Draw Bar Question..

[NHmitch]

Hi,

So, I have a bit of a question about using a modified draw bar, that was on my G154/TX1300F when I bought the tractor. I have been looking for about two years for a factor draw bar mount with no luck...I thought that I found one in the UK, but they never got back to me. I found one here in the US, and the whole tractor sold, before I could buy the hitch. My tractor came with a custom made hitch. It looks like it may have come off of a Kubota, or was possibly just homemade. I use the tractor to tow a trailer loaded with wood, and center of gravity is always a concern using my 3 point lift draw bar. I really want one that attaches to the frame. The other downside of the one that I have been using is there is no down pressure with the lift arms, so the trailer tongue tends to raise up in the air, usually at a bad time. Below are the photos of the draw bar hitch that came on the tractor, however my concern is that the 3 bolts that hold this in place, are attached directly to the bottom of the rear trans axel housing, and I really don't want to do any damage by towing a loaded trailer, since it is very, very difficult to find a replacement. The OEM factor hitch attaches to the cross bar for the 3 point hitch, and then bolts to the steal triangles where the original rotavator mounted. (On either side of the PTO shaft.)

It you guys think that the existing draw bar mount would be strong enough for a trailer carrying around 1000lbs, then, I will use it, baring any weaknesses in the custom made hitch that came with the tractor. If not, I have thought about having two plates welded vertically on the top of a bumper mount class two receiver hitch, and mounting that the way the factor hitch mounts. Any thought? Thanks!

My Existing homemade hitch:

OEM Hitch:

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

I think my hitch is attached similar to your "aftermarket" one. I'll need to take a look underneath it and let you know. Here is a pic from the top side. Don't mind the text as I was explaining some three point stuff to a friend.

I would think your connection would be fine. At some point whatever you use bolts/connects to the transmission housing anyway. I always thought it would be a real bummer if I busted one of the lugs off where the lower bar connects. I'd consider drilling out your hitch for installing a ball though if your tailer supports it, but looking at the installation you may want to re-do it as it looks a little shoddy from the pictures. It probably would break away before damaging your transmission but I'm not sure if that is what you really want. If your trailer pins to the hitch (like the one I have and it looks like yours does) you can risk having it bind going over a hill and snap something because of the up and down leverage at that point. It probably wouldn't break your transmission housing though, just the hitch or trailer tongue. I'd avoid a pinned connection for that reason.

 

[284 International]

I would be very leery of using that hitch to tow much weight. Not particularly because of the pulling force, but because of the jostling of the tongue when going over bumps, rough terrain, or while loading. It seems like if Iseki thought those bolt holes would stand up to normal drawbar use, they would have mounted their own drawbar there in the first place. My operator manual for a Bolens 154 doesn't have (or I couldn't find) specifications for the drawbar, but my slightly bigger Yanmar YM186 specifies no more than 210 lbs on the drawbar. Since I would overload it if I just stepped on the tongue of a trailer, using sloppily fabricated mounts the factory didn't think were strong enough on yours seems like asking for trouble.

It sounds like you already are getting more weight on the three point mounted drawbar than you would like, which means it is probably excessive for the factory mounted drawbar. One potential fix would be to rig up a bolt-on drawbar that spans the three point lift arms closer to the tractor, cutting down on the trailer's leverage. If you can live with the weight on the three point drawbar you have, you could also weld a bracket onto the cross-piece, then get a longer top link and pin the lift arms securely down, so the trailer tongue wouldn't rise.

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

Here's a pic from underneath on the hitch that came with mine. I'm not sure if it's factory or not but someone did a pretty good job with it. Again though, I don't like pinned connections so I don't use it.

 

[Ivan49]

To stop your 3 pt from jumping up like you said just add a piece of chain from each arm to the drawbar. Just remember to take it off before you lift the 3 pt. I use mine all the time with my 10 foot long dump trailer with no problems after I added the chain

 

[NHmitch]

Thank you guys so much for all of the photos, and advice! Sorry it took so long to respond back. These are all great ideas. Since my clutch is back in action, I am starting to do daily work on the tractor, and I have to start hauling firewood out of my woods after I split it with the 3PH splitter. You guys are great, and its great to have a wealth of knowledge on here!

 

[micwzzrd]

Mitch: I hop this picture get their. Yes, a 2inch receiver hitch will fit

 

[NHmitch]

So, Old thread, but I finally came up with a solution, and it works great so far, knock on wood. I needed a drawbar, since I have been using my 3point lift arms, and that really put the weight out behind my tractor when I was towing wood, manure, grain, and shavings. I have been searching tirelessly for a few years to find an OEM trailer hitch, and I had some great suggestions on here, but I do not have a welder, and I was worried about what someone would charge me to fabricate a hitch. I finally called West Kentucky Tractor Parts, and I found a hitch, and a new used gas cap to replace the one that I dented when I dropped a tree partially on my tractor this fall. Unfortunately the hitch that I bought was a bit weak, and started to bend when I applied weight to the ball. It looked like an older design, and was not the type listed in parts manual that connected to the brackets on either side of the PTO. I hated wasting the money, and I will hold onto that one in case I need it in the future, with some reinforcements that will need to be added. I started to search, and looked closer at my old draw bar bracket, and found that it was Kubota Orange. I remembered that a lot of parts were interchangeable in these earlier Japanese tractors, so I tried my luck, and ordered a used bracket that was better built from a Kubota B7200. The mounting holes under the tractor were exact, and the lower link bar hole had to be drilled out by about a half an inch to fit the bar. (The bar holds the lower lift arms to the tractor.) The mount fits great, and I had a 1 1/4 inch, class 1 hitch tube welded to it, so I attach a 2" ball, and a tow hook, and a winch mount. Below are the photos!

