Front 3pt Hitch

Mark Page · Jul 28, 2012

Why not build a tractor with the 3pt hitch on the front. It would make it easier to hook up implements, see what your doing when mowing, pushing or blowing snow, digging post holes, grading gravel or a million other things. Probably be worthless for plowing. It works pretty well on BobCats, why not tractors?

mdelmarcelle · Jul 28, 2012

You may be aware of this already, but this is an option on larger tractors. And on those tractors, the front hitch can hold quite a bit of weight.

I'm guessing the reasons you don't see it on smaller ag tractors or utility tractors are:
- Additional complexity would add unreasonable cost at that price range
- Utility tractors don't have front frames and axles heavy enough to support a front hitch (but they do handle front loaders which may mean they are heavy enough)
- You can't really see better when the implement is up front. I have an FEL on my tractor and one of the things I don't like is I can't see where exactly the bucket edge is while I'm sitting on the tractor. When I have something on the rear 3pt, I can generally see exactly what it's doing be just turning around and looking down (but it is challenging to drive straight forward while looking backwards).

jimmyj · Jul 28, 2012

I was just thinking about this for light duty work the other day. I have a long lane with gravel on it that I level with a box blade. For the finishing work, it would be great to be able to push the bb along.

Zebrafive · Jul 28, 2012

It's an option for my JD 6415. They even have a version that folds up out of the way for front end loader use. There is also a front PTO option

woodlandfarms · Jul 28, 2012

My tractor is fully frontloaded. Just like a skid steer. Currently designing a 3pt hitch for the rear.. Why? because using the FEL arms to push a box blade or similar gear doesn't work. the geometry of an FEL creates a tendancy for the tractor to climb up and over the box blade in float mode. Now mowers, it is complete heaven. having the mower out front is great... I would think, though, that you guys with a single wheel hog would have to modify to a 2 caster wheel system... lots of pressure on a front mower... I also have an 8ft york rake that, with wheels, works like a charm out front...

nybirdman · Jul 28, 2012

Quite common on tractors in Europe...just starting to see it on the larger AG tractors over here.

npalen · Jul 28, 2012

Some cool front hitch stuff!
Laforge Front 3-Point Systems

WilliamBos · Jul 28, 2012

MK Martin here in Ontario makes them.

MK Martin | Front Mount Kit

Zuidberg in Holland makes them.

Frontlinkage en Front PTO Systems - Zuidberg Frontline Systems

Can get them on the 5400 series MF tractors.

JC-jetro · Jul 29, 2012

Mark Page said:
Why not build a tractor with the 3pt hitch on the front. It would make it easier to hook up implements, see what your doing when mowing, pushing or blowing snow, digging post holes, grading gravel or a million other things. Probably be worthless for plowing. It works pretty well on BobCats, why not tractors?

That's exactly what I was planning to do. I was planning to use my old HF quick hitch , design, build and weld a bracket system that would fit Skid steer quick attach for my Kubota L4600 to allow use of landscaping rake and boom pole.

JC,

bcp · Jul 29, 2012

JC-jetro said:
That's exactly what I was planning to do. I was planning to use my old HF quick hitch , design, build and weld a bracket system that would fit Skid steer quick attach for my Kubota L4600 to allow use of landscaping rake and boom pole.

JC,

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/93910-best-3-pt-adapter-skid.html#post1064264

JoeinTX · Jul 29, 2012

Yes, it's rather more common for tractors in Europe. Note however that you see that normally on 100+ HP tractors in Europe, not smaller tractors which are still sporting FELs. In Europe the land is worked much more intensively than we do here in North America or Australia. The front mount 3 pt is for adding another tool to the average field pass rather than for utility use. You see front mounted moldboard plows in Europe. You see front mounted disc mowers in Europe. Fuel consumption and compaction are bigger problems in Europe than they are us here thus the idea of combining as many functions as possible in any given field pass make the front 3pt realistic.

The front 3pt isn't as practical as the FEL for most jobs.

boggen · Jul 29, 2012

power-trac (manufacture) makes tractors with all front mounted equipment / implements / attachments. much like a skid steer and having all front mounted stuff. but larger sizes and more built for what a tractor might do.

a generic tractor = a multi purpose tool, it only depends on what you attach to it, in what you can do with it.

WilliamBos · Jul 29, 2012

Most tractors with front 3 point also have loaders. Front hitches are more versatile than loaders, loaders are single dimensional.

JoeinTX said:
Yes, it's rather more common for tractors in Europe. Note however that you see that normally on 100+ HP tractors in Europe, not smaller tractors which are still sporting FELs. In Europe the land is worked much more intensively than we do here in North America or Australia. The front mount 3 pt is for adding another tool to the average field pass rather than for utility use. You see front mounted moldboard plows in Europe. You see front mounted disc mowers in Europe. Fuel consumption and compaction are bigger problems in Europe than they are us here thus the idea of combining as many functions as possible in any given field pass make the front 3pt realistic.

The front 3pt isn't as practical as the FEL for most jobs.

JC-jetro · Jul 29, 2012

bcp said:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/93910-best-3-pt-adapter-skid.html#post1064264

Cool

Thanks for sharing, exactly what I wanted to do with the exception of making the back plate out of to 6" heavy duty structural C channels.

Jc,

jim_wilson · Jul 29, 2012

WilliamBos said:
MK Martin here in Ontario makes them.

MK Martin | Front Mount Kit

Zuidberg in Holland makes them.

Frontlinkage en Front PTO Systems - Zuidberg Frontline Systems

Can get them on the 5400 series MF tractors.

That MK/Martin setup looks intriqueing - and I think the large B setup would work on my Kubota B3200

Any idea how much these go for?

WilliamBos · Jul 29, 2012

jim_wilson said:
That MK/Martin setup looks intriqueing - and I think the large B setup would work on my Kubota B3200

Any idea how much these go for?

When I priced one for our 1523, it would be around $4,000, but that included the front PTO, which runs off the mid PTO.

jim_wilson · Jul 29, 2012

WilliamBos said:
When I priced one for our 1523, it would be around $4,000, but that included the front PTO, which runs off the mid PTO.

Yikes!.

Like somebody earlier in this thread mentioned: I don't think most compact tractors are made to handle the kind of weight on the front end as they are on the back end. The loader rating sort of doesn't count - since the loader arms are mounted further back on the frame than the front mount 3pt would be. I would like a front mount 3pt just to do simple things - like pick and move an implement ( I think just an implement itself wouldn't exceed the weight rating of the front of the tractor). But I don't see that being worth $4k.

What I'd really like is some sort of setup where I could just use the same 3pt arms on the front - as get used on the rear. If you setup the hydraulics properly you could probably make it so that it just simply wouldn't lift anything that exceeded the weight limits on the front of the tractor.