# Hooking to a disc mower 101



## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

I often hear how hard it is to hook up the tractor to a disc mower. There is also a current topic which has some comments about how hard it is to accomplish the task. This is how I do New Holland machines but should work with others.

Here are the directions I tell customers.

1 If you use sway bars, connect them to the tractor arms. If you use sway blocks, use a tarp or spring to hold the arms in the in position. Generally if you measure between the balls of the lifts arms you should have @ 32" for a category 2 hitch.

2 Back up to the mower with the lift arms above the hitch pins. With the arms stabalized you can more easily judge where the tractor needs to be in relation to the mower. Once the lift arms are above the hitch pins of the mower, remove the stabalizer bars or tarp strap/spring so the arms are free to move.

3 Lower the arms until you can hook the lift arm onto the mower hitch pin which is the LOWEST. If you are using stay bars also install the bar on that side.

4 Connect the top link to the mower.

5 Connect the hydraulic hose for the lift cylinder to the tractor.

6 Raise the 3 pt hitch slightly. If the right hitch pin was lower use your remote lever like you are lowering the cutterbar. If the left hitch pin is lower than you use the remote like you are rasing the cutterbar. This will rotate the higher mower hitch pin down so you can connect the other lift arm and the other stay bar.

7 The only manual effort you may need to do is if the tractor is not square with the mower. You may need to go to the outside of the cutterbar and slide the cutterbar back or forwards to align the last hitch pin. You can also do as 8350Hi Tech suggests and just move the tractor forward or backwards a little.

8 If the mower has chains to carry the mower, then raise the mower and attach them.

9 You can attach the pto at any time.

10 On a NH machine, remove the parking stand and store on mower and raise cutterbar and install pin in tension spring rod.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Nice description, mike. On #7 though, if someone is completely averse to touching the mower, pulling ever so slightly forward (or reversing) should also allow the mower to get finally aligned with the remaining loose lift arm.


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Nice description, mike. On #7 though, if someone is completely averse to touching the mower, pulling ever so slightly forward (or reversing) should also allow the mower to get finally aligned with the remaining loose lift arm.


You are absolutely right. I just don't like getting back into the tractor but I know my day is coming when the mind is willing but the body is not.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

On my pottinger the head is suspended and the mower weighs over 2500 lbs so the problem is always levelling under load.

Sometimes have to put the parking lock on the float and play up and down with the hitch to unload the hitch levellers.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

mike10 said:


> I often hear how hard it is to hook up the tractor to a disc mower. There is also a current topic which has some comments about how hard it is to accomplish the task. This is how I do New Holland machines but should work with others. Here are the directions I tell customers. 1 If you use sway bars, connect them to the tractor arms. If you use sway blocks, use a tarp or spring to hold the arms in the in position. Generally if you measure between the balls of the lifts arms you should have @ 32" for a category 2 hitch. 2 Back up to the mower with the lift arms above the hitch pins. With the arms stabalized you can more easily judge where the tractor needs to be in relation to the mower. Once the lift arms are above the hitch pins of the mower, remove the stabalizer bars or tarp strap/spring so the arms are free to move. 3 Lower the arms until you can hook the lift arm onto the mower hitch pin which is the LOWEST. If you are using stay bars also install the bar on that side. 4 Connect the top link to the mower. 5 Connect the hydraulic hose for the lift cylinder to the tractor. 6 Raise the 3 pt hitch slightly. If the right hitch pin was lower use your remote lever like you are lowering the cutterbar. If the left hitch pin is lower than you use the remote like you are rasing the cutterbar. This will rotate the higher mower hitch pin down so you can connect the other lift arm and the other stay bar. 7 The only manual effort you may need to do is if the tractor is not square with the mower. You may need to go to the outside of the cutterbar and slide the cutterbar back or forwards to align the last hitch pin. You can also do as 8350Hi Tech suggests and just move the tractor forward or backwards a little. 8 If the mower has chains to carry the mower, then raise the mower and attach them. 9 You can attach the pto at any time. 10 On a NH machine, remove the parking stand and store on mower and raise cutterbar and install pin in tension spring rod.


