tow ball....small shank....where?

diesel_nut · Mar 24, 2009

Where do you find a tow ball with a small enough sahnk to fit in that small hole on the new lawn tractors?
Need a 2" ball.

Thomas · Mar 24, 2009

Most 2" trailer balls need 1" hole,and guessing the hole on lawn tractor 1/2"....milling down size to fit lawn tractor hole might affect 2"ball safety...can you drill out lawn tractor trailer ball plate.?

tommu56 · Mar 24, 2009

I took a cheep one and cut off the stud and tapped ball 1/2-13 its OK for light duty.
Given the sheet metal on lawn tractor you probably wont break a grade 5 bolt off before metal bends.

tom

bwmarine · Mar 24, 2009

Build a bracket off from the frame is what my dealer told me when I asked about the stamped steel plate and how well it would hold up.

rdln · Mar 24, 2009

Take the ball into the dealer and ask for a tractor that fits it.

aczlan · Mar 24, 2009

diesel_nut said:
Where do you find a tow ball with a small enough sahnk to fit in that small hole on the new lawn tractors?
Need a 2" ball.

Pretty much every trailer ball has a 1" shank (6000#+ rating) or a 3/4" shank (3500# rating) I haven't seen much of anything smaller than that.

as has been said, try making a mount with the size hole you need.

Aaron Z

OhioGuy · Mar 24, 2009

I think the local auto parts has a 1 7/8 with a 5/8 shank.
Here's one at Northern;

Buyers Chrome-Plated Ball 1 7/8in. Dia., Model# 1802103 | Hitch Balls | Northern Tool + Equipment

Good Luck,
Curt

RickB · Mar 25, 2009

You aren't likely to find a 2" ball with a shank smaller than 1". If they were available, they would probably cost less than a ball with a properly sized and strength rated shank, and a significant group of morons would buy them and use them to haul 5000lb trailers up and down the highway. Which would be an exceedingly bad idea.

moe1942 · Mar 25, 2009

TSC has 1 7/8" ball with 5/8" shank. For a larger ball you have to cut off shank and drill and tap for the size you need.

CCinCT · Mar 25, 2009

You could go this route: Hitch Receiver

LBrown59 · Mar 25, 2009

rdln said:
Take the ball into the dealer and ask for a tractor that fits it.

that's an idea.

diesel_nut · Mar 25, 2009

CCinCT said:
You could go this route: Hitch Receiver

I like that because it retains a pin slot for a small wagon that you usually use on lawn tractors without having to remove the ball to us it. That is SLICK!

moe1942 · Mar 27, 2009

I have one of those on my 2542 CC. I plan to clone it and put one on the 1250 and 1000.

strkpr00 · Apr 1, 2009

If you have an old tow ball I believe they are threaded into the ball, remove and use a bushing. I havent tried this, my light weight equipment has pins.

MikeD74T · Apr 2, 2009

Hey folks, we're talking lawn tractor. Probably will never tow 10K. Drill the hole bigger !!! MikeD74T

diesel_nut · Apr 2, 2009

Mike the only problem I have with doing that is the fact there is a flange built into the mounting area and you'd lose that and some support for the thin metal present there.

MikeD74T · Apr 2, 2009

diesel_nut said:
Mike the only problem I have with doing that is the fact there is a flange built into the mounting area and you'd lose that and some support for the thin metal present there.

Then maybe this tractor isn't suitable for towing anything that needs a 2" ball ????

MikeD74T

diesel_nut · Apr 2, 2009

I have a small mesh-bed utility trailer I want to move from part of the yard to another and it has a 2" receiver. I can push it by myself as it is that light but quite the pain. I could hook it up to my diesel truck but quite often this time of year the yard is very soft. I'm not wanting to pull anything heavy. It is just for convenience.
Golly Mike you mean it won't pull my 32ft toyhauler.....................

biting my lip at this point

MikeD74T · Apr 2, 2009

diesel nut, I appologize for seemingly dissing your tractor, not my intent. I wasn't aware that newer lawn tractors are so lightly built that one couldn't increase a 1/2" hole to 3/4" without loss of integrity. Your intended use is what I would have expected. MikeD74T

diesel_nut · Apr 3, 2009

Top and bottom of mounting area. If you drill it out you will lose what structural strength is there from that flange and all the pulling force will be born on relatively thin metal. Hope this helps make my point about drilling it out.
Of course you could drill and use washers on either side and hope it gets tight enough that the force is on the washers and not the mount area. But sooner or later the pulling on it will get to the mount.

Pretty darn good pics for a cell phone camera!!