Hydraulic 3-Pt. Hitch Stabilizer

Hydraulic 3-Pt Hitch Stabilizer HITCHES “I love my 1968 Ford 4000 tractor but I had a problem with the 3-pt mounted rototiller I used with it jumping all over from side to side I didn’t like the 3-pt stabilizers on the market so I made my own using a hydraulic cylinder It’s easy to use and very effective ” says Larry Wood Waldo Ohio     He bought a 2 by 8-in stroke hydraulic cylinder equipped with a 3/4-in dia rod and attached one end to the tractor’s right rear axle and the other end to the right side lift arm He also bought a pair of 3-pt ball ends and welded one onto the lift arm and the other to the rod end of the cylinder The rod-mounted ball end goes through a clevis that’s welded to an angle iron bracket at the bottom of the axle and is held on by a 3/4-in dia pin     He also mounted a pair of ball valves on the cylinder ports A 1/4-in dia nylon hose connects the ball valves and runs up to a small oil reservoir he mounted on the axle     “It works great I use it any time I need the 3-pt hitch to stay put without any movement from side to side ” says Wood “The ball ends allow the cylinder to swivel in any direction without binding I mounted the cylinder even with the 3-pt ’s lower lift arm where it hooks under the tractor’s axle so that whenever the 3-pt is raised or lowered it will go straight up or down It works better than 3-pt hitch stabilizers that use pins because I don’t have to line any pins up with holes I just close the ball valves wherever I want the lift arms to be and they stay put ”     Operating the stabilizer is a simple job says Wood “I open both valves before I hook up the implement and once it’s hooked up I close the valves to lock both lift arms in place The oil reservoir makes up for the difference in the oil volume in the cylinder as it’s extended or retracted ”     He made the reservoir by welding up a piece of pipe and then installing a big bolt on top to serve as a cap “I didn’t need to use high pressure hoses with the ball valves because there’s no pressure on the oil as it goes in and out of the tank I made sure I got all the air out of the cylinder before I installed it so the cylinder isn’t ‘mushy’ ”     He uses the stabilizer with other 3-pt mounted implements too “It really helps keep my backhoe from jumping around as I’m driving down the road I also use it with my flail mower and bushhog mower as well as a 5-ft grader blade It only takes about 30 seconds to remove the cylinder and oil tank but so far I’ve never had to do that ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Larry Wood 2081 Newmans Cardington Road Waldo Ohio 43356 ph 740 360-1956; lawpressman@aol com

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