Very good advise, if those directions are followed it is relatively easy to hook to....however, I always have 4a. Cuss a bit. 5a cuss a bit more. 6a & b cuss the dog crap out of it....10a. Go buy a caddy, too easy.

1. Back tractor up to caddy
2. Install pin
3. Hook up hydro
4. Lower unit
5. Engage transmission, pto and start cutting

Reverse procedure for disconnect


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## krone.1 (Jul 28, 2013)

My rant for the day..(or at least one of them)... I don't know why the industry does not promote the claw type lower links...or why customers don't demand them. I have used them a couple of times and it seemed to be a much better system. Connecting the lower links is the hardest part of hooking up a three point implement. With the claw hitch you get square with the machine and raise the hitch and it latches in place....Then get off the tractor ONE time and hook the toplink, the PTO shaft and the hydraulic hose. What am I missing here?? The tractor industry's answer to hooking up a three point is to add a set of remote buttons on the rear fender. I would think the claw hitch would be much less costly to build and more reliable than the remote buttons.


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## ANewman (Sep 20, 2012)

krone.1 said:


> My rant for the day..(or at least one of them)... I don't know why the industry does not promote the claw type lower links...or why customers don't demand them. I have used them a couple of times and it seemed to be a much better system. Connecting the lower links is the hardest part of hooking up a three point implement. With the claw hitch you get square with the machine and raise the hitch and it latches in place....Then get off the tractor ONE time and hook the toplink, the PTO shaft and the hydraulic hose. What am I missing here?? The tractor industry's answer to hooking up a three point is to add a set of remote buttons on the rear fender. I would think the claw hitch would be much less costly to build and more reliable than the remote buttons.


I don't understand why more people (myself included)don't use quick hitches on smaller tractors. When I got my disc mower, the guy I bought out from acted like it was a real PITA to hook up. It was the first few times, but now I can have it hooked up in about 10 min or less. So I never bought a quick hitch. Still have it on my list tho.


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

Sorry for no quotes, my computer I am using right now will not allow me to do it.

A quick hitch may cause the pto shaft to disengage when the safety trips since it moves the mower farther back from the tractor pto. If you could get a claw type hitch, like Krone1 mentioned, to replace the extensions in the lift arms that would keep the mower closer to the tractor.

A caddy would certainly be easier to hook up, but the people in our area who purchase disc mowers generally do not have the additional money to spend on one. If they do have the money then they purchase a used or a new discbine. I have only seen one caddy in our area and it was not impressive sitting there with one of the wheels up in the air. I know they are not all like that and I assume the operator did something wrong when unhooking.

When I run into a problem I give the piece of equipment a good blessing.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

All the euro spec versions of tractors have quick hitch claw ends that grab the balls. They are super slick for 3 point equipment. You can buy weld on conversions for about 200$ here.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

krone.1 said:


> My rant for the day..(or at least one of them)... I don't know why the industry does not promote the claw type lower links...or why customers don't demand them. I have used them a couple of times and it seemed to be a much better system. Connecting the lower links is the hardest part of hooking up a three point implement. With the claw hitch you get square with the machine and raise the hitch and it latches in place....Then get off the tractor ONE time and hook the toplink, the PTO shaft and the hydraulic hose. What am I missing here?? The tractor industry's answer to hooking up a three point is to add a set of remote buttons on the rear fender. I would think the claw hitch would be much less costly to build and more reliable than the remote buttons.


