Box Blade Hitch add-on

[RNeumann]

I keep my BB on year round and would like to add a 2" receiver to move things around the yard. I'd also like to create a little cargo box to that I can attach to the BB when I want to carry the chainsaw etc.

Anyone have photos of similar projects they have done? Looking for ideas- plus who doesn't like to show off their work!

 

[lpigott]

I plan on doing both of these, should be interesting to see what others have done.

 

[bcp]

A bunch of box blade hitches here:

site:http://www.tractorbynet.com box blade hitch - Google Search

A hitch mounted platform carrier could be used if you put a receiver on the box blade, instead of just a ball. Put a box on it.



Bruce

 

[Piston]

Well, I can't say I want to "show off" my work because my welding skills are less than stellar
However, here is how I added a 2" receiver to my BB.

I marked out the location and drilled out the four corners, then sawzall'd the opening, and welded in the receiver. I added a support bracket as well.










The only real considerations I had to be mindful of, were keeping the height of the hitch above the hinge for the rear blade, and since the hydraulic scarifiers could hit the receiver hitch portion that protrudes inside the box, I just had to make sure the hitch itself was "between" scarifiers.

Since these pics, I've replaced the trailer hitch with a 6" (maybe even 8"?) drop hitch. It works excellent.

 

[RSKY]

I put a receiver on top of my FEL bucket. Much easier to back things into position that one on the rear. Also much easier to temporarily hook up to something. Just drive up and raise the bucket. We are using it now to move a 42' lift around my daughters house for painting (yes, the 110-120 year old house is that tall). There is no way I could do that using a pickup or a hitch on the rear on my Kioti. Of course I wouldn't want to travel a long distance pushing something or dragging something in reverse.

RSKY

 

[RNeumann]

Thanks for the replies. The search link was broken bcp. I use an app called Tapatalk for TBN that doesn't have the same type search feature and going directly to the website didn't show much either.
Piston that looks good! I have hydraulic rippers too. I was hoping to also be able to drag logs etc if needed. I'm wondering if I would need to add bracing from the hitch to the front of the box near the 3pt attachment. Obviously you didn't. Was that ever a thought or concern? Maybe I'm overthinking/over engineering?
The FEL doesn't get me where I want to be. I change to the grapple and move logs for firewood etc. So a BB receiver mounted system would be great as I could add a tray or box to lug the saw, tools and fuel around while still using the FEL.

 

[Piston]

My intention for this hitch was mainly to use it for pulling my log splitter around. Of course the log splitter is relatively light at 500lbs or so, so keep in mind I'm not planning on skidding logs with it.

However, even with my elementary welding skills, using the bracket I feel it is structurally competent for considerable forces. I don't "think" you would need any more support than this.

I do tow around a small 700lb dump trailer but I don't do anything extremely heavy with it.

 

[bcp]

The link was working intermittently for me, too.

Copy this:

site:ht tp://www.tractorbynet.com box blade hitch

then go to Google image search, paste it, and delete the space in ht tp.

Bruce


TBN software keeps messing with it here, too.

 

[RNeumann]

Ok I did the google search and found some good ideas. I like the receiver through the moldboard idea. Adding the bracing will be a must for my needs.
I had an idea the tray I'm going to make would sit above the BB however it would be easy to just extend it off the back as shown above.

 

[dstig1]

I did the receiver on top of the bucket per many people here saying how wonderful it is. Problem is that it is too high for most all trailers. Unless you can find a 12"+ drop hitch to go with it, it won't work well. And then you will have a hard time seeing the ball to pick up the trailer. I think a better option for the bucket is a bracket or something that puts the ball down near the cutting edge. Maybe one of these days I will make one of those... Not directly on point, but just FYI.

 

[RNeumann]

I did the receiver on top of the bucket per many people here saying how wonderful it is. Problem is that it is too high for most all trailers. Unless you can find a 12"+ drop hitch to go with it, it won't work well. And then you will have a hard time seeing the ball to pick up the trailer. I think a better option for the bucket is a bracket or something that puts the ball down near the cutting edge. Maybe one of these days I will make one of those... Not directly on point, but just FYI.

