Do you guys discuss small tractors here? My FIL is selling a Massey Ferguson 230 that I used when we first bought our house to mow with. It seems pretty nice but I know very little about tractors. He mentioned it's got a few issues but I don't know what is a major concern and what isn't. When I ran it it seemed ok but that was over 5 years ago. I'm not sure what year it is but I'm fairly positive it's a diesel. He says "The ** 230 keeps tearing up a gear in the distributor that runs the RPM and hour gauge. It also needs the Temp line sensor replaced. Also, the lift cylinder for the three point needs rebuilt. It will lift the mower deck but anything like my heavy disk, it won't lift." Compared to the backhoe it seems like it should be pretty easy to maintain. I'd like to have it to mow and to do some box blade style grading, and maybe get an auger for it and wood splitter. I think he said 4500 bucks, and I think that'd come with the 6' Woods (I think) mower deck but I don't think any other implements. My guess is he may come off that price a bit for me as well. It also has turf tires on it, I'm not sure how I feel about that. What do you guys think? Sound decent? Any other tractor options of that same size that may be better? My budget is limited to probably less that 5k but I feel like I've seen other tractors out there for sale with a bunch of attachments too. I do like that I know how he treats his stuff, so there probably isn't too much concern there.
Are attachments or implements one size fits all or are there descriptors that point to what size tractor something will work with?
Bring it on! I repair those also
Google cat 1, cat 2 or cat 3 for your implement attachments. Yours won't be cat 3, most likely cat 1.
On most old masseys, on the left side of the engine just under the block deck will be a stamped number. It should be the tractor serial number and year. You will need that when you look for parts
I'm not sure what the difference between a 230 and a 235 is, the 235 is the direct descendant of the 135 and 35 massey fergusons that built the company. You could say they came from the to 30 and the little fords that henry and harry put together. In any case, an extremely basic, simple tested tractor. A distributor is going to be a gas engine with four cylinders. Diesel will be three cylinders and the tach drive will come out the back of the camshaft direct. A three point hitch will be category one, so it will work with most category one attachments easily, and all category one with a little swearing. Measure the diameter of the hitch balls and pins on the mower to check. the price is probably right in this environment, a little high for a gas three years ago, a heck of a deal for a diesel if it's clean, good tires, and that's all that's wrong with it. might or might not be correct on the lift cylinder, simple to repair in any case.
Thanks guys! I'll be discussing more with him this Sunday to see if it's really something I want to get into and can afford. I may try talking him out of a trailer of sorts as well, but he might not want to get rid of any of those... I'll let you know! Thanks again, you guys rock!
Approach the FIL like this......" I married your daughter. By taking on that huge responsibility, I have aged beyond my years and have added years to YOUR life. I feel like that Massey would be a good trade off." Let me know what happens LOL
Hahaha! He'd be like "remember all that other crap I've just given you?" My MIL convinced him to give us a wood splitter and he's always offering junk. This past weekend he offered to give us the 220v wire and breaker boxes and pretty much all additional electric accessories for wiring up the barn. They also did a very good job raising their daughter, who is way better than what I deserve, so I think we've made it out ahead.
We have a ** 35 it has been a great tractor i wish it was a 35 special with live power. If this deal falls throw i would look for a 35 special or a 135.
The 230 is the economy version of the 245 and less HP. Still basically the same as the tried and true 135. If the 3pt. won't lift, make sure the draft control is all the way back. It might be able to be adjusted or the internal linkage is bent. Diesel is more desirable but the gas is OK too. 235's were only available for 2 years because they had major power steering issues. Manual steering models are fine if you don't have a loader. 245 with hydrostatic steering is the cream of the crop but don't disregard a 135. They are the most sought after acreage tractor for good reason. The 3 cylinder Perkins is arguably the best small diesel ever built. The gas version is also an exceptional engine. The Continental gas is a close 3rd. I have a 1965 UK 135 with the Perkins diesel and Multi-Power transmission. Only thing I wish it had was power steering but it is the most reliable machine I own. The fuel lines rubbed through after 50 years and the dealer had new ones 2 days later.
Thanks guys, it sounds like this will be a decent tractor to pick up. I'm fairly positive it's a diesel and it has working power steering. I don't think he has a blade for it which is unfortunate as it'd be very handy with grading the barn floor.
three point blades are everywhere, from $5-500 or more depending on how fancy you want to get. Let us know what turns out to be the issue with the "distributor gear", shouldn't be much to fix, or the hydraulic issue, just a little searching for the right answer, hopefully no deep surgery.
Here's what she looks like. Apparently is the Perkins gas engine. He's considering trading me some manual labor for the tractor and mowing deck. Sounds like a sweet deal.
I'd be on that like white on rice. Looks very clean for its age.
I'm not sure what year it is and he did mention it has a rebuilt engine and he said a professional paint job. It looks great. Granted, it was in a barn and I didn't look over it very hard but it fired right up and other than what appears to be pretty manageable repairs it should be good to go! Woop! Beware, I'm sure I'll be asking some more questions about it in the future. I don't expect to get it delivered until the barn is up. Also, I think repairs should be much more my speed than the backhoe.
If you get it, buy an I&T shop manual. They are cheap and have most of the service info in them. Sometimes not as good as a genuine factory manual but are readily available, whereas the genuine Massey manual may be NLA
I&T manuals are not the best. They cover the basics but have been known to miss stuff. Looks could be deceiving. Really curious why the engine was rebuilt. On closer look it's not a Perkins, it's the Continental. I didn't think the Perkins gas was used in later models (76 on). I don't know what fluid is in the tractor but have found the OEM Massey Perma-tran (XL 821) works the best. Hopefully the 3pt. is an easy fix. The tractor in good shape will outlast you.
Yeah, I'm not sure about the engine re-build either. I haven't thought to ask much of the history of the tractor other than I'm pretty sure my FIL bought it used from someone. I don't know that I mind much so long as it runs pretty well. I'm mostly interested in the pto and 3 point hitch.
It's a pretty basic tractor on a proven platform but the ** 3pt. hitch is superior in my opinion. You may never need draft control but once you understand how it works is the bomb. In keeping costs down even most new smaller tractors don't have draft control. Only thing I don't like is the 3pt. will drift down when the tractor is shut off or the 3 pt. controls are disengaged when using something like a loader. You won't have this problem because the 3pt. hyd's. don't have a selector valve. The tractor has a live PTO and hyd's. There's nothing wrong if the 3pt. won't lift with the clutch fully depressed. Let the clutch up half way and it will lift. 1st stage of clutch stops tractor movement and 2nd stage stops PTO and hyd's. This lets you get the PTO up to speed before you start moving. This is great if you're mowing heavy grass.
