Do the lift retrofit kits change the tractor's original hydraulic system?
No. The LFT20 and LFT54 make no intervention in the hydraulic line, the pump, the valve or the three-point linkage. Only the end of the existing Lift-O-Matik cable that sits outside the tractor is detached and connected to the kit's cable entry socket; the original connection on the tractor side is never disturbed. No hydraulic oil is drained, no fitting is opened, and no leak risk arises.
The practical consequences of this approach are as follows:
- The pressure circuit is untouched. Working pressure in tractor hydraulics is typically in the 180-220 bar range; since no connection is opened, that circuit stays exactly as it is.
- The relief valve and the settings do not change. The lift capacity, the drop rate (response) lever and the quadrant range of the position lever keep working as originally.
- It is fully reversible. It is enough to remove the kit and put the cable end back where it was; no permanent trace is left on the tractor. Only any holes you drilled to fix the enclosure remain.
- Manual use is preserved. You can still operate the lever by hand with the kit fitted.
The ELF-812 does not enter the hydraulic circuit either; the lead-screw linear motor is attached on top of the hydraulic control lever and moves the lever mechanically. In other words, on all three products the intervention is on the control side, not on the fluid side.
Full topic: Converting a tractor hydraulic lever to electronic control