Pallet Fork / Trailer Mover

[Too many Kubotas]

The used forks I bought for my tractor already had a hole in one but I didn't want to go that route. It may not work for everyone but I adapted a HF quick hitch to my JD loader attachment system and it works well not only for trailer moving but also moving attachments and using the boom pole. This would probably be pretty easy for the skid steer guys also.

View attachment 823614

I'd be concerned with the lateral strength of that setup, even without the extra long receiver tube.

What keeps the trailer ball from moving side to side?

 

[KennyG]

I'd be concerned with the lateral strength of that setup, even without the extra long receiver tube.

What keeps the trailer ball from moving side to side?

??? It moves from side to side just as much as my loader arms, bucket or forks do. In other words, zero.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

??? It moves from side to side just as much as my loader arms, bucket or forks do. In other words, zero.

Okay, that's good. I just can't see anything that would help keep it straight. Even if the vertical tubing is welded to the bar between the lift arms, that's an awfully small area for the twisting forces that would result when pushing or pulling a trailer anything but straight.

 

[4570Man]

I wasn’t big on drilling holes in my forks plus I’ve used drilled forks before and really don’t like the ball mounted like that so I built this instead.

 

[nyone]

I'd be concerned with the lateral strength of that setup, even without the extra long receiver tube.

What keeps the trailer ball from moving side to side?

Look closer. It's a 3pt attachment.

 

[KennyG]

I guess it's not clear in the picture and not everyone is familiar with the JD loader quick attach, but it attaches solidly at 4 points with the hooks on top and the pins on the bottom. I just added to the 3 point quick hitch to match the JD loader.

Basically the same thing I did to fabricate my loader fork attachment.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Look closer. It's a 3pt attachment.

Yes, I realize that, but still wondering what supports the green portion with the receiver tube laterally.

That practically all the vertical force is supported by the hook on top is one thing, but it should be strong enough for that. Guess I need to study the photo more closely, again, and try to see what I'm missing.

 

[Omega Woods]

I'd be more worried about tweaking my loader arms with uneven loading.

 

[KennyG]

Yes, I realize that, but still wondering what supports the green portion with the receiver tube laterally.

That practically all the vertical force is supported by the hook on top is one thing, but it should be strong enough for that. Guess I need to study the photo more closely, again, and try to see what I'm missing.

Yes, take a close look. The vertical force is transferred to the drawbar and then to the lower hooks on the quick hitch. The top hook only prevents the trailer mover from rotating so it takes only horizontal force. The lateral movement is constrained by the large ends on the drawbar quick hitch adapters and the upper hook.

 

[BlueKnife]

Yes, I realize that, but still wondering what supports the green portion with the receiver tube laterally.

That practically all the vertical force is supported by the hook on top is one thing, but it should be strong enough for that. Guess I need to study the photo more closely, again, and try to see what I'm missing.

I don't think you're missing anything in the photo. I see what you mean. It works because of the size of the machine. If he put that setup on a heavier machine, it very likely would have issues, especially if there were some more dynamic forces involved, like, say, trying to turn a trailer up hill against a rut. As it is, that tractor can't push hard enough to bend the tube or drawbar where they're welded together.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

While it's quire rare that I move trailers with a tractor, at some point I bought a cheap clamp-on receiver for the bucket. That one was a fail, as no matter how hard it was tightened down it would move side to side when turning the tractor.

A few years later I bought one that just clicks into the quick disconnect on the loader on one side. Wouldn't use that one on the L3800's flimsy loader, but used it once on the M6040 and it seemed to work well. Plus it was easy to see the pintle hook and tow ring.

Anyway, I'm sorry, but I just can't see any kind of adequate lateral support for that green thingy. It would be painfully simple to triangulate it to one of the many holes in the horizontal bar, though. Even doing it on only one side would make it several times stronger.

Again, I'm not arguing that it can lift as is, with the hook on top doing the lifting and the flat bar at the bottom preventing the bottom of it from moving towards the tractor. But there doesn't seem to be much that would prevent it from turning sideways...except when it runs out of rotational space at the hook. At which point I would expect deformed metal, then breakage.