I'll have to keep this in mind as it may prove to be the problem my FIL thinks the 3pt. has. Thanks!
I had another discussion with the FIL about this tractor yesterday. I offered $4k and minimal side work. I think I said "That way you get some money and I don't need to worry about helping you with stuff enough." He immediately agreed to it and will bring the tractor in the next few weeks.
Welp, new tractor day! My FIL recently sold his trailer so I'm about to go pick up a truck and trailer from Uhaul and go get it. Unfortunately, the trailer is pretty small so I think it's going to take a 2nd trip to get the mowing deck but I'm pretty excited!
Clean looking little tractor. I am not sure how well supported that Continental gas engine is though. You might want to look into parts availability, so you can lay back some spare, common, parts for it if needed. Looks like a good deal at today's prices. Jeff
Remind me to measure things before I do them... Even though the uhaul trailer claims 6'x12' the ramp and opening of the back of the trailer is only about 4'8" or so, which is about a foot narrower than the tractor. So, I just spent 97 bucks to drive a trailer around for about 25 miles. I'm off to drive the tractor home on the back roads. Dummies. Also, I'm going to have to figure out how to push the seat back a bit. It's sitting right on top of the brake and clutch pedals.
I'm sure parts for the Continental won't be a problem. ** used a lot of them in various tractors. Usually U-Haul won't rent a trailer for equipment, only a car trailer. I considered renting a trailer from them to pick up my 1st. skid steer but heard they won't rent a trailer because the skid steer could be a lot heavier than what the trailer is designed for. 25 miles isn't that far to drive a tractor.
The weight limit was like 3500 lbs on the trailer so I thought it'd work. Oh well, if it weren't for expensive lessons I probably wouldn't learn... It was about 15 miles or so, took just over an hour. No one honking and other than some crazy business with the steering I need to check out it was fine. And it fit right in the barn!
OK, a couple questions for the pros or experienced... How loose should the steering be? The only scary part of driving this thing home was the power steering seemed to bump from engagement point to engagement point, which meant I looked drunk as a skunk as I drove it home. Is that part of the deal? I messed around with the steering before I parked it and noticed some slop but I don't know if it's fixable. On the road it was like turn and a half this way to start veering one way, then turn and a half the other way to even it out. Normal? Second, should all the levers be hard to move or should they be relatively smooth and easy? I know this tractor will make me more of a man and I'm OK with that but I don't really know what is normal and what needs or could use adjustment. The throttle and the 3pt hitch all kind of scrape their way into place. Also, I need to go look for a manual for (hopefully) instructions on what does what. The biggest point of confusion so far is the 3pt hitch lever and the other lever, right next to it, that seems to limit the hitch height?
The second lever may be draft control
You got something wrong with the steering. I don't have experience with that model but my old man has a little Massey TE20 which is older than yours and it steers ok. Probably start looking at tie rod ends and work your way back and see where the slop is.
I found manuals which I think will help, but I'm sure I'll still have questions. It seems like it should be relatively easy to work on, hopefully. I'll do some fluid changes and see what that gets me, then take a look at the steering to see what's up. Nice to know that it isn't normal. My neighbor let me borrow his JD to do some grading and it's steering was even worse. Hopefully, I can get it back to right.
If your linkage is good then i suspect you have a control valve/spool problem
I went and mowed a new go-kart track in the back field yesterday and at slow speeds it feels fine. I wonder if attempting to fix the higher speed turning will be a mistake? This was all at higher rpm.
Looks like I maybe about to pull the trigger on this blade . 7' long for my 5.5' wide tractor and they'll ship it free. Let me know if anyone has had disastrous results from these but it looks beefy enough for my uses. I've looked for a few days for other blades and while I can find them, there's nothing local, shipping will be rough and I can't tell what kind of shape stuff is really in. I almost went and looked at a blade seen on Craigslist until I realized it was only 4' wide, I think I'd be upset to learn that lesson the hard way. Maybe they'll screw up and double the order again like they did with the forks... I've got a feeling this thing would be much less easy to mess up.
3 pt. controls should move easily but hold in any position. They can be tightened or loosened but rarely need adjusting. Inner lever is position control. Outer lever is draft control. It has to be all the way back(up) for the position control to work. You don't have to pull the position control all the way back to lift the 3 pt. Especially with things running off the PTO you want to be careful not to lift them too high where the U-joints are at too extreme an angle or even pull apart. Although it's not the normal function of draft control, you can set the position control for your transport height and raise and lower your mower with the draft control. For a mower this would be fine because it doesn't dig into the ground. The other thing to be mindful of is the live PTO. Always remember that it keeps running with the clutch half way down and stops with the clutch fully depressed. This lets you bring your mower/rototiller, etc. up to speed before you start driving. Fully depressing the clutch pedal at PTO speed (1700 RPM) and then just releasing the clutch puts a sudden shock on the driveshaft and mower gearbox. If you ever get a rototiller always turn the PTO on and off with it lifted out of the ground. This includes when using the dual clutch too. You can potentially break the PTO shaft. I wonder if there could be air in your steering circuit or maybe the fluid is low? I think the 230 has power assist steering where it's big brother the 245 has full hydrostatic steering.
Thanks Dave! I'm still a bit confused on the draft/position controls and I'll have to mess around with them some more. I don't understand the point of the draft control, though I think I can understand why it's there... I'm also getting the hang of the pto, like you mention. Lots of little things to be wary of. I was wondering about fluid levels too. My FIL is pretty good with that sort of thing, normally, but he may have been using it seldomly and slowly enough to not notice the steering doing something weird. I think I'll figure it out, and I think you are right about the power assist, it gets tough to steer at low rpm.
Also, I didn't wait to pull the trigger on the blade. Hopefully there are no horror stories.
No no no. Don't know what happened but I lost what I was adding to my above post. I'd look for a better blade that at least uses standard grader blades, not that you'll likely need to replace it. Also a blade where the moldboard is bent so the cutting edge is recessed to make a smooth transition. John Deere dealers often have the best price on implements because they sell so many. Here is a blade a little more money but also better quality. Frontier 7' Rear Blade (RB5084) Attachment (muttonpower.com) Frontier Rear Blades | Mutton Tractor Attachments (muttonpower.com)
Too bad you already bought the blade. I would have asked about your grading jobs.. I have a land plane that does a much better job of leveling & grading my driveway. I used to use a neighbor's blade. I put more humps and dips into the road than I took out after many passes. The land plane does the job in two passes. One out and one back. Gas engine .. Be very careful fueling a hot engine. Looks like the filler is on top of the engine. Years ago, an acquaintance was badly burned when he spilled gasoline that ignited from the hot engine.
