I’ve had 4 tractors with rear cylinders: 2 with TNT and 2 with just the top cylinder. I have TNT on my year old 3046R, and tilt is occasionally useful. The top cylinder is essential for me for adjusting my box scraper and flail mower.

 

, "you don't want the hydraulic cylinders for grading work as you will never be able to work the controls fast enough to properly grade".

Never underestimate some people’s skills compared to others. What some think is an impossibility, others shrug their shoulders at and say here hold my beer. I do t know much about the system in question but it can’t be no more than a couple buttons or switches. If you’ve seen the equipment that I have trained on. Obviously this guy hasn’t seen the interior of a road grader. Spring chicken or not. Don’t knock it till you tried it. And get multiple opinions before making the move.

 

I use the top way more than the tilt.

 

same here I use it about 90% of the time for different implements but when I need the tilt function I'm glad I have it

 

IMHO, you can never have too many hydraulically powered adjustments. The closer you can get to full 3 plane adjustability the more you can do - especially when it comes to grading. As far as "you will never be able to work the controls fast enough to properly grade" goes, just go slower... Or even stop and make the adjustments and then proceed.

Now, if they only made a draft arm that could be hydraulically extended & contracted...

 

I just put a hydro top link but really have no use for a side link. I read other peoples wish list and just have to remember my tractor is for what i want to use it for and just because someone has an attachment good for them. my tractor is mine and i use it the way i want to.

 

How does your salesman think grading is done with a tractor currently? When I grade things, I manipulate the 3 point lift the entire time, which is just controlling the hydraulics, it's the same thing. He just wants to sell you a much more expensive implement with on-board hydraulics. Not to say those on-board options aren't great, but to suggest that the top and tilt isn't useful is ridiculous.

I'm still waiting on my cylinders to arrive, but I got really tired of adjusting my manual top and tilt links. It's not that it's difficult to adjust them, for me it's knowing I could be moving a lever instead of getting off the tractor and using tools.

 

top link is essential. No need for a tilt cylinder.

Dave

 

I have the JD top and tilt and use it more than I thought I would, for grading my driveway, and ease of hooking up 3pt attachments, haven't used the JD hitch assist since I installed it.

 

you don't want the hydraulic cylinders for grading work as you will never be able to work the controls fast enough to properly grade".

Wonder what this guy think controls a road grader?

 

Computers!

 

I have no use for tilt at the moment but wouldn't be or ever be without top link now. It just opens up the usefulness of an implenent. Hydraulics move the world.

 

If he thought somebody couldn't keep up with hydraulics, I wonder what he would say about the old time operators who operated the old "knuckle duster" mechanical graders?

 

Coaltrain,
I drove an old Austin Western back in the days while in the street dept. That one there looks like a caddy.👍

 

T&T Only way to go! Use the top all the time, the tilt gets used when grading my over half mile drive with the box blade.
I ordered my 3025E with the extra hook ups on the rear and dealer added the top cylinder, I added the tilt my self, wouldn't be with out either.

 

I got my top link from Brian at Fit Rite and wouldn’t be with out it. I use it for hooking up, raising the back of an implement to clear the ramps of a trailer and leveling or tilting implements. I do have restrictors in the line which make it easy to control. I don’t have a tilt and when I use the box blade it is short distances so I have not gone that route.

Use the top all the time, the tilt gets used when grading my over half mile drive with the box blade.

This right here would make me do the tilt as well.

 

Well, this is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for! I personally agree with the sentiment that not everybody is going to be good/efficient operating hydraulics and produce the same results, so it depends on who is at the controls a lot IMHO as well. I have been operating equipment since as far back as I can remember of all different sorts, but I also know experience with a particular piece of equipment or system is not to be taken lightly, so that's why I was questioning his logic and mine since "I personally have no experience using the JD 4R CAB 4th and 5th SCV hydraulics as of yet. They seem like any other lever actuated SCV to me, but maybe they don't feather well or operate too swiftly for him and perhaps other people? Although if that was the case, wouldn't there be a way to restrict the hydraulic flow a bit with an smaller orifice?

I'm about ready to just go pick up a couple Tractor Supply cylinders and some hoses to test this out unless that is a bad idea for some odd reason? I know the JD kit is north of $1000, and TSC has the hydraulic cylinders cheap, so I wouldn't feel too awfully bad about making a mistake. Is there a reason to go with the JD kit only? I have had a couple County Line implements over the years, and although they aren't built as beefy as some other brands I have used and owned, they seem to be acceptable at the price point they are at. That being said, I don't want to introduce metal shavings or seal components into my main hydraulic system because I "cheaped out". Anyone have any experience with alternative brands to the JD kit, or should I just bite the bullet?

