New 300 Utility Owner ... Lots-o-Questions!

I just picked up this beauty Monday for $2200. It is a 1955 IH 300U
w/3056 original hours. It had a loader once but manual steering
and steering is tight, front end is tight. Good oil pressure, 12V
conversion and TA works great still!

Now for the questions ...

1. Hydraulic fluid is leaking everywhere around the loader hookups.
I want to keep the live hydraulics in the rear so I am thinking of
removing the outer front valve, moving the "cap" from that valve to
the inner valve with 4 shorter bolts. Then run shorter rubber lines
to elbows where the manifold feed hard lines run now. I can then
also remove the loader manifold block. Will this work?

2. It came with a 3-point adapter that is a hoop that has an integral
toplink mount ... but ... the tractor already has what appears to be a
toplink mount? I am thinking now to just get 2 Fast Hitch to 3-pt
prongs. Too many options and I am confused!!! straight, bent, Cat
1, Cat 2 ... I see the traditional ball eye but how would I hook it up
since the Fast Hitch does not move outboard? Wouldn't the quick
hookup prongs work much better? Looking online, it appears I have
the larger Fast Hitch (300-up). Do I need straight, bent, cat1, cat2?

The plan is to use the tractor on our small hobby farm. I plan to
run a brush hog, back blade for snow removal, post hole digger and
someday hay equipment. I don't have any implements yet, so the
expensive journey begins!

Sorry ... I tried uploading photos but it didn't seem to work ...

Craig, Try the photo again. I've removed the new user restriction from your username. Should work now.

Thanks,
Chris

Welcome to the forum. I like the tractor you have, and think you got a great deal. Were it mine I would fix the leaks and leave the remote hookups. you might want to use front mounted items or remote equipment like a splitter or post pounder. What you stated made sense, I just would not remove hydraulics.
Most 3 point equipment will need individual leveling and control. Opinions will vary but the best is to buy that which you need (including some FH equipped implements. The draft control is basically not operational on the FH of that series, so operating the 3 point will be interesting as many types of tools rely to a degree on good draft control. Even the 35oU has poor draft linkages. You will learn to control plow depth and other in the ground tool depth using the FH control. Jim

Pics!