New Hitch for FEL

[BANDAMAN]

I sure like those receivers welded to the bucket! Since I haven't got around to that yet, I just use the hook on my bucket. I've got 3 tow hooks bolted to the top of my bucket on my BX2230. I simply roll the bucket forward and drive under the boat hitch, then place the center hook under the hitch and lift. My Baja is 4500 lbs, and I move it where ever I want. My boat is 25' long and the garage is about 25' 1"....The boat is also about 105" wide and the door is only 108"....so you can tell its a very tight fit. I've put the boat in there with my truck once and it took me a spotter and about 45 minutes of cussing to manuever it in there. Now I do it with the bota in 5 minutes by myself.....very handy, and to me a necessity!

I can even manuever it nice and close to the wall to make the most of my tight garage space. if I get the tandem axle trailer torqued sideways a bit, I can lift the front of the trailer high enough to take the weight off the front axle, then sit it back down so it will rest straight.

 

[denmansoft]

I put the tube on top of my bucket, not inside.
Big mistake. I have a couple of 4" drops but that is not enough for either of the trailers I move around. Mounting it inside the bucket will drop it at least 6" which will be much better. I won't worry about a cover for it. It will be open on the back for any material to easily slide out.

Also I was using it one day with a rope to pull a log (I know I should have used a chain on the 2 hooks) when I lifted the bucket to help the log over a bump It bent the top edge of my bucket into a shallow V.
Another day I had my small plastic utilty trailer on it on a hill. (500# gravel in the trailer) When I was manuevering the tractor to back up the hill, the trailer got out of shape and twisted the tube sideways. It also bent the 4 inch drop ball mount and twisted the coupler on the trailer.
Anyhow I obviously have a welding project once I bring the tractor home this winter.

 

[Mighty Dodge]

Put mine on top, but use it for everything else except moving trailers.

M.D.