Hahaha! Well, I live and learn yet again. We'll see how it goes, I was really hoping to find something used and local in the sub $500 range, so the Titan job is essentially doubling my budget as it is, and who knows what the wife will say, luckily we don't really share money, but she's got the dagger eyes when she needs them. I can't afford the nicer stuff, for now, and I could use something like this pretty much immediately. My grading stuff should be, really, pretty minimal. I'll hit the driveway every once in a while, maybe use it for snow also, and it'll help level the barn floor out once I start pouring more gravel into it. Beyond that maybe dragging some dirt into the low spots in the yard and that'd be about it. I really hope everyone understands how much I appreciate their input regardless of my potentially reckless purchases. I also just did some more looking at draft/position controls and I understand it a bit better. Thanks! hosspuller- good call on the hot refuel! I don't know that I would have thought of that.
Draft control confuses a lot of people. Add in that there is also a draft response control down by your right foot and it just gets more confusing. Draft control is designed to transfer weight back to the rear wheels for extra traction when pulling ground engaging implements like plows, cultivators and I even use it with the ripper teeth on my box blade. It also puts an even load on the tractor if there are hills and bumps or even different soil conditions you're pulling in. Without if you were pulling a plow or cultivator and hit some extremely hard ground, you'd come to stop and just be spinning. Draft control would slightly raise the plow allowing you to keep going. That's where you have to experiment with it a bit. Draft response control varies the speed at which the draft control responds (Lifts and lowers) to different soil conditions. If you put the draft control all the way down it wouldn't really do anything different than using the position control. It works awesome when I'm ripping my MX track with the box blade and I hit the sand section. If I just put the blade down, it would dig in and I'd be digging holes with the rear tires. If I lower the blade with the draft control only moving the lever 2 or 3 inches, it will only dig into the harder soil under the sand a little letting the tractor keep going without digging trenches with the tires. Without draft control trying to do the same thing would be a real PIA. You'd have to constantly be raising and lowering the blade trying to rip the harder ground without going too deep where the tires are spinning. Draft control lets you breeze right through and have everything consistent. If you start to spin, just raise the draft control in tiny increments and keep on going. When I get past the sand section I can move the draft control down and dig deeper because I have better traction. Hope this makes some kind of sense.
Land planes are in the $2000 range.
Beautiful Dave, that made more sense than the other stuff I was reading. I also now understand why it wouldn't matter with a 4 wheeled mower. Some dang smart folk out there to come up with that junk! Yeah, land plane looks cool and the name is great but the thousand I just spent for the blade was way over budget. If nothing else the things I get now can be stop-gaps until it's determined I need something better. Similar to the theory of buying cheap power tools and if you use them enough to break them that's when you pony up for the name brand stuff.
That blade will work and it has some nice features. I'd wait for a heavier used one to come along, but I like working on old iron. I bought one of these for $500 https://www.bigiron.com/Lots/GurriesGP4040LandPlane That's the kind of thing that would get Dave's track TOO flat, all it needed was an upside down 2 5/16 ball hitch to hook directly to a tractor drawbar to get rid of the dolly in the front, 1/2" black iron run to the cylinder to run off the tractor hydraulics, and flipping the cutting edge to use the new side.
Your blade will work fine. 7Ft. is nice because it will cover the back wheels when angled. Especially helpful when clearing snow. The Advanced Ferguson System like you have is by far the best 3pt. system ever designed. The only flaw is that the 3pt. will creep down when the tractor is shut off or the 3pt. hyd's. aren't activated. I'm not sure if it's still used on some ** tractors. I'm sure it would add quite a bit to the cost.
Wouldn't work to good on the corners.
Thanks guys, I hope so, it's also got the offset so I can slide it a bit one way to help cover tires if it's angled too much. I plan to use it to grade out the barn floor which I'd like to do within the next few weeks, so I didn't want to press my luck waiting for something to show up, used, for sale. Add to that that I don't have a truck or trailer to move such things and I think it'll be OK to go this route. Delmer- that thing is huge!
The position control stop would be helpful for leveling your barn floor so you don't accidently dig too deep. Get it kind of level, set the height and just drive in circles and figure 8's.
No, it wouldn't! the back arm sticks out another 15' to control the hydraulic valve to raise and lower the blade to smooth highway grade without surveying or GPS. making it span over 35', cool but not that useful when a skid steer can grade with GPS.
Good for large area's.
Supposedly my blade will be here Monday. I haven't talked to anyone but I'm curious as to how it'll be delivered. Usually, this kind of thing will require some kind of call where they have to figure out some logistics but I haven't heard anything here. Maybe just a liftgate and pallet jack? It only, supposedly, weighs a bit less than 400 lbs. but it's 7 feet wide, so we'll see how it goes. As mentioned I used this tractor to mow my yard when we first moved in, assuming it stops raining sometime I expect to try her out again this weekend to see how she does. I have a fair amount of obstacles so I'll only be able to hit the big areas but it'll be interesting to see how much time is saved with a mower deck that is 18-20" wider than my mower. I like to keep a track "groomed" in the back field and I went out and cut the new one last weekend with the new tractor. The grass was back to hay field status, so thick and probably 3-4 feet tall. Normally, I'd take the mower out there and make several very slow passes to knock down the big stuff, then cut it 1" or less, to run the go-kart around or as a nice walking track. This time, with the tractor, I went out and raised the deck up about a foot and took a pass, still slowly, then lowered to maybe 6" and made a pass or two, then lowered to probably 3" and made a pass, then as low as it would go. I assume it saved a few hours with the tractor and it was a much more comfy ride. Again, if it dries out some I'll get a map of this year's track, I always change it up a little, and I think this one should be my best yet. It'll be slower and more technical than in the past but it should be a lot of fun to tear ass around.
The wife was out on the small mower while I used the tractor. We did the yard in about 2.5 hours less than "normal" with just the small mower. Pretty sweet, and I'm sure that time will come down a bit more as I get comfier with the tractor. Man, that finish mower deck cuts nicely too! I also took a trip around the go-kart track. There are a few good spots but also a few turns where the tractor turned much tighter than the go-kart can, so some alterations were in order. The wife was out there helping on the small mower (we took it out to deliver gas to the run-out kart), so I didn't get a chance to run it on the parts she was messing with yet. My tracking software isn't very specific, so it's not easy to see the track I have, unless I can talk my neighbor into taking a picture with his drone, but I probably won't do that. Maybe it's time to get my own cheap one that can go a couple hundred feet up, it'd be neat to compare tracks, year after year.
