This little gizmo is part of the backhoe subframe mounting system on Dale the Builder's John Deere 3046R tractor. He bought the tractor used and this bit was missing. A new one from Mother Deere was over $800 for about 5 pounds of steel and a couple of pins. He decided he could live without it and I don't blame him.
Then we tried to put the backhoe on the tractor without it. Two hours, much sweat, a couple of minor injuries and complete vocabulary exhaustion. That was last Fall.
Well, now he's got some hours on the tractor and some other implements for it that require taking the 'hoe off. He decided to spend the money in hopes that it would simplify things. Over $900 current price with shipping.
Well, I installed it (5 minute job) and just now I took the backhoe off so he can use the bush hog. 5 minutes. Position the hoe for storage, unplug the hoe hydraulics, plug in the 3 point lift arm hydraulics. Pick the hoe up with the 3 point, remove two pins that are now loose and come out without tools, set the hoe back down and drive away.
Like the book says, "assembly is the reverse of disassembly". We shall see about that when the time comes, but the videos sure make it look like that.
