Best Attachments to start with?

BLSXJ · Nov 24, 2016

Thanks for all the input.
My plan at this point cosidering Cost vs benifit
1) watch the classifieds for attachments!
2) Build a "trailer mover" that will double as a log drag and weight holder (i have 150lbs of suitcase weights for the lawn tractor that need a home for the summer)
3) covert my driveway drag to a 3 point connection. it does a good job smoothing the gravel.
4) SSQA and pallet forks and possibly a stump bucket

After that I'll start looking harder at rear blades, chippers, and snow blowers (in that order)

airbiscuit · Nov 24, 2016

A trailer mover like this ...
OMNI Combo Imatch with Integrated Weight rack - OMNI Mfg LLC

BrokeFarmerJohn · Nov 24, 2016

Glad to see pallet forks on the list, I never realized how much I could use them till I got them lol, be sure to get the standard/heavy duty ones and not the light duty, from what I see the light duty forks slide on a solid rail where the standard forks lock, on top of being heavier built

DieselBound · Nov 24, 2016

My main implement was my rotary cutter. I later picked up a box blade and a rear grader blade; these came as a package deal- I was after the box blade. I think I used the grader blade once, maybe twice.

The best bang for the buck was my tooth bar. I didn't get one for the first couple of years. I wish that I'd had it right from the start. Makes for prodding, snagging and pushing things around a whole lot easier, not to mention using it to rip ground (a bit) and to cut into the ground to allow for easier scooping. I had (and still have) a lot of wood debris. A flat edge on the bucket doesn't work very well to deal with this kind of stuff. Now that I have a grapple, which required a bigger tractor (my Kioti), it'll be even easier to deal with stuff like this.

Also have a set of 3pt pallet forks. These don't work very well on the 3pt, but I have gotten a fair amount of use out of them by chaining them to my loader bucket (via center grab hook- good call by the person saying to get grab hooks on the bucket- many will shriek at the "safety" issues- ignore them and just use common sense while you are productive). I now have SSQA pallet forks for the Kioti; this is because I now have a very defined and important need for pallet forks (firewood handling/storage stuff).

N80 · Nov 27, 2016

Here is what I have in order of the frequency of use:

6' rotary cutter
6' box blade
7' disk
7' landscape rake
300# capacity spreader
2 bottom plow

I have the rotary cutter because that is the primary reason I have a tractor. However, in terms of versatility I find the box blade to be indispensable. It stays of the back of my tractor if for nothing other than a counterweight.

Get a reasonably sturdy one. My tractor is 45 hp and could probably damage a flimsy one that snagged a rock or stump. Mine is a Bush Hog brand and is pretty beefy. The extra weight helps it engage and function better as a counter weight. My only complaint is that its teeth don't extend as far down as I'd like them to.

powerscol · Dec 1, 2016

I second the getting of the SSQA for the front and rent. That way you know what fits and you can get some great deals out of a rental fleet if you shop and check paperwork. It will also give you the opportunity to check out features you may want, such as a set of rear remotes - 2 sets are better - the the world opens up on what you can do.

BLSXJ · Jan 8, 2018

Well, its been over a year since this thread died... But I figured it might be worth a quick update.

The 1st attachment I bought was a 6ft rear scraper blade, that pivots at both the tractor and blade end. I bought old, heavy and cheap. I had to replace all the pivot pins, and 3 point pins... but all in all I got it for a fair price and its 1st use fixed a major drainage issue that would wash out my drive way. I haven't used it for snow removal, but an excellent start to turning the tractor into a versatile machine.

Attachment #2 is a home built trailer mover for the 3 point hitch. I built it myself and incorporated a 2" receiver, grab hooks for chain, two loops for rope or hooks, a rack for suitcase weights and a goose neck trailer ball. All in all... this is what normally lives on the back of the tractor. Every tractor owner should have one.

Attachment #3 was the SSQA adapter and a set of pallet forks. Wow.... the pallet foks have been great for picking rocks out of the ground, moving basically anything that doesn't go in the tractor bucket. the SSQA conversion of the tractor was a 30 minute job... the SSQA plate onto my existing bucket was a full day of grinding.... but probably still worth converting versus buying a new bucket.

