Anyone make a tractor 3pt trailer hitch?

[amolaver]

It would be convenient for me to be able to move my trailer around with my tractor. I had a look around and found this https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/county-line-trailer-mover?cm_vc=-10005 which would solve the problem, but hey, i've got a MIG and don't really want to drop $200 on something that appears to me i could build for $100 (and learn some things i'm sure). I should be able to glue some steel together methinks. Using that product as a template, anyone have any suggestions for design changes? simplification of construction would be a goal (i'm a beginner welder), as well as maximizing lift capacity (trailer tongue weight is ~1500lb).

obviously, there is a lot of weight here (trailer 'empty' is about 7500lb) and the tractor is somewhat small (kubota b3030 ~3K lb, rated to lift 2139 lbs at the lift point and 1676 lbs. 24" behind the lift point) but 'should' have the capacity to lift this. i'll have to use a lot of care moving the trailer since it outweighs the tractor about 2.5:1, but anyone do anything similar? any real hills or crossing a grade would not be attempted - flat or nearly flat ground only, may even back down the one small hill just to avoid being in the path of the trailer should it break free. moving only on asphalt millings driveway, nothing offroad.

ahm

 

[matt_i]

I have that and it works pretty well.

Do you have an 8-tire gooseneck trailer? (Trying to think of what weighs 7500# dry)

I would do it but I'd 7018 stick weld it. Its kind of a high-confidence part with respect to the failure mode of the hitch breaks somewhere and the trailer starts moving at the back of your head or seat-back, even on a slight downhill slope. You don't stand a chance and will be squished like a bug. Not saying you shouldn't build it but be very very careful with "beginning Mig welder" on structural stuff....

I used that device and moved my 4-tire gooseneck trailer "7 ton" loaded with 80 sheets of plywood, although I used an International 460U, a tractor in the 7000 lb range.

 

[lutter94]

I have that and it works pretty well.

Do you have an 8-tire gooseneck trailer? (Trying to think of what weighs 7500# dry)

I would do it but I'd 7018 stick weld it. Its kind of a high-confidence part with respect to the failure mode of the hitch breaks somewhere and the trailer starts moving at the back of your head or seat-back, even on a slight downhill slope. You don't stand a chance and will be squished like a bug. Not saying you shouldn't build it but be very very careful with "beginning Mig welder" on structural stuff....

I used that device and moved my 4-tire gooseneck trailer "7 ton" loaded with 80 sheets of plywood, although I used an International 460U, a tractor in the 7000 lb range.

Is it a thing to count the tires, or to just say tandem with duals? or tandem singles.....

 

[Captain Spaulding]

https://www.palletforks.com/three-p...ooseneck-receiver-3-point-hay-attachment.html

If all you need is a single hitch, https://www.palletforks.com/three-p...s/category-1-3-point-2-receiver-hitch-v2.html Less than $70

I've bought several things from them and they are all good. Free shipping and they ship fast.

 

[matt_i]

Is it a thing to count the tires, or to just say tandem with duals? or tandem singles.....

If the terminology leaves no doubts then I'm all for it.

 

[amolaver]

I have that and it works pretty well.

Do you have an 8-tire gooseneck trailer? (Trying to think of what weighs 7500# dry)

I would do it but I'd 7018 stick weld it. Its kind of a high-confidence part with respect to the failure mode of the hitch breaks somewhere and the trailer starts moving at the back of your head or seat-back, even on a slight downhill slope. You don't stand a chance and will be squished like a bug. Not saying you shouldn't build it but be very very careful with "beginning Mig welder" on structural stuff....

I used that device and moved my 4-tire gooseneck trailer "7 ton" loaded with 80 sheets of plywood, although I used an International 460U, a tractor in the 7000 lb range.

