Front 3-Pt. Hitch "Steers" With Tractor

Front 3-Pt. Hitch "Steers" With Tractor HITCHES Hitches 32-1-42 Front-mounted implements have been slow to catch on in the North American market, but they're big in Europe. They're likely to become even more popular thanks to this new steerable front linkage from Valtra. Introduced at Agritechnica in Hannover, Germany this fall, the LHLink adjustable front linkage received a Silver Innovation Award from show organizers. The new design eliminates overlaps or underlaps that are common when turning front-mounted equipment. Instead of two arms attached to the front frame of the tractor, the arms attach to the tractor frame at a vertical pivot point. It is controlled hydraulically from an operator panel in the cab. The operator can choose to steer the implement independent of the front wheels or in relation to the front wheels at a preset ratio between the wheels and the implement. The operator also has the option of varying the central position of the front linkage to the left or right manually or to turn at a higher angle than the front wheels. This latter selection is designed for combined front and rear implements such as mowers. An added feature of the new linkage design is independent vertical control of the two arms when leveling or attaching an implement. Sensors at the control panel indicate location of the arms. Once they've been adjusted as desired, they're locked into position without any need for a horizontal torsion bar. Company officials indicate the LHLink will be test marketed in 2008 as an option on Valtra N Series tractors. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, AGCO Corp., 4205 River Green Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30096 (ph 770 813-9200; fax 770 232-8001; valtra.agcocorp.com).

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