MF 1825E drawbar/tow bar

[GioG]

Hello everybody. So I noticed that my 1825E MF has a flat tow/draw bar below the PTO, so I went out a buy a 2 5/16 inch hitch ball so I could pull my flat/open trailer around the property, but what I found-out is that those holes on the tow bar are all smaller then the hitch ball shank which is 1.1/4 in. in diameter. does anyone knows if I can find a tow bar with different size holes?
P.S. I looked everywhere with no avail. Thank you all.

 

[JWR]

Hello everybody. So I noticed that my 1825E MF has a flat tow/draw bar below the PTO, so I went out a buy a 2 5/16 inch hitch ball so I could pull my flat/open trailer around the property, but what I found-out is that those holes on the tow bar are all smaller then the hitch ball shank which is 1.1/4 in. in diameter. does anyone knows if I can find a tow bar with different size holes?
P.S. I looked everywhere with no avail. Thank you all.

Several comment -- you should be looking for 2 5/16 hitchball with the smaller shaft, not a different draw bar. They are available. I had the same situation with a Kubota drawbar and smaller hole. The other comment is, since you are planning to pull/maneuver your trailer around the property I have found one of those triangular hitches that fits your 3pt hitch works really well. The triangular rig is much handier because you can raise and lower the ball height above the ground which helps for both hitching and placing the trailer. This may be out of order (not knowing your situation) but they do make bolt-on receiver hitch adapters to fit on the lip of your FEL bucket. Those things are REALLY nice for tight careful maneuvering in putting a trailer into tight spaces etc. Good luck, you have lots of good alternatives.

 

[GioG]

Several comment -- you should be looking for 2 5/16 hitchball with the smaller shaft, not a different draw bar. They are available. I had the same situation with a Kubota drawbar and smaller hole. The other comment is, since you are planning to pull/maneuver your trailer around the property I have found one of those triangular hitches that fits your 3pt hitch works really well. The triangular rig is much handier because you can raise and lower the ball height above the ground which helps for both hitching and placing the trailer. This may be out of order (not knowing your situation) but they do make bolt-on receiver hitch adapters to fit on the lip of your FEL bucket. Those things are REALLY nice for tight careful maneuvering in putting a trailer into tight spaces etc. Good luck, you have lots of good alternatives.

Thank you JWR I'm going to look into that.

 

[EdGooding]

Thank you JWR I'm going to look into that.

You can get something like this from an Agri Supply: https://www.agrisupply.com/3-point-tractor-rear-hitch/p/101596/ and this: https://www.agrisupply.com/hitch-mount-tri-ball-chrome/p/40278/ and have a lot of towing options.

 

[GioG]

You can get something like this from an Agri Supply: https://www.agrisupply.com/3-point-tractor-rear-hitch/p/101596/ and this: https://www.agrisupply.com/hitch-mount-tri-ball-chrome/p/40278/ and have a lot of towing options.

Thank you EdGooding. I have an Agri Supply just 40 miles away from where I live. I'm going to pay them a visit.

 

[LouNY]

Many tractor drawbars are also to thick for most trailer balls. The 3 point hitchs are nice and handy but I would advise anyone using those to also use something to limit how high the lift arms can travel. On all tractors that I am aware of with 3 point hitchs the lift arms can be lifted much higher then the hydraulics will lift them.
In my second picture you can see the chain that goes down to a clevis in my drawbar that acts as a limiter to prevent the hitch from being lifted by a trailer and damaging the tractors.

 

[JWR]

You can get something like this from an Agri Supply: https://www.agrisupply.com/3-point-tractor-rear-hitch/p/101596/ and this: https://www.agrisupply.com/hitch-mount-tri-ball-chrome/p/40278/ and have a lot of towing options.

Yep, that is exactly what I was suggesting in post # 2. I got one used but cost me more than that one is new !

 

[LouNY]

Yep, that is exactly what I was suggesting in post # 2. I got one used but cost me more than that one is new !

The one I built I have more then that in materials, it is just a bit heavier duty also.

 

[JWR]

The triangular hitch I use (really a "T" in my case) had been narrowed by the previous owner making it handy for me to use on a Kubota B2150. Also works on the larger MF2660.

