Three Point hitch Problems

This is one of the most common technical questions we get asked. Before we can help, you need to do a little troubleshooting. There are, basically, 3 types of hydraulic lift problems- Won't go up, won't stay up, & won't go down. The information below is designed to be very basic troubleshooting help & is not intended to offer all of the steps needed. If you don't think you can do this yourself, please contact a local mechanic for help.

The first thing to check if you have a loader on the tractor is if the loader is still working. This will rule out a pump problem. If the loader is working you can move on to the next paragraph. If the loader is NOT working then there is something wrong with the pump (normally caused by unhooking the hoses while the tractor is running which dead-heads the pump) or a problem with the oil supply (out of oil, dirty filter or screen?). You may need to remove the pump & inspect it for damage if the oil is full & the filters are clean. If you don't have a loader or the loader is working and you have a clean filter & plenty of oil- the next place to check is the linkage going to the valve. Be sure that a rod or pin has not fallen out and that the lever actually moves all the way to the valve. If all of this is ok then you might need to do some more in depth troubleshooting. You could have a bad three point control valve.

Three Point Won't Stay Up- Leaks Down.

Lift the three point all the way up and close the lock valve (usually located between your knees lust under the seat- see fig A). Shut off the tractor. If the three point still seeps down then you probably have a bad lift piston oring because, by closing the lock out valve, you have eliminated the valve & everything else in the system. If the three point stays up then you likely have a problem with the three point control valve.

Be sure that your lock out valve is open (usually located between your knees lust under the seat- SEE FIG A). If the valve is open be sure that all of the linkages between the valve & the handle seem intact. If everything looks good there, you will need to unhook any implements from the three point so that there is NOTHING hooked up to it. Do not start the tractor! Unscrew the entire lockout valve assembly SEE FIG B. If you do this with anything on the three point the oil will shoot out with a LOT of force and can cause damage or injury. Gently push down on the lift arms. Note that there is a small valve(you can see it in fig B) that will pop out of the hole so be sure you have something there to catch it. If you get a stream of oil shooting out of where the lockout valve was installed and the three point goes down, then you have a blockage somewhere in the hydraulic valve system. This is normally a piece of oring or gasket, or debris that has plugged an orifice in a valve. You will need to start checking valves, including the valve that you just removed for obstructions.

If you remove the lock out valve and the three point does not go down, then you have a mechanical binding somewhere in the lift piston or rock shaft area. This is normally caused by water in the oil or even just condensation causing rust on the lift cylinder walls which causes the piston to stick. Typically what happens is the cylinder walls will rust above or below the normal piston travel range. If the piston is forced higher or lower than it normally travels it will get wedged into this rusty area and stick. You will need to remove the lift piston and inspect the cylinder walls & piston for scarring or damage.