Anyone mounted a trailer hitch ball on FEL?

[Tdog]

I just bought a 16' tamdem trailer to haul my BX-22. I want to move it around my place with the tractor - - anyone mounted a ball to your FEL?

I've attached a photo of the trailer. It's a Lone Wolf Trailer. No electric brakes, but I'm not planning on any major hauling.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Firefighter Kubota]

T dog,

There are a number of ways you can do this...

There are manufacturers who make bucket clamps that have 2" receivers for a ball set up like one you would use on your truck...

drill a hole in the bucket and drop a ball in....

A rear drawbar on the 3 pt hitch (with a stabilizer) for a 2" receiver,

or do like i did and weld a ball to my rear grader blade.


I find moving the trailer with the bucket, unwieldly, as the bucket clamps flex the bucket and tends to bounce alot... not to mention its hard to see the ball when trying to hook up.

Systems on the rear are easier, to back up and use the 3 point to move the trailer.

Some have even mounted balls on the edge of thier back hoe frame, near the stabilizers to move trailers...

 

[CurlyDave]

Read this thread through before you consider the clamp-on type hitch receiver. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/117762-paynes-hitch-receiver.html

I have come to understand how these receivers work a lot better than when I bought mine, and from the picture it looks like your land is flat, so you may not have the same issue I had.

If you can use the clamp-on type, they are very convenient. I didn't have the same issue as Firefighter did, in fact having the ball on the front bucket was nearly ideal for me. OTOH I have a fairly big machine, and bucket flex was no problem.

 

[irvingj]

Tdog-- I shamelessly copied another TBNer's method: weld a receiver to the top edge of the bucket- with an offset ball, visibility is fine, though Firefighter Kubota's point about being tricky on the front is well taken- takes a bit of getting used to! (As all of my stuff is fairly small, I used a 1-1/4" receiver.)

There's a good thread on this if you do a search.

 

[CBW1999]

I like the ball welded on the rear blade...quick/simple....wish that had popped into my head.

I just bought the parts to put on my bucket.

First option in just the receiver tube welded in place of where the hook is now. I have a straight ball to go in (no drop). Doing this, I would still have to add hooks or D rings for the lifting straps.

The other option (part) that I have, is to weld on the "bolt on receiver hitch" for a step bumper. What I would actually do is weld on a wider plate on the bucket and drill the appropriate holes in it and bolt the receiver down. Might give more options if I am able to remove it later. Also has the safety chain holes in place and gives me some options on adding hooks and/or D rings.

I may actually work on it this week I'll try to get some pictures of the mock up- posted today.

 

[benelli]

I put one on the rear of my box blade as well.... Sure makes life real easy when moving things fast.

 

[radioman]

I guess its all about preferences here. Since I have a BX, I think there would be too much flex on the bucket with a clamp on so I ended up building a 3pt hitch mover instead, more convenience for me.

 

[George2615]

I welded a receiver hitch to mine and made my own 3 pt unit for moving trailers around from front or back of tractor.

 

[Tdog]

Thanks all. I ruled out placing the hitch on a rear/box blade simply because I usually wear my BH. I like the idea of the receiver tube welded to the top of the FEL - - only trouble is I am not a welder. However, now I can at least trailer my BX to a shop to have it done.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Firefighter Kubota]

Thanks all. I ruled out placing the hitch on a rear/box blade simply because I usually wear my BH. I like the idea of the receiver tube welded to the top of the FEL - - only trouble is I am not a welder. However, now I can at least trailer my BX to a shop to have it done.

Thanks,

Jack

Jack, Some had some great pics of thier BH with a ball mounted on it. was a really great set up and he loved it. I recall him placing a bracket to the rear and side to the stabilizers...wish I had a name for you..sorry..

 

[George2615]

Jack,
You can also buy the receiver hitch like mine that is already welded to a mounting plate that you can bolt on the top of your bucket. NorthernTool and TSC have them for around $30.

 

[KeithInSpace]

...because I usually wear my BH.

I forever take my BH on and off in the summer. Usually, though, if I need to move my trailer, I'm doing something that involves my BH. Murphy is a real wiener like that.

Anyhow, this is how I worked through the dilemma. I like my FEL the way it is and didn't want more holes sprouting out of it. Plus, I've moved a 10k trailer around when loaded with 3,000# of yard waste...you start reaching the limits of the FEL very quickly.

