# massey fergunson 231s tractor



## phillip bick (6 mo ago)

3-point hitch wont float down with no weight on it.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. The three point hitch is pretty much power up, gravity down. Most will eventually drop, but if you are in a rush, stand on it. 
Have you recently rebuilt the lift, or is this a new tractor to you?


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## NTSOG (Dec 13, 2021)

G'day PB,

Neither the front or rear 3 point link arms on my Fendt 280P will drop when unloaded. I have to stand on the lift arms and operate them, whereas the 3 point linkage on my MF35 drops slowly with only gravity. However the MF 35 is pretty old and hasn't been rebuilt anytime since it was made. I don't know how 'tight' the system was when new.

Jim

Ballarat, Victoria
Australia


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## phillip bick (6 mo ago)

pogobill said:


> Welcome to the forum. The three point hitch is pretty much power up, gravity down. Most will eventually drop, but if you are in a rush, stand on it.
> Have you recently rebuilt the lift, or is this a new tractor to you?


it works fine with weight on them. but with nothing on them i have to have two people stand on them to get them to go down.it is a new tractor to me. has not been rebuilt.


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## NTSOG (Dec 13, 2021)

G'day PB,

Your tractor sounds fairly normal to me in requiring added weight for the lifting arms to lower, though I haven't used your model of MF. It can be a pain at times especially if you don't have 'spare' bodies to stand or sit on the lift arms so you can get them low enough to attach implements.

Jim


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## Fedup (Feb 25, 2014)

For some reason with the 200 series tractors Massey stopped putting grease fittings on top of the lift housing to allow for greasing of the rock shaft bushings. As a result on newer tractors those bushings never get lubed unless the shaft is being worked on. This could well be your problem.

To confirm this, try lifting up on the unloaded lift arms and see if it takes as much effort to lift them as it does to push them down.


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## phillip bick (6 mo ago)

thanks. i will give it a try.


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## Busted Tractor (May 22, 2018)

On the right side just in front of the rear axle, where the dipstick for the rear end, there is a lever it is the draft response lever, it can also control the speed of drop for the hitch. Be sure it is not set to slow. Also be sure the bolts that hold the lift arms on the shaft of the top cover have not be tightened too much.
Most three point hitches will gravity fall if these two things are set properly.


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