Is it just me or do all old farm implements look like they were created by Dr. Zeus's evil twin Larry...
Have a big zombie infestation? Just call John Deere!
disced up my small garden spot. Would love to have a 3-point tiller but they are hard to find used, pricey new and my allis-C needs a slower 1st gear to be useable with one. With the disc the Allis is very light on the front end, I hung (2) 90 pound case tractor weights on so I could steer. Have a minor issue with the hydraulics too, if I dont hold the control lever in “raise” position, the disc slowly lowers itself. I love the old equipment but sure would like to have live pto/hydraulics.
Dang are you still using the factory hydraulics with the little cylinder?
If so keep in mind that is "power lift" not really hydraulics. It is made to lift hand lift type stuff with hydraulics and isn't really for heavy three point work. The cylinder is only attached to the tractor by like a 1/2" pin welded on the seat frame... it is probably creeping down because the valves can't hold the weight. Does it work ok with like a snow blade?
I despise the hydraulics on my C. I go thru it, clean it up and get it working great. Go charging out in my field to cultivate and after half an hour it is dead, it found a new little piece of nothing to jam one of the many little checkballs in the pump/valve assembly. Gotta take the cultivator off the rockshaft, lock the rockshaft into transport mode and then push ahead each of the four pushrods (which lifts each gang) and reassemble it so I can limp it back to the house and pull it all back apart and try to flush out the transmission/axle cases again.
Reason #1 I seeked out a cultivator for my JD B, the hydraulics are much more resilient on it. The Allis C/B thing is kind of rinky dink IMO. The C is much more nimble than my B (which is still pretty nimble for its size) The C is a freaking riot when it works, with the wasp waist you can see EVERYTHING the cultivator is doing.
For a fix I am personally watching out for a hand lift rockshaft, I wanna keep mine kinda "correct". My sickle mower is already hand lift. For yours you could go to a PTO pump or I have heard of people adapting the live pump off of a small Farmall (A, B or C?) that goes between the distributor/magneto and governor. It does increase timing gear wear but it would also net live hydraulics.
I would really like a D-19 for twice as many gears as and more heft than my WD/WD-45... three gears on the C is kinda weak too. Third is worthless for working so basically it only has two. You could go to smaller rear tires to slow it down a little too.
Dang, you guys have some real firepower for your gardens. I have a little (maybe 10' by 25') plot. Right now I have a great crop of sunchokes and walking onions going. My horseradish is spreading. I trellised my hops and picked my spring radishes. Also ran over the small annual veggie section with my little Mantis Tiller. That thing has worked great for about 20 years now. Planted some squash seeds but have backup seedlings under a grow light just in case. I have some tomato seedlings to go in too. I battle deer, rabbits and voles every year so I keep my expectations low. This year they seem to be on a phlox and sedum kick. They always try to eat my tomatoes, peppers and even sunflower seedlings. Surprised they didn't mess with my radishes. I've slowly been figuring out what they don't bother and stick with that but their palates seem to evolve...
Wife wants a garden, "sure but it I am not going to be crawling around with a trowel and working the whole thing with a hoe" Kinda like using a Buick to kill a mosquito but it is fun. Usually it kinda coincides with what I am doing in the field so like if the disk is already on the tractor why mess with a tiller? kind of a thing.
It is funny, my parents live in town and have a terrible time with deer. They go nuts for mom's hostas. I live in the country and I rarely see a deer.