John Deere Imatch

Working Through Life's Challenges

Whether or not the farm is a means of income or simply for enjoyment, experiencing a life-altering event that threatens the work you do there could be devastating. Recognizing an aging farming population and the risk of the work they do, there are organizations dedicated to assisting farmers who aren’t able to carry on at the farm on the level they once were. Sponsored by the USDA, 22 states have AgrAbility Project offices, and the National AgrAbility Project serves residents in the other states. Among the services offered by AgrAbility is a broad-based assessment of a farmer’s situation that includes recommendations for facility and equipment modifications that will allow the farmer to continue to work toward his or her goals. This would have been great last year when I suffered rib injury and watched my crop rot in the field because I was unable to carry it out of the field with the income that was lost made it hard to get through the year. People are wonderful that can come up with improvements. But, the main draw back is the cost. If you are trying to make it with your older equipment when you need a $30-$40 K tractor and then the cost of the impliment some people can never get past the cost to try the safer equipment.

Experience with HandiHitch for 1026R sized tractor? (iMatch version)

Yes, I do weld... have both an arc and mig welder. Don't have the acetylene for cutting the iron (I guess could use the arc welder, or, maybe the Sawzall will work!), though... a problem. Had not thought about the junk yard route to a receiver... great idea! Problem is, iron is also expensive... although can perhaps raid my brother's (a farmer) trees for some old machinery iron. Now if I can just find the time... I did look at your design earlier... got me to wondering about pulling a heavier trailer (loaded with sand or dirt) with the 3-point fully raised? It would seem there would be less stress on the lift arms (i.e. draft links) if more parallel with the trailer hitch/load? I can see your point about the potential for a load becoming unbalanced, or a terrain shift or some such, and the 3-point jumping up... not a good deal, dangerous. As you point out, your design is safer. Also, I like the various adjustments you have for height, etc (and I see the LandPride also appears to have an adjustment for the upper hook? How is that used??) Am not used to thinking about pulling heavy loads with 3-point hitches... have always used the traditional tractor drawbar...so, am learning. And, this 1026R does not have a drawbar... only a plate with a couple of holes in it, tucked under the PTO shaft... not functional (wondering if JD, or someone else, makes a regular drawbar, even swinging, for it??). My old Satoh Beaver S-370 at least has a regular drawbar (and I use a drawbar in the 3-point Cat 0, too, but only for very light loads, like a small tow-behind Fimco sprayer... which works great, because can raise it up to keep the suction hose toward the back of the tank "buried" in the spray water!... and great for clean out).

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