I've never figured that one out either. I grew up on a farm where the tractors set outside most of the time. Never had one that did not have a top link nor did we ever have that the top link didn't work. Used the top link all the time. Furthermore, every tractor we sold had everything on it that was on it when the buyer came to look at it. We never removed a top link nor did we ever remove a single weight, side shield, or emblem. The tractors were sold with what we got them with. We may, however, have "lost" a few pto shields. :-)