Leveling mower hitch

A method of maintaining a substantially consistent front to rear angle of an implement frame with respect to a ground surface, where the implement frame is mounted on a plurality of rear wheels pivotally mounted to a rear end of the implement frame to support the rear end of the implement frame for travel along the ground surface in an operating travel direction, and where a rear hydraulic cylinder is activated to selectively move the rear wheels upward and downward with respect to the implement frame, the method comprising:

• pivotally connecting a rear end of a hitch frame to a front end of the implement frame about an upper hitch pivot axis oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the operating travel direction;
• configuring a front end of the hitch frame for releasable connection to a tractor drawbar;
• pivotally connecting a rear end of a tension link to the front end of the implement frame about a lower hitch pivot axis located below the upper hitch pivot axis and oriented substantially parallel to the upper pivot axis, and movably mounting a front end of the tension link to a front portion of the hitch frame;
• connecting a front hydraulic cylinder to the hitch frame such that the front hydraulic cylinder is operative to move the front end of the tension link forward and rearward;
• providing a hydraulic control operative to control a flow of hydraulic fluid to the front and rear hydraulic cylinders;
• operating the hydraulic control to activate the front hydraulic cylinder to move the front end of the tension link rearward as the rear hydraulic cylinder moves the rear wheels upward with respect to the implement frame, and operating the hydraulic control to activate the front hydraulic cylinder to move the front end of the tension link forward as the rear hydraulic cylinder moves the rear wheels downward with respect to the implement frame such that the front to rear angle of the implement frame with respect to the ground surface is substantially constant as the rear wheels move up and down with respect to the implement frame.