Pulling Trailer with BX

[walker450]

Here is the bracket I've thought about building, something like this:

 

[JWR]

That looks practical, easy and quick to do. It would still allow ups and downs of tongue loading to cause the lift arms to rise way up during a bounce, etc. For most people using a small tractor for occasional trailer pulling that would probably never matter.

 

[dougtrr2]

I occasionally haul my log splitter out of my woods. It is up quite hill and I did notice the rotating of the draw bar. This is what I made. The block of wood is hickory, because that is what I had. With the sway bars I have, the drawbar can't come off even without retaining pins.



Doug in SW IA

 

[Barnowl]

Using my tractor to pull a trailer around the our property was one of the best things I’ve ever done. And our property is only 2.5 acres. Today use it to maintain 3 different properties and it gets used all the time. I have a Deere 855. I built a single axle dump trailer 23 yrs ago. One of best timesavers ever. About 2700# with 6,000 lb total capacity. Single axle specifically to make it easier to pull and turn in tighter spaces. 12’ long to haul the CUT. And the hydraulic dump has been a huge back saver. From hauling mulch, topsoil, crusher run, stone into property, to hauling out brush or construction debris to dump. Lots of jealous looks at dump when I just push the button.

Haul in material with pickup pulling trailer, then let the tractor get it into the spot on property where truck may not fit. The next best addition was a Heavy Hitch style attachment. I chose to build my own simply as I wanted some extra features, but whether you build or buy, this is a great attachment. First of all, if you have the proper tongue weight, on a flat area, you can hookup without leaving your seat and disconnect, just leave the jack down on trailer. Of course you need to be careful, and if not on flat ground you latch it. I’ve saved so much time moving the dump trailer, boat trailer and enclosed car hauler. Parking trailers in spots truck just cannot. I usually pull my trailers in with tractor vs backing in, simple theft proofing method as trucks can’t get to tongue now. The Heavy Hitch style attachment can also use weights, ( I almost never use my weight box any longer). It can also be the adaptor to use soil rippers or small plows. Easily created ditches for drainpipe in my soil. I put 3 hitch receivers on mine, so I can run soil ripper on bottom, made a wire roller for top, so I could just lay in wire ( dog fence) in one operation. But the attachment gets used constantly moving my trailers.

highly recommend the hitch attachment.. and a dump trailer!

 

[jmc]

Can't remember if this cartoon-worthy incident happened to me or I witnessed it at a marina- moving a small trailer/boat/outboard with a 3PH:

boat rig has been sitting outside with rain water in the bow.

operator slips the the 3PH mounted ball under the socket and lifts the tongue.

water then runs to the stern, pivoting the tongue and 3PH upward, since the 3PH only floats.

outboard motor skew slams into the concrete driveway.

*********

dump trailers could be a problem too.

 

[GS1100GK]

I gave up pulling trailers with my smaller Kubota tractors. too much time lost in disconnecting and reconnecting the trailer in order to load with the FEL.

I also had an incident while pulling a heavy trailer downhill. It weighed more than the tractor and the brakes weren't strong enough. I got going at a pretty good clip and actually considered bailing out! Luckily the hill leveled off before I lost control of the machine! Yeah, a rookie mistake but a lesson learned!

Pulling a lightweight trailer with a small tractor using the 3PT, drawbar or FEL is fine but I now tow the heavy ones with my pickup. This leaves the tractor free to do the loading.

I use my Kabota (BX and B) to haul a garden trailer loaded with logs/tree clippings all the time on all types of terrain. On downhill slopes, I always use 4wd in low range and ready to apply the brakes if needed. As an added safety measure whenever I have heavy loads I make sure he FEL with bucket is attached ready to drop it to the ground as a stop measure. Luckily, I have never had to use the FEL as a last resort. That being said, using a pick up in place of the tractor for very heavy loads is the right call for sure.

 

[Shady oak]

I tried a version of this with a Ford 8N. To keep the drawbar from rotating I made the end pins so that they wrapped around the arms to keep the drawbar level. Not a good idea. Eventually the end holes on the drawbar snapped, seems the strength of the pin holes is horizontal not vertical. And no, I wouldn’t pull any type of weight with a loose drawbar.

 

[bdhsfz6]

As an added safety measure whenever I have heavy loads I make sure he FEL with bucket is attached ready to drop it to the ground as a stop measure. Luckily, I have never had to use the FEL as a last resort.

This can be a recipe for disaster if you aren't very careful!

I sold my old B7100HST to a friend who tried this while pulling a heavy trailer. The brakes weren't adequate going down his steep driveway and he panicked. He dropped the FEL to try and slow down but didn't roll back the bucket first. The edge dug in and almost flipped the tractor! Luckily, he wasn't hurt but the FEL looked like a pretzel!

If you try and brake with the FEL, make sure the bucket is rolled back! Don't put too much down force on the bucket either since it will lift the front tires off the ground and you could loose steering control.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

People tend to do dumb things sometimes. The laws of physics and mechanics always prevail. Heavy trailers behind small towing units always are "the tail wagging the dog". I tried once but weight distribution made for a scary situation with my BX, luckily it was a short distance. I found a drawbar was not an appropriate mount for a ball hitch, too low and it shifted the weight center way forward increasing hitch weight. I found it was a lot easier to move heavy trailers with a homemade attachment clamped on the FEL and pushing rather than pulling. Beats trying to back the trailer into tight places with the pickup. Always take it slow and easy. If you are towing with a tractor better add a lot of weight to the front of the tractor to balance the hitch load.

Ron

 

[Mudfarmer]

A couple of things: I too once almost crashed my old Ford 1700 coming down a muddy incline with a load of firewood on a 12-foot double-axle trailer. Jack-knifing down hill is pretty exciting.

Which brings up another issue. I use a T-shaped three point puller per the second post in this string. I note that whereas I am blessed with steep hills the OP has flat land and probably hasn't run into the following problem (unless he backed up a heavy load): The three-point lift arms go downward with gravity not power. When going downhill with a loaded trailer attached to the three point the trailer can catch up to the tractor and lift the three point to maximin height - not a stable situation. That essentially lifts up the backend of a small tractor and there goes control as the trailer pushes downhill and you jackknife around the front tires which are plunging into the ground! Solution; use a safety chain (and don't overload the trailer). I hook a chain from the drawbar (that thing down below that you're supposed to be pulling with) to the top of the "T" and snug it up by lifting the three-point a bit.