Kubota Newbie
Active member
Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
There are tons of posts on this site regarding 3-point hitch implements, usually along the lines of; "won't lift high enough","how big a... ?" etc. etc.
When the ISO standards for 3-point hitch systems were established they went something like this:
Cat O - Up to 20 hp 5/8 inch pins top and bottom.
Cat I - 20-45 hp 3/4 top pin, 7/8 bottom.
Cat II - 55-95 hp 1 inch top pin, 1&1/8 bottom pin.
Back then a 20-25 hp tractor probably weighed in at around 3500 lbs, and a 55 hp tractor somewhere over 5500, and that was probably 2 wheel drive models.
Now, since we've seen increased efficiency in small diesel engines we have tractors with almost 60 gross hp and Cat II hitch availability that weigh barely over 4,000 lbs soaking wet, for example a Kubota 5040. Throw in the opinions of the marketing gurus that say "the customer will think they're getting more and will be more likely to buy if we slap a Cat I hitch on this tiny little tractor (be it orange, or green, or red...whatever), or if we offer Cat II on this tractor because it falls in the appropriate ISO hp range, so let's offer it that way". Never mind that the lower links have to be bent at all kinds of weird angles to accommodate the right implement spacing or that 400 pounds or more of ballast have to be added to the front of the tractor to keep it on the ground.
It creates a dangerous situation that operators without "farm" or "heavy equipment" backgrounds really do not understand very well. The tractor is more prone to tipping and/or roll-over, and there's a greater likelihood that you'll break something.
Another problem is that many implement manufacturers are still looking at those original ISO standards when they design their implements. I just sold a mounted 8 foot Woods twin screw brush mower, it had a category I hitch on it. My M4500 still needed about 500 lbs of ballast on the front to use it safely on moderately sloping ground. It would need a lot more than that if on steep ground and my tractor weighs about 5,000 with the cab and wheel package that's on it.
I guess my point is... Just because that little orange tractor has a category I 3-point hitch on it doesn't mean that it is really well suited to a majority of implements with that hitch arrangement. In fact the smaller sub-compacts would all be safer and served better by a Cat O hitch, but that would never fly now from the marketing side.
So be really careful about implement selection because many of these tractors have a hitch arrangement (Cat I or maybe even Cat II), that is bigger than they are.
When the ISO standards for 3-point hitch systems were established they went something like this:
Cat O - Up to 20 hp 5/8 inch pins top and bottom.
Cat I - 20-45 hp 3/4 top pin, 7/8 bottom.
Cat II - 55-95 hp 1 inch top pin, 1&1/8 bottom pin.
Back then a 20-25 hp tractor probably weighed in at around 3500 lbs, and a 55 hp tractor somewhere over 5500, and that was probably 2 wheel drive models.
Now, since we've seen increased efficiency in small diesel engines we have tractors with almost 60 gross hp and Cat II hitch availability that weigh barely over 4,000 lbs soaking wet, for example a Kubota 5040. Throw in the opinions of the marketing gurus that say "the customer will think they're getting more and will be more likely to buy if we slap a Cat I hitch on this tiny little tractor (be it orange, or green, or red...whatever), or if we offer Cat II on this tractor because it falls in the appropriate ISO hp range, so let's offer it that way". Never mind that the lower links have to be bent at all kinds of weird angles to accommodate the right implement spacing or that 400 pounds or more of ballast have to be added to the front of the tractor to keep it on the ground.
It creates a dangerous situation that operators without "farm" or "heavy equipment" backgrounds really do not understand very well. The tractor is more prone to tipping and/or roll-over, and there's a greater likelihood that you'll break something.
Another problem is that many implement manufacturers are still looking at those original ISO standards when they design their implements. I just sold a mounted 8 foot Woods twin screw brush mower, it had a category I hitch on it. My M4500 still needed about 500 lbs of ballast on the front to use it safely on moderately sloping ground. It would need a lot more than that if on steep ground and my tractor weighs about 5,000 with the cab and wheel package that's on it.
I guess my point is... Just because that little orange tractor has a category I 3-point hitch on it doesn't mean that it is really well suited to a majority of implements with that hitch arrangement. In fact the smaller sub-compacts would all be safer and served better by a Cat O hitch, but that would never fly now from the marketing side.
So be really careful about implement selection because many of these tractors have a hitch arrangement (Cat I or maybe even Cat II), that is bigger than they are.
