Adding a farmall super a 3 point hitch to your tractor is honestly one of the smartest moves you can make if you actually plan on using the machine for more than just parades. Let's be real, the Super A is a legendary little workhorse, but its original hitching system can feel pretty limiting by today's standards. Back in the late 40s and 50s, the "Touch-Control" system was revolutionary, but trying to find original implements that fit the old-school drawbar or the later Fast-Hitch setups can be a real needle-in-a-haystack situation.
By switching over to a standard 3-point hitch, you're basically opening up a whole new world of modern implements. You can suddenly hook up rear blades, brush hogs, post-hole diggers, and carry-alls that you can find at any local farm supply store. It turns a vintage hobby piece into a functional tool that can still earn its keep on a small acreage or a homestead.
Why the Standard Conversion Makes Sense
If you've spent any time scouring Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for "Farmall A implements," you already know the struggle. Most of what you find is rusted-out junk or overpriced collector items. Most modern equipment is designed for a Category 1 three-point hitch. That's the industry standard now, and it has been for decades.
The farmall super a 3 point hitch conversion kits essentially bridge that gap. Instead of being stuck with whatever old offset plow you can find in a fencerow, you can just back up to a modern Category 1 piece of equipment, drop the pins, and get to work. It's about versatility. The Super A has plenty of pep for its size, and the offset "Cultivision" design gives you a great view of what you're doing. Adding a modern hitch just lets you take advantage of that visibility with tools that actually work well.
How These Kits Usually Work
Most of the kits you'll find on the market are designed to "bolt on" with minimal fuss, though "minimal" is a relative term when you're dealing with 70-year-old cast iron. Usually, the kit will utilize the existing hydraulic Touch-Control arms. Since the Super A has those two handy rockshaft arms right there by the seat, the 3-point hitch uses that lifting power to move the lower draft arms.
You'll typically see a heavy-duty bracket that mounts under the rear axle housings. This is where your lower lift arms attach. Then, there's usually a setup that connects those lower arms to the Touch-Control rockshafts via some sturdy lift links. The top link—the "third point"—usually mounts to a bracket you bolt onto the rear of the transmission or the existing tool bar mounting points.
It's a clever bit of engineering because it doesn't require you to add a whole new hydraulic pump or external valves, provided your Touch-Control system is in good shape. You're just redirecting the power that's already there.
Installation Realities
Don't expect to just snap this together in twenty minutes with a crescent wrench. You're going to want a good set of sockets, maybe a breaker bar, and definitely some penetrating oil. Those bolts on the axle housing have probably been there since the Truman administration. Giving them a good soak in PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench a few days before you start will save you a lot of colorful language later.
One thing to watch out for is the alignment. You want to make sure the lower arms are centered. If the kit isn't squared up, your implements will track crooked, which is a nightmare when you're trying to grade a driveway or plow a straight furrow. Take your time with the measurements.
Also, keep an eye on your clearances. The Super A is a compact tractor, and once you add those long lift arms sticking out the back, the geometry changes. Make sure your tires aren't going to rub against the arms when they're in the fully raised position, especially if you have your rear wheels set in a narrow stance.
What Can You Actually Lift?
Here is where we need a bit of a reality check. Just because you have a farmall super a 3 point hitch doesn't mean your Super A is suddenly a 100-horsepower modern tractor. The lifting capacity is limited by two things: the strength of the Touch-Control hydraulics and the weight of the front end.
The Super A is a light tractor. If you hang a heavy 5-foot rotary cutter off the back and try to lift it, the front wheels are going to want to point at the sky. It's a weight-and-balance game. You can add front suitcase weights or fluid in the front tires to help, but you still have to be smart.
Generally, a Super A handles things like a 4-foot or 5-foot finish mower, a light 5-foot blade, or a small cultivator just fine. If you're looking at heavy 3-point discs or large planters, you might be pushing your luck. It's better to stay within the "Category 0" or light "Category 1" weight range to keep things safe and avoid blowing a seal in your hydraulic unit.
Maintaining the System
Once you've got your hitch installed, it's not a "set it and forget it" situation. You've got more grease points now. Those pivot pins and the leveling box on the lift arm need regular grease if you want them to move smoothly. If they seize up, you'll be fighting the tractor every time you try to hook something up.
Also, keep an eye on your Touch-Control fluid level. Lifting 3-point implements can sometimes put a bit more strain on the system than the original belly-mounted cultivators did. If you notice the hitch is "shaking" or won't hold position, you might be low on fluid or have some air in the lines.
Checking the mounting bolts periodically is a good idea, too. Vibrations from a brush hog or the jarring of a rear blade hitting a rock can loosen things up over time. You don't want to see your hitch (and your expensive implement) dragging down the road because a bracket bolt backed out.
Is It Worth the Investment?
You'll see these kits ranging anywhere from a few hundred bucks to over a thousand depending on the quality and the brand. Is it worth it? Honestly, if you love your Super A and want to keep using it, then yes, absolutely.
Without a farmall super a 3 point hitch, the tractor is mostly a trailer queen or a specialized cultivator. With the hitch, it becomes a versatile utility tractor. You can scrape snow, move dirt, mow the back pasture, and even use a small wood splitter. It extends the life and the utility of the machine by decades.
Plus, there's just something satisfying about seeing an old piece of American iron doing real work. These tractors were built to last forever, and the engines are remarkably simple to maintain. Giving them a modern interface like a 3-point hitch just makes sense. It's the best way to honor the legacy of the tractor—by actually putting it to work.
Just remember to take it easy on the old girl. She's got the heart of a champion, but she's still a vintage machine. Treat the hitch with respect, don't overload it, and your Super A will probably still be out there working long after the new plastic tractors have been recycled into soda bottles.