Awesome info! Thx for sharing. Makes sense to me.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Adding receivers is still on my list, but I have added chainsaw scabbards to my carryall, box blade and chipper. Here is the box blade one:


and, the ones on the chipper chute and carryall:

 

[RNeumann]

Adding receivers is still on my list, but I have added chainsaw scabbards to my carryall, box blade and chipper. Here is the box blade one:
View attachment 523607

and, the ones on the chipper chute and carryall:
View attachment 523608View attachment 523609

I'd be interested to know how the scabbard was attached to the BB. It's hard to tell what is metal and what is wood. The scabbard looks good and looks like an easy addition.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I'd be interested to know how the scabbard was attached to the BB. It's hard to tell what is metal and what is wood. The scabbard looks good and looks like an easy addition.

Except for the screws, the only metal parts are the two shiny metal plates at the base (you can see one) of the uprights. The rest of the bracket is made from 1x6 PT deck board leftovers, with a couple of plywood strips as spacers in the chainsaw scabbard itself.
If I were doing it again, I think I'd build in storage space for my other chainsawing gear...all the rest of the bracket is currently just wasted space. Or, maybe make it a bin for a logging chain or two... I may someday get around to doing some mods.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I'd be interested to know how the scabbard was attached to the BB. It's hard to tell what is metal and what is wood. The scabbard looks good and looks like an easy addition.

Sorry, I didn't completely answer the question. The black, square pieces welded onto the BB and to which the chainsaw scabbard bracket is bolted were themselves a mod. Originally the BB came with pins supported at just the end, but these bent pretty fast. So, I had a neighbor weld on brackets with through-holes for lower hitch pins supported on both sides of the lower hitch arm balls. Because of the design of my BB, I think I could have attached my chainsaw scabbard bracket anyway, by drilling/bolting through the orange piece to which the aforementioned black pieces are welded.
I wanted the wooden pieces sandwiched between metal to make them more durable/stable, hence the shiny pieces (cut from an old aluminum scoop shovel that had given up the ghost).

Oh, I was lucky that the chainsaw still clears the back of the tractor cab and fender when the 3PH is fully raised; I didn't plan for that when I built it, so just lucked out!

 

[RNeumann]

Thx for the info. I'll look at my machine and see what I can come up with.

 

[California]

I found a scrap hitch mount that was L-shaped. I welded it on the back of my box blade. With several inches of vertical weld on each side of the vertical portion of the L, it's secure. However the lower part of the L where the ball is, doesn't stick out very far so it takes caution to not bind the trailer tongue. And that box blade is seldom on the tractor now so that didn't accomplish much.

That tractor came with a ball on top of its front loader (photo) but the ball is too high, I can't drive up to the trailer and just position the ball under the trailer hitch.


Shown below: Later I bought this smaller tractor and welded this ball where it is used with the bucket rolled all the way forward. This is ideal for my use, even occasionally for towing the trailer backward into the orchard to harvest family trees near the house. It's quicker to hitch this up compared to swapping whatever rear implement to install my 3-point crossbar that has a hitch ball. This is also more precise for putting away the trailer in its very narrow parking stall.

Here's the post where I first posted that photo, with some comments by me and others that might be helpful.

 

[Glassback]

Old thread but got some ideas from here. I wanted to see if I could make my hitch tube removable when I wasn't using it so it wouldn't get in the way of material or be clogged up. I was able to use a 24" hitch tube that slides through the a hole in the blade and pins into the inverted ripper shank. Works well and I can pull it when not in use.

 

[Citydude]

Old thread but got some ideas from here. I wanted to see if I could make my hitch tube removable when I wasn't using it so it wouldn't get in the way of material or be clogged up. I was able to use a 24" hitch tube that slides through the a hole in the blade and pins into the inverted ripper shank. Works well and I can pull it when not in use.

View attachment 685329View attachment 685330View attachment 685331View attachment 685332View attachment 685333View attachment 685334View attachment 685335View attachment 685336

Very clever idea! Thanks for posting.

 

[Glassback]

Very clever idea! Thanks for posting.

Thanks Citydude!

Here's a couple more picts from a little further back with and without the tube.