I hate my eagle hitch. Please Help

[jbshocks]

I have a 611B case with an eagle hitch. We have had it for a about 25 years. getting on and off the tractor 3 or 4 times and man handling the implement didn't used to bother me so much but they seem to get heavier as I get older. I know the theory is that you are supposed to be able to hook and un hook from the seat but that is so far from reality in my case. Part of the issue is that with gravity the arms don't go all the way down. So I have to get off the tractor, stand on the arm and then lower it. I know, real safe. What would keep the arm from going all the way down? I have even thought about tying cement blocks to the arms.

 

[L.Fure]

I usually push the eagle hitch down from the tractor seat by pushing down on the height adjuster on the right side. As for getting on and off my tractors I bolted a grandpa step on the platform. An old buggy step works pretty good for this, or you can make something similar to a buggy step.

 

[chuck machinist]

If I am not mistaken is there not a filter that you can replace,
and check the fluid level in the differential as also in the
torque tube. I dont think Im wrong in that respect. But I have
been known to be wrong a timer two Chuck machinist

 

[connor9988]

I hate to say it but there really isnt a 3 point system that doesnt require a person to get off the tractor. They all may say on paper that yes, you can do it from the tractor seat but that is if the moons
align. Even Fergusons 3 point you basically have to get off to get hooked up.
If nothing else, you should get off regardless to do a walk-around at least once to make sure your implement and tractor are all ready to go and in appropriate order (and that there arent any dogs, cats,
children around or underneath).
Also, most manuals tell you to park your implements and tractor on a level and flat surface free of obstructions. This is key for any tractor/implement hookup and its not just about expediting hookup it is
about safety. There are a lot of farmer/operators (I have been guilty of this too) that park their implements out in the pasture on soggy, sloped, uneven ground with knee high weeds and get frustrated when
the darn thing wont hitch right. I can tell you from personal experience that parking the equipment in environments specified by the manual (and common sense) will make hitching faster, safer, and less
frustrating.
Also, also, make sure the equipment is set up correctly and serviced, I have some Case k-160 planter units on an eagle hitch cultivator toolbar. They were not designed for each other and the units drag the
toolbar all the way to the ground so that it is a 2 man lift to pick them up to hitch. It also doesnt have any jack apparatus to hold it up. Ideally, if I wanted it to hitch right, I would remedy both those
points.
Another point along this line is if your eagle hitch arms have been worn and have play in them (swaying around like traditional 3 point arms). They were meant to be rigid side to side. I had the pivots on my
311 rebuilt and it made a world of difference in hitching and overall performance.
As for the eagle hitch arms not going down by gravity, as equipment gets older it can get stickier and slower this is especially true in the wintertime when fluids are colder. There are times I also must
force my EH arms down. If I had the time it would probably be best to go through the hydraulic system and clean it and make sure it is not binding anywhere from oil and dirt being packed in over the years.


I will probably get some flack from this but its just my experience. (Im not a real farmer)

Anyways, I hope something out of that helps. Others will probably have more mechanical solutions.

 

[Michael V (NM)]

My new to me 841 has down pressure on the
eagle hitch,i.e.a double acting cylinder,

 

[BarryfromIA]

There are two grease zerks on top of the rockshaft pivot casting that need grease periodically and yes on the step extension. Do you still have the flat springs that hold the latch locks in the open position. If not you can recreate them using shipping banding.

 

[RJKeith]

Conner, I have the same setup for a two row K-160 planter. I built a pallet to park my planter on, which elevates it enough to make hookup with the eagle hitch easy. Of course I built the pallet out of pressure treated lumber, which makes it an expensive solution these days.

 

[connor9988]

Do your lower mounts on the toolbar have longer tabs of steel that the pins run through?

My toolbar does and that is part of the problem with mine. It originally had wheel track scratchers on them to cover up where the front mounted cultivator and tractor had just been.
With shorter lower brackets it would be much more feasible to mount. But overall it just needs a jack.

 

[MJ in the UK]

Hi Connor, I have just read your post and I agree 100% with what you say. I am a 78 year old agricultral engineer,vintage tractor collector and match plowman with a IHB250 tractor and IH B12 2 bottom mounted plow so in the last 63 years I have fitted a lot of 3 point mounted implements to the rear of tractors. MJ.

 

[Tgrasher]

Grew up with eagle hitch and still remember thinking how superior it was to other 3 point systems. In my younger and thinner days (note the pictures
posted below all have thin guys) I could hook up from the seat as shown. All the reasons listed by others do make it harder to hookup and I'll have to do
some maintenance to improve my eagle hitches. Maybe a yoga class would help too.