drawbar lock

[dvan1966]

I was giong to make a drawbar lock for my kubota so I can have a ball on it without the bar rotating. I have seen other hitches that use the top link with a piece that goes down to the draw bar.
What would be the advantage to use the kind that uses the top link instead of using just the drawbar and lock?

 

[tony123]

I'm wrestling with this very thing. I was thinking a piece of flat stock with a pin at the drawbar and a piece of tubing at the other to hook at the 3pt. Shouldn't be more than $25 if somone manufactured them? I'm going to go to my local welder guy and just have it fabricated.

I'll be curious to see what feedback you get.

 

[dvan1966]

I can get a drawbar lock at TSC for $16 that locks it to the lift arm. I have enough scrap metal I can make my own. I just don't know if I want one that hooks to the lift arm or the top link.


Here is what TSC has:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/wcssto...ontAssetStore/images/products/600/1000786.jpg

 

[8ball3290]

picked one of these up off of egay works good, locks the draw bar down so it doesnt rotate

Tractor 3 Point Hitch Draw Bar Lock, Kubota, John Deere - eBay (item 140216572788 end time Mar-24-08 17:48:01 PDT)

 

[tony123]

Once again, I feel like I didn't look hard enough... Thanks for the links.

Does it make sense that using this type will only keep the drawbar level at one position. As you raise and lower the arms, the angle to the ground will change. If, however, you use a solution the uses the toplink, it will allow the bar to stay parallel to the ground throughout the full range of the lift arms.

This may not even be important. Don't know.

 

[AndyMA]

Another place to find them: Different design.

DRAWBAR LOCK FOR CATEGORY 1 TRACTORS - Agri Supply

Andy

 

[LarryD]

Does it make sense that using this type will only keep the drawbar level at one position. As you raise and lower the arms, the angle to the ground will change. If, however, you use a solution the uses the toplink, it will allow the bar to stay parallel to the ground throughout the full range of the lift arms.

This may not even be important. Don't know.

I built something similar to this and like it. The receiver came from Grizzly and the rest was out of the scrap pile.

Even with the toplink style, you still need to adjust it through the range of motion. I have a pretty good feel where that is for the various trailers so I just set it before connecting.

 

[tony123]

Just called my local TSC and they had that one in stock. Will pick it up tomorrow. There are likely better options, but none cheaper. All of my use would be considered "light duty", so I'm sure I'll be fine.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[Redbug]

I stumbled across a post by BrianCd with his ingenious answer to a drawbar lock. I did the same as he did. Besides you can use the "U" bolt for other uses as well...I attached a couple pics on my tractor...

Credit goes to Brian for a smart common sense answer...Here's Brian's thread...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...bar-lock-solution.html?highlight=drawbar+lock

 

[tony123]

That is a bright solution, but probably more expensive than the part from TSC.

 

[Redbug]

No, I don't think so. I bought the TSC lock, myself. It was around $15. It was not a good fit for my tractor, so I took it back. The "U" bolt/clevis came from Northern and was around $15, also. It is just another option...

 

[tony123]

Then its good to have a second "inexpensive" option! I haven't tried mine on yet, but at first glance I can't figure out how to put it on.

 

[oldhippy]

At the top of the page is Pat's ezmover that bolts to the draw bar and the top link. The price seems reasonable but I am pretty cheap so I made one for my tractor. I made several tools that fit the hitch. Spot sprayer, clevis hook for pulling stuff and trailer ball. I guess that I am not pretty but I am cheap. big dan

 

[JB4310]

I stumbled across a post by BrianCd with his ingenious answer to a drawbar lock. I did the same as he did. Besides you can use the "U" bolt for other uses as well...I attached a couple pics on my tractor...

Credit goes to Brian for a smart common sense answer...Here's Brian's thread...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...bar-lock-solution.html?highlight=drawbar+lock

From the look of the first picture it appears the clevis could just swivel back and become unlocked?
I have the standard draw bar lock, the only problem is you have to use a couple of bolts so it slows you down a little.

 

[Redbug]

Jb4310,

Yes, you are right. It could swivel back and come unlocked. However, what I did was weld a small dimple on the top of the arm to act as a stop. If you look close at my second pic, you can see the dimple sticking up. What Brain did was attach a bungee cord to the clevis and the arm to keep it from swivelling back, also. He did not have a welder...

 

[pat32rf]

The Old Hippy has the right idea. The drawbar lock will work to a point but sooner or later you will either raise the bar and bend the trailer hitch innards (like when trying to load something on the trailer) or you will hook onto a trailer that has enough weight to bend your lock. With the 3pth toplink style and receiver you can swap out your your ball for a small work platform, winch, hoisting hook etc, just by pulling the reciever pin. I made a whole dedicated bar assembly out of 3" channel and some angle iron, complete with hooks to carry chain and a spot to load on cast iron counterweights. All from my scrap bin, except for the 8" receiver tube and the "pin ends".
If your gonna make something, do it once, right...even if you have to pay to have it welded up it shouldn't be as much as an EZY mover.

 

[dvan1966]

I decided to go with the toplink version. I didn't want to spend money on it since I had plenty of scrap around so here is what I came up with. Might not be as pretty as some as the others, but it will serve its purpose.

 

[oldhippy]

Looks good to me, pretty nice scrap. How do people live that don't have welders? big dan

 

[tony123]

dvan, that's what I had pictured in my mind.

The part from TSC is designed to work with the larger draw bars. Mine is smaller and therefore has some slop in it. When towing my trailer the ball bounces back and forward slightly. I'm going to return it and then print a photo of dvan's and go to my friendly neighborhood welder.

 

[Northland]

I stumbled across a post by BrianCd with his ingenious answer to a drawbar lock. I did the same as he did. Besides you can use the "U" bolt for other uses as well...I attached a couple pics on my tractor...

Credit goes to Brian for a smart common sense answer...Here's Brian's thread...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/88200-different-drabar-lock-solution.html?highlight=drawbar+lock

thanks for posting that link. I bought a drawbar last fall to move my tent trailer around but haven't got around to actually using it. I never thought about the drawbar slipping right around but since I have two clevis's I should have an easy fix now