Top link problem (pict)

Just got a middle buster, tried to use it and then this happened. Do I need a stronger top link?? What went wrong here??? This top link was purchased at Tractor Supply, do they make very good top links??? Any input would be great. From Nebraska, Andrew.

Looks like you sure need a heavyer one that that one.

you need sway bars or chains, if you get another one it will do the same thing

I'd think you had something wrong other than the center link; how many plows? Didn't have the plow a-setting on its point?

ustobe, is correct and why did you use those little mickey mouse pins. Try to keep everything as tight as possible.....

My guess is three words: "Made In China"

It looks like that might be a Deere 3 point. If so I would go to "Mother Deere" and see if you can purchase Deere pins and their top link. I'd also buy the Deere pins for the lifting arms. It will probably cost more, but I believe they will work better. It does look like you need sway blocks or chains.

It looks to me like your arms droped down to far, thus it buckled the top link. If it ever goes over center it will do exactly the same thing regardless where you purchase it from. Try putting a chain on it instead for a short while and observe the chain, it should always be tight, or snug. Otherwise shorten your top link so regardless it does not go over center.

Have you checked the tire pressure in the radiator? TSC has a guage that does that. If that's ok, my next guess is that you need to not try to bust sod in 3rd gear while trying to turn left by the looks of it.

Mark

Can someone post a picture of what the chains would look like on the arms. Thanks. Andrew.

Were the lower links leveled?

aftermarket 3-point..top link's not the problem ...you need sway bars or chains on the lift arm ...have a complete correct 800A three point for your JD for sale....take care ...Kent

looks like a cat one on a cat two so your pins are to small looks like you have no stabilizers or sway chains all your pins are to small get a top link that has bigger holes and you might need a big hole on one end and small on the other

Looks to me like there might be an issue with a "floating" left lift link, and no lateral stablizer bars or chains Also looks like a JD pin stored in the holder beside the couplings. TSC needs someone to keep them in bus.Good luck my friend; experience is the result of past mistakes.

affix a chain to the drawbar then onto the two arms so that it does not sway unnecessarily but allows the implement to be raised. you are putting all the sway stress on the 3rd arm needless to say they are not made for that.Check out the fergusons,possibly smaller Fords, they don't have adjusters in the chain like the bigger tractors..

The problem is not the top-link. It should not have any side stress on it. You need sway bars or chains. It also seems that there must have been a lot of difference in the elevation of your lift arms in order to do that kind of damage to your top-link.

Looks to me like your top link is for a category 0 hitch instead of a category 1. Also the pins are too small. Also how deep are you running the middlebuster If you run it too deep it puts too much stress on the top link.

Probably stings a bit today, but I hope in a few years you can see some humor in some of the comments....

You are using cat 2 equipment with cat 1 top link & silly little pins.

Get to working hard, and I will guess you tried to turn with the rig in the ground, and the undersized stuff is gonna break.

You can buy a bigger toplink, and better pins. But - you still will break something if you don't go _slow_, go in _straight_ lines, and go _slow_. Helps to go only a little bit in trhe ground, repeat the pass going a little bit deeper, until you get tot he depth you want.

You are working with some serious forces with that rig. The cheaper top link from China isn't up to the task. _Most_ 3pt loads are pulling on that top link, while a plow or middle buster put a _lot_ of compression on it, and it was too cheap. You need a better one, USA made, good old used is fine - will be cast & not easily bendable metal, and it appears you need cat 2 size. And for gosh sakes get the right pins, one at least is hanging right there in the picture, using those little pins will mess up your bushings quickly.

But still, unless you do things differently, you will still bust _something_ as things have to give when they can't take it. It would appear you were doing something beyond what the steel involved could handle. Try doing something less stressful - multiple passes, or no turns, or - something. You can rip out huge roots or rocks if that was it?

Life is a learning process, thanks for posting the pics and continuing to allow all of us to learn.

Anti-sway chains would probably help a bit, but I disagree that lack of them was the real cause - it looks more like you turned, or possibly hooked a big root or rock at speed.

Better top link, better pins, and slower & shallower passes will allow your tractor & implement to live.

--->Paul

Here is a couple links to pictures of what you are missing AND where you can get quality equipment.

Another maker is Speeco. Even Northern tool has better quality.

HH hitch

everyone talking about the silly little pins,....looks like the pins held up great,..need to look else where

Looks to me like you"re missing the stabilizing bars on your 3pt. Without some sort of stabilizer, your equipment will swing from side to side and bend all sorts of things.

Note the stabilizer bars in the picture that was posted.

The problem is the top link. A middle buster tries to push the top link into the tractor. It wasn't strong enough. Common problem. Especially in rock ground.

With the implement top mount bracket that far right, the combination of tilt (right lift bar extended) and no sway control, allowed compression loading on an underfinanced top link to manifest a bending moment.
Make sure the components are rated to spec. Holes are sized fro pins, and dont do down force at an angle. Jim

I'd say one of two things.

#1 tractor too big, or #2 implement too small the pin size looks good on implement forcing you to buy the cat O link that dont work well with larger tractors.

Drilling the hole on implement to the size of the one tractor would let you use correct link.

and still need chains to limit the sisd to side movement.