Drawbar Adapter

[Liquidsilver]

I feel like I'm looking for something that should be easy to find, but I'm not finding it.

I'm using my M5400DT to pull my 10-foot pull-type rotary cutter and it pulls easily and cuts even the heavy stuff very well. My only problem is, using my fixed drawbar, there's very little clearance between the driveshaft and the tongue of the cutter. It becomes a problem when I'm mowing a slope and the slope levels out quickly, the cutter runs out of clearance to the driveshaft and the guard actually rubs the driveshaft guard. I figured this could be dangerous if I encounter too sharp an angle. When I hydraulically raise the deck, the clearance is even less. I asked the rotary cutter manufacturer if there was a tongue with a different angle and they said, no.

So the simple fix seems to be, using an adapter, like I have on various truck hitches to lower the hookup for the tongue, which would increase the spread from the PTO shaft and the drawbar. This lowers the overall height of the deck, like when you need to get over a stump or something, but increases the space between the driveshaft and the tongue. A 3" or 4" drop on a drawbar piece is what I'm looking for, and I'm about to just ask a metal/fabrication shop to make me one, but I can't believe there's not one out there on a shelf somewhere.

I know I could use a 3-point bar between the arms, but I'm a little paranoid that it could accidentally get it caught when I'm mowing and raise the tongue into the shaft and I have no idea what would happen there. (yikes)

Thanks if you have any ideas for me.

 

[nybirdman]

You could use the draw bar on the three point and chain it down so it doesn't raise.

 

[ruffdog]

Does your drawbar have the ability to be swung to one side? That would maybe help. I tried searching for a offset drawbar for your tractor but having difficulty.

kubota m54 offset drawbar - Google Search

 

[kennyd]

Can you post a picture of your setup when it's attached?

Google image search "hammerstrap" and look at some ideas, you'll most likely have to fabricate or get fabricated exactly what you need.

 

[Big Barn]

I’m not at all familiar with Kubotas. When you say “fixed” drawbar are you referring to the swinging drawbar attached under your rear axle? If so it will be either straight or offset (up or down)

If it straight, you can bolt on an offset clevis end to lower (or raise) your hitch point.

Theses are a few of my Ford swinging drawbars and offsets I have on my shelf atm.

 

[Egon]

Weld a receiver on the fixed drawbar and you have lots of options.

 

[ruffdog]

Most times, a drawbar can be adjusted to the short position or the long position on a tractor. If you have it sticking out farther, you will experience more of an interference issue than if it was short. (when driving over hills/dips)

 

[CobyRupert]

I assume your drawbar doesn't have an offset, else you would of just turned it upside down right?
Like Ruffdog says, see if drawbar has another hole where pinned to tractor so it sticks out shorter.

If not corrected, eventually you will go over a hump where the weight of mower will try to be suspended by the pto shaft on top of the drawbar. It will bend the PTO shaft, and then the PTO shaft will not be able to slide/telescope so that when you get on flat ground it will want to lift the back of the tractor up and/or push the tractor's pto shaft through its bearing. More likely, and hopefully, it snaps a universal on the implement's PTO shaft beforehand.

 

[Liquidsilver]

Thanks for everyone's help. Yes, the drawbar is straight, and Big Barn's offset drawbars would probably help if there was a fit for this tractor.

Chaining down a 3-point bar would probably work, but I'd hate to have to rig that up every time I switched implements.

The bar does swing side to side, but that doesn't affect the clearance issue. Moving the bar in and out wouldn't really affect it either.

Like Coby says, I don't want to tweak the driveshaft and have to cut it off, or worse, have a spinning broken shaft flying around.

Those offset drawbars, if I could get one about 4 inches lower would be the ticket.

Yes, a welded on (or better, bolted on) receiver would be great, then I could use off-the-shelf adapters for whatever offset I needed.

I think a metal work guy could probably take a steel piece, heat it bend it and drill it and make me one, but I don't know who to talk to or what it would cost...