The blade! It was a challenge to get hooked up but then I let her rip down the driveway several times. Good stuff! Now I need to spend time really figuring out "position" and "draft" I thought I understood but then I realized I had the handles backwards...
You'd use the position control with a blade 98% of the time. You can set the stop to limit how far down it drops.
Anyone know what kind of oil I should be using for Transmission, Differential, and hydraulics on this tractor? The manual calls for Massey Ferguson Permatran oil, but it doesn't seem like that is really a thing any more... I'd love to be able to find something at the local auto parts store or maybe even Cramazon or Wallyworld. It does not appear, in the manual, to give me any specs on what the oil should be or contain.
Universal tractor hydraulic transmission fluid. Lots of versions, mobile 424 maybe? is a good one and commonly available. I wouldn't use a $20 bucket of yellow "303" or similar, but this is one where you could if you had to, no wet brakes or clutches so it doesn't matter that much.
Thanks Delmer, that's kind of what I'm seeing on my search but there are so many different varieties and I understand very little of the differences. It looks like there are listed Permatran alternatives but I'm not sure which is acceptable. I also don't know how to determine if it has wet brakes or clutches. The experience and knowledge here is always much appreciated.
Take the starter off and look at the clutch, it's a push rod operated pressure plate and disc just like a manual trans car or truck, no oil in that compartment. Look at the brakes, they're outboard drums, just like drum brakes on a car or truck, with the wheel bolted directly to the drum, and the drum open to the air on the inside. No oil there either. Wet brakes or clutches would usually be operated with a hydraulic valve instead of a mechanical linkage, but not always. They are usually stacked discs like an automatic transmission, or a motorcycle clutch, and running in oil obviously. So you want to be much more careful of the oil that goes in them than this trans that is just gears and very simple hydraulics, that you just want to drain the water out of before it freezes, and maybe change the filter some day.
Thanks Delmer! Makes sense!
** Permatran 821XL is the oil to use. I've tried other universal tractor fluids but in operation the OEM Permatran works the best in my experience. If you have no leaks where water can get in the oil will last a long time. Not worth trying to save $20 here. You have dry brakes. The ** 230 is an economy version of an ** 245 and I believe it has dry brakes as well. The wet brake axles on the larger models are a square profile. Look at the inside of the wheels and you'll see the backing plate and drums. Should also be a rubber plug for adjusting the star wheel if I recall correctly. One very important thing to do is make sure the cotter pin (head) in the bottom of the clutch housing stays free and can turn. If it drips a little oil (2 or 3 drops) is OK. It's supposed to. If it drips a lot is a problem. Either the rear seal on the engine is bad and/or the front seal on the trans. is bad and the tractor has to be split. The hole with the cotter pin is to drain any oil so the clutch doesn't get soaked. Many users have plugged the hole because it was leaking not realizing it was a tell tale sign repairs were required. I think there might be a clutch inspection cover with 4 bolts on the bottom as well. Some loaders like Ezee On used the holes for a mid mount loader frame. I wish I had an Ezee On loader as it's quick attach and can be easily removed or attached. I have an Allied loader that mounts to the rear axle. I have a fairly heavy 7' blade on mine so steering is a little tough with manual steering. The blade is a good counter weight though when I have to drive up the jumps on my MX track with an implement on the back. If you try to go up too steep of a hill the front end WILL come up and the tractor could flip over backwards. The weight bias on a tractor is on the rear wheels so you can't drive up a steep slope like you could in a truck. Have to keep this in mind when loading onto a trailer as well.
Good info, thanks Dave!
Welp, I bought some " Pat's Easy Change " adapters to (hopefully) make switching implements a bit easier. These things slip over the lower balls on the 3 pt. hitch, then get bolted down tight. Since nothing I do can be as easy as advertised, my balls were too wide (a common problem, I know!) and the adapter things would not slip over without some modification. I started grinding down the balls and I don't know if anyone knows it but those dang things wiggle and spin around a bunch. The balls were probably about 1.75" wide and they needed to be less than 1.4". So, a test for you all, and more to see how dumb I am... It was a challenge to keep the balls exposed enough to grind them down. I've already got what I think it the correct answer, and it worked without messing up the shape and/or function of the ball. How would you suggest grinding these things down a bit, I needed to lose a bit more than a quarter inch?
A belt sander would probably work as well as anything. Did you check the bore diameter of the balls to make sure you have a cat 1 three point on the tractor? I'd expect a cat 2, but the internet says it's cat 1.
I used a grinder but had to figure out how to keep the balls from moving... The answer I came up with is maybe simpler than I thought of for about an hour and a half. I thought about if maybe it was cat 2 balls, I'm not sure. I'm likely not searching the correct words as the only thing I see is a John Deere spec of 1.77" for the balls. Mine were probably not quite that big.
Category 1 is 40HP and under and uses 7/8" pins, so the holes in the three point balls will be 7/8" also. Category 2 would be 1 1/8". There are other differences obviously, but that's the easiest to measure. There is some interchangeability between those two sizes with bushings, or replacing pins on equipment. Some tractors even have both sets of balls that pop out to change back and forth.
It's category 1 for sure. I've never seen where cat. 1 is only up to 40 HP. There are 70+ HP tractors with cat. 1 3 pt. hitch. Some of the tractors 60 HP and up have dual cat. 1 and cat. 2 3 pt's. and bushings are also very common. Regardless, I wouldn't grind the balls at all. It might cause them to come out. With experience hooking up implements gets a lot easier. A blade or mower are fairly easy to hook up. What you should look at is a quick hitch but need to make sure the lower links on your implements are the proper width for the quick hitch. Edit. Just looked at your link. I bet you could get a full quick hitch with the same style of connectors for less money. What I'm not sure about is if those style lower link connectors work on single sided pins. By single sided I mean the pin is bolted on 1 end with the retaining pin on the other side as apposed to a loose pin supported by a steel plate on either side. I think a quick hitch would work on both but never looked into it very much. Just the different style connectors wouldn't make it much easier to hook up. You'd still have to move the implement back and forth or the tractor to hook them up. For 2 implements I don't thinks it's worth spending over $200 for different style connectors but that's just my opinion. Not all my implements have the same spread on the lower pins so a quick hitch wouldn't work on all the implements. I could use something to make changing implements easier though. I don't have much strength after the stem cell transplant and have several different implements I use.
