Attachments are frackin' heavy!
Bless the person who invented the 3 point hitch with a rear PTO.
I have a nice, big, GT - a Bolens which can take a ridiculous number of attachments. That's the good part. The bad part is unforgiving hitch points and an ... interesting ... PTO.
The attachment points are immovable, cast into the tractor. So the veeeery heavy attachments have to be lifted into place and positioned veeeery carefully before the clevis pins can be hammered in.
A 3 point hitch allows you to move around the hitch frame to the attachment points, at least a little. It is in the open, not hidden by the rear wheels like some tractors I could name.
The Bolens PTO does have splines front and back so you can power stuff at either end. Rear attachments require a veeery long drive shaft with two u-joints and much cussing when you crawl under to fit it on. It is a close fit fore and aft, which requires twice as much cussing. For more interest, drop your only remaining woodruff drive key in the snow.
A rear PTO is right there in the open. The attachment usually requires a custom sized drive shaft that you leave fitted to the unit instead of swapping every time. Plug and play. Splines - ooohh - no more keys or keyways.
It is not just the one brand. I have noted other GTs have similar quirks, like belting that goes on forever before it finally ends up at the attachment.:banghead3
Well, that is enough whining. I can't justify the expense of moving up to a larger unit with bigger stuff just because it is easier. My GT works fine and earns it's keep. However, I have built special dollies for each attachment so I can maneuver them into place without a hernia each time.
I have a nice, big, GT - a Bolens which can take a ridiculous number of attachments. That's the good part. The bad part is unforgiving hitch points and an ... interesting ... PTO.
The attachment points are immovable, cast into the tractor. So the veeeery heavy attachments have to be lifted into place and positioned veeeery carefully before the clevis pins can be hammered in.
A 3 point hitch allows you to move around the hitch frame to the attachment points, at least a little. It is in the open, not hidden by the rear wheels like some tractors I could name.
The Bolens PTO does have splines front and back so you can power stuff at either end. Rear attachments require a veeery long drive shaft with two u-joints and much cussing when you crawl under to fit it on. It is a close fit fore and aft, which requires twice as much cussing. For more interest, drop your only remaining woodruff drive key in the snow.
A rear PTO is right there in the open. The attachment usually requires a custom sized drive shaft that you leave fitted to the unit instead of swapping every time. Plug and play. Splines - ooohh - no more keys or keyways.
It is not just the one brand. I have noted other GTs have similar quirks, like belting that goes on forever before it finally ends up at the attachment.:banghead3
Well, that is enough whining. I can't justify the expense of moving up to a larger unit with bigger stuff just because it is easier. My GT works fine and earns it's keep. However, I have built special dollies for each attachment so I can maneuver them into place without a hernia each time.
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