Receiver hitch on BX FEL Bucket

[bx24]

I had been jealous for a long time of those folks who were able to mount hitch balls on their buckets to move trailers around with. I could not weld anything on the bottom front because I put on and take off my tooth bar pretty regularly. I did not want to weld it to the top because it would be too high (especially if I tried to tilt the bucket forward with the teeth on).

So .... this is what I came up with for a temporary solution. It has worked so well that I have no plans to change it. It also has the added benefit of helping to pick up 3 point implements without having to get off the seat. I thought I would have to remove the hitch ball more often because it would get in the way, but for the most part, it does not bother anything. I am also planning on making a short boom pole to put in there. I did build a cap for it, but I have yet to use it and I move lots of gravel etc.

 

[310-510]

Looks like that works good. If you needed to get low enough for a trailer, would you have to use a drop hitch? Maybe an 8" drop?

Yup, now I have another project.

 

[RayCo]

Very, very cool! I've also been wanting a hitch on my loader. I had another tractor that I constantly kept a 3pt grader blade on, and I mounted a ball on top of the grader. I used that often to move my trailer around, but I've since sold the tractor.

I see that you welded that on. Did you consider drilling holes and mounting the receiver with nuts and bolts so you could remove it? I can see how it probably won't ever really get in the way. that may get in the way a little bit for me for when I take the trash out, but perhaps sinking it back a bit so the receiver doesn't cross the plane between the top and bottom edges of the loader would solve that.

Nice work. Now make sure you paint it orange.

 

[asylum575]

Nice work. Now make sure you paint it orange.

Looks good. I will probably do the same and add a couple of hooks. Now that the weather warmed up, I'm using the machine more and see more possibilities. These little add ons really save the back from aching.

Thanks for sharing. Now I gotta print out a picture for my welder buddy.

 

[bx24]

I also have these hooks mounted on the "back top" and the "back bottom" of the FEL bucket. I put the one on the bottom to get the center of gravity closer to the machine.

I used to just use these hooks to grab the safety chains of the trailers to move them around, but the swinging action would cause the jack leg and other things to keep slamming into the bucket. Now that I have this setup, I can man-handle around the tandem axle trailer around with no problems.

 

[bx24]

Looks like that works good. If you needed to get low enough for a trailer, would you have to use a drop hitch? Maybe an 8" drop?

Yup, now I have another project.

I have thought about using a drop hitch to move it lower, but my immediate concern would be vision. Right now it is already sometimes difficult to see the ball when you are pulling up to something. The other thing I did not want to change from is the double sided "balls". One of my trailers uses a 2" ball and the smaller one uses a 1 7/8" ball. If I went to a drop hitch, I thought I would have to carry two hitches. In reality, I have found the 1 7/8" hitch works fine for both trailers so switching is not an issue, but the vision definitely is.

to keep things easy, I always throw a half a cinder block under the tandem axle trailer jack to keep it just high enough so I can curl into it.

 

[lp333]

... this is what I came up with for a temporary solution. It has worked so well that I have no plans to change it...

BX24, you are a genius. Thanks for sharing.

 

[denmansoft]

BX24 thanks.
I hadn't thought of using the ball as a hook to pick up the box blade.
I'v e been fighting using chains and getting/keeping the thing balanced.

 

[bx24]

BX24 thanks.
I hadn't thought of using the ball as a hook to pick up the box blade.
I'v e been fighting using chains and getting/keeping the thing balanced.

Denmansoft- I have to be honest that it does not work with all of my 3 point stuff, but you could weld a piece of scrap steel onto the end of a 2" box channel at a 90 going up a little higher than the ball does and I would bet that it would pick up any configuration without much trouble.

 

[denmansoft]

I'm just painting mine now. A tube with 'hook' will be easy.
I also put a reciever on the back of my box blade for towing my small trailer for dirt etc.