32' tag, 6 wheel tri-axle older pace car hauler. has a full bathroom (tanks are empty). i think it's an '04 but not sure. i have the scale tickets - she's a heavy mother.

totally agree re:safety, hence backing down any slope so if it were to fail it's path wouldn't include making me road pizza. i've welded enough small stuff to want to try this, understanding the risks and needing to a) feel confident with the result before testing, and b) test in small steps to validate its capability.

i appreciate the cautionary note - due care will be taken to be safe.

all that said...the $70 item Captain Spaulding linked makes construction, from a value standpoint, moot. i've recently acquired a motor home so 5th/GN isn't in the future (making the high mount ball on the TSC piece irrelevant).

do i pick up another project to make it, or take the buy-it route...

ahm

 

[Pitalplace]

I built this from a pickup hitch that was in my dad's iron pile and other stuff from mine. It works great for moving trailers and for my winch that is on a receiver hitch mount that I made.

 

[amolaver]

Pitalplace looks good! I'm still deciding build vs buy. Captain Spaulding's linked vendor has a 'heavy duty' version (for about $100) that actually looks simpler..perhaps simple enough to make. Decisions decisions..

ahm

 

[cgrutt]

My brother in law built one of those many years ago from some scrap he had lying in the shed. Worked great and he used it for a bunch of things aside from moving his trailer. Pulling logs out of the woods, cutting firewood, etc. I'm pretty sure he just used a stick welder. I just put a ball on the top of a small front loader that I used to own (sub-compact). Worked OK but was a little high for my trailer.

 

[amolaver]

I bought the b3030 used and it also has a ball welded to the top of the bucket..but the loader lift capacity isn't enough for this task - loader rated for about 1k pounds @ the pins, tongue weight on trailer about 1500lb. Thanks for the idea though!

ahm

 

[greg86z28]

This one can be found for ~$150 I think if you end up buying something instead of making something.
http://www.kingkutter.com/store-product.aspx?id=3532

 

[samss]

Easy enough to fab one up like the one Pitalplace made. That's what I did too.

 

[MagKarl]

I built a receiver into my box scraper and also have one on my bucket. It's handy. Use 4wd.

One of the things that ***** is with a box trailer you can't see anything. No wide mirrors like a pickup.

 

[IMCA38]

I made this one several years ago. I saw the basic design idea over on the Tractor By Net board, and took it from there.
I used a drawbar purchased from tractor supply, and then fabricated the vertical piece that is just bolted to the drawbar. I put the hook on the upright so I could use it for dragging chains, or pulling things upward, such as pulling a fence post out of the ground. It also makes a good place to hook the trailer safety chains.
I bought a "man and a half" insert from Tractor Supply or someplace like that and thus, I'm able to hook up to anything. I have a 1225 Massey Ferguson which is a fairly small tractor. This works good to pull everything except my 24' enclosed trailer. The 3PH on the tractor won't lift that very well, and as mentioned previously, the trailer, not the tractor, will dictate where you go!

This works great when I'm mowing and want to shuffle trailers around. I can just back up with the 3PH lowered and raise up into the hitch, move it a short distance, drop the 3PH and on to the next one.

 

[BukitCase]

I'm NOT a fan of "single-ended" lower hitch pins for anything heavy, the clevis types are quite a bit stronger;

I was at least ****-deep in projects (still am) a few years ago, so bought one of these

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200640141_200640141

My only dislikes are that the gooseneck ball is WELDED in place, I would have preferred another (vertical) receiver, and the toplink isn't quite to QH specs on height (eventually I'll add to the ears)

For the tongue weight you're looking for, I would stay away from the flat bar/single ended versions.

I have 2 45 horse tractors and a Case 580B, and am (slowly) re-doing ALL implements to a standard spacing - only thing saving me ATM is the second tractor; depending on the season I tend to keep the 6' flail on one and the 6' tiller on the other - or the Gannon box blade on one and a 7' Land Pride "soil prepper" on the other. It's really nice to be able to just climb off one tractor and onto the other one when one implement just won't do all you wanna do for a particular project -

all mine are older, so I have less than the cost of ONE new tractor in all three (plus, I get to LEARN so much about MAINTENANCE ) ... Steve

 

[mikegt4]

Look in this forum, there are probably 100 threads on building a 3pt. trailer hitch.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/?