I'll try to get a picture this weekend, but it's just a straight bar with a big hole at the end and a smaller hole (maybe 7/16ths) about 10 inches in from the end.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[CobyRupert]

Are you sure having another hole where it connects to the tractor so that the drawbar was "shorter" wouldn't help (that is, drawbar wouldn't stick out as far behind tractor)?

This puts the drawbar connection to the mower closer to the universal on the pto shaft where it connects to the tractor.

How else can drawbar hit the PTO shaft if it doesn't stick out "too far"?

That being said, if you do shorten the effective length of drawbar, and the mower is closer, the normal position of the pto shaft is now "telescoped shorter". You may have to then shorten the pto shaft so that it has play to still telescope "in" when you go through a dip without hitting it's limit.

A machine shop may be able to help.

 

[Liquidsilver]

Thanks Coby, I'll look at that.

I don't think I described it very well, but it's the tongue of the cutter, a large 4x4 steel structure that goes from the tractor's draw bar to the deck of the cutter. It's very cumbersome (NOT like the one in this picture) and doesn't give the driveshaft much clearance at all. Then when I encounter certain slopes, it's in clearance trouble.

I attached a picture of a different brand and now I'm wondering the same thing I've wondered before... did they install the tongue part upside down when they put mine together? The picture of the LandPride here looks like my tongue piece, but inverted... hmm.

Also the rig in my picture doesn't look like there's much difference in gap between this tractor's draw bar and PTO... compared to mine. Hmm.

Now I'm really scratching my head, fellas. (I feel like the gullible kid people played a joke on and I can't see it.)



You can sure see here, if this tongue was upside down, there wouldn't be much room between the shaft and the bar...

 

[WranglerX]

Need actual pictures of your setup....The one you pictured would seem to have front supported by 3PH to have any height control...

Dale

 

[countrybumpkin]

Pics along with make and model of your cutter would help.

The cutter pictured does not need the 3point to raise the front, it has a leveling bar that connects the rear loft wheels with the front hitch, as the wheels are raised or lowered it pivot the front hitch up or down so the deck stays level throughout the travel range.

 

[ovrszd]

This problem is more common on CUTs and small Utility class tractors. The rear tractor housing is smaller with less vertical height between the drawbar and the PTO output. Then add the minimal vertical height difference between the cutter PTO and hitch and this problem appears.

 

[Egon]

I think a metal work guy could probably take a steel piece, heat it bend it and drill it and make me one, but I don't know who to talk to or w

They come in different sizes.

[video]https://www.amazon.com/BougeRV-Receiver-Reducer-Trailer-Adapter/dp/B07CNQ9Q1Y[/video]

 

[Liquidsilver]

I'll get a picture of my setup as soon as I can get out there. (Have to work in the city 5 days a week)

Now I'm REALLY thinking my tow piece (tongue) is mounted upside down on my cutter, because it would look exactly like the one in this picture of it were inverted. Boy, do I feel dumb.



And yes, the height adjustment works of the hydraulic cylinder and leveling bars. Up and down, nice and easy.

IF I get this figured out and the cutter was assembled wrong, I guess I'll need to retitle the post to (kicking myself in the head) LOL

 

[Big Barn]

I'll get a picture of my setup as soon as I can get out there. (Have to work in the city 5 days a week)

Now I'm REALLY thinking my tow piece (tongue) is mounted upside down on my cutter, because it would look exactly like the one in this picture of it were inverted. Boy, do I feel dumb.

View attachment 601751

And yes, the height adjustment works of the hydraulic cylinder and leveling bars. Up and down, nice and easy.

IF I get this figured out and the cutter was assembled wrong, I guess I'll need to retitle the post to (kicking myself in the head) LOL

Might be an easy “fix”! I’ve done WAY dumber.

 

[ruffdog]

"Dumb"?

No. You knew something wasn't right so you were careful and asked questions.....SMART!

 

[Liquidsilver]

Haha. Maybe they make it reversible in case you have a REALLY tall tractor and you need that big of a 'step down.'

 

[countrybumpkin]

So what cutter DO you have?

It could be as simple as doing a image search on google with the make and model of your cutter and see how they are mounted.