The arragement I have pictured has worked pretty well. Not a perfect solution, but there really isn't one to meet all needs. This allows me to work with the trailer and BH, which is what I wanted. When I get serious about towing my trailer (Halloween hay rides and the like), I take the safer approach of my dedicated Leinbach Line 3PH 2" reciever used in tandem with my weight distributing hitch. Of course, the BH comes off for that to be used.

The trailer pictured is my old single-axle 3,500# capacity trailer. I now run a 8'x20' 10k capacity dual-axle dovetail and pull it without any problem, even moderately loaded.

Hope this gives you another idea.

 

[irvingj]

Jack- you might want to check out removing the bucket to take to your welding shop-- that's what I did. (Then, after I got the bill, I signed up for a welding class and got a welder!)

I don't know if you've got a small tractor or not, but my Massey-Ferguson GC2310 SCUT's bucket wasn't too much to handle-- removed the bolts (replaced those with lynch pins), took the bucket and slid it into the back of my Jetta wagon. Lot simpler than trailering the whole tractor, plus it made the bucket easy to turn upside down to weld the receiver on--

 

[Tom_H]

Here's a nice little electric/hydro dump trailer for sCUT work. Fill with FEL and/or bh, back up, hitch 'n go. Would work great with Keith's setup.

1600 Utility ATV Wagon - Power Dump Cart, dumping ATV Trailer- Power RAM strongest, best, ultimate atv farm trailer, atv ranch trailer

BTW, Keith: nice rig, nice yard, nice house. All the way 'round, nice everything!!

 

[aggiehortguy91]

When I bought my BX, a hook had been welded by the previous owner in the center of the bucket (with reinforcement). If I turn the bucket down, that hook catches the hitch on my trailers perfectly and I can see it. It does take a little practice to put a trailer exactly where you want it, but I don't even have to get off the tractor so it is quick and easy. I can also raise the tounge to lift the weight off the front axle so that I can turn tightly without tearing up the grass. I am on extremely flat ground (South Florida) so I don't have to worry too much about the trailer jumping off since it is not latched on. I keep toying with the idea of building a hitch for the 3pt, but this works so well it is hard to justify the time and expense.

 

[DanD78]

If you have forks on your loader you can drill a hole in the end of the fork for a ball or hitch pin. There is nothing better for backing a 4 wheel wagon than a hitch on the front of yor tractor.

Dan

 

[escavader]

Having a ball on the bucket is quicker im sure,but for now i just put the safety chains through my center bucket hook ,and move my tandem,and other trailers that way.
ALAN

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I just bought a 16' tamdem trailer to haul my BX-22. I want to move it around my place with the tractor - - anyone mounted a ball to your FEL?

I've attached a photo of the trailer. It's a Lone Wolf Trailer. No electric brakes, but I'm not planning on any major hauling.

Thanks,

Jack

Nice looking trailer!

I bought a hitch for a bumper and mounted in on top of my bucket, and i can use a boom pole with it also.

I took a few pictures,

One of the pictures shows a extension hitch i made for my truck, when i haul a slide-in-camper and pull a boat.

I had in hooked up today and with the extension hitch i can hook up to a trailer real easy, and the trailer won't hit bucket.

 

[JJZ 109]

I bought a clamp on receiver a few years ago on ebay. Not too badly built for the cost of it.
Today I decided to work on my still very amateur welding skills and stabilize the sideways motion that happens to the receiver when cranking a trailer around a little hard or pushing through some resistance like snow.
I'm a beginning welder. Only on about 3rd time with new Craftsman 120 volt wire feed. Gotta learn somehow!
In the first pic you'll see that I drove an angle iron through the already triangle shaped opening and then welded it into place:

In the second pic, I welded a 4 inch "wing" to each side of the first angle iron. These push against the FEL blade and hopefully will remove any twisting.

 

[Chris86303]

Here's a nice little electric/hydro dump trailer for sCUT work. Fill with FEL and/or bh, back up, hitch 'n go. Would work great with Keith's setup.

1600 Utility ATV Wagon - Power Dump Cart, dumping ATV Trailer- Power RAM strongest, best, ultimate atv farm trailer, atv ranch trailer

I've got the smaller version of this trailer (800 lb capacity, single axle) and it is very well built. It is a manual dump but has one of those air rams like on the back of an SUV tailgate (but larger) to help with the dump. Independent suspension, ATV tires.. I'm very happy with it.