Kerton
Member
I used to have a Titan 2" square hitch receiver in my 3 point hitch most of the time for moving trailers and such. It's pretty handy and multi-purpose, since I welded on a "Hitchin Post" with a lawn trailer hitch eye, a set of hooks, and a 2" ball receiver (see triangle shape hitch photo). On the 3pt, I also use a Middle Buster and Box Scraper, but when those tools are off, I'd just throw on the Titan hitch receiver, cuz it's like a Swiss army knife.
Well, then I bought a Quick Hitch (QH) from Harbor Freight for around $100, and it made hooking up the box scraper a whole lot easier, but it seemed to be a little ridiculous to put the Titan hitch receiver into this existing big hunk of metal. So I decided to customize the QH, adding a lower bar. To the lower bar, I welded a chain hook, a lawn trailer hitch eye, a 2" ball (internal thread, so no bolt), a 2" square receiver, and a chain eye on the forward edge. This chain eye will be used to limit the downward movement of the QH when I'm using the MMM.
Once I was partway done the welding, it occurred to me that this modded QH could also be a great platform for mounting my BXpanded FEL forks. So I found and welded on a pair of brackets to the QH top bar, and the forks mount easily there, and brace against the lower bar.
This setup is AWESOME. Now I always have a hitch ball for moving trailers, I have a nice low tow point for a chain, which I can also lift with the 3pt hydraulics, I have the 2" receiver so I can put in any truck attachment like cargo carrier, etc. I can easily hook up my small utility trailers for yard work, and I can still hook up the serious attachments using the standard QH features. No part seems to get in the way of using the other parts.
The forks are much better on the back. On the front, I can see how they are useful for brush cleanup and a variety of mixed tasks...but they're pretty bad up there for pallets. The swing of the steering is pretty wide at the tip of the forks, and the weight is too far forward to get much lift force. The FEL blocks the view of the fork tips, and you have to do a tilt/lift balancing act to lift the pallet straight. However, on the 3pt, it is closer to the tires, lifts more, maneuvers better, lifts straight up, and is easier to see, plus it drives more like a forklift, with the steering wheels opposite the forks. In the photo, I'm lifting 850lbs of flooring.
It's a great setup, and I highly recommend it. Get out your welders!
Well, then I bought a Quick Hitch (QH) from Harbor Freight for around $100, and it made hooking up the box scraper a whole lot easier, but it seemed to be a little ridiculous to put the Titan hitch receiver into this existing big hunk of metal. So I decided to customize the QH, adding a lower bar. To the lower bar, I welded a chain hook, a lawn trailer hitch eye, a 2" ball (internal thread, so no bolt), a 2" square receiver, and a chain eye on the forward edge. This chain eye will be used to limit the downward movement of the QH when I'm using the MMM.
Once I was partway done the welding, it occurred to me that this modded QH could also be a great platform for mounting my BXpanded FEL forks. So I found and welded on a pair of brackets to the QH top bar, and the forks mount easily there, and brace against the lower bar.
This setup is AWESOME. Now I always have a hitch ball for moving trailers, I have a nice low tow point for a chain, which I can also lift with the 3pt hydraulics, I have the 2" receiver so I can put in any truck attachment like cargo carrier, etc. I can easily hook up my small utility trailers for yard work, and I can still hook up the serious attachments using the standard QH features. No part seems to get in the way of using the other parts.
The forks are much better on the back. On the front, I can see how they are useful for brush cleanup and a variety of mixed tasks...but they're pretty bad up there for pallets. The swing of the steering is pretty wide at the tip of the forks, and the weight is too far forward to get much lift force. The FEL blocks the view of the fork tips, and you have to do a tilt/lift balancing act to lift the pallet straight. However, on the 3pt, it is closer to the tires, lifts more, maneuvers better, lifts straight up, and is easier to see, plus it drives more like a forklift, with the steering wheels opposite the forks. In the photo, I'm lifting 850lbs of flooring.
It's a great setup, and I highly recommend it. Get out your welders!
