Drawbar towing.

[TDNelin]

Sold my BX 25 "starter" tractor and upgraded to new L6060 with cat 1 3 pt drawbar hitch supplied by dealer. Tnought I was getting a cat 2 drawbar atrachment. The cat 1 has eleven 3/4 inch holes. I want to attach both 2 inch and 2 5/16 balls for moving wood chipper, splitter, empty flatbed trailer ( approx 3000 lbs with no load ). Tractor rear wheels are loaded. 2 inch ball is available with 3/4 shaft but smallest 2 5/16 ball comes in 1 inch shaft and up. So, can I drill one of the holes up to 1 inch or will I weaken the drawbar significantly? Are there other options, perhaps a way to attach a 2 inch hitch receiver to this drawbar? I have front pallet forks that I could possibly weld a receiver hitch to. Appreciate all thoughts, comments. Thank you.

If you can weld/fabricate, just make up a drawbar that attaches to your three-point hitch. Make it so you can install any ball you might need!

 

[TDNelin]

Ever heard of a "Bridge Reamer"...

Ever heard of a "Bridge Reamer"...

Sounds like you have a problem with government regulations on firearms! If so, then you are obligated to come up with a solution to the problem.

 

[MTGreen]

Sounds like you have a problem with government regulations on firearms! If so, then you are obligated to come up with a solution to the problem.

This is a bridge reamer
I must be missing something here because I totally fail to understand how that relates to firearm politics which is a prohibited topic on TBN

 

[LouNY]

Sounds like you have a problem with government regulations on firearms! If so, then you are obligated to come up with a solution to the problem.

What the heck!!!!

 

[howardjohn]

I have the 3 point attachment that has the 2: receiver. It is handy because I have a few different trailers/log splitter that use different balls. I also use it with stabilizers so the hitch does not swing right and left too much. I do not move heavy loaded trailers with it so I ca not speak to how much strain it puts on the tractor. The one nice thing is that you can move the hitch up and down with the 3 point. I also use a clamp on to the bucket 2" receiver on my skid steer. It work good but again my trailers are not that heavy

 

[PEJ5]

I added a 2 foot long, 2" hitch draw bar to the Cat1 drawbar, along with extra steel, then built a set of forms around it, and filled the forms with concrete. No trailer I have towed has been able to lift the 1300 pound counterweight.

 

[UncleW]

Ever heard of a "Bridge Reamer"...

I’ve used those to line up 5/8” holes in receiver hitch implements (tractor, not on-road)—works great

I’m sure you could get a 1” hole with one, but I’d worry about thinning the drawbar and making a weak spot. I tend to be (overly) cautious about drilling or welding stuff that can cause damage if it breaks. Maybe just me

 

[HippieFarmer]

If you were willing to weld a receiver to one of your pallet forks, just burn a hole through the end of one of them, instead, and bolt your ball through that when you need it.

 

[Powderdreams]

They were intended for tongue-pulled implements using a clevis hitch and pin. For use with a ball, they should be stabilized. Some use clamps that fit the draft links and others have an upright for the top link.

Or just follow "best practice" and buy a "trailer mover."

Bruce

Okay, please educate me. Per the implement dealer I purchased this equipment from, I connect my 15 ft batwing rotary mower's yoke directly to the drawbar on my M7040 by dropping a pin through the holes in each component. Help me to understand my error.

 

[Powderdreams]

I misinterpreted your comment.

 

[Gord Baker]

If it is for temporary moving of a trailer, get 1 of the End holes bored out to 1-1/16". Leave the 2-5/16 Ball in place.

 

[troverman]

I pull a 30-foot gooseneck trailer that weighs 6,000lbs empty with both my L4060 and MX6000 tractors, using the simple 3-point hitch attachment pictured earlier in this thread. That attachment uses the lower arms and upper link so the hitch cannot spin around, with the GN ball on the top. Like the unit pictured, it also has the 2" receiver and the bale spear holes. Mine is extremely heavy duty and works very well. The trailer behind the tractor usually gets loaded to about 10,000 lbs. I stay off hills as the trailer brakes won't work with the tractor. There's no worry of the 3 point going up too far because using the gooseneck you are almost using all of the upward travel anyway. The nice thing with this attachment is you can back right under a trailer and lift the ball into the trailer.

 

[4Liberty]

My experience with 3 point moving trailer…level ground ok or back down the hill. I almost ended up dead. If it weren’t for the tail of the trailer digging in when the trailer pushed the 3 point to the top of its travel, broke the ball and started up over the tires (towards me) I wouldn’t be here to write this. It happens fast beware.

 

[jack32008]

I am guessing that you are referring to this type of "drawbar"
View attachment 839075

The lower bar in this picture is the actual drawbar.
View attachment 839077

When using a pull point attached to the 3 point just be aware that there is NO hold down force in the 3 point assembly.
While 3 point hitches are handy and versatile they do require one step often over looked, a chain or other travel limiting device needs to be used to prevent trailer loading from lifting the drawbars and raming things into undesired locations such as fender and fuel tanks.

