I had decided to make this my winter project, but it has started raining, and now I've got a 3rd cutting of hay on my hands. I bought it from an equipment jockey, but he seems to have gone thru it pretty thouroughly. New bearings, and belt, that sort of thing. Problem is, I have never ran one, and I don't think I'm smart enough to hook the thing up. Either that, or it needs some modifications. I have figured out how it clamps to the two lower arms of my 3 point hitch, and everything is there to accomplish it. It has what appears to be an original 8n top link, incorported into a large spring. It's only adjustable by moving bolts. I can't get the crazy thing to run level on none of the settings. Can I remove that, and run it with a traditional top link? The spring is also so tight, that its as hard to hook up as my disc mower.
- Thread starter Rodeo man
- Start date
Tom in TN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Southern Middle Tennessee
Rodeo Man,
I don't know anything about attaching a Ford 501 to an 8N, but I have one that I use extensively on my Ford 2000. So, my observations are limited to my experience with my 2000.
First, it is very hard to attach the mower to the tractor without a specific plan for holding and attaching the mower. I developed the plan early-on and now it takes about 5 minutes to attach or detach the mower.
Keep the mower upright. I set mine on blocks with a scissors jack under the breakaway arm so the mower can't easily fall over.
The top link with the big spring is easily attached if you first hook up all three attaching points then lift the 3 point arms all the way up. You'll be able to insert the pin through the top link and install the hitch pin.
Leveling the mower is done with the adjustable three point arm. Crank it up or down as needed to level the mower.
I wish that you were near here to see how easy it is to attach the mower if you have a specific step-by-step approach.
Good luck. Every time you do something with the mower, you'll see another step that you need to do to make the attachment easier.
Tom in TN
I don't know anything about attaching a Ford 501 to an 8N, but I have one that I use extensively on my Ford 2000. So, my observations are limited to my experience with my 2000.
First, it is very hard to attach the mower to the tractor without a specific plan for holding and attaching the mower. I developed the plan early-on and now it takes about 5 minutes to attach or detach the mower.
Keep the mower upright. I set mine on blocks with a scissors jack under the breakaway arm so the mower can't easily fall over.
The top link with the big spring is easily attached if you first hook up all three attaching points then lift the 3 point arms all the way up. You'll be able to insert the pin through the top link and install the hitch pin.
Leveling the mower is done with the adjustable three point arm. Crank it up or down as needed to level the mower.
I wish that you were near here to see how easy it is to attach the mower if you have a specific step-by-step approach.
Good luck. Every time you do something with the mower, you'll see another step that you need to do to make the attachment easier.
Tom in TN
Zachary Hoyt
Well-known Member
MIne has a pin that holds the end of the spring on the top link, I
would unhook that pin and hook the mower to the top link and then
lift it up and and the pin would line up with the hole to engage the
spring.
Zach
would unhook that pin and hook the mower to the top link and then
lift it up and and the pin would line up with the hole to engage the
spring.
Zach
Both of you guys have the top link,I'm describing? I could re-engineer a pin to hold my spring to the top link, but when I purchsed it, it it is bolted hard and fast to the top link. It appears to have been that way a long time. Also is the flat stock that is attached to the spring supposed articulate any, or is it also bolted hard and fast in such a way as to not articulate in the middle. I can level it with my arms right, and left. I can not come to a happy medium front, and back.
You need the top link and spring that came with it.
Bolt it back to its original setting.
Take the pin, or bolt, out of the top end of the spring where it
pins to the 2 strap irons.
Hook up the mower to your tractor, as easy as any other 3pt
implement.
Lift the 3pt with the mower on.
Put the pin or bolt back into the spring/ straps. Will be easy,
lots of slack now.
Lower the mower, and adjust the spring with the big bolt on the
end so the mower barely touches the ground, mostly
suspended really.
When I was little and dad got the mower, ours had a bolt there.
We fought and pryed and cussed at trying to get that darn
thing mounted on the tractor, every time. Fought that darn
spring and upper link.
Duh!
Take that one bolt or pin out, and easy as all get out.
Paul
Bolt it back to its original setting.
Take the pin, or bolt, out of the top end of the spring where it
pins to the 2 strap irons.
Hook up the mower to your tractor, as easy as any other 3pt
implement.
Lift the 3pt with the mower on.
Put the pin or bolt back into the spring/ straps. Will be easy,
lots of slack now.
Lower the mower, and adjust the spring with the big bolt on the
end so the mower barely touches the ground, mostly
suspended really.
When I was little and dad got the mower, ours had a bolt there.
We fought and pryed and cussed at trying to get that darn
thing mounted on the tractor, every time. Fought that darn
spring and upper link.
Duh!
Take that one bolt or pin out, and easy as all get out.
Paul
Note - you hook up the lower arms, left side first typically as it is a little lower on the ground.
Hook up the top link, it will be easy with that bolt removed keeping the spring out of the way for hooking up.
Then lift the mower up, but have both bottom links and the top arm hooked up to the tractor before lifting.
Paul
Hook up the top link, it will be easy with that bolt removed keeping the spring out of the way for hooking up.
Then lift the mower up, but have both bottom links and the top arm hooked up to the tractor before lifting.
Paul
Combine runner
New User
You can set the up and down tilt of the blade by loosing the large bolts down at the end of the main frame. A plate with 3 or 4 big bolts where the blade hinges on the main frame.Loosen all the bolts and you can tilt your blade to run level , then tighten them back up. Hope this helps. Ran one for years till we got a disk mower.
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