Proper down pressure on sleeve hitch?

[Eugen]

Hi gang!
That fella with the 3pt hitch got my wheels turning.

I have a sleeve hitch, and for the moldboard plow and tiller I can't say that I needed down pressure. However, this year I scored a cultivator and a ripper.

Question: is there a way to get proper down pressure on the sleeve hitch? I know that if the long opening on the bar is closed you get some down pressure, but the opening is only about 2.5" long, it's hard to believe that would give you much down movement.

3pt hitches are very rare around here, so it would have to be another project which is quite unrealistic for me atm.

[ssmewing]

The sleeve hitch is not good at applying down pressure. There is that slot in the lift linkage and that slot is there to protect the rocker shaft that rotates to move the sleeve hitch. The geometry of the linkage is such that bad things happen when the sleeve hitch encounters too much force. It should be fine to weight the attachment in most cases.

The 3 point has different geometry and does apply down pressure quite nicely.

[Eugen]

Thanks Steve, I guess I can't avoid this project then.

[DavidBarkey]

Hi gang!
That fella with the 3pt hitch got my wheels turning.

I have a sleeve hitch, and for the moldboard plow and tiller I can't say that I needed down pressure. However, this year I scored a cultivator and a ripper.

Question: is there a way to get proper down pressure on the sleeve hitch? I know that if the long opening on the bar is closed you get some down pressure, but the opening is only about 2.5" long, it's hard to believe that would give you much down movement.

3pt hitches are very rare around here, so it would have to be another project which is quite unrealistic for me atm.

Add weight to it until it can't pick up anymore . Then take a little away . Gravity is your down pressure .
Dave

[Eugen]

Add weight to it until it can't pick up anymore . Then take a little away . Gravity is your down pressure .
Dave

Which I do Dave, but you have hydraulic down pressure on your tractor hitch and I am jelous of your tractor so I want it too!

For instance, I have parts for putting together a rippe/middle buster. When you hit thick roots the torque of the tractor is not enough to rip them. What people do is lift the ripper thus cutting the roots. Then push it deep again, and continue. Looks like I can't avoid a 3pth.

[DavidBarkey]

Add weight to it until it can't pick up anymore . Then take a little away . Gravity is your down pressure .
Dave

Which I do Dave, but you have hydraulic down pressure on your tractor hitch and I am jelous of your tractor so I want it too!

For instance, I have parts for putting together a rippe/middle buster. When you hit thick roots the torque of the tractor is not enough to rip them. What people do is lift the ripper thus cutting the roots. Then push it deep again, and continue. Looks like I can't avoid a 3pth.

Reality is, that I seldom use the down pressure other than to put the rear weight into the ground as a anchor. The tiller is in float , disks are tow behind , and the hiller is down pressure to a preset height stop but could float if put weight on it . I have a modified middle buster as a potato picker and it again pulls it self down to preset stop . The biggest advantage to the 3 pt is adjustable of height from side to side .

Dave

[bhildret]

For clarity, the design of the sleeve hitch is to prevent down pressure. You really should rely on gravity.

Trace the industry back a ways and there is ample discussion of tractors rolling over backward using 2 point draft arms ... the 3 point hitch was the actual solution. This the apply point above the tractor axle, it can prevent wheel lift from the implement getting snagged in the ground.

I recommend stay with the float in the sleeve hitch, using gravity for the implement, or if you really have an application needing down pressure, then trade up to a 3 point.


Brian

[Eugen]

Reality is, that I seldom use the down pressure other than to put the rear weight into the ground as a anchor. The tiller is in float , disks are tow behind , and the hiller is down pressure to a preset height stop but could float if put weight on it . I have a modified middle buster as a potato picker and it again pulls it self down to preset stop . The biggest advantage to the 3 pt is adjustable of height from side to side .

Dave

So I'm not missing a lot of real practical stuff. Sometimes it bothers me a little that the tiller goes deeper on the lh side, which with a 3 point hitch I could adjust for. But I can't say that the garden suffered in any way.

[propane1]

I’m gunna do a little late rambling here on this one. My tractor I use for gardening is a LGT 100 Ford aka Grunt. All manual lift. No down pressure at all. My Plow doesn’t need down pressure. It pulls its self in to a preset depth. My tandem disks have places on it to set cider blocks. I have blocks on the front set, my cultivator has one block on it. My middle buster Plow needs weight on it to work, but none on it so I use my foot to push on the lift lever to give some down pressure. But with a sleeve hitch it’s hard to get any amount of down pressure because of the way it’s made and operated. The other thing is, a garden tractor can only pull so much. So if you go to deep you won’t be going any where. You could mount a hydraulic cylinder on the back of the tractor to operate the sleeve hitch.
There now, another good ramble.

Noel

[DavidBarkey]

I’m gunna do a little late rambling here on this one. My tractor I use for gardening is a LGT 100 Ford aka Grunt. All manual lift. No down pressure at all. My Plow doesn’t need down pressure. It pulls its self in to a preset depth. My tandem disks have places on it to set cider blocks. I have blocks on the front set, my cultivator has one block on it. My middle buster Plow needs weight on it to work, but none on it so I use my foot to push on the lift lever to give some down pressure. But with a sleeve hitch it’s hard to get any amount of down pressure because of the way it’s made and operated. The other thing is, a garden tractor can only pull so much. So if you go to deep you won’t be going any where. You could mount a hydraulic cylinder on the back of the tractor to operate the sleeve hitch.
There now, another good ramble.

Noel

Yes , you can and run a diverter valve like some do with the 3 pts to operate it . At that point you might as well build your own like this one .
https://youtu.be/ETN5M0X27gk

Dave