Well, we'll see Dave. As per my usual it's already done! Balls are already ground down, I probably took off a bit less than a quarter inch or so. and I don't think they are going to pop out, especially with these adapters on them. I looked at reviews for the full quick hitch and it looked like people had some issues with them, especially with implements of differing pin widths. The ones I got are supposed to remove a lot of the hassle of lining the arms up and making sure everything is just right and level. Still need to hook up the middle hitch manually but I've heard nothing but raving reviews for the ones I got. I'll give a report later.
Maybe they will work good and make hooking up easier. I never had too much trouble hooking stuff up but I struggle now with most physical things. I go for a cortisone shot on Thu. because I have Bursitis in my right shoulder. My other joints ache but not as bad. My back is still the worst though. I don't really have to do anything other than be on my feet and my back feels like it's in knots. It makes even simple things a challenge and really sucks. Kneeling down it's hard to get back up.
I guess I haven't made it abundantly clear that I'm a soft baby boy compared to you tough guys! I hope it works, I'd imagine I'd get used to hooking stuff up but I figured I may as well take advantage of whatever I can to help avoid the frustration, which would inevitably make me not like using the tractor. I hope you get to feeling better Dave.
I've used quick hitches for years and love them. Well worth the investment. The downside, is you have to make all your implements fit the quick hitch you have, or else it doesn't work. As for the PATS system, it works too. My father in law put them on his 30hp sub compact and is happy he did. He grew up farming so changing implements wasn't new to him, he was just looking for a quicker way to get more done in a day. He works a ton during the week and has limited time on weekends to cram as much in as possible. I'm pretty sure he had to tweak his 3 pt arms with a grinder to make his fit as well. Afterwards, he's been pretty happy with them. Makes it easy to drop his 3pt counterweight, grab the bush hog, then later, drop the bush hog for the grader blade, then put that away and grab his counter weight again. No muss, no fuss.
Thanks for the note colson, I'm hoping for similar results!
Nice to hear from someone who has experience with them. I hope they make it easier for aighead to hook implements up. Look forward to hearing how he likes them. I was thinking they are too expensive because I've seen quick hitches under $200 in Canada and figured the Pats couplers would be about $400 in Canada. What I need is a robot to hook and unhook implements. Some 3 pt. arms telescope in and out 2 or 3 inches which would make hooking up easier.
I got them hooked up yesterday and they seem to work well! My issue currently is that the lynch pin on the mower deck rotates up and down on a pivot and the down angle is lower than the arm on the driver's side goes. I'll either have to figure out how to raise it while backing up or deal with it. It was still much, much easier to get off the tractor and lift the pin into the adapter thing. I haven't tried hooking up the blade yet but that should work well, I think. All in all I think I'll be pretty happy with the set up.
I wanted to get some kind of a quick hitch but never have . My biggest problem is i try to put my implments in places out of the way and thats a place were its not flat or tight on space were i cant get lined up easy.
From what I've read this style (Pat's Easy Change) seems to solve that problem Doug. These things leave the lower arms independent so they can adjust to off-level implements, it's not one big thing you install on the machine like skid steer quick change plates. You still need to get off the tractor with the Pat's system but it's just to hook up the upper link arm, not monkey around with the lower arms fitting into the balls. I'm thinking, temporarily to raise my driver's side lynch pin, to just drop the mower deck front on a wood block to raise it up a bit, only need about 2 inches.
Looking at your pic. of the mower and some online, I'd guess the rotating lower attachment points are to let the mower follow undulating ground but the left and right should rotate the same. I'd also guess the leveling crank on the right (passenger side) may be turned down and that's why it goes lower. With a mower you normally want them level from side to side. Online it looks like there is a pin behind the rotating attachment point that that prevents it from dropping too far. If the lifting arms are level when lowered but only the left side rotates or rotates lower than the right side drill a hole in the frame to put a bolt to stop it from rotating down so far. You could put a little spacer on the bolt or a couple thick washers. Another option would be to weld a little piece of round bar on the frame to do the same thing. If I'm mistaken can you post pics. of the left and right attachment points on the mower? I just thought of something you may already know, the lift arms can be easily raised by hand when hooking up implements but they raise together. It is usually easier to connect the lowest arm 1st and the 2nd arm will raise a little bit to ease putting it on. If the arms are quite a bit different in height or the implement is on really uneven ground, hook up the left lift arm 1st. and use the leveling crank on the right lift arm to move the arm and or down as required. Once attached you can level the arms back out with the same crank. The leveling crank can be use to tilt your rear blade too if you want to do some light ditching. If you ever hook up a 3pt. plow, you have to use the leveling crank because the left and right arms hook up at different heights. The leveling crank lets you adjust the plow to be level with the ground and/or adjust how aggressive it cuts into the ground. I thinks it's called a leveling crank mostly because it's for leveling a plow.
So my manual calls for SAE 20 engine oil. I'll be dogged if I can find it anywhere that isn't in the hundreds of dollars range for a 5 gallon bucket. Is that right? I found McMaster Carr has some for less than 200 bucks but I don't know if I should trust that?
Is this a continental gas engine? I'd use any modern dino oil, 10w30, 10w40 whatever. Or 15w40 if you have that, the new stuff doesn't have the ash it used to before diesel emmisions treatment, so it won't foul spark plugs as bad.
I think you could run a name brand multi-grade oil no problem. It's not very specific like a Detroit 2 stroke diesel. 10W-30 should be fine. Here's a good article on oil viscosity. Motor Oil Viscosity Grades Explained in Layman's Terms (upmpg.com)
Thanks guys! Yes, I think it is the Continental gas engine. Somehow I missed the notification that you'd replied. I don't believe the oil has been changed in this beast in quite a while, so sourcing sae20 as slowly as I was was concerning to me. Nice to hear I should just be able to run to the local auto parts store. I need to look into the hydraulic oil that was mentioned above and hook up with some of that too...
Just another point to consider, if the tractor has a set of remote hyd couplers, you probably should run tractor trans/hyd fluid no matter what the manual says because any implements you hook onto or borrow will likely have the trans/hyd fluid already in the cylinders and hoses
I kind of doubt it has aux. hyd's.
Thanks 56, I do not think there are any hydraulics that aren't the 3 pt hitch. No loader hookup or anything like that that I've noticed. Point well taken though.
The tractor should be running TDH fluid anyway but I've heard of some hyd. fluids not being compatible when renting larger attachments for excavators and even skid steers. Some renters will flush the rental unit out before hooking it up or ask the rental outfit to do it before they pick it up.
