10’ Western Heavyweight conversion to Tractor front 3 point hitch ?

[Hay Dude]

Finally located a very nice 10’ Western Heavyweight with pump & lights. I can get it cheap.
Plan to remove pump & lights and install on Massey 7495. I also have 2 sets of front hydraulics, 1 of which will be used for power angling.

Plan to mount Cat-II pins on frame, but not sure how to utilize upper link, if at all? Lower links would be “fixed” raising & lowering plow.
Lower links have “float” mode controlled from cab joystick.

Front 3 point

10’ Western Heavyweight

Like I’m almost wondering if it’s as simple as removing lights & pump with pump frame, installing mounting pins in plow mounting holes?
But what about upper link? Make a mounting pin for upper 3 point arm rigid from tractor to plow frame?

If it doesn’t work, I can use it on a truck, but prefer to set up another tractor for snow plowing.

 

[Xfaxman]

But what about upper link?

I would try a chain.

 

[oldnslo]

How would you lift the plow without a fixed top link? Would it not just pivot around the two 3 point arms? Maybe keep the pump frame and replace pump with cylinder. This would allow you to adjust blade cutting angle with 3 point and raise lower with cylinder. Chain is there for float.

 

[Hay Dude]

I think you need to build a “triangle”, like the one on my front mounted mower to raise & lower the plow. 2 bottom points would pin into the bottom holes on the plow frame and stick out past the plow frame holes so you could mount balls on them for lower hitch links. The apex of the triangle would have a pieye of steel welded from the apex of the triangle down to the frame of the plow to keep it rigid.
The plow is a moldboard trip-type plow to allow it to clear obstacles.
The 3 point itself has float mode controlled from tractor, or it can be switched off and use down pressure to scrape if needed.

 

[Rustyiron]

Without a lot of "thinking it through" I'm coming up with a 3pt quick hitch on the tractor mounted normally with a chain for "float".
Basically what I believe your thinking with a fabricated triangle, just without the fab work.

 

[Hay Dude]

Without a lot of "thinking it through" I'm coming up with a 3pt quick hitch on the tractor mounted normally with a chain for "float".
Basically what I believe your thinking with a fabricated triangle, just without the fab work.

You mean mount/weld the quick hitch to the snowplow?

 

[Xfaxman]

Hay Dude, what is the reason for your new Avatar?

I liked the old one better.

 

[Rustyiron]

You mean mount/weld the quick hitch to the snowplow?

Hadn't really thought about that, but either way I guess would be the same unless you have a need for the front 3pt. in the winter.
I'd imagine that probably the plow would live on the tractor all winter anyway. I've never had a 3pt quick attach and not familiar with the costs, I can imagine that fabing basically a triangle with all 3 points of the tractors hitch being used. Then obviously the 2 lower points on the plow and a grab hook at the top middle of your "triangle" for the plows lift chain.

 

[ptsg]

The way I see it, just needs to remove that frame with the lights and cylinder and add the two bottom pins. An A frame that pivots on these lower pins or thereabouts. Top link from the top of A-frame to the tractor and chain from the top of A-frame to the front of the plow, pretty much where the current one attaches to.

The tractor already has a quick hitch (lower link hooks) but if you need something else, that A frame style quick hitch could be a good solution for this case. Personally, can't see the need for this.

 

[KennyG]

I think you have a kind of ugly problem here. I think you want to use the plow A-frame mounting points on the 3 PH lower links. However, you will then lift the back of the a-frame instead of the front. I would suggest that if you pivot the plow frame on the lower links, you design that for the frame to be level with the 3 point all the way down. Then add a lift cylinder somewhere on the front of the tractor to lift the front of the A-frame. That's basically how I adapted a plow to my tractor except I don't have a front 3 point. I mounted the back of my plow frame to the tractor frame.

 

[Hay Dude]

The way I see it, just needs to remove that frame with the lights and cylinder and add the two bottom pins. An A frame that pivots on these lower pins or thereabouts. Top link from the top of A-frame to the tractor and chain from the top of A-frame to the front of the plow, pretty much where the current one attaches to.

The tractor already has a quick hitch (lower link hooks) but if you need something else, that A frame style quick hitch could be a good solution for this case. Personally, can't see the need for this.

View attachment 766582

I already have the A frame available from my Pottinger mower. If I can run the chain from the plow to the top of the A-frame from the Pottinger, I think it could work.

 

[Hay Dude]

Hay Dude, what is the reason for your new Avatar?

I liked the old one better.

Moss Road likes it.
I’m still trying to decide if I will keep it.

 

[ptsg]

I already have the A frame available from my Pottinger mower. If I can run the chain from the plow to the top of the A-frame from the Pottinger, I think it could work.

That's almost half of the work done.

 

[Hay Dude]

Heres a 10’ Western Heavyweight for SSQA. Its not nearly as nice as the one I plan to buy, but it shows rigid connection, depending on the float of the loader arms.

 

[Hay Dude]

That's almost half of the work done.

Yeah, I was saying the same in a PM to RustyIron. If I can weld a top chain slot or retainer hook on it It should be pretty easy, but I don’t know if the bottom 2 points on the Western Heavyweight will be similar width as triangle?

Almost need to build a “female triangle” and attach to plow frame???????

Triangle in picture below

 

[ptsg]

Yeah, I was saying the same in a PM to RustyIron. If I can weld a top chain slot or retainer hook on it It should be pretty easy, but I don’t know if the bottom 2 points on the Western Heavyweight will be similar width as triangle?

Almost need to build a “female triangle” and attach to plow frame???????

Triangle in picture below

View attachment 766612

That's what I would do. Keep that "male" triangle on the tractor. Then just make the "female" triangle attached to the plow. You could easily swap between the two implements that way.

I'm just not sure how well the float on the front 3 pt will work if you make a solid connection on the plow. I think it would be better to keep the chain between the female triangle to somewhere upfront on the plow. By adding the chain, you would also need to make the female frame able to pivot on the bottom.

EDIT: Alternatively and probably easier, make the female frame solid with the plow frame and run the chain as the top link.

 

[Hay Dude]

Gonna take some creative dabbing to attach female triangle to existing plow frame.
I gotta get it here and get the pump & lights frame removed to see what I have.….

 

[ptsg]

Here is some pictures of plows with the A frame in place. I tried to find bigger setups but only managed to find much much much smaller setups. The concept is still there though. Also, looks like they do rely on the float of the 3 pt.

 

[Hay Dude]

If my Pottinger will float over fields, same should snow plow.
Challenge will be the female triangle on the western heavyweight.

I’m beginning to think just mounting the triangle to the tractor 3 point with lower tabs for the lower holes on the plow, then just use the plow chain to connect to upper apex of triangle like Rustyiron suggested.
The female triangle would be cool way, too.

IIRC, they sell “blank“ triangles for front 3 points.

 

[JWR]

Heres a 10’ Western Heavyweight for SSQA. Its not nearly as nice as the one I plan to buy, but it shows rigid connection, depending on the float of the loader arms.

View attachment 766611

I like that a whole lot better -- AND you will get a front mounted skid-steer compatible SSQA.

Another note: Since you already have the triangle style quick hitch, I'd get a "blank" female part that fits and mount that on the blade frame one way or the other. Weld if need be. Choose between that and getting a skid-steer compatible SSQA adapter to mount on the front 3pt hitch. I still lean toward the latter...

And by the way, I would be hesitant to get rid of much of the blade frame hardware because that stuff was designed to operate overall as a system. You might run into surprise issues otherwise.