3-point question

hogluvr

Member
So I finally got all the bugs out (for now) and my old girl is ready to work, going to hook up the finish mower and take her down to my property. Is the top link what I use to set the level front to back? And as far as using the hydraulics, if I understand correctly I need to engage the PTO in order to do so? That seems a little scary, if I lift the deck the blades will be spinning? Sorry for all the dumb questions, never had anything like this, I'm a city boy!
 
Yes

Yes

Re spinning blades... if you need to lift and don't want em spinning, disconnect the pto and bungee it out of the way.

This post was edited by Smokeonthewater on 07/30/2021 at 05:26 am.
 
(quoted from post at 05:20:53 07/30/21) So I finally got all the bugs out (for now) and my old girl is ready to work, going to hook up the finish mower and take her down to my property. Is the top link what I use to set the level front to back? And as far as using the hydraulics, if I understand correctly I need to engage the PTO in order to do so? That seems a little scary, if I lift the deck the blades will be spinning? Sorry for all the dumb questions, never had anything like this, I'm a city boy!
Yes . And Yes. That is why I'm converting mine to live hydraulics. Just don't like that PTO have to be engaged to use the hydraulics.
 
The Ns were the only Ford tractors that you had to have the PTO running to use the 3 point lift.
All the ones that were built after them had Live Hydraulics. On those the hydraulic pump was run off the engine so any time the engine running you had lift. It was a big step forward.
PS, don't confuse live hyds with live PTO.
Live PTO is a completely seperate deal but another big step forward.
Neither feature are anything new or modern.
Live hyds was introduced in 1953 and live pto in 1955.
 
Smart move.
I remember shifting the transmission into
neutral so I could raise the mower without
the tractor moving forward, then shutting
the pto off, shifting back into gear to get
over an obstacle then turning the pto back
on to start the mower again.
If you watch the old video below they talk
about how live hyds was a big improvement.
Click Here
 
Thanks guys, would also appreciate any tips or suggestions for running this tractor in general, or for using a finish mower. This could get interesting... :p
 
Top link should set level front to back same as for a moldbord plow or cultivator and longer will raise front to back level. And turnbuckle top link you scould be able to adjust it with engine shut off.
 
(quoted from post at 06:12:25 07/30/21) Smart move.
I remember shifting the transmission into
neutral so I could raise the mower without
the tractor moving forward, then shutting
the pto off, shifting back into gear to get
over an obstacle then turning the pto back
on to start the mower again.
If you watch the old video below they talk
about how live hyds was a big improvement.
Click Here

Add one more thing. While doing all of that, if you did not have a good working ORC, you had to wait for the mower to spin down before you could shift into first again.
 
NO YOU DO NOT SET THE LEVEL WITH THE TOP LINK. You set the front to back level with either gage wheels or limiter chains. Your top link has to allow some front and back movement of the mower. The mower has to float alittle front to back. If you dont allow it to float you can bind things up and bend stuff. If the upper top link connection on the mower doesnt swivel then you need to use a piece of chain in its place. If you dont have a manual for your mower I suggest posting your email and Ill email you a copy of the manual for my Woods RM600 mower. While its not the same mower its the same style of mower and you want to set it up similarly.
 
He's using a finish mower.
You do not need an ORC with a finish mower.
The ONLY implement you need to use an ORC
with is a rotary/brush hog type mower.
 
(quoted from post at 08:19:55 07/31/21)
(quoted from post at 06:12:25 07/30/21) Smart move.
I remember shifting the transmission into
neutral so I could raise the mower without
the tractor moving forward, then shutting
the pto off, shifting back into gear to get
over an obstacle then turning the pto back
on to start the mower again.
If you watch the old video below they talk
about how live hyds was a big improvement.
Click Here

Add one more thing. While doing all of that, if you did not have a good working ORC, you had to wait for the mower to spin down before you could shift into first again.

Only with a brush hog type mower. Not with a finish mower.
A finish mower has maybe 1/20th of the inertia that a rotary mower has and stops very quickly.
 
His top link is probably too short to allow that float to work like he has a extra short toplink like used on some Cockshutt tractors and an extra short top link will keep the back end high not allowing the wheels on the ground.
 
(quoted from post at 13:00:21 07/31/21) He's using a finish mower.
You do not need an ORC with a finish mower.
The ONLY implement you need to use an ORC
with is a rotary/brush hog type mower.

So no overrun clutch? That would give me the extra play I think I need with the driveshaft.
 
(quoted from post at 09:44:27 08/01/21)
(quoted from post at 13:00:21 07/31/21) He's using a finish mower.
You do not need an ORC with a finish mower.
The ONLY implement you need to use an ORC
with is a rotary/brush hog type mower.

So no overrun clutch? That would give me the extra play I think I need with the driveshaft.