 

[KennyG]

I can't quite get my head around your concern. The hook doesn't do any lifting, the lower pins do, just like any other three point attachment. The lower pins also keep it from rotating, not the top hook. I think this thing is impossible to break on my tractor. I've used it on the front and rear to try to lift things beyond the tractor capability (1000 lb loader, 1500 lbs 3 point) and nothing moves.

 

[4570Man]

While it's quire rare that I move trailers with a tractor, at some point I bought a cheap clamp-on receiver for the bucket. That one was a fail, as no matter how hard it was tightened down it would move side to side when turning the tractor.View attachment 823851View attachment 823852

A few years later I bought one that just clicks into the quick disconnect on the loader on one side. Wouldn't use that one on the L3800's flimsy loader, but used it once on the M6040 and it seemed to work well. Plus it was easy to see the pintle hook and tow ring.

Anyway, I'm sorry, but I just can't see any kind of adequate lateral support for that green thingy. It would be painfully simple to triangulate it to one of the many holes in the horizontal bar, though. Even doing it on only one side would make it several times stronger.

Again, I'm not arguing that it can lift as is, with the hook on top doing the lifting and the flat bar at the bottom preventing the bottom of it from moving towards the tractor. But there doesn't seem to be much that would prevent it from turning sideways...except when it runs out of rotational space at the hook. At which point I would expect deformed metal, then breakage.

I wouldn’t use that one sided quick coupler adapter on a tractor. It would be fine on a skid steer that has a pretty beefy coupler plate but a tractor only has a small tube that’s easy to twist out of place.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

We're obviously looking at this completely differently.

The way I see it, the flat bar at the bottom can't support much weight in the horizontal plane, so the weight is carried by the hook. And yes, the lower pins keeps the bar from rotating, but not the receiver portion.

The issue I perceive is that the green part with the receiver tube doesn't have much, if anything, to prevent the ballmount from moving side to side. Even if it's welded to the bar, which it doesn't look like, that'd be a very small weld area compared to the length of the receiver tube, even without a ballmount as extra leverage.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I wouldn’t use that one sided quick coupler adapter on a tractor. It would be fine on a skid steer that has a pretty beefy coupler plate but a tractor only has a small tube that’s easy to twist out of place.

As mentioned, it was used once, to move a little 16' empty bumper pull flatbed. And it worked.

For heavier and/or loaded trailers (goosenecks) I generally use a "yard goat" I made for the purpose.

 

[KennyG]

I guess we are looking at it differently. The "flat bar" is a 3 point drawbar and will support thousands of pounds of weight. The pin that engages the top hook has a small clearance to the bottom of the hook and supports no vertical weight. The receiver tube is fully welded to the drawbar, which is about the same attachment that you will find on a truck trailer hitch. When I put this together, I tested it by putting it on the tractor 3 point hitch and lifted and pulled it from a fixed point (max tractor capability) and there was no hint of deflection.

 

[Xfaxman]

The issue I perceive is that the green part with the receiver tube doesn't have much, if anything, to prevent the ballmount from moving side to side. Even if it's welded to the bar, which it doesn't look like, that'd be a very small weld area compared to the length of the receiver tube, even without a ballmount as extra leverage.

The receiver tube is fully welded to the drawbar,

Red arrow points to the weld:

 

[nyone]

Red arrow points to the weld:

View attachment 823889

To many people missed that. It's not a huge strong thing but your trailer has wheels and there suposto roll/pivot.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I guess we are looking at it differently. The "flat bar" is a 3 point drawbar and will support thousands of pounds of weight. The pin that engages the top hook has a small clearance to the bottom of the hook and supports no vertical weight. The receiver tube is fully welded to the drawbar, which is about the same attachment that you will find on a truck trailer hitch. When I put this together, I tested it by putting it on the tractor 3 point hitch and lifted and pulled it from a fixed point (max tractor capability) and there was no hint of deflection.

Alright, couldn't see the weld, and figured that the bottom was bolted to the bar.

Still, considering the generous length of the receiver tubing compared to a normal receiver, I would triangulate it. You already have holes at the outer end of the drawbar, so one weld close to the pin for the ballmount would be all it takes. If using flat stock I'd put one per side.

Anyway, glad we finally got to the bottom of this.

 

[Xfaxman]

This is my Trailer Mover: Dual Hitch Receiver Mount for SSQA