Captured ball to hook, lift arm conversion?

[Longlowdog]

Having had a ' Deere with open hooks I'm really fed up with my Zetor's captured ball lift arms. Would it be possible to simply cut the captured balls off and replace with hooks or are there more serious geometry issues? Is it even possible to buy replacement ends or am I stuck with the awkward lift arms?

 

[Hesstondriver]

Replacement ends are available . I would personally get a pro welder to do it .

 

[Darren]

As above. Unless competent with a welder, get someone who is

 

[Longlowdog]

I've a neighbour who is qualified for welding for off-shore manufacturing. I'm not a fan of litigation and would rather pay to have the job done once and done well. But he is not an agri' type hence I'd have to supply new ends and my concerns about geometry and sourcing.

 

[Blue.]

www.mypartspartner.co.uk/mpp-gb/en/681017/555191/105559/LA301000+Lower+link+hook+cat+3+CBM

 

[mushnt grummmble]

cut em off and prep them
pre heat both parts and weld on with 7018's

 

[jack_c]

Done this earlier on in the year on our 3cyl mf 3635,

Well worth it!

Just got an adjustable square and set the angle on it

 

[Mursal]

You might have to check the thickness of the Zetor arms, some (Crystal etc) are quite beefy to go against the above ends?
Think the Zetor will have Cat 2 pins (25mm) not 3 as standard, but easily checked

 

[jack_c]

Those are cat 2s
Cat 2 is a beefier end

 

[Mursal]

The link shows Cat 3, just trying to help
@jack_c tidy job

 

[Longlowdog]

Crystal.....I wish! Little 7341 turbo making all of 70 few of Shetlands finest ponies. Didn't know there were 2S and 2 ends. I would guess that 2S would be sufficient for such a wee tractor.

 

[jack_c]

Crystal.....I wish! Little 7341 turbo making all of 70 few of Shetlands finest ponies. Didn't know there were 2S and 2 ends. I would guess that 2S would be sufficient for such a wee tractor.

Had the choice of both,

The cat 2s are rated to 90 hp I think and suits the size of the tractor better

Cheers @Mursal

 

[Funnywaytmekalivin]

Weld the same size ends on as your other tractor so the same size balls fit both.
I'm having similar thoughts to you about my little ford, going to put cat 3 ends on so it matches the JD. Then I'm going to have a mad spending spree and buy a set of balls for each implement.

 

[AJR75]

Liking the idea, certainly makes sense. Re the comments about getting a "pro welder" in to do the job. That's all fine and dandy but personally as a "welder" I would be wanting to know the material type and group along with its CEV. Once I know that then I can select the process or electrode suitable for the job along with pre heat requirement (if any). Decent prep, some run on/ off plates and get welding. That's how I'd get about it personally anyway.

 

[Longlowdog]

As I said I always err on the side of caution and and have a certified welding shop half a mile from our village. To be honest I will leave it to him to do 'due diligence' with regards to the process used.

 

[Gerbert]

Keep saving until you can affort Walterscheid. Those CBM hooks are awfull.

 

[multi power]

Keep saving until you can affort Walterscheid. Those CBM hooks are awfull.

+1 for waltershield

 

[multi power]

are hook arms really that much better? dad just leaves the balls in his like normal arms

 

[John 1594]

We have "jeffes" hooks on the 15, they handy enough, but a complete pita at times

they are the old type with a lever and a plunger instead of the more modern pull out catch, after a days work the plunger bore fills up with dust and they jam solid, it takes a hammer, thin punch and wd40 to free them off

had one instance where the muck in them froze solid one frosty morning and i had to heat them up with gas to get the plungers to release

would cut them off and replace with walterschieds...but how they are welded to the arm would mean the new ends would sit further back, moving implements even closer to the tractor (already on oversize tyres so space is limited)

so il persevere with them, as long as they used every day and given a squirt of juice they work ok (ish)

 

[Blue.]

We have "jeffes" hooks on the 15, they handy enough, but a complete pita at times

they are the old type with a lever and a plunger instead of the more modern pull out catch, after a days work the plunger bore fills up with dust and they jam solid, it takes a hammer, thin punch and wd40 to free them off

had one instance where the muck in them froze solid one frosty morning and i had to heat them up with gas to get the plungers to release

would cut them off and replace with walterschieds...but how they are welded to the arm would mean the new ends would sit further back, moving implements even closer to the tractor (already on oversize tyres so space is limited)

so il persevere with them, as long as they used every day and given a squirt of juice they work ok (ish)

They sound like the ones on mf 600 series,they were shite.