What Gives? This Useful Feature is Rare on Compact Tractors (Plus Setting up a 3-Point Plow)

The 3-point hitch is one of the most useful components of a tractor, and many adjustments can be made to maximize its versatility. One of those adjustments is side-to-side leveling, where one lift arm is adjustable and one is fixed. It used to be common for this adjustment to be made using a bevel gear leveling box with a hand crank… that feature has now largely disappeared from compact tractors in favor of something more akin to how a top link is adjusted.
After considering the usefulness of the 3-point hitch leveling box, a moldboard plow is mounted on the Ford 1700 tractor and adjusted for use on the first pass in the field.

[@southernadirondackoutdoors]

I agree, the leveling box is so handy. To adjust the arm on my Kubota I got to get off the tractor and fiddle with that ridiculous thing. The leveling box on my 1960 Ford 601 was nice, especially for on the fly adjusting from the seat for grading the driveway.

[@drgnner6028]

Thats the one thing I miss about my 1989 ford 3910. Nice video.

[@ProductiveRecreation]

Thanks for watching! I’ve run a 3910 before. Solid tractor. Much larger than the 1700 that I have.

[@drgnner6028]

I went and got old and needed air conditioning. The 3910 was a good tractor, but I like A/C a lot more! :-)

[@bradjenkins932]

Because most people now days don't even know how to use a tractor properly, let alone how to adjust them.

[@gb123-ej8wh]

So don’t sell your old whatever that is. My Ford 601 that thing barely moves at all. Fights the whole way but I always have something on it.

[@ProductiveRecreation]

Thanks for watching! This is a Ford 1700. I keep the mechanism well-greased but with a heavy implement lifted up on the 3-point it’s hard to turn. Usually I just set things down to take some weight off the hitch arm and adjust. The 1700 won’t be going anywhere… but I really could use a larger tractor - for more weight and more loader capacity.