I don't know what you mean by "extra play", but as Ultradog said, you don't need an ORC with a finish mower. However there is no reason you shouldn't use one if you want to.
 
(quoted from post at 11:12:28 08/01/21)
(quoted from post at 09:44:27 08/01/21)
(quoted from post at 13:00:21 07/31/21) He's using a finish mower.
You do not need an ORC with a finish mower.
The ONLY implement you need to use an ORC
with is a rotary/brush hog type mower.

So no overrun clutch? That would give me the extra play I think I need with the driveshaft.

I don't know what you mean by "extra play", but as Ultradog said, you don't need an ORC with a finish mower. However there is no reason you shouldn't use one if you want to.

I had another post concerning this, my driveshaft seems like it's too long, there is no slack in it, both halves are pretty much butted up completely when I hook everything up
 

What he means by 'extra play' is that his driveshaft would not be too long if he removed the orc... and THAT is plenty of reason not to run one w his finish mower that has the gear box so far forward
 


So on to my next problem 🙄

I pulled the ORC and the PTO shaft is considerably smaller than the end of the driveshaft. Looks like I have to replace it, anyone know where I can source one out. And can I keep the u-joint or will that need replaced with something else also?
mvphoto79536.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 15:48:11 08/01/21)

So on to my next problem 🙄

I pulled the ORC and the PTO shaft is considerably smaller than the end of the driveshaft. Looks like I have to replace it, anyone know where I can source one out. And can I keep the u-joint or will that need replaced with something else also?
mvphoto79536.jpg

Oops. Your ORC is also a converter 1 1/8" input and 1 3/8" output. You could try something like this adapter.

Or you could replace the PTO shaft with one having the 1 3/8" splines.
 
Personally, I would replace the PTO shaft instead of using the adapter

The adapter extends your PTO length. While probably not as much as the orc, that's still the problem you're trying to get away from.

This post was edited by Smokeonthewater on 08/01/2021 at 03:40 pm.
 
Those adapters very seldom last. The proper way to do it would be with the appropriate PTO shaft. I would keep the ORC on the tractor OP. More so for your safety and to lessen the work you need to do.

With that said I was gonna stay out of the poo slinging but I need to say a few things. To say he doesnt need an ORC is just a stupid thing to say. Yep, there isnt as much rotational mass on a finish mower vs a bush hog, but the blade tip speed is much higher at around 19000 fpm in more modern mowers but 21000 fpm in older mowers. To put that in context the tip of your typical finish mower is moving anywhere from 200-240 MPH. Think about that for a moment and the amount of kinetic energy that thing has at that speed multiplied by the number of blades the mower has. Yes the material weight of a finish mower is alot less resulting in less of a flywheel effect. Combined with the fact that a bush hog has a substantial gearing advantage as far as the mower pushing the tractor goes. There also is a lot more parasitic loss via the belts and so on on a finish mower. Even still to sit here and say you dont need a ORC A SAFETY ITEM particularly to an user that is obviously a novice is quite frankly stupid. It can push a tractor, particularly in a bad situation. Yes he just redid the brakes but whos to say he has them as tight as he should and he gets himself into trouble on a downhill stretch mowing?

I mean no insult to the OP because your asking questions, and I invite you to continue to ask questions.
 
Not gonna sling any poo but I do disagree....

The finish mower might push the tractor a couple inches vs a brush hog that can push it several feet....

The kicker tho is that he doesn't have room for the orc w his mower due to the forward position of the gear box.

Stupid is a strong word and a strong OPINION.... Let's try to be friendly here
 
(quoted from post at 18:48:31 08/01/21) Not gonna sling any poo but I do disagree....

The finish mower might push the tractor a couple inches vs a brush hog that can push it several feet....

The kicker tho is that he doesn't have room for the orc w his mower due to the forward position of the gear box.

Stupid is a strong word and a strong OPINION.... Let's try to be friendly here
men.
 
(quoted from post at 15:48:31 08/01/21) Not gonna sling any poo but I do disagree....

The finish mower might push the tractor a couple inches vs a brush hog that can push it several feet....

The kicker tho is that he doesn't have room for the orc w his mower due to the forward position of the gear box.

Stupid is a strong word and a strong OPINION.... Let's try to be friendly here

I purchased my 8N with a Woods M5 Rotary mower on it. I must have driven it over ten years that way and I never experienced any "pushing" from the mower as you guys are talking about.

This mower had no stump jumper on it. I finally found out that I could buy a new stump jumper that fit that M5 mower. I purchased it and installed it on the mower. The stump jumper weighed about 45 pounds so when I stopped the mower it took quite a while to spin down before I could shift back to first gear.

I then purchased an ORC and found that I didn't have to wait for that thing to stop spinning because with the ORC on it the spinning mower no longer turned my PTO shaft.
 

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