In this picture at the bottom of the picture you can see the clevis attached to the tractors drawbar and to hooks in the hitch to limit upward movement.
View attachment 839078

another view showing the chains getting tight at the top of the 3 point lift
View attachment 839079

That's a good looking, useful, well-designed 3-PT 'towing accessory' as I've ever seen (much better than the old HF one I'm currently using). Any chance you have a link to where one might find more information about it?

Thanks in advance...

 

[henerythe8th]

Sounds like you have a problem with government regulations on firearms! If so, then you are obligated to come up with a solution to the problem.

What does that mean?

 

[4Liberty]

What does that mean?

I’m in suspense

 

[Hermio]

Sold my BX 25 "starter" tractor and upgraded to new L6060 with cat 1 3 pt drawbar hitch supplied by dealer. Tnought I was getting a cat 2 drawbar atrachment. The cat 1 has eleven 3/4 inch holes. I want to attach both 2 inch and 2 5/16 balls for moving wood chipper, splitter, empty flatbed trailer ( approx 3000 lbs with no load ). Tractor rear wheels are loaded. 2 inch ball is available with 3/4 shaft but smallest 2 5/16 ball comes in 1 inch shaft and up. So, can I drill one of the holes up to 1 inch or will I weaken the drawbar significantly? Are there other options, perhaps a way to attach a 2 inch hitch receiver to this drawbar? I have front pallet forks that I could possibly weld a receiver hitch to. Appreciate all thoughts, comments. Thank you.

I would never tow with a ball mounted on a lower link drawbar. The drawbar can rotate and put undue stress on the ball shank. And when you are braking going downhill, the drawbar can rise up, letting the back end of the trailer drop down and possibly damaging the tractor. You should only use the drawbar that has a rigid mount to the rear axle area. These are easily removed if you need to use the 3-point hitch.

 

[Rob REECE]

Sold my BX 25 "starter" tractor and upgraded to new L6060 with cat 1 3 pt drawbar hitch supplied by dealer. Tnought I was getting a cat 2 drawbar atrachment. The cat 1 has eleven 3/4 inch holes. I want to attach both 2 inch and 2 5/16 balls for moving wood chipper, splitter, empty flatbed trailer ( approx 3000 lbs with no load ). Tractor rear wheels are loaded. 2 inch ball is available with 3/4 shaft but smallest 2 5/16 ball comes in 1 inch shaft and up. So, can I drill one of the holes up to 1 inch or will I weaken the drawbar significantly? Are there other options, perhaps a way to attach a 2 inch hitch receiver to this drawbar? I have front pallet forks that I could possibly weld a receiver hitch to. Appreciate all thoughts, comments. Thank you.

Just get the three point receiver attachment for a tractor. I have one and it works great.

 

[LouNY]

That's a good looking, useful, well-designed 3-PT 'towing accessory' as I've ever seen (much better than the old HF one I'm currently using). Any chance you have a link to where one might find more information about it?

Thanks in advance...

What would you like to know. It was my second design for a three point trailer hitch.

My first was just a ball for a qooseneck on a quick hitch and we would wrap a chain around and down to the drawbar for safety

This was the second build for handling most all trailers, the yellow legs are just pined so they are easy to remove or repin with the base higher in the air. They can be removed or left on as desired and they also help hold the hitch up for hooking up to the tractor with or without a trailer attached.

I pull a 30-foot gooseneck trailer that weighs 6,000lbs empty with both my L4060 and MX6000 tractors, using the simple 3-point hitch attachment pictured earlier in this thread. That attachment uses the lower arms and upper link so the hitch cannot spin around, with the GN ball on the top. Like the unit pictured, it also has the 2" receiver and the bale spear holes. Mine is extremely heavy duty and works very well. The trailer behind the tractor usually gets loaded to about 10,000 lbs. I stay off hills as the trailer brakes won't work with the tractor. There's no worry of the 3 point going up too far because using the gooseneck you are almost using all of the upward travel anyway. The nice thing with this attachment is you can back right under a trailer and lift the ball into the trailer.

There is no limiter built into the tractors 3 point to stop the arms from lifting from an external source. The hydraulics will only lift so far but the arms can usually be forced past that point easily.

My experience with 3 point moving trailer…level ground ok or back down the hill. I almost ended up dead. If it weren’t for the tail of the trailer digging in when the trailer pushed the 3 point to the top of its travel, broke the ball and started up over the tires (towards me) I wouldn’t be here to write this. It happens fast beware.

Which is why I always recommend a chain from the hitch down to a solid part of the tractor to prevent the three point from being lifted past it's design height.

 

[jack32008]

I was hoping it would be an item I could order online. Nicely done!!!

A lot of you fellas (and gals?) on TBM have lots of talent, common-sense, and wisdom on full display. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us less worthy, non-welding, tractor rookies...