed to the left side of the tractor. Sometimes they can be a pia to hook up if you're doing it yourself. Sometimes I use a 4 X 4 fence post to push the mower in the direction it needs to go. The way your mower is now in the pics, stand about ten feet in back of it and look. Is it centered behind the tractor?

[color=orange:7fee1a37ff]I've been using a 5' length of 2" pipe on all my attachments
to lever them into allignment.[/color:7fee1a37ff]

It sure would be nice to park the mower on a set of those piano mover dolleys that Harbor Freight sells but I don't think they would work so well in dirt. They'd be a cinch on concrete. You could just push the mower where it needed to go.

[color=orange:7fee1a37ff]How about a heavy duty turntable? [/color:7fee1a37ff]

Oh yeah, you should still have those check chains hooked up even with the sway bars. Just a little added protection.[/color]

[color=orange:7fee1a37ff]I'll do that, in fact I was looking for them the other day and forget where I put them. [/color:7fee1a37ff]

Thanks,
Terry

 

[Tall T]

Maxwell,

You wrote:
for now just use one side stabilizer only!!!!!

[color=darkblue:0102498264]That's what I tried and could have done some damage that way cause when I went down a slope, the cutter swung so far to the
right that it got hung up in my tire lugs.[/color:0102498264]

Are those round rings bolted to the lift arms or welded to the lift arms?.

[color=darkblue:0102498264]Not sure what you mean by round rings. The clevis pin keeper eyelets are welded to the sway bars.[/color:0102498264]

They may have been sized for a implement with a different width lower pin spacing.

[color=darkblue:0102498264]I think you're right. See my reply to Billy above.[/color:0102498264]

You are going to have to determine the proper width of the lift arms when in the raised using your stabilizers. If the lower pins of your hog are different width, then you may
only be able to use one stabilizer.

Do not force the lift and bend your lift arms.

[color=darkblue:0102498264]I hope I didn't do any damage already when the cutter was caught up in the lugs, but I made sure I didn't do anything hasty. One safety note to myself to watch out for is when something won't give or is hung up, releasing it with a prybar can have disastrous consequences cause things under pressure are like spring-loaded. Like when the cutter was stopping the right wheel and releasing that with a pry bar can send the tractor freewheeling forward.[/color:0102498264]

Thanks,
Terry

 

[Tall T]

Jerry,

You wrote:
I would say those eyelets on your lift arms are something someone transmogrified at home.

[color=darkblue:22e1cba593]For sure. Someone made sway bars out of two lower lift arms.
they have ball joints at the diff end pins.[/color:22e1cba593]

Do they both work properly on other implements?

[color=darkblue:22e1cba593]Yes, but at times they are a bit of a pain because sometimes I have to un-pin the sways, connect the implement and then move the tractor forward to square the implement up so I can reconnect them. I'm getting better at positioning though.[/color:22e1cba593]

I agree with Maxwell - one side will be sufficient.
I never used them at all till I got that real heavy mower.

[color=darkblue:22e1cba593]Maybe this one is heavier than normal too but not as much as yours, cause the A frame for the 3 points is 1/2 again thicker than on my heavy "Independent" rear blade frame.
With only one bar, as soon as the tractor tilted to the right as i went down my new driveway, the cutter swung right and into the tire lugs and couldn't be lifted OR lowered and I couldn't move. I got a tad worried about my nice tires. [/color:22e1cba593]

Thanks,
Terry

 

[Caryc]

Those sliding bars you have are not sway bars. They are Stay bars meant to keep a hitch bar from riding up on y our back should the tractor stop and whatever you're towing doesn't.

You can see an adjustable sway bar in the picture on the left side of my tractor where the big arrow is. It is made the same as the adjustable top link you see in the picture.

So once you get one regular sway bar on, you can just screw or unscrew the adjustable one to where it fits on your pin. Then you can adjust it again to get your implement centered behind your tractor. Notice that even with the sway bar, I still have my check chains hooked up. Your check chains would have kept that mower away from your tires.

