10’ Western Heavyweight conversion to Tractor front 3 point hitch ?

[Hay Dude]

Are you keeping the lights and pump all together as the pictures show? I remember that you mentioned the ability to throw it on a truck would be nice.

I’d like to, but these projects get “scope creep” that never seems to end.
For now, I have decided to remove pump, lights, and upper brackets.

No reason I couldn’t get Western Heavyweight truck mounting brackets and put them on my Ram, but I really don’t want to plow with it anyway.

For now, it’s going to be a just a tractor plow. If I run into a cheap used mounting kit, I could possible make it usable on the Ram.

 

[Rustyiron]

Keep the Ram out of the SALT!
I think that once you plow with the tractor and it's near perfect visibility and maneuverability it'll be hard to go back.

 

[Hay Dude]

Keep the Ram out of the SALT!
I think that once you plow with the tractor and it's near perfect visibility and maneuverability it'll be hard to go back.

Yeah, I agree. I was born of depression era parents, so I try to squeeze every bit of versatility out of everything I can.
I think I will sell the pump, lights & upper bracket mount.

 

[Hay Dude]

I think the upper 3 point link will have to be rigid piece of steel, not a chain.

The front point has the float option, which would allow it to float over bumps. Also, the moldboard trips.

If I used a chain, I would not be able to “scrape”.

This is what I am trying to achieve-on a more limited budget. Note this plow is trip-edge, mine it moldboard trip.

 

[Hay Dude]

Too bad these aren’t available in the USA

Snow plow blades and ploughshare with 3-point hitch, Euro, 4x4, etc.

The DELEKS snow plows approved for road use, effectively perform snow removal and material handling.

www.deleks.eu

 

[Rustyiron]

It should work fine rigid. Just adjust your top link so that the A frame is level on the ground.
However you attach what replaces the chain needs to be pretty rugged. Hitting a bump or something that would cause the blade to trip is going to put a good (compression) load on this piece because it's effectively wanting to lift the whole 3 point assembly with it.

 

[Hay Dude]

It should work fine rigid. Just adjust your top link so that the A frame is level on the ground.
However you attach what replaces the chain needs to be pretty rugged. Hitting a bump or something that would cause the blade to trip is going to put a good (compression) load on this piece because it's effectively wanting to lift the whole 3 point assembly with it.

I am going to use 3/4” steel bar for the rigid upper link. It will be bolted top & bottom.
Project is beginning to come together. Now I just need an HOA road to plow. That will probably come next year. Trying to teach my son to plow with tractor, too.

 

[Hay Dude]

So I finished up a bit more work on the plow. Bolted on the new cutting edge and drilled out a piece of 3/4” to make the top link “rigid”.

Not sure if this will work. I think I might end-up bending the top link? Maybe not. The moldboard trips, but

Sorry the pictures are crappy. It was dusk and the lights weren’t on.

 

[Rustyiron]

I think you're probably safe but even a 1/4 or 3/8 x 2" flat welded on the 3/4 to make a "T" would make it very unlikely to bend and as you say there's the trip action...
Once there's a little kink in the straight line of the top link it might get worse, at least bend more with a lesser impact.
The more I think about it the more I'd suggest reinforcing it because even with the trip there's a momentary impact that's trying to lift the 3 point hitch and all the linkage. All going through that t/l.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’ve seen quite a few home made front hook-ups like mine with just straight flat stock that weren’t bent, but maybe I should have done a “T”. I was thinking most of the force is down low and will transfer energy through the lower links.