 

[gearhead1]

I did something similar. I started with a tractor drawbar and welded a hitch receptacle in the center of the draw bar and put a piece of 2x2 as the vertical. I put another hitch receptacle at the top. That way I can move my gooseneck and regular trailers. I welded a channel on the bottom of the drawbar to stiffen it, and pulled out small trees with it.

If you have an extra tractor draw bar, some steel scraps, and a way to cut/weld it’s pretty easy.

 

[AngryBeaver]

I built one similar to the Heavy hitch setup so I could stack weights on it when doing loader work and not have a big box blade hanging off the back when putting things on my pallet racks inside the shop. pretty simply really

 

[PNWguy]

https://www.palletforks.com/three-p...ooseneck-receiver-3-point-hay-attachment.html

If all you need is a single hitch, https://www.palletforks.com/three-p...s/category-1-3-point-2-receiver-hitch-v2.html Less than $70

I've bought several things from them and they are all good. Free shipping and they ship fast.

Earlier today I was wondering about building one. Good thread timing.

Although for $70, it may not be worth making one. Thanks for the link!

 

[dkmc]

OK, well you said "Simplify" so here it is.
The receiver socket is from Harbor Freight.
Drawbar comes from Tractor Supply.
This thing is actually a lot stronger that I anticipated, but then again I only use it to move empty trailers and a portable compressor around. The one skid steer trailer does weigh about 2500lb tho.......but this setup seems to handle it just fine. Someday if I need more beef, I'll build a more elaborate one, or add to this one.

 

[amolaver]

Captain Spaulding's linked vendor wins for me. A 'heavy duty' version for $100 w/free shipping I can't beat. Materials would be close to that for me (unfortunately I don't stock much steel) and like most here I'd guess, I've got about 50 outstanding projects. I'd like to build something but have an immediate need and with the cost so close, buying wins.

It will be a lot more convenient to shuffle a trailer around with the tractor's hydraulics than hooking up the truck (which is currently broken, hence the immediate need). Also looking to downsize the trailer and a 24' or even 28' should be a much easier proposition than my current fatty.

Appreciate everyone's input and love the pics of other folks solutions. Thanks!

ahm

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Just be careful if you have any grade to deal with. I move my 7K pound travel trailer around with an L series Kubota about the same power / capacity, but heavier weight of the tractor itself. I often use the tractor to bring it out of it's parking space to the uppr end of the driveway when I don't want to risk getting the 2wd tow vehicle stuck in wet / muddy conditions. I bought the ready made trailer mover for most of the same reasons you came up with - too many other things to make building that a priority project. I take it nice and slow on my sloped driveway / parking area...I'm careful, but it still makes me a little nervous every time since the tractor doesn't weigh half of what the trailer does and only has brakes on rear 2 wheels....I make myself feel better by knowing both are well insured

 

[amolaver]

Thanks heavy metal doctor - totally agree, slope is the biggest danger. I have a long but mild grade I'd like to get the trailer down. It might be mild, but I really don't want to be road pizza / Darwin award winner, so I'll back the trailer down (tractor reversing) SLOWLY and keep a hand on 3pt lift control to drop trailer if necessary. Trailer jack wound be sacrificed, but a small price to pay.

The root of all this is my pickup broke, but I have a new-to-me rv I can tow with.. Trailer is oriented as it came in the driveway (hitch pointed at house rather than street). However, rv + trailer = too long to turn around in driveway. If tractor can move trailer to the street, I could hook up rv, good to go. In the future, the convenience of the hydraulic lift 3t would make shuffling a trailer around a much quicker proposition than hooking up truck. So much so, I'm considering adding a brake controller to tractor to minimize pucker factor..

ahm