 

[GioG]

Many tractor drawbars are also to thick for most trailer balls. The 3 point hitchs are nice and handy but I would advise anyone using those to also use something to limit how high the lift arms can travel. On all tractors that I am aware of with 3 point hitchs the lift arms can be lifted much higher then the hydraulics will lift them.
In my second picture you can see the chain that goes down to a clevis in my drawbar that acts as a limiter to prevent the hitch from being lifted by a trailer and damaging the tractors.
View attachment 1736737View attachment 1736738

Sorry I'm new to this, please explain how the trailer would be lifting the hitch. Thank you.

 

[thclimer]

If for some reason you don't have enough tongue weight your trailer can lift the hitch of your tractor. This assumes you have your trailers ball coupler locked down, if not and your tongue weight is not enough your trailer will lift off the ball. This might happen if your not on level ground pulling or backing up, you would be surprised how the "weight" of your tongue can change.

 

[LouNY]

Sorry I'm new to this, please explain how the trailer would be lifting the hitch. Thank you.

Many times loading or unloading the hitch will go light and try to lift in the air. When backing up often the trailer will try and push the tractor lift arms upward, the same going down hill with the trailer pushing it can push down on the lift arms when they are very low, but if the lift arms are level or up a bit from level they will push up with considerable force.

 

[GioG]

If for some reason you don't have enough tongue weight your trailer can lift the hitch of your tractor. This assumes you have your trailers ball coupler locked down, if not and your tongue weight is not enough your trailer will lift off the ball. This might happen if your not on level ground pulling or backing up, you would be surprised how the "weight" of your tongue can change.

got it Thank you.

 

[GioG]

Many times loading or unloading the hitch will go light and try to lift in the air. When backing up often the trailer will try and push the tractor lift arms upward, the same going down hill with the trailer pushing it can push down on the lift arms when they are very low, but if the lift arms are level or up a bit from level they will push up with considerable force.

got it thank you

 

[GioG]

Many times loading or unloading the hitch will go light and try to lift in the air. When backing up often the trailer will try and push the tractor lift arms upward, the same going down hill with the trailer pushing it can push down on the lift arms when they are very low, but if the lift arms are level or up a bit from level they will push up with considerable force.

So the solution is binding the 3 point hitch with some kind of rope or chain, right?

 

[LouNY]

I use a chain down to the tractor drawbar, set so the lift arms can be lifted up but not pushed past normal lift.

 

[RayIN]

Hello everybody. So I noticed that my 1825E MF has a flat tow/draw bar below the PTO, so I went out a buy a 2 5/16 inch hitch ball so I could pull my flat/open trailer around the property, but what I found-out is that those holes on the tow bar are all smaller then the hitch ball shank which is 1.1/4 in. in diameter. does anyone knows if I can find a tow bar with different size holes?
P.S. I looked everywhere with no avail. Thank you all.

Years ago I discovered a trailer ball in the under-belly drawbar doesn't work so good. When making a turn the rear tires will hit the trailer tongue rather quickly.
I can mount a trailer ball on my 3-pt hitch drawbar and gain about 18" back from the under-belly drawbar. This allows much sharper turns.
To keep the 3-pt drawbar level, I made a 12" long section of angle iron with a bolt hole in one end and a muffler clamp on the other end to hole the angle iron to the lift arm.

 

[GioG]

Years ago I discovered a trailer ball in the under-belly drawbar doesn't work so good. When making a turn the rear tires will hit the trailer tongue rather quickly.
I can mount a trailer ball on my 3-pt hitch drawbar and gain about 18" back from the under-belly drawbar. This allows much sharper turns.
To keep the 3-pt drawbar level, I made a 12" long section of angle iron with a bolt hole in one end and a muffler clamp on the other end to hole the angle iron to the lift arm.
View attachment 1773480

I just got me a brand-new 3 point trailer hitch from Amazon....that I'll mount on my tractor tomorrow. Here is the picture from Amazon...

 

[JWR]

That is the right stuff. You will be glad you went that way in the long run. Hope it fits your 1825 without mods.

 

[GioG]

Thank you all for your help and advices......here I got some pictures, by the way it fits like a glove.