HYDRAULIC TOP LINK STANDARD - 1 CAT. 50/30-280 (20-55HP)(19.2/19.2)

 Hydraulic Top Link

(eng. top link or third point, ger. hydraulischer oberlenker) is basically a standard double-acting hydraulic cylinder with welded connections for mounting between the tractor and the tractor attachment. It is definitely an upgrade for the tractor if it does not already have it as standard. Hydraulic top links are corrosion protected by galvanizing. All hydraulic top links also have a block valve installed for safety. In case of damage to the hydraulic hose, the top link cylinder remains in the same position, and consequently, so does the tractor attachment. The block valve also serves to ensure that the hoses, despite vibrations during driving, are not under pressure, thus preventing the hydraulic valve on the tractor from being overloaded.

Most common types of hydraulic top links:

- Standard hydraulic top link

(has a welded eye bearing on both sides)

- Automatic hydraulic top link

(has an automatic quick coupling hook for the ball mounted on the piston rod for the tractor attachment)

- Special hydraulic top link

(is an automatic top link, but has a special hook welded on the cylinder instead of an eye bearing, allowing for greater movement of the top link to the left or right)

- Threaded hydraulic top link

(the length of the top link can be extended by the length of the thread)

Use of hydraulic top links:

Hydraulic top links or rim nuts are becoming increasingly indispensable on every tractor, especially with plows for tilling the soil, where precise adjustment of the plow is possible. They are particularly useful with leveling boards for soil, as well as tractor forklifts, where they are used for tilting, and even on platforms for tipping loads.

How to choose the right hydraulic top link for your tractor?

1. STEP: How many horsepower does the tractor have on which the top link will be used?

Category 1: for tractors from 20 to 55 HP (15 - 40 kW)

Category 2: for tractors from 45 to 95 HP (35 - 70 kW)

Category 3: for tractors from 80 to 210 HP (60 - 155 kW)

Category 4: for tractors from 180 to 380 HP (135 - 285 kW)

It is also sensible to consider what attachment the top link will be used for, as for example, with a 100 HP tractor, we do not need a category 3 top link if we will be using it for a tractor platform that has a max. load capacity of 1500 kg.

2. STEP: What type of holes for the pin ('tractor pin') must the top link have?

Category 1: Holes 19.2 mm or 25.4 mm

Category 2: Holes 25.4 mm

Category 3: Holes 25.4 mm or 32.4 mm

Category 4: Holes 45.2 mm or 32.4 mm

It is also possible to use a reducer, which ensures that one top link can be used on several different tractors or attachments.
For automatic top links or special top links, the holes are determined by the ball that is clamped into the quick coupling hook on the top link.

3. STEP: Appropriate length of the top link or stroke of the top link.

There is no rule or rather no exact standard for how much stroke a hydraulic top link must have for a specific type of tractor. This mainly depends on the type of tractor and the tractor attachments for which it is intended. It is usually used for several tractor attachments that we have, so it is necessary to determine some length that will be suitable for most of them. Usually, it is easiest to measure the threaded top link that is already on the tractor. Based on the compressed length of the threaded top link (measured from the center of the holes), we find the closest hydraulic top link and thus see the maximum or extended length and its stroke.

Standard strokes of top links are:
- 160 mm
- 210 mm
- 280 mm
- 400 mm

The lengths of top links with the same stroke are then dependent on the type itself.

4. STEP: Choosing the type of top link.

- standard top link
(used with standard tractors)

- automatic top link
(used if quick coupling hooks are installed on the lower carrying arms of the tractor)

- special top link
(for greater amplitude of movement left-right)

- threaded top link
(the length of the top link can be extended by the length of the thread)

Hydraulic top links are suitable for tractors:

Zetor, Fendt, Deutz-Fahr, Massey Ferguson, Fiat, John Deere, Case, Renault, IMT, Ursus, Steyr, Hürlimann, Lamborghini, Same, Landini, Valtra, Class, New Holland, Caterpillar, Bobcat, Volvo, Carraro, Yanmar, Štore, Lindner, Solis.