Fit Rite is now offering check valves for most of the 3pt hydraulic cylinders that we offer. While there are positives and negatives to having the check valves, only you can decide if they are the solution for your cylinder requirements.While there are positives and negatives to having these, I feel that the grading options available without them exceeds any need for the check valve.

Why do some people need check valves and others do not?

People feel that they need check valves because of drifting (cylinder extending on it's own). What many do not realize is that the cylinder is usually extending on it's own because their control valve is faulty.

The control valve itself is leaking and therefore allowing the cylinder to move. Very seldom is the cylinder bad and even if it was, the check valve would do nothing to prevent a faulty cylinder from moving on it's own. So with a faulty valve, the cylinder can drift.

An easy fix is to have a DPOCV on the cylinder. With a check valve in place on the hydraulic cylinder, the cylinder is then isolated from the control valve and therefore the cylinder stays in place. There then has to be a positive amount of pressure applied to the check valve through the control valve to allow the cylinder to move and be adjusted.

All of this is fine and works well, but by having a check valve you now have given up the option of having the float function and making use of all of those benefits.

Fit Rite Hydraulics