So, Old thread, but I finally came up with a solution, and it works great so far, knock on wood. I needed a drawbar, since I have been using my 3point lift arms, and that really put the weight out behind my tractor when I was towing wood, manure, grain, and shavings. I have been searching tirelessly for a few years to find an OEM trailer hitch, and I had some great suggestions on here, but I do not have a welder, and I was worried about what someone would charge me to fabricate a hitch. I finally called West Kentucky Tractor Parts, and I found a hitch, and a new used gas cap to replace the one that I dented when I dropped a tree partially on my tractor this fall. Unfortunately the hitch that I bought was a bit weak, and started to bend when I applied weight to the ball. It looked like an older design, and was not the type listed in parts manual that connected to the brackets on either side of the PTO. I hated wasting the money, and I will hold onto that one in case I need it in the future, with some reinforcements that will need to be added. I started to search, and looked closer at my old draw bar bracket, and found that it was Kubota Orange. I remembered that a lot of parts were interchangeable in these earlier Japanese tractors, so I tried my luck, and ordered a used bracket that was better built from a Kubota B7200. The mounting holes under the tractor were exact, and the lower link bar hole had to be drilled out by about a half an inch to fit the bar. (The bar holds the lower lift arms to the tractor.) The mount fits great, and I had a 1 1/4 inch, class 1 hitch tube welded to it, so I attach a 2" ball, and a tow hook, and a winch mount. Below are the photos!
[IMG]http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=359123

 

[Xfaxman]

Pictures didn't make it, try again.

 

[NHmitch]

So, Old thread, but I finally came up with a solution, and it works great so far, knock on wood. I needed a drawbar, since I have been using my 3point lift arms, and that really put the weight out behind my tractor when I was towing wood, manure, grain, and shavings. I have been searching tirelessly for a few years to find an OEM trailer hitch, and I had some great suggestions on here, but I do not have a welder, and I was worried about what someone would charge me to fabricate a hitch. I finally called West Kentucky Tractor Parts, and I found a hitch, and a new used gas cap to replace the one that I dented when I dropped a tree partially on my tractor this fall. Unfortunately the hitch that I bought was a bit weak, and started to bend when I applied weight to the ball. It looked like an older design, and was not the type listed in parts manual that connected to the brackets on either side of the PTO. I hated wasting the money, and I will hold onto that one in case I need it in the future, with some reinforcements that will need to be added. I started to search, and looked closer at my old draw bar bracket, and found that it was Kubota Orange. I remembered that a lot of parts were interchangeable in these earlier Japanese tractors, so I tried my luck, and ordered a used bracket that was better built from a Kubota B7200. The mounting holes under the tractor were exact, and the lower link bar hole had to be drilled out by about a half an inch to fit the bar. (The bar holds the lower lift arms to the tractor.) The mount fits great, and I had a 1 1/4 inch, class 1 hitch tube welded to it, so I attach a 2" ball, and a tow hook, and a winch mount. Below are the photos!

So, Old thread, but I finally came up with a solution, and it works great so far, knock on wood. I needed a drawbar, since I have been using my 3point lift arms, and that really put the weight out behind my tractor when I was towing wood, manure, grain, and shavings. I have been searching tirelessly for a few years to find an OEM trailer hitch, and I had some great suggestions on here, but I do not have a welder, and I was worried about what someone would charge me to fabricate a hitch. I finally called West Kentucky Tractor Parts, and I found a hitch, and a new used gas cap to replace the one that I dented when I dropped a tree partially on my tractor this fall. Unfortunately the hitch that I bought was a bit weak, and started to bend when I applied weight to the ball. It looked like an older design, and was not the type listed in parts manual that connected to the brackets on either side of the PTO. I hated wasting the money, and I will hold onto that one in case I need it in the future, with some reinforcements that will need to be added. I started to search, and looked closer at my old draw bar bracket, and found that it was Kubota Orange. I remembered that a lot of parts were interchangeable in these earlier Japanese tractors, so I tried my luck, and ordered a used bracket that was better built from a Kubota B7200. The mounting holes under the tractor were exact, and the lower link bar hole had to be drilled out by about a half an inch to fit the bar. (The bar holds the lower lift arms to the tractor.) The mount fits great, and I had a 1 1/4 inch, class 1 hitch tube welded to it, so I attach a 2" ball, and a tow hook, and a winch mount. Below are the photos!
[IMG]http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o570/mitchpd911/105_2430_zps3aa38cdc.jpg