FEL Bucket Hooks Safety Issue

[RonR]

Like many of you, I made the bucket hook mod one of the first changes I change to my new CUT.

Today, I was moving my small sailboat on a trailer. The boat/trailer weighs less than 1000 pounds, so I just hooked a chain around the trailer tongue and to one of the chain hook.

Hopped on and backed it where I was planning to park it. Since the ground was soft, the tires hung up, the tongue rose, and the roller mounts at the back of the trailer (about 6 inch long bolts) dug into the ground. The trailer stopped cold.

Since I was turning, and the chain was on the inside hook, before I knew it, the right rear tire was about a foot off the ground. WOW!

I was quick enough to get my tractor stopped, but amazed how fast all that happened.

I learned my lesson --will never hook to just one hook on something like this again....

Stay Safe.

Ron

 

[sandyc]

Ron
I too tried to move a trailer using the chain to FEL method. After that I put a 2 inch ball mount on the rear of my 2200. It may be a bit of a pain to hook up but the tongue stays put when I move the trailer around.
My cost for using a chain on the tongue was to replace the hitch on the tongue.....guess the learning experience is worth it.