top link for ford 2000

[kenbob]

Bear with me: I grow sweet potatoes to donate to food banks--over 1 ton this year. I am busting up too many potatoes plowing them up with my ford 101 2 bottom plow. I can get the plow deep, but still not quite under them all and then bottom 2 buries a lot the first one turns over. Conteplating using a ripper next year. No matter what direction I take, I think a hydraulic top link would help me get down farther to where I need to be. When I left home we had a 1 way cylinder on an A JD, so I am totally green to the newer stuff. Enclosed is a photo of my hydraulic ports. It seems most of the top link hoses would be too short to reach the ports at that spot. WHat is the best solution. Use pipe to go down under the lift control and out the back? Just get hose extensions made? Get totally new custom hoses? Hose extensions with extra couplings would seem to be leaky. FInal ask? WIth such a set up, Do you have to run both the control lever and the hydraulic lever when you get to the end of the row? I have been looking for a potato plow but not finding used and don't want to spring for new. Should I find one, will they get under sweet potatoes--12" down? THanks for any and all opinions and advice.

 

[pomester]

You need a couple of short hydraulic hoses and a https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/Ford-2000_Clamp-Double-Break-Away-Hydraulic_S424.html - you should be able to use your fittings on the valve and maybe your couplers if they are compatible with the fittings on the top link. I think our host here can provide what you need.

Not experienced with sweet potato culture, I've hilled regular potatoes tho. I would guess that some sort of bed shaper would help with digging. Perhaps someone with experience will chime in.

 

[kenbob]

Thanks for the pics

 

[Ray,IN]

A middle buster would work better than a plow IMO. Some call it a double-shovel plow. Adjustable top links for CAT 1 are around $35 at tractor supply stores.

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

Bear with me: I grow sweet potatoes to donate to food banks--over 1 ton this year. I am busting up too many potatoes plowing them up with my ford 101 2 bottom plow. I can get the plow deep, but still not quite under them all and then bottom 2 buries a lot the first one turns over. Conteplating using a ripper next year. No matter what direction I take, I think a hydraulic top link would help me get down farther to where I need to be. When I left home we had a 1 way cylinder on an A JD, so I am totally green to the newer stuff. Enclosed is a photo of my hydraulic ports. It seems most of the top link hoses would be too short to reach the ports at that spot. WHat is the best solution. Use pipe to go down under the lift control and out the back? Just get hose extensions made? Get totally new custom hoses? Hose extensions with extra couplings would seem to be leaky. FInal ask? WIth such a set up, Do you have to run both the control lever and the hydraulic lever when you get to the end of the row? I have been looking for a potato plow but not finding used and don't want to spring for new. Should I find one, will they get under sweet potatoes--12" down? THanks for any and all opinions and advice.

 

[kenbob]

I have adjustable top links. I have used a middle buster with that shovel, but in hard missouri clay it doesn't want to go down deep enough even in raised beds. Hence the desire for an adjustable top link. I also have a 2 row lister set at 36 inches apart I use to make a raise row. I can use the same to plow the taters if I can get some down pressure.