 

All I can say is good luck getting ANY off the shelf units that provide the optimum working ranges. Look at your top & side links, take pictures to have with you, get retracted and extended measurements for the side link. Get the asked for dimension of this link and base your top link working length on that dimension.

All dimensions should be based on having the implement level front-back and side-side. The middle of the cylinder stroke should provide those dimensions plus or minus 1/4".

If you do this, you will find that even the JD T&T set is not even close.
Also, the JD units are considered non serviceable, so when that cylinder seal starts weeping, you get to throw the complete unit away and purchase another complete T&T set. I say complete because JD does not sell the cylinders separately.

The picture shows what you should be getting, if you can find that on the shelf some where, please reply, because there are many many people that would like to make that same purchase.

Good luck with your search and decision.

 

Brian,
What I was holding at TSC most certainly wasn't even in the same league as what you just posted. It really would be a "MacGyver" job with some duct tape and baling wire, but way cheaper than making a $1300 mistake from the dealer if it was feasible. As I emoted above, I pretty much knew I wanted top and tilt and was willing to pay the green paint tax until this guy makes me second guess myself. I am glad you posted here though as I remember coming across your site quite awhile ago and remember hearing nothing but positive feedback regarding your products, so I think if I do decide to get a full TNT kit, I will order from Fit Rite.

 

Since Brian didn't say it I will.

Fit Rite Hydraulics - fitritehydraulics.com

Manufacturers of tractor 3 point hitch top and tilt hydraulic kits, hydraulic top links and hydraulic side links.

www.fitritehydraulics.com

Fix you right up.

 

And he is a forum supporting vendor.

Fit Rite Hydraulics

www.greentractortalk.com

 

I got my top link from hydraulic surplus. They only have two oe three to choose from. Works great for me. I see they are out of stock, no surprise there.

 

I have a top and tilt from Fit Rite. In process of building a new pad and driveway and being able to adjust tilt on the fly has made things so much easier. Top link is a game changer for the box blade as well.. Great customer service too.

Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk

 

My 4066R has hyd downforce and therefore is not compatible with hyd tilt, but I recently added hyd top link from Fitrite. I wouldn’t be without it. It a blessing for hooking up implements and making adjustments on the fly. I use mine on my SCV equipped with float. I’ve found using float with my brush hog greatly increases cut quality/consistency, especially on uneven ground. I’d probably use the tilt if I had it, but wouldn’t want to give up the downforce to have it.

 

I'm curious, why is it that you can't have a hydraulic side link with the down force option? Not enough SCVs?
Did JD give an actual specific reason? Might it be just the JD T&T set?

I have wondered about this ever since JD has offered the down force option.

I know that Kubota has said that their tractors are not compatible with a T&T set if a backhoe is one of the options, and yet the Fit Rite T&T sets work just fine on all the different models with backhoes.

Again just curious if they had given you an actual reason.

Thanks

 

JD uses 3" dia cylinders. I wonder if 2 1/2" dia cylinders and placement of the cylinder would allow for their clearance issues. Most likely something that would have to be looked at very carefully with the tractor in front of you that has the down-force kit installed.

 

Gonna weigh in again on this thread, now that my JD tilt cylinder broke (warranty issue). Since I don't do much work that requires the tilt function, I'm gonna go back to a top cylinder only and keep the repaired/new tilt cylinder in reserve. If I ever go back to needing a tilt cylinder on a regular basis I'd get one from Fit Rite since I am convinced the JD cylinder is not a good match for my 3046R (especially the "ear" design where the cylinder connects to the 3-point lift arm -- and the cylinder regularly leaks down). I'll try to remember to post photos once my tractor gets back home.

 

I have a top cylinder on order from Fit-rite should be here in the next month,
I have the Summit-Tim rear hydraulic solution so I am going to pugt it to use. Have a JD hydraulic rear blade on ofrder for the last 3 months.

rob

 

I have a top cylinder on order from Fit-rite should be here in the next month,
I have the Summit-Tim rear hydraulic solution so I am going to pugt it to use. Have a JD hydraulic rear blade on ofrder for the last 3 months.

rob

which hydraulic rear blade did you order? I’m looking to do that too. I havnt found much on hydraulic rear blades and the 1025.

 

once you have a hydraulic top link, you will never want to be without one.

I don’t have a hydraulic tilt. my scraper blade has a manual tilt capability, which has been good enough for my limited use.

 

I also have TnT. Yes the top gets used way more than the tilt. But the tilt also gets used plenty.

Better to have and not need, then to need and not have.

 

Hands down the most used item on my tractor is the hydraulic top link. Used every time I fire it up. From mountain view