Mounting a front hopper

[Beefsmith]

Hi we’ve got a front hopper for a drill as a winter project. Having never done one before it looks very messy. There’s the seed pipe, 2 hydraulic pipes, control box cable, auto shut off cable (top link switch) and a power cable. The tractors got front linkage but no services so everything bar the power cable needs to run to the rear of the tractor.
is there an off the shelf system available because I can see us having to use a home made bracket, loads of cable ties, racket straps etc which then take an age to remove. Ideally we just one a single connection point where everything unplugs. Any ideas please as it could be on and off the tractor regularly. It’s all got to run over the top of the front wheel and then it’ll run on the rear mudguard which isn’t ideal either. Surely there’s some tidy systems out there?

 

[Lincsman]

Seed pipes are best connected to rigid "downpipe" that sits on permanent brackets, Hyd pipes will just be run from spools to the front fitted to a bracket to hold quickfit connectors, the hoses ideally properly clamped to the side frame.

Your control cables may just have to be cut and a multi plug fitted at the tractor front.

 

[quattro]

Seen a amazone put cables and pipes fastened on solid pipe down side of tractor

 

[Fish]

We used to run all the connections under the tractor, including the seed pipes, we did how ever have all hydro connections on the front, including a free flow return.

 

[jh.]

I knocked that up last spring for our front tank. I piped a pressure free 3/4 return direct to hyd tank and run power off a spool also ran electrics down the seed pipe and frame into cab . Mine has a metering wheel but assume you have electric shut off.

 

[Lincsman]

I knocked that up last spring for our front tank. I piped a pressure free 3/4 return direct to hyd tank and run power off a spool also ran electrics down the seed pipe and frame into cab . Mine has a metering wheel but assume you have electric shut off.

Hope the handbrake is in good working order, along with a stable cliff face?

 

[Phil P]

Here’s how I have my hopper/drill setup, it’s on iso-bus now which saves having boxes and cables in the cab. 5 minutes job to drop everything off

top link switch

Pipe brackets are also made so it’s less than a minute to drop the side pipe off, just a couple of pinch bolts on a small fender bracket

Same at the front, small bracket that stays on the chassis

couple of pinch bolts again

Job sorted ?

 

[Will 1594]

Hope the handbrake is in good working order, along with a stable cliff face?

That was first thing i thought , not the nice view

 

[quattro]

Here’s how I have my hopper/drill setup, it’s on iso-bus now which saves having boxes and cables in the cab. 5 minutes job to drop everything off

top link switch

Pipe brackets are also made so it’s less than a minute to drop the side pipe off, just a couple of pinch bolts on a small fender bracket

Same at the front, small bracket that stays on the chassis

couple of pinch bolts again

Job sorted ?

I used to watch all your work with great admiration, and you’ve gone and let me down!
you’ve not painted those brackets
just joking keep putting pics of your work up

 

[Phil P]

I used to watch all your work with great admiration, and you’ve gone and let me down!
you’ve not painted those brackets
just joking keep putting pics of your work up

It’s on the never ending “to do list” ?, I’ll get round to it one day in between keeping everyone else’s stuff moving and looking tidy?

 

[jh.]

That was first thing i thought , not the nice view

Lol its actually facing up hill there. The sea is probably a few hundred metres away with a railway between us but the hill angle hides all that .

My bracket is fairly quick to remove as well . It's also on a box section "slide" with just an extra bolted bracket to front linkage area. Couple of pipe clips onto air pipe for bazooka tube and it's off in a few minutes . Can leave main metal bracket on for doing other jobs or take it off in a few more minutes .

 

[Chae1]

It’s on the never ending “to do list” ?, I’ll get round to it one day in between keeping everyone else’s stuff moving and looking tidy?

What does the toplink switch do?

 

[Phil P]

What does the toplink switch do?

It’s to engage/disengage the metering as the hopper is lowered/lifted.

 

[Chae1]

It’s to engage/disengage the metering as the hopper is lowered/lifted.

That's a good idea. My Amazone metres, starts drive with a wheel on front of hopper. With my dodgy ploughing it sometimes stops driving going over rough bits. Also going overtop of steep hills.

 

[Phil P]

That's a good idea. My Amazone metres, starts drive with a wheel on front of hopper. With my dodgy ploughing it sometimes stops driving going over rough bits. Also going overtop of steep hills.

That’s the trouble I had with the old metering wheel, the ISO-BUS system now takes its speed from the gps and is very accurate.