So, this seems like some dumb questions but you know, I'm full of them. I bought this extendo top link for my tractor, and it has a threaded side that makes the link longer, what I was looking for. It also has a metal stick that appears to go through a hole in the middle of the link. 2 questions- First, does it matter which side the screwy part is on? Should it be on the tractor side or the implement side? Second, how's that metal stick go into the hole? Do I just hammer it past the stop on the stick? I think the stick is to make for easier extending once the link gets older and dirtier? It was really easy to extend now but presumably because it's brand new... I guess a third question too-the tab thing on there is just to keep the link from unextending, right? Thanks for the help!
Any of the adjustable top links i have seen are threaded on both ends. One is lh and the other is rh so when you turn the centre tube part, both ends extend an equal amount or retract an equal amount therefore allowing adjustment without removing any pins. Maybe one end is bottomed out in the centre tube. Post a picture
That's kind of what I expected too, but the tab thing is only on one side (not that that matters) and one side was easy to turn or unthread. The whole link is quite long so maybe they only threaded one side on this one? The link I put in the above post is the best I've got for the time being but I'll get a real picture soon.
I'd be shocked if both sides weren't threaded. It only needs needs one tab because both pins will be fixed, so it won't turn as long as the center part is latched to either end. It would be useless without both ends threaded, you'd have to remove it every time you adjust the length. Hydraulic ones are real popular because turning those with any weight is hard enough. I've never seen one without the rod installed, they must do that for shipping, just pound it in.
Duh, yep, only one tab thing is needed. Does it matter the orientation? I have the screwy side towards the implement. Maybe it makes more sense for the tab to be on the downhill side (screwy side towards tractor)...
Have you tried to unscrew the other side?
No, I've had too many beverages at this point. I'll probably get out there tomorrow.
It will unscrew, and the tab can be on either side. I'd add some moly grease if you have it handy, those threads like to fret and fail at a bad time, probably never be an issue for you, but you seem to have the average level of OCD for this site
I do have moly grease! This was the easiest upgrade I've ever done to the tractor, we'll see how it goes!
Most aftermarket top link arms are threaded left and right like a big turnbuckle. The round handle is supposed to be pounded in the holes in the middle section but anytime I've pounded it in, it ended up falling out and getting lost. If you pound it in, deform the ends or weld a washer or something on the ends so it can't vibrate out. I keep a wrench on the tractor and stick one of the prongs in the holes to adjust the top link. I'm wondering if you might have a stabilizer for the lower arms instead of an adjustable top link arm. Pics. would help.
Oh yeah, I took a picture yesterday then forgot about it. It's definitely a top link. Thanks guys!
The link on the tractor side is screwed all the way in. You need to remove it, unscrew it to match the length of the other end, and then reinstall. Then, only adjust the length by spinning the center piece while making sure both silver ends don't spin, either by pinning the free end to you attachment, or holding it with your hand.
Thanks colson. I actually looked for a video or picture showing other folk's top link and didn't find any, prior to posting. Somehow I missed just the right words to pull up that video.
Yes, you need to have both ends extended the same. There are 2 lengths of Cat. 1 top links as well. I think 1 is about 16" closed and the other about 20" closed. The 16" is the most common and it looks like yours could be the longer 20" one.
It's actually longer than that even. It claims 29"-39", extended so I could more effectively use Pat's quick change adapters, which add about 6" or so to the length of the bottom links.
That's why it looks extra long. Make sure it allows your mower to stay level while going up and down hills. If it's too long can limit its usefulness. Even on a blade it might not set the blade to the optimal pitch to roll and move material.
Good call Dave, I'll have to keep an eye on that. Would it be suggested to keep it thusly as short as possible? I need to watch the video colson linked to more closely, I didn't consider how it may be affecting the implements.
You need to set the top link so your implements are in correct position when in use. ie: mower is level while mowing, plow or back blade in correct cutting position, etc. So, length of top link changes depending on the attachment being used.
Didn't know that, thanks!
Some implements it just works out the top link is the same length. Things like a rototiller require the implement to be level. Other implements like a box blade, rear blade or landscape rake can require multiple lengths to get the desired results. That's why hyd. top links are common on box blades. You can adjust it on the fly as required.
Welp, out chopping up leaves as the little mower is breaking mower deck belts like its its job. I looked down and MFer is bleeding! A lot! You can see a little cut on that hose on the right just below the fitting. I don't know what that connection is? I didn't look under the hood to see but I assume there's another fitting I need to take off up there, then take the whole thing to the hose store to get it pressure fitted on? Looks to be going to the steering cylinder. I left the tractor sitting out behind the barn as I didn't trust driving it back while it was bleeding so bad. I guess I've upped the necessity of finding new oil for her.
I'd do some searching for replacement hoses, probably available and cheaper than a hydraulics place for something like that. That's all one piece like you say, they'll make you a new one, bring them both because they're the same age.
It looks like the steel part is part of the whole assembly and you have to replace everything. Maybe there's a way the rubber section comes apart from the steel section??? Would have to check in a manual or at an ** dealer to see what fluid the steering takes. I'm not sure if it uses power steering fluid or Perma-tran like the diff. and hyd's. I'm not fortunate enough to have power steering.
You can grind and chisel that crimp off, then reuse the fittings, but you'll need your own hose crimper because no business will take that risk, even on a small tractor power steering hose.
Well, unfortunately it looks like it won't be easy as the hard lines appear to be running up behind the dashboard, under all the wiring and junk. Is there anything wrong with running straight hydraulic hoses without the hard lines if I attempt to hold them in place? I'll keep searching for the parts but so far I haven't found anything that looks remotely close to the correct hoses. The shop manual only seems to specify info on the various pumps, so no good info on how to access those hoses.
The steel lines are likely for being more compact to fit in the space. Would have to investigate further if there's room to run hoses in behind the dash. Maybe depending on the size of the steel lines they could be flared so a standard JIC hose fitting could be used. I had a steel line on my Cat rub through and to remove it would require dismantling half the machine. Would have been a major PIA to do. I took a small hacksaw and cut the line leaving the complex bend from the hyd. valve intact. A hose wouldn't work. Anyway I had a hyd. shop flare the line and then I used 2 compact hyd. hoses with 90 deg. on one to go the rest of the way. There is such a thing as compact hyd. hose that is smaller in OD.
As far as I can tell this is the instruction for getting to the hoses... I guess I need to look harder for the right thing. I have a JD dealer down the way but don't know if they could make something that would fit.
Just for the hoses I'd guess there doesn't need to be as much disassembly as removing the whole steering gear. Taking the hood off should give a better look.
