[AT] 3 point hitch backhoe attachments?

[carl gogol]

Mike-
The warnings messages on the Arps hoe said something to the effect of --- if 
you mount to a three point hitch get a factory approved load equalizer kit 
that stabilizes the 3 point.  I looked at some hoes for sale on eBay and a 
few  manufacturer's web sites and they seemed to have a fixed length heavy 
duty bar that replaced the top link.   This bar may have been an arm that 
did not pivot on the hoe.  Is this what was meant by an approved stabilizer? 
Frankly I would not trust the top link mount on my D-14 as it is just 
attached to the bolts that mount the seat (5/8" I think) and a couple of 
3/8" or so shared with the PTO shield.  I would probably build so type of 
frame that mounted to some of these same points, but also try to get some of 
the forces forward to where the snap coupler bell is or even to take off the 
draft sensing spring and use those attachment points.  I don't know if 
attaching to the engine side mounts would be necessary;  or even the loader 
frame.
Carl Gogol
Manlius, NY
(2) AC D-14, AC 914H
Simplicity 3112 & 7116
Kubota F-2400
.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Sloane" <mikesloane at verizon.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 6:35 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] 3 point hitch backhoe attachments?


>
> We (the tractor dealership where I worked) sold factory mounted backhoes 
> on some of our tractors. There were all mounted on subframes that were 
> pinned to the tractor frames. We also sold Woods backhoes that could be 
> either frame mounted or three point mounted. When ordering the parts for a 
> three point mounted hoe, the Woods manual generally required a rigid top 
> link mount that bolted directly to the tractor's final housing. But the 
> bottom was still held in place by the regular lower links. We did not 
> recommend this arrangement to customers, and I cannot recall ever selling 
> one configured that way except for one Ford 4500 (which was an 
> "industrial" tractor). We never heard back from the customer, so I cannot 
> say if it was a successful match-up.
>
> We did sell a couple of used three point hoes, but these also had some 
> kind of auxiliary arrangement to secure the top link - I can only assume 
> that the regular attachment of the top link would have been ripped 
> off/out. Generally, the mechanics and older salesment warned that using a 
> three point mounted hoe was very hard on the whole tractor. But I never 
> heard of one "folding up" because of the hoe.
>
> That being said, there are a fair number of three point mounted hoes being 
> used around the county for cleaning drainage/irrigation ditches on the 
> "black dirt" farms. But these machines are not being used to wrestle rocks 
> out of the sides of granite hills or dig foundations in virgin soil. So I 
> guess it depends on what you are going to do with the machine.
>
> Mike