Draft link bar, bent, AKA “J bar”

[Slim140]

I’ve seen three bent draft link bars and ask 2 people on here about them and can’t find proof (yet) that IH actually made the bent ones. One man I know has 2 he bent himself and I talked to him yesterday and ask if I could borrow one to make me one so I can leave my original straight. The bent ones are used so you don’t have to take part of the fertilizer assembly off. He told me come see him he had one that was used with a Cole fertilizer assembly but it was bent backwards and we would look at it. Went by and we held it up to one on his tractor and the bend is right, the J is backwards on the other end. He said I think if you cut the J off and remake it the other way it will work for you. I said do you want to sell this one? He handed it to me and said “since it’s you, you can have it”. Here’s a photo of my straight one and the bent one he gave me.

[Slim140]

I bent this the other way for my prototype. It’s actually 1” rod instead of 1 1/8”. It’ll work for now.

[Slim140]

That bar my friend gave me was wrong from the get go. I didn’t want to bend my original one but what good is it just hanging on the wall? I bent it today and it works great.

On, up position.

Down position

Bent about 13” from the end

[Slim140]

The difference and quickly adjustable.

[Brandon Webb]

I never knew they made a bent one, if they did lol. I've only seen straight ones. I assume this piece was only for plowing in which you wouldn't technically have a side dresser mounted. I have an original manual and it only shows the straight one, not to say that Cole or someone didn't make one.

[Super A]

I keep thinking about how, if you were cultivating and sidedressing fertilizer you probably would have the front bail pinned under the floorboard and thus wouldn't need the draft link. But, I've seen an archive photo of a 140 planting with something like a 184 planter on the back and a fertilizer attachment up front to fertilize and plant at the same time. Looks like it would be hard to get the planter level with the bail pinned. Maybe the bent bar was in the parts bundle with the planters?

Al

[Jim Becker]

There is quite a bit of adjustment at the hitch of the 184 planter. Here is a WHS image (25317) like what you described. Looks like the bail is pinned to the platform.

[Slim140]

So it's probably safe to say IH didn't make a bent one, the bent ones I've seen are done by the owner?

That's a neat picture you posted Jim. Looks like the hopper lid on the tractor is red, I have 3 hoppers with lids and they are all galvanized. Wonder when that change was made?

[Super A]

There is quite a bit of adjustment at the hitch of the 184 planter. Here is a WHS image (25317) like what you described. Looks like the bail is pinned to the platform.

Not the same pic, but I bet the same tractor I saw! Thanks, Jim!

Al