I got the one holey hose out but it's about an 1/8th of on inch at a time. The 2nd one is really in there with no space to jam a wrench. You can barely see the other one I got at about 5 o'clock.
I dare say maybe just fix the leaking hose. Steering is typically less pressure and not usually catastrophic if a hose gets a leak.
Well, I got the 2nd off, and in the name of getting it done, after some additional searching and not finding the correct parts, I just got 2 soft hydraulic lines. Access up to the fittings isn't too bad but is tight at the fitting, we'll see if the new ones will work and it I can snug them up enough. Update in a bit. Thanks guys!
Should work fine. maybe a little more rubbing of wires and a little tighter in there, but it will work fine. If you got the right threads for the adapters.
Wires, I don't think, will be an issue. I don't know how hot anything gets along that run but I assume the oil is nearly as hot so hopefully it'll be OK. I may be able to shield the hose if it looks like I need to...
OK, hoses are on, hopefully tight enough. I guess I could use some little stubby box wrenches. Unfortunately I'm out of power steering fluid, and I'm done for the night. I'll try to find something that works tomorrow, I guess. It's calling for permatrans 3, so I'll have to look in the thread above to see what was suggested.
@Welder Dave I'm reading back and the post you made, quoted below, on page 4, is insane. Thank you. You've gone and explained exactly everything that is going on with the 3 pt. hitch. Even some helpful tricks and methods to get the most out of this beast! Well done, man! It's interesting to go back and read things about experiences, learning and such, and understanding, more clearly, what someone is talking about. I'm lost in conversation with you guys a lot but I started understanding what you were talking about here. That's pretty cool. "Looking at your pic. of the mower and som.."
Thanks, we've had an ** 135 since about 1980 so have put 2 or 3000 thousand hours on it. Once you figure out the 3pt. with draft and position control you really appreciate it over just and up and down control on a lot of other tractors. Glad you got hoses to fit. I should have suggested some of the abrasion resistant sleeve over the hoses where they might rub.
There's a little clamp that was holding the metal lines in that I snugged up to the soft lines (I didn't crush, just a little more than touching), I think that'll work but I'll an eye on it, that's the only place they are touching and even there it's only because I forced them into place to stick in that clamp, they shouldn't rub anywhere else but if they do I'll find something to jam in there.
I'm guessing the new hoses might be rated for quite a bit higher pressure than the old ones if standard hyd.hose was used. Should last a long time.
I filled her up, fired her up, and a-turning she goes! The only thing is I don't really understand how the fluid circuit goes for the power steering. The lines I replaced ended just under the steering wheel and upon turning the steering wheel with the hose still torn up, fluid would come out of the hose, with the machine off. Now, and maybe this was happening the whole time and I didn't realize, I found there is fluid coming out from the steering wheel hole? It's only some small drips and I assume that it's just some leftover from the leak and replacement but it was too cold (and dinner was ready) when I wrapped it all up and stuck the tractor back in the barn for me to see if it was consistent. I wiped everything down real well, so it should be easy to see if it continues to leak.
Most full power steering systems have an orbitrol(hand pump) which has a small internal gerotor or vane pump that can produce a small amount of flow when you turn the steering wheel with the engine shut off. This allows you to have a minimal amount of manual steering should the need arise although it is usually very hard and slow and can almost feel as though you will rip the steering wheel off. This is how it works when you tow a dead machine while trying to steer it
Interesting. While I wouldn't have used the fancy words you came up with I thought something like that must be the case and it was likely some residual fluid there. Thanks!
I hope the WixFilters website knows what it's talking about because I just ordered about 150 bucks worth of their filters yesterday, everything should be here today or tomorrow for a decent tune up.
Is it safe to assume that the pto shaft, that goes from tractor to mower deck should always be one piece? I, uh, forgot to disconnect it upon removing the mower deck from the 3 pt. hitch and drove away. Part of the shaft stayed with the mower deck and part stayed with the tractor... It appeared keyed to some extent but probably not sturdy enough to be correct as a 2 piece item. It all slid back together like maybe the part that was attached to the deck does slide out from the part that was attached to the tractor but I don't know. I don't want to go buy a new one if that's the way its supposed to work.
Is it a square or rectangular shaft or what? They typically are two pieces that come apart to take up the movement from the tractor to attachment. I have one sitting around that I have to extend, former owner cut it too short for whatever reason, it overlaps less than 2", an it's some kind of funky Italian shaft that has about 8 ribs, so you can't tell which way it goes back together, and never find a replacement here. I'll find a round tube to weld an extension so at least it's supported, and won't flop out. They should only go together two ways, the U joints need to be in the same phase.
It's like a rounded triangle shape? It went together pretty easily like maybe it's supposed to work that way. I'll have to get a picture, I've put everything away.
Nope, no picture needed, it's foolproof, you have to try a harder than that to mess it up!
So you're saying it's correct to be split like that and I should run her and see if it goes?
The PTO shaft is telescopic to allow the implement to move through the arc of the 3 point without putting pressure on the tractor's output shaft. In fact, a too long shaft will break your tractor by forcing the shaft into the case when raised. If it's too short, the shaft will disconnect and then whip you and the tractor to death.
Delmer and Hosspuller are right. All tractor PTO shafts are 2 pieces. You just pulled it all the way out this time. More than once, I've pulled them apart when connecting/disconnecting an implement to the tractor. I've also made new PTO shafts, usually to replace one that got damaged beyond repair. You have to buy the 2 halfs that make a shaft, cut them off to get the correct working length, then lube and slide together.
If it didn't fall in the gravel, then forget about it, it will work. Like Colson said, they all telescope somewhere, most come apart like yours did. New Holland long tongue small square balers, as an example, have a solid tractor PTO, and extends along the tongue, so you'll drag the baler by the PTO if you forget to unhook the PTO. Alot of times the PTO will not thrash like you'd think if it's disconnected while turning, it can still spin with no resistance, there's no force to make it whip around.
Good deal. I noticed pretty quickly because I put all the lynch pins on the tire while I was changing things out and they all fell off. I looked back and noticed I forgot. Thanks guys!
Telescopic pto shafts should be slid apart periodically to be greased if there are no grease fittings on the telescopic section. Just slide them apart, smear grease on/in them and slide back together.
I just found this thread. Congratulations on scoring the tractor! I've got a 135 with the Continental and it's been great. I saw the discussion about the draft control earlier. One way to help understand how it works is to lift the implement all the way up with position control, then set the draft control so it barely holds it up. Then get off and push the back end of the implement down and lift it up and you'll feel it working.