I just thought of something. I think I will get some of those large paver blocks that Home Depot sells for walkways and make up two pads on which to place two of those piano mover dollys to park my mower on. This should eliminate the pia hook ups by myself.

 

[Tall T]

You wrote:
Those sliding bars you have are not sway bars. They are Stay bars meant to keep a hitch bar from riding up on y our back should the tractor stop and whatever you're towing doesn't.

[color=darkblue:77f1ea51a3]Ooops, I'll get it right yet![/color:77f1ea51a3]

You can see an adjustable sway bar in the picture on the left side of my tractor where the big arrow is. It is made the same as the adjustable top link you see in the picture.

[color=darkblue:77f1ea51a3]I have an extra "made in england" top link. Is it long enough to be usable as an adjustable sway bar?[/color:77f1ea51a3]

Your check chains would have kept that mower away from your tires.

[color=darkblue:77f1ea51a3]Yep, I realized that when it was happening.[/color:77f1ea51a3]

I just thought of something. I think I will get some of those large paver blocks that Home Depot sells for walkways and make up two pads on which to place two of those piano mover dollys to park my mower on. This should eliminate the pia hook ups by myself.

[color=darkblue:77f1ea51a3]Or just one dolly (save money) and the mower's own tail wheel could be enough.[/color:77f1ea51a3]

Terry

 

[Tall T]

Here's what I'll do in the meantime . . .

Always park it in the same level spot, with something, or a slab edge that ensures you putting it down square.

Then for attaching, place a couple of those fold over plastic highway marker tubes (or something) spaced out a little to guide one rear wheel back to the original tractor position.

How about piece of surveyors tape tied to a smooth stone at each end. Anything just so's ya don't have to back up more than once !

 

[maxwell99]

Another thing to check,

the stabilizer pins located under your fenders: are they lined up directly across from
your lower arm pins attached to the differential of the tractor.

If they are not, you will have difficult time Getting your stabilizer bars and lift arms
to work together.

The pins must be mounted directly across from each other.

 

[Tall T]

Yes Maxwell,

The pins look perfectly lined up and seem to have been working perfectly. I've been using landscape rake, heavy drag, blade (heavily built one) and my carryall loaded with the dense heavy wet blocks that seemed like they had maxed out the lift arm load limit. I did repeated trips like that up a long driveway.

The biggest of the trees made me two incredible chopping blocks but as for the rest of the wood, it was literally pickled by the salt water it drank up. Gives off a sickly sweet aroma . . . not all that unpleasant, but friends thought it was the pulp mill across the water. Ooops! A hundred tightly packed growth rings on that tree but a surprisingly small OD. It grew down by the water and there were barnacles in the bark so the high tide was coming right up to the trunk of the tree on occasion.

I had to quit burning it.
The rest of that pile was good firewood though.
Wish I had had the pickled one milled into thick planks but I didn't know it would stink when burned so I split it all.

The Salt Water inlet that fills and empties with the tide. Booth Inlet . . . but the main road was named Canal Road way back when.

 

[ASEguy]

After I bought my sway bars, they wouldn't fit correctly. I had new ends welded on my lift arms and I had removed the fenders to repaint them. With the repositioning of the brackets and the newly welded arm ends (all four), I was concerned about binding and bending. Tim(ploughman)Daley suggested I loosen the brackets on both sides and raise and lower the arms a few times until they settled into position which they did and have worked well since then. Hope this helps. Gerard

 

[Tall T]

Gerald,

Sounds like a great precautionary test measure for sure.
My sway bars have balls at the axle ends. I'm not sure what different effect that might have on the side to side drift, or what other benefits this added flexibility might give, but it is what it is.
I guess that in the event of a severe sideways blow to the implement from crash or rollover or whatever, the balls would save the pins from breaking or bending. T