To answer your question on how I adjust mine.

Lift Arm Bolts - I adjust to keep them level. I also thread them all way in if I want my hitch to ride high
Adjustable Screw that ties in to the lift cylinder - my understanding is this simply limits how high/low it will lift, along with the mower deck too since they are tied together. It only limits how low the arms or deck will go. I adjust how low I want my mower or limit the movement if I am using the front blade.
The "X" chains - They are used to limit the side to side movement of the 3 point or implement to keep from hitting the tires. Also it helps when using a rear blade at an angle.

 

Thanks!!! That is very useful.

Is there suppose to be a locking nut on the lift arm bolts?

Where the lift arm bracket attaches to the lower arms, is that suppose to be able to move freely or be tight/snug without movement?

 

The locking nuts are there to keep your settings, otherwise settings could change. The lift arm attachment should allow for rotational movement but not flex in the lift arm.

 

Thanks again! I'll get 'er all adjusted tomorrow.

 

Just figured out what you are talking about when you said bolt head hitting eyelet collar.( on the rock shaft ). I have never had this problem and the only time I see it can happen is when the 3pt arms are spread very wide. Wider than a typical cat 0 implement.
If this is going to continue with your newly installed eyelet, maybe you could put 2-3 washers between the bolt head and eyelet so when the draft arm swivels, the bolt head won't hit the eyelet collar.

 

I was thinking the same thing as well! I'll probably go ahead and do that.

 

Those eyes can get beat up if the limit chains arent doing their job.
As for lock nuts, they shouldnt need lock nuts. Once you set it, it should rarely change on its own. Ive plowed a lot, and never have had to re-adjust when done. Ive done a lot of back blading, tilling, etc, and same thing set and forget.
Deere didnt use lock nuts on the 3-points, on the closed frame or open frame on the lift arm adjusting bolts.
Now, you can add them, but it just adds one more step to adjusting it should you need to. Not all 3-point attachments are made perfectly level, and some hang differently because of the weight (the 30 tiller with extension is one). Sway chain adjustment helps with that, but if you want level, or not level (plowing), you will need to be able to adjust them.
They should also have long pins in them to facilitate adjustment by hand. Many dont have them anymore because they have been broke off through misuse/abuse or just fell out and were lost.

 

Jim, the 3 point from Deere on the back of my 330 has lock nuts on the lift arm adjusting bolts.

 

My Ruegg hitch came with lock nuts, so I use 'em. If I forget to use 'em nothing moves. The only place I've had unwanted adjustment when I didn't lock it is the top link. If you want to use lock nuts (And I'm not saying for or against, as I doubt they're "really" needed), here's a pretty easy tool kit. Make sure the wrench will do 1-1/8 so it gets everything back there. And make sure it has a short handle. This one is marked eight inches and fits well. If you have that style, a longer wrench will interfere with the limiting chains when fully raised. (And that would be VERY bad). You can probably also see why it's in the shop, I built an automatic undercoater to keep the hitch well lubricated, but that's a work in progress as I can only get it to put oil on one side.

 

Well dang. Cant say Ive ever remember seeing them on a hitch, but if they are there, they are there.
Seems like JD parts shows an extra nut there too, so I guess they are supposed to be there after all on the open frame 3-point.

Id guess for most of us, and most implements, once adjusted, locking it all up would be fine. I swap stuff a lot though, and always seem to have to adjust either one or both to get it where I want it, so maybe somewhere along the way early on I removed them and just dont remember due to advanced CRS.
I do know I dont like to have to go get a wrench to adjust stuff like that, so maybe thats got something to do with it. But Jakes idea is a great one, so maybe Ill go see if I can find a wrench that fits the bill and revisit those nuts on mine.

 

At the risk of sidetracking another thread, and WITHOUT going in to nuts and bolts and threaded fasteners and material joints and all that good stuff......

Those nuts are most commonly called "jam" nuts. If you look at my picture, they're roughly half as tall as a regular nut. (Tractor Supply has 'em by that name, Fastenal, McMaster, et al.)

The real short version of the story is that they don't hold weight, they "jam" the nut that does hold the weight. After all the math and physics, what this means to you is to achieve a self-locking state (where it doesn't easily vibrate loose) they take very little torque. Just a light snug. A regular nut in that application will work just fine obviously, and do the same job just as well, but to get it to "lock", you've got to give it a good crank. The jam nut only needs a light snug. Just like the jam nut on the top link, that is quite "snugged" enough just by running into it with that tiny little handle on the center tube of the link.

So if you're gonna go get something (That wasn't my intention), but if you're gonna get something then jam nuts are the way to go.

 

Jake,

Yes, jam nuts are commonly used on Deere machinery and elsewhere to lock down an adjustment. Most of us see these on the draft arms of the mower mule drive and never give them another thought as to their nomenclature -- but it is obvious as to how they function.

...and also functioning as jam nuts are the thin nuts that lock down to the internally threaded yokes that are at the other end of the arms as seen here.

Chuck

 

To add to what Chuck said, jam nuts are no different than regular nuts, except in thickness, and because of that can be easier to "jam" against another nut or other threaded piece.
Most of us who have been around tractors, or cars, or just about any mechanical apparatus are familiar with them.