Allan in NE, Hugh, and other Cyclo owners

The reason that 400 system and the bigger 500's 'dual lift' used the "shuttle" valve is because most farm tractors at the time only had two sets of remotes. One was used to lift the planter and that only left the one other remote to handle both markers. Hence, we need a different system with a "swap stick" and they were plumbed into the lift cylinder's circuit. :>)

Now, I gotta tell ya, I don't like the idea of a two way cylinder out there on the marker unless you've got it rigged some way to mechanically "float". If not, the marker is going to be forced into the soil with a chance of bending something, don't ya think? That thing needs to hop and bounce along.

Anyway, I like the way the little 500s handled the markers: One single acting cylinder on each out port of each remote. Slickern' a rooster with a sock on. One lever for each marker and no down pressure. :>)

Allan

We need to get Hugh or somebody in here that has owned a 400; I never have and have always had the three point outfits.

I do know however, that they were plumbed with that lift cylinder in some way because if the wrong marker happened to be down, ya had to cycle the lift one time to get the markers timed with the correct direction.

Yes, please shoot us a picture. I'm not very good at the words, but I can sure look at pictures with the best of 'em. :>)

Hope ya get 'er goin'

Allan

Here is what I do know, one hose directly ran to the lift cylinder, the lift side went to that valve then on to lift cylinder and from that valve only one hose went to each row marker The row marker lift cylinders were single action while the planter lift cylinder was double action. And yes Allan is right if wrong marker went down, to correct this you had to lift planter and markers all the way up the re-lower planter. There was a spring loaded device at that valve, it switched markers every lift. To operate this setup my 656 had to be equiped with a check valve at the quick couplers. When I lowered my planter, I would push lever to down position. When planter lift was completely down I pushed lever on to float and the marker would lower. If I happened to push lever to float before planter was completely down, all hydraulic function would stop. Planter would stop lowering and markers would not lower.

I was able to operate this planter on Farmall 300 with tractor hydraulic valve switched to single action.

I can’t answer most of your questions, but I believe the bottom line is that the unit you have from the planter will work just like it did on the planter even though your drill has double acting cylinders. If you install it on the lift side of the cylinders, the markers will lift when you lift the drill. There may be some “feedback” from the oil returning when you let the drill down, keeping the marker up until the pressure drops to 0 and then allow the marker to drop.

My thoughts…