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DIY Sleeve Hitch Lift Bar??

3.3K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  mjydrafter  
#1 ·
Last night, using a great set of drawings found on the internet, I fabricated this lift bar.

I now see that it is "free Floating" and does not have the ability to apply down pressure.

Is there a reason not to put down pressure on the hydraulics or the sleeve hitch.

On my last electric tractor, I used a 12V Linear actuator that afforded down force, enough that I could lift the rear of the tractor with no damage to the sleeve hitch.

Down force is great for dethatching and grading with a box plow.

Any advise appreciated.....

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#2 ·
Yes down force is nice but as in cars the general public is not into controlling things like a transmission or depth control. Many garden tractor implements work well with float. I have thought about putting the mechanical float in a different place on this rod so as to be able to lock it out when that is preferred like the hydraulic 54 snow plow.
 
#3 ·
I’m going to guess/hypothesize that even in the “useful” applications it would be a detriment, would be easy to reduce traction on the rear wheels and cause undue wear on implements even when trying to avoid doing so.
 
#4 ·
Instead of adding down force, just add weight to the implement. Gravity is free, and the hitch can lift quite a lot. The weight can be as simple as a CMU, I've been known to give my center blade some foot "english" to help it dig a bit.