Inquireing minds

Around late 1949/early 1950 Ford added the "triple rocker". The purpose was for use on lighter implements which did not have the appropriate force at the top link to properly activate the draft control. Moving the top link higher on the rocker allowed implements to exert enough force to more easily overcome the large draft control spring and to provide a more accurate draft control. Not sure exactly which implements used the top two holes, but I believe the cultivator used one (most likely the middle). An implement such as a plow which digs uses the lower hole since it exerts a large amount of force at the top link.

Personally, I always use the lower hole for everthing. For what the tractors are used for now-a-days, it works just fine. I doubt you could damage anything if you used the top holes. The draft control probably just wouldn't work well. Don't have a parts book or service manual handy at the moment, but you would thing Ford would have designed it so no damage would occur if the wrong one was used, even by accident. I'm sure there are hard stops integrated to prevent this.

John A

The top link is sensitive to drag and if you hit a hard section while plowing it will lift the implement a slight amount to compensate.

But the linkage inside is somewhat delicate and is subject to being bent or broken so that is why we use ONLY the BOTTOM HOLE.

hth

N - joy.

Mountainman...CA

I think Zane could explain it better.

hth

Mountainman...CA

As a new owner, I posted some days ago a question about what the purpose of the top link actually is but didn't hear any responses.

Is the purpose just that it detects the implement to tractor relationship and alters the draft control accordingly? Or is that not even right? I've stared at my bush hog several times wondering how that top link is benefiting me.

Thanks!

-shaun

How would a person lift the rear of any implement off the ground without a rigid toplink?...Without it all you would do is lift and lower the front of the implement...

It also prevents an implement from flipping up towards the driver if it catches on a stump, rock, etc....

Thanks!

-shaun

There are some (and I am one) that do not agree with using a hog with a chain for a toplink however...Hogging is dangerous enough without having to worry about one more thing...I like the 'confidence' of the rigid link...Sorta like a wheely bar without ever having the driveshaft bottom or bind as the toplink takes all the stress when the hog catches a stump or rock...

All IMHO of course...

Maybe the posts got crossed, but just to clarify - I DO have a top link (just wasn't completely sure of all its functions).

You say you can lift the entire 5' hog off the ground, eh? Hmmmm... what am I doing wrong then? When I lift, the front of my hog comes up, but my PTO shaft would smack the hog before the rear wheel even left the ground.

Because if I look the this right, when the lift arms come up and the toplink is at a given length - in theory that toplink is now pushing the back of the hog down due to the hinging effect, right?

How do you get the lift arms to pull up the entire bush hog? I've GOT to be missing something... ha, ha.

Thanks!

-shaun

Thanks, Rob! Hmmm... based on how I see the front of my hog come up (to the point of hitting the pto shaft), I can't imagine how I can get it to lift the entire hog. It almost seems like the toplink would need to get shorter as the lift came up in order to keep the hog's deck at an angle to avoid the shaft.

This doesn't work differently on different hogs does it? Is the toplink height off the deck something that's universal?

Gosh... without being at the tractor location, this is kinda like some cruel mind game... ha, ha.

Thanks for the help!

-shaun

Yep, I did attach (actually it was by the time I purchased it) the toplink and yes it was attached to that slot.

So... I guess that leads me to this question: Where would that solid 3/4" pin hole supposed to be? Not the slot, eh? Uh oh...

Maybe I need to round up a Howse hog user for a comparison photo. Thanks!

-shaun

Shaun look at the hitch points on my bush hog. Your pic makes it look like your top link is lower or the lift arms are higher. My lift arms are very near horizontal. The hog's top link hitch point is 8" or so higher then the hitch point on the tractor. Maybe that's the diff.
I have a full shot that shows a better perspective but I wanted you to see the the hog's deck has an indent to allows for the drive line when I lift my hog. I don't don't see that indent on your deck.
You should be able to see other pics of the hog and hitch at the following link.
I like that swinging drawbar guy!

• Hog hitch pics

Thanks for the photos! Sure is easier to see what's going on in a photo, eh! Yes, it does look like my toplink is lower than the one on your tractor but the lift arms look close. And you're right... my deck doesn't have any indention for the driveshaft.

While I have mine pinned in the slot, Dell said there should only be a hole - not slot. Rob emailed and said his Howse was the same way but with the toplink shortened all the way to the front of the slot, his would lift off the ground but he still had to watch the shaft as it will still hit.

Wouldn't have thought so many differences in hog styles. I'll check it out soon on my next visit to the tractor/property.

Thanks again for taking the photos!

-shaun

The rigid toplink is essential to the Ferguson system because it use the leverage of the pivot-action of the implement to send corrections, via the control spring and plunger/yoke to the control valve to raise or lower the lift arms.