I completely agree!!!!! I've got them on two tractors, but can't find any that will fit on the 7710.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

These are the weld on units:

http://v2.ca-en.sparex.com/SearchResults.aspx?ClassificationID=7048&Page=0&Sort=0&SearchContext=Undefined&InitialSearchQuery=ClassificationID%3D7048&F1=C|7314|1|Tractor+Parts|0&F2=C|7048|2|Linkage|0&F3=C|7049|3|Linkage+Ends|223&F4=C|7081|4|Quick%20Release%20Ends%20-%20Weld%20On|4&F5=&F6=&F7=&F8=&F9=&F10=&Refined=1


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## krone.1 (Jul 28, 2013)

Do those use the balls? I think I have seen those type links that latch directly on the pin, like a regular quick hitch. The problem with using a regular quick hitch is the distance between the lower pin centerline and the upper pin centerline is all across the board, both with quick hitches and implements. Plus you run into the 3n quick hitch issue... and as mentioned above, the quick hitch moves the implement back 6 inches or so.... probably not an issue on a non pto driven implement, but it creates problems when there is a pto shaft involved. Plus it adds congestion to the hitch area making it harder to hook up the pto and hydraulic hoses. I think the claw type lower links are the best answer yet.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Slowzuki's example is definitely one that uses balls.


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## cannonball (Jun 23, 2012)

mike10 said:


> I often hear how hard it is to hook up the tractor to a disc mower. There is also a current topic which has some comments about how hard it is to accomplish the task. This is how I do New Holland machines but should work with others.
> 
> Here are the directions I tell customers.
> 
> ...


Try this on a kuhn that you are putting on a wide tractor when 1 arm goes inside and the other to the outside....


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

cannonball said:


> Try this on a kuhn that you are putting on a wide tractor when 1 arm goes inside and the other to the outside....


If you have sway blocks for stabilizers then you are up the preverbial creek without a paddle. It still should work if you have telescoping stay bars. Europeans have some good equipment but they have some strange ways of doing things. On the 6 ahd 7 disc NH mowers you just loosen the clamp bolts and slide the hitch pins.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Because the claw type hook ends are pretty universal there their implements don't always consider the need to slide arms over the pins.

Used to hate those sway chains. We had them on an IH we snowblowed with, maybe I didn't know how to use them but there was very little adjustment available.



mike10 said:


> If you have sway blocks for stabilizers then you are up the preverbial creek without a paddle. It still should work if you have telescoping stay bars. Europeans have some good equipment but they have some strange ways of doing things. On the 6 ahd 7 disc NH mowers you just loosen the clamp bolts and slide the hitch pins.


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## Dr Dean (Nov 4, 2013)

I have the 2 point fast hitch adapter mounted on my disc mower, it's super easy. Just back in pick it up, hook up pto and hydraulic. This summer will be a bit different since we will be running the mower on the 1070, I need to measure the quick hitch and see if it will fit.


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## krone.1 (Jul 28, 2013)

Does anyone have any experience with these? I saw them a couple of years ago and thought they were a good idea...but haven't seen many in use. This appears to be a good alternative to a tradional style quick hitch. They shouldn't alter the geometry as much and wouldn't clutter up the hitch area. They seem to be reasonbly priced also.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Pats quick attach pushes the hitch pins out unless you get the ones that replace extendable links on the arms. They are also not meant to swing much as they don't have swivel balls. Most folks don't let their hitch swing much now any ways.


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## krone.1 (Jul 28, 2013)

I also wondered if the balls were needed. Of course, on a disc mower you want the hitch to be both stable and level between the lower arms. We have customers who want to use a traditional quick hitch and I think something like this could be a good alternative. Maybe one of the Tractor company reps on here can explain why they don't promote this as standard equipment on new tractors?


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

It is on some. Go look at a Deutz Fahr agrotron.


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

I have the European style arms on my 8240 Ford. When I first bought the tractor i kept thinking how are these going to work out. Gentlemen let me tell you they are sweet ! Why American companies have not adopted these is well beyond me. After i got use to them hooking up my 283 took 3 minutes.

Anything 3 point is simplified 10 fold.


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