$300+ error... any thoughts?

[Dadnatron]

Was working on my road with my 12' drag blade Sunday. I wasn't going crazy, but was certainly unconventional. Anyway, long story short, blade dipped into a ditch, deeper than intended, and I snapped my drawbar. None in stock and over $320-340 at my local JD dealers.

I know it can happen, but no one I've personally known has ever broken a drawbar.

Anyone have any options other than just sucking it up and paying the "stupid tax".

JD 5100e

 

[Industrial Toys]

That's about the thinnest drawbar I have ever seen. Even my much smaller JD 770 had one at least twice as thick. I know, because I needed to fabricate a different sized one for some project.

Did you buy the tractor new? If not, maybe it had been stressed.

Maybe good fortune that it didn't happen under more critical conditions.

 

[bcp]

Does your blade have a rigid or swinging clevis and were you using a tight fitting pin?



Bruce

 

[4570Man]

I'd build one. Then you're out maybe $20 for a piece of steel.

 

[Dadnatron]

Does your blade have a rigid or swinging clevis and were you using a tight fitting pin?

View attachment 488902View attachment 488901

Bruce

It is rigid. The pin was not 'tight' but it was 1 1/4" I think, so wasn't sloppy. I used a 3/4" initially, and realized it was sloppy and ended up chewing up the pin.

 

[Dadnatron]

That's about the thinnest drawbar I have ever seen. Even my much smaller JD 770 had one at least twice as thick. I know, because I needed to fabricate a different sized one for some project.

Did you buy the tractor new? If not, maybe it had been stressed.

Maybe good fortune that it didn't happen under more critical conditions.

It's about 1 1/2" thick. I haven't measured it, but seemed pretty 'normal' for my expectations

 

[npalen]

Sounds like the blade being in the ditch put it at enough angle with the drawbar that it ran out of "travel". Something has to give.
The hitch pin hole in the drawbar appears to be elongated a bit which allows for front to rear angle between the tractor and implement but not side to side.

 

[TomSeller]

It's about 1 1/2" thick. I haven't measured it, but seemed pretty 'normal' for my expectations

I would sure think that 1-1/2" is thick enough.

 

[bcp]

With a rigid clevis and a pin with little clearance, the system becomes rigid when the slack is out going over a hump or dip.

One of these tries to happen, (exaggerated)





I would check with a machine shop about making a duplicate drawbar. And I would convert to a swinging clevis.

Bruce

 

[CalG]

Was working on my road with my 12' drag blade Sunday. I wasn't going crazy, but was certainly unconventional. Anyway, long story short, blade dipped into a ditch, deeper than intended, and I snapped my drawbar. None in stock and over $320-340 at my local JD dealers.

I know it can happen, but no one I've personally known has ever broken a drawbar.

Anyone have any options other than just sucking it up and paying the "stupid tax".

JD 5100e

View attachment 488887

The reason is called yield stress.

The economical solution is called a welding machine.

 

[mrmikey]

I'd build one. Then you're out maybe $30 for a piece of steel.

same her, a bit of labour and you're done.....Mike

 

[CADplans]

The drawbar is a special high strength steel,,, you can not weld it. (BTDT)

Regular A36 steel, the $20-40 kind, will bend like a pretzel,
you need to see if the local steel supply has any high strength steel,,,
even at that,, drilling will be more than difficult.

I would, if making it,,, try to make it a LOT W I D E R !! :thumbsup:

 

[Turbys_1700]

I would see what a machine shop would charge to fabricate a draw bar. I doubt that a piece of high strength steel in that dimension would be cheap. The machining would not be difficult if you had a good drill press. A lot of time the cost at a machine shop is no less than what you can buy new. They have to charge for their overhead just like any other business. I've got a good local machine shop that welded an exhaust manifold on our old International backhoe several years ago. They do good work but charge accordingly.

 

[Captain Dirty]

The drawbar is a special high strength steel,,, you can not weld it. (BTDT)<snip>

Devices made with special steels are often welded, with an appropriate rod and appropriate technique. Most rod manufacturers make a special purpose "Maintenance" rod that is versatile but expensive. A good local welding shop likely has the rod, knows the technique, and probably has some experience with the application. Expect to pay for their expertise.

 

[George2615]

It's about 1 1/2" thick. I haven't measured it, but seemed pretty 'normal' for my expectations

Have you checked your local tractor supply store. mine has several sizes in stock for about 1/2 the price you were quoted.

 

[Dadnatron]

I would check with a machine shop about making a duplicate drawbar. And I would convert to a swinging clevis.

Bruce

Bruce, I certainly agree with the thought of swinging clevis conversion. Do you know of any 'options' which would allow a solid 'vertical hole hitch' to be converted into a swinging clevis hitch? I would have thought there would be something I could purchase that would simply bolt into the solid hitch, therein adding the 'swing' between the blade and tractor, but I don't see anything similar. I don't know that a 'shackle' between would work, but then again, I don't know that it wouldn't.

 

[Dadnatron]

I haven't yet. And that will be my first stop on the way home from work today.

 

[Dadnatron]

Have you checked your local tractor supply store. mine has several sizes in stock for about 1/2 the price you were quoted.

I haven't checked with them yet. I'll check with them tonight after work.

 

[k0ua]

I would take some 7018 at 125 amps to it and give it a go. Nothing to lose but a little time, and if it failed, so what? Bevel it good and just keep putting in the passes.

 

[bcp]

If it is a swinging drawbar, and you don't need the extreme positions, you could weld reinforcements on the side of the bar, too.

I've used two types of swinging drawbars. One that looks like this broken one, with one hole through the bar to hold the position. The other type appears stronger, with no location hole. It is held in place by two bolts or pins, one on each side. So maybe you could weld the hole at the break closed, too.

I've never seen a clevis conversion kit, but have seen many farm shop made ones. The shackle often won't work when the pin is the right size, as the eye end then won't fit through the implement or drawbar pin hole.

Bruce