Thanks Jared! This past Saturday I finally put the blade back on and did some dragging with it and kept in mind the draft control discussion here, I understood much better.
I went out to show the barn to a buddy and found a flat front tire on the tractor a couple days ago... I'm not real surprised as there was a lot of pretty thick junk I was running over mowing the back field. I'll have to jack 'er up and determine how bad a hole I've got and if I get lucky I'll patch it.
Welp, tried a patch. Didn't take. I've got to say God bless a decent jack (mid-range harbor freight, low profile) and a pretty kick@ss Bosch impact driver. I had the tractor jacked up and wheel off in about 3 minutes. I found the puncture, just a tiny thorn looking thing, certainly from mowing over too big a stuff in the back field. Jammed a patch in there, which held long enough to move the mower deck out of the barn, put the blade on, and move the tractor back into the barn. Overnight, the flat was back. I had some old slime (moldy and disgusting) that I tried, unsuccessfully, to put in, the pump was all funked up and it hosed me down with that stink, so I got some new slime and that appears to have done the trick, at least for one night so far. Now it looks like my steering fluid is back to leaking out from under the steering wheel. Not sure why or if it's still leftover. Steering was a hair slow to respond but I also haven't checked the fluid since I refilled it after busting the hose.
That "Slime" seems to work pretty well, but I have been told it will rust the rims. About 5 years ago, a large landowner asked me to mow a couple of hundred acres I had cleared by mulching, 6 or 7 years before. It was totally overgrown with thorny Mesquite bushes/trees. They provided an all wheel drive, 100 + horsepower, New Holland tractor with a front loader, and a big batwing mower. I was instructed to mow anything the tractor would push over, if possible. Before we started, the ranch foreman bought four, 5 gal. buckets of Slime. He pumped a full bucket into each tire. I mowed for about 2 months, and never had one flat. I am pretty impressed with that stuff. Of course, I would hate to be the one who finally had to pull a tire off for repair. I bet that was a mess. Jeff
Whoa! That's a ton of slime! I'm hoping it holds because of the mess I also assume it makes on the inside and I'd feel bad for whomever I pay to replace the tire. I haven't heard the rust issue before. Let's hope not but I assume the rim isn't terribly expensive, just hopefully I don't learn the hard way.
So far the slime seems to be working. I was messing around on tractor a week or two ago and noticed that steering fluid (oil) mentioned earlier still seems to be leaking out from under the steering wheel (like down the front of the dashboard pooling a bit between my legs as I drive) and possibly at a greater volume. It was getting too cold to mess with it or look too deeply into it but I'm confused of what may be leaking there. I guess I need to take all the side panels off to see what's up. I didn't think it was leaking too badly but the steering was getting progressively harder while I was moving things around, so I need to open the reservoir to see if it is approaching empty... It doesn't seem like there should be anything under there spitting fluid but what do I know...
Could be the shaft seal on the orbitrol if it has one
I crack the whole dashboard section open sometime over the next few days and hopefully get a good look in there. Thanks!
An update, for anyone that may care... I've tried changing the power steering filter, Wix didn't know what they were talking about and neither did I. I got a filter that isn't even close to fitting properly. With all the filters in the world can I just try to find one with the same diameter hole and run with that? I'm struggling to find the appropriate item. I also parked the tractor in the barn and went out a bit later to find a flat big tire. Again, I wasn't surprised due to the junk I was cutting in the back field, but I figured I'd have to buy a new tire or tube. Welp, I lucked out and refilled it and it has held air for a month plus now. It may have been sitting in a rut in the barn in a strange way that allowed the leak. No new tire needed as of now! My steering leak has been fixed? I couldn't seem to keep fluid from leaking out under the steering wheel itself so I took as much off the dashboard as I could, removed the steering wheel and dug into things as best I could without dismantling everything and found a block, presumably with the orbitrol in it(?), and tightened some bolts there. They weren't very loose but I tightened them maybe an eighth of a turn more, maybe less, and the leak seems to be gone. So far so good.
Any name or number on the power steering pump or old filter? I'd try that route first, but if that fails, you can match up a filter, or at least try.
Agco should have the filter. Parts for older popular tractors are usually really easy to get. I got new fuel lines for my 1965 UK MF135 in 2 days. They had them in stock in Regina I think.
Can you take a picture of the reservoir? It might be the same as my 135 and I can look it up.
Napa 1653 or AGCO 1052262M91 should be the correct filter for the power steering. Here is the measurements on the Napa filter www.nfhconnect.com/Lookup/PartDetail?Part=128646&Brand=NAP&hb=688 It may have been mentioned in a previous post but you can look up the parts diagrams on agco's website. Depending on your serial number its https://parts.agcocorp.com/en_US/ap...651371/l&name=230 (PRIOR TO 9A349239) TRACTOR or https://parts.agcocorp.com/en_US/ap...n/651448/l&name=230 (9A349239 AND UP) TRACTOR
Thanks guys. I'll see if there are any markings on the reservoir. I don't remember any offhand, but I could be wrong. The one that is currently in there is a wreck. @RobertJ I can't tell it that's the same size I got from Wix, I know the part # I bought from them ended up being way too small. Thank you for the resources! I think I have the early version. I'll check on it late and get back. Thanks again.
Since I feel like I'm becoming known for making dumb mistakes... Can someone suggest a decent way to add a foot to the blade I have? I feel like it's an easy task but every time I feel that way I mess up, costing time and money. I want a stand, of sorts, to add to the blade, that I can fold up out of the way but will support the blade when not on the tractor. I know they make them but I'd prefer to rig something up. I have handle iron around or I could probably find something that works (wood?). The blade can be seen here: HeavyEquipmentForums
Drill a hole through a short (6ish inches, whatever looks right) piece of pipe or tubing for a pin, then weld it vertically wherever you can near the hitch. Take another piece a couple feet long or whatever length you need that's a smaller diameter to fit nicely inside the first piece and drill holes in it for the pin to go through wherever you need them. Weld a piece of plate for a foot on the bottom. Now you've got a leg that slides vertically up out of the way and only hangs down as far as you let it, which if done carefully could only be the thickness of the foot plus maybe a little more.
That's a good suggestion, and well enough explained that I actually understand! Thanks!
I used angle iron but otherwise used the suggestion above. It has worked beautifully, other than I didn't realize the weight was fairly biased toward the back of the blade. Nothing a cinder block can't cure. My welding job is hacky as per usual. Also, this is a reasonably priced blade from Titan, don't trust their paint job. That's the next project for this blade, a repaint. It's only like a year old and rusty as can be.