Hydraulic Control Valves

I have a question on hydraulic control valves. I have an ole' M Farmall that I have going to mount an aftermarket 3-pt on. I want to install a control valve system that will work the two-way cylinders on the 3-pt and another valve for the two-way cylinder that I am going to mount for the loader bucket. The loader itself has one-way cylinders on it. I want a valve for each. My question involves what will work. Will a 3-spool control vavle with a float work? I am greener that a gourd on hydraulic terminology. What does the float mean? What does power beyond capacity mean? I just want to make sure I purchase the right setup to do (2) two-way cyclinder and (1) one-way cylinders. I have been looking at this link: northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_8516_8516

In the float position it means the load can move to follow the ground. The hydraulics won't restrict its motion. Handy for the boom on a loader working snow. Lets the bucket follow the ground without digging in.

Power beyond is a port allowing feeding another valve (or sequence of valves each with power beyond) with oil under pressure.

Two places on line with tutorials about hydraulics: Burden's Surplus Center at Lincoln NE and Baum Hydraulics at Omaha.

You also need to know if your tractor has open center or closed center hydraulics and if it has a way for power beyond (most handy for open center) or places to tap and return for closed center. These details are important to make it work.

Lots of open center valves are special for single acting cylinders, but single acting cylinders are no problem with a closed center valve made for a double acting cylinder.

One way to get a valve that is versatile is to buy modules from Northern, Burden's or Baum and assemble a valve with the right end plates for closed or open center, then the right single acting and double acting (with or without float) for the other cylinders. You can build up a stack of 1 to 8 valve sections each different if you want. And its price competitive with the dedicated valve.

Some open center valves can be converted (with a $25 kit) to closed center, some can't. I don't know the farmall's hydraulics so I can say which you need.

Gerald J.

My M just has a bellymount system, non-live hydraulics and the way it is routed, it will only do one-way cylinders. I am going to reroute to the control valve to enable 2-way to work (work and return path), but needed to ensure that each valve could be used in each application. Northern has a Prince 3 Spool Control Valve, Model# HC-V-R21 that I believe will work.