Sliding Hitch Makes Rotovator Follow Tractor
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Canadian farmer Hugh Baxter says his 3-pt. mounted rotavator works great for tilling between rows of growing vegetables. The only problem was that on sidehills the machine would move to one side or the other by as much as 10 in., nudging too close to a row on the downhill side and leaving untilled weeds next to the uphill side row.
“The spacer mechanism only had two positions, and neither of them held the machine straight behind the tractor,” Baxter says. To solve the problem he welded metal pieces resembling ears on the inside of both 3-pt. hitch arms. Then he bolted a piece of 1/2 in. flat bar stock 3-in. long from one ear to the other.
“With those brackets in place, I attached a hydraulic cylinder with a 10-in. stroke to the underside of the bar so I could move the machine from side to side as needed while I was working in the field. The cylinder moves the machine and locks it at whatever position I want and prevents any occasional movement,” Baxter says. He controls the cylinder with a valve on the tractor fender that regulates oil flow in the return line of the loader lift cylinders.
Baxter says this simple mechanism lets him keep the machine almost perfectly aligned behind the tractor, even if he’s working on a sloping field.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hugh Baxter, 4551 Chase Rd., Lake Country, B.C. Canada V4V 1L7 (hughbaxter4551@gmail.com).
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Sliding Hitch Makes Rotovator Follow Tractor HITCHES Canadian farmer Hugh Baxter says his 3-pt mounted rotavator works great for tilling between rows of growing vegetables The only problem was that on sidehills the machine would move to one side or the other by as much as 10 in nudging too close to a row on the downhill side and leaving untilled weeds next to the uphill side row “The spacer mechanism only had two positions and neither of them held the machine straight behind the tractor ” Baxter says To solve the problem he welded metal pieces resembling ears on the inside of both 3-pt hitch arms Then he bolted a piece of 1/2 in flat bar stock 3-in long from one ear to the other “With those brackets in place I attached a hydraulic cylinder with a 10-in stroke to the underside of the bar so I could move the machine from side to side as needed while I was working in the field The cylinder moves the machine and locks it at whatever position I want and prevents any occasional movement ” Baxter says He controls the cylinder with a valve on the tractor fender that regulates oil flow in the return line of the loader lift cylinders Baxter says this simple mechanism lets him keep the machine almost perfectly aligned behind the tractor even if he’s working on a sloping field Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Hugh Baxter 4551 Chase Rd Lake Country B C Canada V4V 1L7 hughbaxter4551@gmail com
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