3point - hitch - keep front end on ground?

[Anonymous Poster]

Ok... I used the deck of my mower to move roughy 8-9 cinder blokcs. And just this little weight caused my front end to float. Even bounce off the ground(very slow speeds).

This got me to thinking. If I use my tracotr to move around my car hauler trailer, 16ft, would I be able to keep the front tires of the tractor on thee ground?

Thanks
Ken H.

 

[thcri]

Ken,

I am assuming your 16ft trailer would be hooked to the hitch by a ball. The weight there would be a lot closer to the axle and there fore not effect it as much. But that doesn't mean your out of trouble. The farther the weight is out from the tractor the more effect it will have on your tractor. I would just be careful.

murph

 

[BB_TX]

Unloaded, the trailer will probably be not be much problem. The tongue weight is probably less that the 8-9 cinder blocks. And as previously stated, the connection point will be closer to the tractor. If it is loaded, then it will depend on the loaded tongue weight.

 

[Soundguy]

Exactly like the other guys said.. think in terms of tounge weight, this is what the tractor will feel. a 16' trailer.. like.. 7000# gross.. loaded with? Gonna guess tounge weight in the 400-700 pound regions. Think of that as a real heavy 3pt implimint, and load your front end with the correct ballast for that weight. Also, might i suggest you use your swinging drawbar... not the 3pt hitch drawbar... pulling loads from points above your axle can cause tractor flips... if you have no swinging drawbar, you may want to meld a ball mount or receiver mount to your box blade.. then youe your 3pt lift to lift it.. the box blade will act as a wheele bar for you... keep in mind this moves the weight another 18" os so out... might not work if your tractor is small.. just depends on what kind of weight you need out front.

Alternately there is a trailer dolley witha front wheel.. makes moving your trailer a breeze... the front wheel takes the tounge weight, and the tractor is just the thing pulling it around...


good luck, and be safe!
Soundguy

 

[rmorgan]

Ken--

Addition of front weights is pretty common practice. If I'm going to have rock or dirt behind the tractor with the FEL off I use 120# which is on the low end of what others on TBN use. Of course, your mower is already heavy, and you obviously had it lifted off the ground, so you were asking the tractor to do a lot of counterbalancing.

 

[frank_f15]

u need some weight on the front end, do u have a loader for it? when i had my 2n i had just the opposit problem. the old loader on it weighed so much it was always taking the weight off the back end , decreasing my traction.

 

[GlennT]

I have a very light tractor--a John Deere Model 670 and I have frequent problems with weight on the hitch. Part of this is due to the fact that I have a quick hitch and this increases the leverage. I keep 200 pounds of suitcase weights on the front at all times and this helps, but when I hook up to my Valby Model 140 chipper or my box blade the front end becomes VERY light and I have to be careful. When I back into a pile of dirt or gravel with my rear scoop, the front end usually wants to rise off of the ground and I have to move forward slightly to loosen the material and reduce the weight. I pull a 16 foot flatbed regularly with the tractor and there is no problem whatsoever with power; however, when I load the flatbed with logs and such, I have to be very careful about balancing the load--too much on the tongue and the front of the tractor is in the air; too much behind the trailer wheels and the tractor doesn't have any traction. These are things you live with when you have a small tractor and you get used to them. Am I going to trade Johnny for something bigger--NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

 

[Egon]

Add a FEL and all your problems can be solved very easily.

Egon

 

[normde2001]

A properly balanced/loaded trailer should have some tongue weight, but no more than 200#. If the trailer is properly balanced, and assuming you have removed the mower, you should not have a problem.