My NX5510H

[DieselBound]

I'll be running short distances (maybe 1/4 mile), all flat (though I'll be at a very slight decline where I'm going to be dumping). Eventually I'd like to replace the current hook-up on the trailer to a pintle.

This is interesting:

FARM SHOW - "Ball To Pintle" Hitch Adapter

Some of my problem is that I don't have any firsthand look at a fixed tractor drawbar: I can only imagine that it's a flat bar with holes?

What in all of this would work? (assuming that any of these are even correct)

Clevis Hitch | etrailer.com

 

[mudplugger]

Not sure what the US models are shipped with but our EU versions have a standard drawbar/pin arrangement like this:

If there is plenty of nose weight on what you are towing - on level ground you can generally use one of these:

I've used one of these for years on my other tractor for a stock trailer (sheep) and had no issues, even over rough ground. You should use it sensibly.

The slightly more time consuming version for "lighter" nosed trailers is this:
Search Results
With this, you can tighten the locknuts and ensure a solid pull.. with no pin movement. If you really want to get rough, then this is probably your best bet.

If your bar is just a flat bar with holes, then a straightforward bolt on ball should work fine - like this:

 

[DieselBound]

mudplugger, that helps me visualize.

I can't turn up anything like that clevis with the ball hitch here on this side of the pond!

 

[mudplugger]

There's probably a reason for that - litigation
You might be able to get one shipped from here for little money if you are prepared to wait a week or two..

 

[DieselBound]

OK, looks like it might not be all that difficult at all. The ball coupler on the trailer can be swapped out with a lunette ring:



Lunette ring:



Would then need to figure out something on the tractor drawbar. Seems that others have struggled with this. Best(?) solution (from http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/233690-pintle-hitch-draw-bar-2.html):

Quote Originally Posted by Oldmopar View Post
you could weld up a sleave out of 3/8" metal that would slide over your drawbar and pin in place and bolt a hitch on like jpm1 pictured.
This is what we use at work. I don't have any pictures but will try to get some. simple to weld. just a full sleeve that has 2 holes in it that match up to the last 2 holes in the drawbar on one of our m125x tractors. attach a flat vertical plate to the sleeve with a couple of gussets and bold on the pintle hitch and your good to go. comes off easy as well with minimal work. we use one bolt and one pin to make removal faster. we use this hitch to tow our chipper on fence lines and also to pull a 20k lb trailer to haul our bobcat with brush cutter to remote areas where a truck cant go easily. works pretty slick.

edit: watch the tongue on the tires as your tractor can most certainly turn tighter than a truck towing the trailer. one of the fellas i work with found out the hard way when he took off part of some lugs.

 

[mudplugger]

OK, looks like it might not be all that difficult at all. The ball coupler on the trailer can be swapped out with a lunette ring:

View attachment 482709

Lunette ring:

View attachment 482710

Would then need to figure out something on the tractor drawbar. Seems that others have struggled with this. Best(?) solution (from http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/233690-pintle-hitch-draw-bar-2.html):

Quote Originally Posted by Oldmopar View Post
you could weld up a sleave out of 3/8" metal that would slide over your drawbar and pin in place and bolt a hitch on like jpm1 pictured.
This is what we use at work. I don't have any pictures but will try to get some. simple to weld. just a full sleeve that has 2 holes in it that match up to the last 2 holes in the drawbar on one of our m125x tractors. attach a flat vertical plate to the sleeve with a couple of gussets and bold on the pintle hitch and your good to go. comes off easy as well with minimal work. we use one bolt and one pin to make removal faster. we use this hitch to tow our chipper on fence lines and also to pull a 20k lb trailer to haul our bobcat with brush cutter to remote areas where a truck cant go easily. works pretty slick.

edit: watch the tongue on the tires as your tractor can most certainly turn tighter than a truck towing the trailer. one of the fellas i work with found out the hard way when he took off part of some lugs.

Hi, a lot depends on your drawbar configuration from Kioti US. Can you post a picture of what your Kioti NX drawbar will look like?
I can advise on our EU one - but that may not be correct..
Also, is that a picture of your current trailer drawbar?
If you can post what each look like now - then I can give the best advice..

 

[DieselBound]

This is turning out to be quite confusing! Here's a picture I found from the Internet (listing for an 2015 NX5510):



This looks like solid a solid square bar with holes.

Yes, the first picture of the ball hitch is of my trailer. Main point is that I can pretty much put any coupler on that that I'd need.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Why not just buy a 2-5/16 the ball and bolt on your tractor's drawbar and use the coupler that's already on your trailer? Your new nx will have a solid drawbar that you can bolt a ball on. Here is what your drawbar will look like

 

[mudplugger]

OK that looks easy to fix.

As you say, getting a towing ring fitted to your trailer is easy. All ours tend to be welded, but that two bolt mount looks pretty substantial too.
Use high grade bolts though!.

To hitch to a ring with a drawbar - it will need to gain what's known as a hammer strap on the top of the drawbar.
It needs to go in a sort of Y shape like the picture I showed before (red drawbar).
It doesn't matter if the bottom bar is straight and the hammer strap goes above it, as long as you have something to lock the pin in with - top AND bottom.
The pin has a collar at the top, and the clevis pin at the bottom.

Your options then:
1. Ignore this idea of using/changing to a pin and ring for your trailer, and just fit a standard towball to your drawbar. Cheap, not as effective or as tough - but will probably do you for a while.
2. If you have ordered the tractor from a dealer - see if they'll just swap out the drawbar supplied as standard for one with a hammer strap fitted.
3. Fit a hammer strap yourself - but you'll probably need a decent workshop to drill the drawbar (tungsten drill) if it's not already got the holes.
Hammer strap can be bought most places, but you may get a good price from the supplying dealer.
A quick search here found a US site selling them - though this does look expensive. We'd expect to pay maybe GBP20 or GBP30 for one (c.$50) e.g.: Order Hammerstrap, Drawbar A-3545-8913 for tractors for sale | Best price 95. | Hitch & Drawbars at TractorTool

I guess it's now only a choice you can make.
Over here, all our trailers for proper tractor towing are pin and ring.
I have gone a step further on my NX6010 for using the ring towed trailers with a "pick up hitch" as you can see in the photos of the back of my tractor...
Unless you haul a trailer a lot, or are constantly swapping them about (like we do) - it's not worth it...
A neat animation of how one just like it works is here: Dromone - Mechanical Pick up Hitch - YouTube
Advantage is that you can hitch up/unhitch safely whilst staying in the cab!

Hope that helps,

 

[mudplugger]

Why not just buy a 2-5/16 the ball and bolt on your tractor's drawbar and use the coupler that's already on your trailer? Your new nx will have a solid drawbar that you can bolt a ball on. Here is what your drawbar will look like

That's been an option all along - but DieselBound said right at the start "Eventually I'd like to replace the current hook-up on the trailer to a pintle."...
I guess it depends what he wants to use it for, and just how much weight he's carrying - over what ground...

Personally I like the heavy duty 3 point tow/logging frames you guys can get - we only get the lightweight versions over here.
:-(
Yet, if we want pintle/ring fittings - they're everywhere...