What is a 3-point hitch?
The standards for hitch systems are based on the work of Harry Ferguson in the late 30s. He developed what is called the 3-point hitch. During the years following this, only Ford and Ferguson tractors had the 3-point due to patent rights. By the mid-fifties nearly every brand offered a 3-point. The concept is that there are 2 lower hydraulically actuated lift arms with 7/8″ holes. These can separate laterally from about 19″ to 32″ (width is implementation dependent) to accommodate an implement. There is a single center connection point called the top link which provides stability and allows adjustment of the tilt. With a fully mounted implement such as this, the weight of the implement can be used as extra ballast by applying a small amount of lift. This process was further developed to automatically determine when forward progress of the tractor was impeded and actuate the hydraulic rams. There are four categories of 3-point hitches used today. They are designated Category 0 through C
