Bucket mounted, class III, receiver hitch

[Corm]

Chris, you could always put the bolts in upside down. That way only the bolt heads would be inside the bucket.

Corm

 

[cstocks]

That's a thought.

Corm, Mark - thanks for the input.

 

[GaryM]

Or just cut the bolt to length so that it just protruded from the nut a couple of threads. I'd do that even if I put the heads inside the bucket.

Did you use locking nuts?

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

You ought to be able to buy close enough to the exact length bolts you need that with a couple flat washers you could use an acorn nut. No exposed threads and no really sharp edges. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif

 

[Inspector507]

Gary,
I like acorn nuts. Seems if there is a burr, sharp edge, or exposed bolt I'll snag something on it. Usually my skin. There's enough layers of skin, you can lose a few now and then and still be OK, right? /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[bnixon]

Hey Chris,

How would you bolt that on with the pipe top bucket?

I am assuming your bucket is like mine with the pipe across the top!

 

[cstocks]

Good question, Brandon! I haven't laid eyes on my tractor in three weeks so I did not even think about the design of the bucket. But now that you mention it the pipe top on the bucket could be a problem. Hmmmm.

I am picking up my tractor in Ark. this weekend and bringing it home so I will eyeball it and give it some more thought then. Thanks for bringing this small detail to my attention.

 

[snooks]

I am considering mounting a receiver hitch on the bottom side of my bucket. Of coarse I would have to unbolt it when not in use, but the reason is so I can put one of those cargo carriers on the bucket modified with a railing in order to lift a person up to trim trees and hedges. The bucket would serve as part of the area where tools and supplies are put, thereby extending the work platform. Anyone try this? Is this a bad idea?

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I would sure want you to consider the leveraging effect that extending the weight of a human platform and a man out from your bucket will have. Also, consider that the only support you have is in the center while the man in the bucket will likely be moving side to side putting a lot of torque on that single receiver. Add to those considerations what you might think the strength of the metal on the bottom of your bucket is when subjected to all of that. Personally, when I consider all of those things I wouldn't want to be the one on that platform. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Some TBN'ers have made some outstanding man lifts for their tractors you might be able to find doing a search here. Good luck. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Spencer]

Snooks,
I started out to make my personnel lift using a 2" receiver tube.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=buildit&Number=160147&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=7&o=0&fpart=>http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=buildit&Number=160147&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=7&o=0&fpart=</A>

A lot of people suggested that it would not be the way to go and I proved that for myself. The lift I ended up with is very sturdy and I am completely happy with it.

 

[snooks]

I guess that is why I am an accountant and not an engineer. I really appreciate your input and will certainly rethink what I am trying to do. I have seen some of the man lifts through out the web site and I'll consider that again. I will need to either find a person to weld it for me or find a way to create it without welding.

Thanks

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Or, you could do what I'm doing and sign up for a welding class. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Then you can build your own. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif

 

[snooks]

Good suggestion. I coud see myself buying a welder after I get my pole barn finished. Then I would have a place to use it.

 

[BigEddy]

Personally I think that JimC's solution with the receiver sticking "up" and the ball facing backwards is the best. Then by tilting the bucket forward you can lower the ball almost to the ground, rather than having it always at least as high as the top of the bucket. And it's out of the way for bucket use.

Out comes the welder tonight. I have a nice piece of sq tubing just waiting to be put on. Will solve my problem of how to pull my trailer to the dump spot after I've loaded it with the hoe. Moving a whole trailer load is much faster than piling it then using the bucket, but not if I have to remove the hoe to pull the trailer!!.

Foolish me - I was trying to figure out how to put a ball on my hoe.

BigEddy

 

[BigEddy]

Okay - sticking the receiver up isn't as good an idea as I thought it would be. Sure I can tilt the bucket 90 degrees down and get the ball to ground level, but now I want to use the loader to dump the trailer, and when I lift the loader - well there isn't any more bucket dump available to point the ball down at the trailer and it binds.

So now I've changed my opinion -having the ball stick out front is better. However I would prefer to have it "ground level" for 2 reasons - the bucket lip is much stronger than the top edge, and I have some low trailers to pull.
Maybe I'll mount a Class 2 receiver right to the cutting edge.

Thoughts?

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Afternoon Eddy,

Let's assume that there reciever is to be used for more than one thingy dingy, alright?

Let's put it up top, maybe two if you got the time and talent.

For trailering take a piece of two inch eleven gauge square tubing. Cut it a couple of places so that when you got it welded back up it looks like a Z that someone got feeling real strong with and jerked out a whack.

The one end will fit in your reciever at the top of the bucket. The vertical part of the Z, hurt piece, comes down from the top piece to the deck of the bucket. Then the bottom piece comes out along the bottom of the bucket and holds the ball.

Your reciever is up out of the way. Your ball is down and the strongest part of your bucket is supporting it. Now if you are worried about tweak and twist then you can weld a piece of angle on the bottom piece so that when you slide the insert into the reciever you push it in level and the angle contacts the bottom of the bucket and the leading edge.

One thing I've found is if the trailering thingy dingy is off center then it's easier to guide them nasty old trailers into place. With two recievers on top you do have the option of picking your poison you might say when putting the trailer into position. Sometimes it's just easier if you are off center, sorta like life in general. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I do believe putting a reciever on the bucket just for trailer manuevering is like buying a truck to haul groceries. It makes sense, but still a waste in a way. I mean heck you could put a winch on a reciever for the pickemup and one day you might find yourself in a place where that winch and the frontloader might be just what the doctor ordered.

I've got a skid steer. They're a tractor with a squatty body and an attitude to match. I have quick attach forks. For moving the trailers from goosenecks to single axles I have a piece of quarter wall two by six tubing about four foot long. I have a piece of round stock welded at the end, about inch and a half diameter. I drive them forks right up the tubing, well, one of them anyway. The I have this little pin contraption that's mounted permanent on the tubing. I pull the pin, turn it ninety, and it keeps the tubing from sliding off the forks.

It's about as handy as a pocket on a shirt.

 

[BigEddy]

Okay - Now you have me thinking.
Why not just weld the 2 1/4" sq tubing (receiver) to the inside of the bucket side wall? Could put on twins - one each side. Can pick either side to use, have it mounted to the bucket side which is even stronger than the lip, and I can mount it at whatever height I want! I'll have to mount the drawbar pin vertically - but my 3 in 1 ball is drilled both ways anyway. And having the receiver on the bucket side isn't going to interfere with the normal bucket function anywhere near as much as it would in the centre of the bucket lip.

Before I go back out and weld again, I need other thoughts. Is pulling from the bucket side going to be too far off-centre? Any concerns about the loader strength?
I suppose with twins I could fabricate a U shaped bar with balls mounted just about anywhere including right in the middle. Now we're cooking with gas!
wroughtn_harv - as always you have an innovative solution to every problem.

Big Eddy

 

[gerard]

I like harvs suggestion about just making the drop, also I THINK when he was talking about an off center one he was only talking a few inches. Putting one all the way on one side of the bucket may be ok for a light trailer just to move it around but I wouldn't want that as my only option. A heavy trailer would be torquing the bucket too much for my liking!