Anyone mounted a trailer hitch ball on FEL?

exohomestead · Aug 4, 2016

irvingj said:
Jack- you might want to check out removing the bucket to take to your welding shop-- that's what I did. (Then, after I got the bill, I signed up for a welding class and got a welder!)

I don't know if you've got a small tractor or not, but my Massey-Ferguson GC2310 SCUT's bucket wasn't too much to handle-- removed the bolts (replaced those with lynch pins), took the bucket and slid it into the back of my Jetta wagon. Lot simpler than trailering the whole tractor, plus it made the bucket easy to turn upside down to weld the receiver on--

I'm deciding to put a receiver on the front bucket like you did, or else do a bolt on ball and bar like KeithInSpace did. Is your receiver welded to the back of the bucket and then across the top lip? How did you decide what up/down angle to mount the receiver? Where did you find the "receiver tube only" for sale, rather than vehicle specific mounts?

Fallon · Aug 5, 2016

I might weld a ball or reciever to the bucket or box blade some day. During the summer my 3pt reciever is mounted to my SSQA to 3pt adapter. Takes 1 minute to hitch up. SSQA to 3pt is the mount for my plow in the winter though.

Really the receiver angle isn't critical. The ball mount is designed for pivoting as long as you are in the ballpark or not going over big bumps.

PILOON · Aug 5, 2016

Tom_H said:
Britain's fastest plane in WWII was made of wood:

Mosquito, de Havilland

de Havilland Mosquito - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also the VAMPIRE jet had an all wood fuselage of molded plywood that was married to aluminum twin tail booms and conventional metal wing structure.

JWR · Aug 6, 2016

exohomestead said:
I'm deciding to put a receiver on the front bucket like you did, or else do a bolt on ball and bar like KeithInSpace did. Is your receiver welded to the back of the bucket and then across the top lip? How did you decide what up/down angle to mount the receiver? Where did you find the "receiver tube only" for sale, rather than vehicle specific mounts?

The "receiver tube only" is available many places where hitch accessories are found, including Tractor Supply. Around $10 to $12 as I recall. Like many others who have commented, I find mine really most useful on the front end loader of my BX2200. Not having a welder handy (and not really wanting the receiver hitch permanently on there) I simply drilled a hole vertically through the rear end of the receiver tube and through the bucket near the middle and front edge. A hole or two through the bucket does no harm. This allows me to bolt the accessory on to the bucket quick/easy. I use a solid metal shim under the receiver (braced against the lip on the bucket) to keep it from rotating around the single bolt. Obviously that is a kludge but it works for light duty, quick and dirty utility. The only thing preventing putting 2 bolts through the receiver tube is that the standard "receiver tube only" leaves only an extra inch or two more length than what is required for the hitchball insert. When "I get around to it" I'll have an extension plate welded to the receiver so i can use 2 bolts. All that said, 1) I like being able to bolt it on as needed which is not that often and 2) it is extremely handy and more useful to have the hitch out on the tip of the bucket (better than on top of the bucket). That allows changing the angle of the hitch ball insert as I approach a trailer, raising and lowering the tongue of the trailer to match circumstances, getting the hitchball down very low which is often needed, and lifting the hitchball up under the tongue of the trailer for quick/easy hookup. Very handy.

The front of bucket solution is radically more maneuverable and useful for parking the trailers and hitching to them than any "rear of tractor" solution. Most readers realize that commercial manufactured "trailer mover" attachments are sold for the 3 pt. hitch.

bdhsfz6 · Aug 7, 2016

I use this clamp on adapter from Northern Tool: Load-Quip 2in. Class 3 Hitch Receiver Clamp with Lift Ring, Model# 29211766 | Bucket Accessories| Northern Tool + Equipment It's a bit pricey at $130 but it hooks up quickly with no tools required. I use it to pull / push my 5 ton dump trailer with the LA1065 FEL my MX5800. It will slip a bit if you put a lot of side strain on it though.

PILOON · Aug 7, 2016

Made a 'clamp on' for a buddy that moves a lot of trailers.
Made it about 10" wide and fashioned 2 screw clamps using 5/8" threaded bolts with ends tapered for good grip.
Being wide the clamp does not swing side to side.
Once cut to length I welded 4" bar stock to the ends of the clamp screws in order to provide good grip.
To date I would guess he has moved over a 100 trailers and is very happy with this 'tool'.
As a side benefit he can store it on one of the B21 side arms so that it is always with the tractor. (simply clamps there so as always handy)
\
\Probably took all of 1/2 hr and used mainly scraps that were in the scrap barrel.

Lilguy · Aug 7, 2016

Payne Forks make a clamp on receiver, Ive used one for years. Hauled boat and landscape trailer around my place, no issues.

robertm · Aug 7, 2016

If you have a BX, get the Quick Attach from Jery Dunn at mytractortools.com. You'll love the QA for quickly changing between forks and the bucket, and his QA had the 2" receiver built in to the QA. I had one on my B2620, and now on my BX2670. It's the business!