Modified My Hitch

[Mrwurm]

New Holland class II Boomers with gear drive transmissions and all TC30 models are equipped with a simple clevis and pin type hitch. There is no drawbar that you might use to install a trailer-hitch ball. Here's a picture of the stock setup.

 

[Mrwurm]

The dealer offered to upgrade this to a swinging drawbar for about $300 plus labor. I decided to modify an old ball-mount to attach to the tractor.

Here's a shot of the attachement. I welded some stock to the top and bottom to make it the correct thickness to fit nicely between the flanges on the clevis. I welded on some wings in the back to prevent the attachment from swinging. The original pin from the clevis hitch is shown in a hole that I drilled through the assembly.

 

[Mrwurm]

Here's a shot of the assembly mounted in the clevis hitch. I can remove this part by simply pulling out the pin. I know that there is a considerable amount of 'shear force' placed on the pin, but I don't plan on placing more than about 200 lbs of tongue weight on this hitch. I now use my ball hitch to move my small trailer from the barn (where it's stored) to the driveway when I hitch-up to the van. The trailer weighs 1000 lbs and only exerts about 75lbs of tongue weight.

 

[spencer200]

as usual the dealers out there are taking advantage the list price on the swing drawbar kit is only 263.00 and it takes less than 15 minutes to put on.

 

[Kodiak]

Just curious, my TC29 (gear driven) came with a swinging drawbar. And I wasn't charged for it as an option.

 

[Mrwurm]

Russ, when I was looking at the TC30 (and complaining about the drawbar) the salesman walked me over and showed me a TC29 gear drive that had the clevis type hitch. From that I made the assumption that all gear drive models came with it. Perhaps this is incorrect.

 

[spencer200]

I would say your dealer had switched it for someone else because swinging drawbar is standard on all but the tc30

 

[buppy69]

I think I'm not seeing something. Why will a trailer ball not fit on the drawbar that came with the tractor. Mine looks just like yours and that's what I did.

Eugene

 

[Mrwurm]

I believe that a hitch ball could probably be attached to the existing hitch, but it's so close to the axle housing that I would'nt be able to turn with the trailer attached. The trailer tongue would hit the tires as I turned.

 

[knucklehead]

Hey! Why didn't I think of that! Gotta grind a little to fit a 2" piece of square tubing into mine, but I'm doing it - thanks, Jerry!