Attachment #4 just arrived a month ago... a 72" snowblower. I've only used it twice.. but I like it so far.... way faster and easier then the lawn tractor contraption I've used before.

So that's where I'm at. Come spring I will likely be searching for a wood chipper.

Cheers, hopefully this helps someone down the road

airbiscuit · Jan 8, 2018

Please post a pic of your trailer mover

TerryR · Jan 8, 2018

BLSXJ said:
Attachment #2 is a home built trailer mover for the 3 point hitch. I built it myself and incorporated a 2" receiver, grab hooks for chain, two loops for rope or hooks, a rack for suitcase weights and a goose neck trailer ball. All in all... this is what normally lives on the back of the tractor. Every tractor owner should have one.

Wouldn't one have to have a trailer before that's useful?

TnAndy · Jan 8, 2018

airbiscuit said:
Please post a pic of your trailer mover

Here is mine. Nice thing about a 2" receiver is you can use it for lots of other stuff besides moving trailers. Here, for example is my custom field fence 'un-roller'.....

and potato hiller:

You can come up with lots of uses for it.

k0ua · Jan 8, 2018

TnAndy said:
Here is mine. Nice thing about a 2" receiver is you can use it for lots of other stuff besides moving trailers. Here, for example is my custom field fence 'un-roller'.....

and potato hiller:

You can come up with lots of uses for it.

You are well on your way. Thanks for posting again. I put a two inch receiver into my ballast barrel. Comes in handy.

BLSXJ · Jan 15, 2018

as requested, here's the trailer mover I built.

its all 3/8 or 1/2 inch material.

CADplans · Jan 15, 2018

BLSXJ said:
as requested, here's the trailer mover I built.

its all 3/8 or 1/2 inch material.

View attachment 535846

Have you found any secondary uses for yours??

Mine works great as a painting stand,,,,

fried1765 · Jan 15, 2018

CADplans said:
Have you found any secondary uses for yours??

Mine works great as a painting stand,,,,

That Gravely is looking sharp!!!

CADplans · Jan 15, 2018

fried1765 said:
That Gravely is looking sharp!!!

It looks better with all of the "bits" bolted back on,,,

That Gravely only had 61 original hours,, heck, I might have drained the original oil out of it,,,

It truly deserved a little paint,,,

I was given my first Gravely by a neighbor in 1983,,, but,,
of all of the Gravely's that I have owned,, this 5665 is the best one EVER!!

fried1765 · Jan 15, 2018

CADplans said:
It looks better with all of the "bits" bolted back on,,,

That Gravely only had 61 original hours,, heck, I might have drained the original oil out of it,,,

It truly deserved a little paint,,,

I was given my first Gravely by a neighbor in 1983,,, but,,
of all of the Gravely's that I have owned,, this 5665 is the best one EVER!!

I think mine is the same (12HP Kohler?) model, but with dual wheels.
I bought mine new (1989?), have about 70 hours on it, and now I never use it (battery is removed).
Mine basically looks like new, because it has always been stored inside.
I was considering selling it, but asked my 51 year old son, and he asked me to keep it.
I'll bet you absolutely love the steering brake; I know that I do.

BLSXJ · Jan 15, 2018

CADplans said:
Have you found any secondary uses for yours??

I have a forged hook that goes in the 2" reciever that I used with a brush grubber for pulling out small stumps

all the grab hooks and loops make it easy to drag anything behind the tractor (logs mostly)

I find the real value is being able to move trailers around the yard, without getting out of the seat. drive up, lower the 3pt, watch behind as you back up tot eh trailer, lift the 3 point, move trailer... drop 3pt. I've only seen one better option, and that was a hitch ball on the bucket of a back hoe!

CADplans · Jan 15, 2018

BLSXJ said:
I have a forged hook that goes in the 2" reciever that I used with a brush grubber for pulling out small stumps

all the grab hooks and loops make it easy to drag anything behind the tractor (logs mostly)

Mine is CATII,, it is designed to be used behind my 584 IH,,,
before I would use it for much stump removal,, I think I would need to add some gussets etc,,,

Mine was originally built for some simple trailer moving,, not high power yanking, twisting, and pulling.
if I hooked a stump to mine as it sits, surely the stump would tear it apart,,,