Payne's Hitch Receiver

[CurlyDave]

I don't know whether this belongs in Safety or Attachments, possibly a moderator could help me.

But, I need to bring everyone's attention to a serious safety issue with Payne's Clamp On Hitch Receivers.

I have one of these and use it on the 4-n-1 bucket on my John Deere TLB 110, which has the bolt-on wear edge. I use it to move and position my 16' enclosed trailer, which has an empty weight of ~2270 lbs.

No matter how tightly I jam the receiver against the bucket edge (it appears to me to fit as designed) I have two problems:

1. Any attempt to steer the trailer puts a side force on the hitch, which easily causes it to swivel, so that it is no longer perpendicular to the bucket edge. I have tried tightening the clamping bolt with all my strength, and placing one side of the receiver against one of the bolts in the bucket edge, but nothing helps the situation.

2. Last week I tried to position the trailer facing downhill on about a 15% grade. Obviously this meant that the trailer was pushing against the ball, and therefore the receiver. Well, the force caused the clamping bolt to unscrew, and the receiver swiveled completely against the bucket edge. It loosened sufficiently that I was afraid it would fall off the bucket. This was clearly a very unsafe situation as the only thing which prevented the trailer from rolling down my 1000' long, 15% slope driveway was the fact that it ran into the bucket of my backhoe.

The thing that caused a lot of pucker factor was that in order to get out of the situation, I had to chock the wheels of the trailer, and then get in between the trailer and the backhoe in order to get the trailer unhitched from the ball in the receiver.

No matter how well you chock the wheels and lower the tongue jack, standing in between a 2300 lb trailer, which wants to roll downhill, and an 8000 lb backhoe, with its parking brake fully engaged and stabilizers down, gets my full attention. The steel edges of that bucket look very hard and cruel compared to my frail human body. And the front of the trailer looks like a most unkind pusher.

Other than "don't use the clamp on receiver" does anyone have any ideas on how to prevent this situation from developing?

I sent an email to Payne's tonight and will post whatever reply I get.

To see one of these gadgets look here: Clamp On Hitch Receiver

 

[aczlan]

I would drill a hole though the receiver and the bucket so I could put a pin all the way through both, and if I was going to be near a slope I would find a way to chain the trailer to the bucket as well. that being said, on my dads massey industrial 35 he has a piece of 1/4" wall 2" box tubing welded on the inside middle of the bottom of his bucket and if I had a driveway like you describe I would do something similar to what he did.


Aaron Z

 

[mjncad]

That's a scary gadget and an expensive one to boot. ACZLAN has a good idea to come up with a through pin modification to keep that puppy from spinning.

 

[teg]

I had a problem with a homemade one that did the same thing. I used the safety chains and used a strap to go around the back of the bucket. As you turn the strap slides around but keeps the trailer on. I took a video of it but can't seem to find where I put it on my computer. Got photos, too... I'm sure in the same place as the video . I don't like moving a trailer without the chains hooked up to the vehicle.

 

[Defective]

Looks like just plain poor design to me.

I don't like the idea of trying to manage a ton & a quarter of load with a clamp bolt and no way to stabilize the connection. I would not only change it to a through-bolt, but weld on some material parallel to the bucket edge.

Thinking about it a little more...

I don't think I'd continue to use it. I'd find or build something a bit sturdier with a positive attachment to the bucket.

 

[CurlyDave]

Well, so far no word from Payne's.

I agree, if I am ever going to use it again, I have to pin it to the bucket somehow.

I may be better off learning to weld and getting a welder.

 

[mswlogo]

This gadget looks just to handy to pass up and I ordered one.

I will try to "pin it".

I really don't want to remove the BH because I'll need the weight for traction and counter weight.

I plan to use it to try and launch and retrieve my 3500lb boat with a BX24.

I think keeping the big tires on dry land with weight on them will raise my chances of the BX24 pulling it out.

I'll report how well it works. I only have to tow like 50' per season.

Anyone know how far I can drive the BX24 into water before I get myself in trouble? (i.e. Transmission vents, Differential vents).

 

[orezok]

Could you weld some "wings" on it like this? It would help prevent rotation during a "push" condition.

 

[Bedlam]

I have had the same problem with a home made one myself. the 'wings' are a must. But I also made mine with a hole drilled in the bucket and pin through it.I trust this method far better that the 'clamps' on idea. I assume with wings and flat ground the clamp ones would do ok. But the pin or bolt through it is the way to go. I have also used this hole int he bucket to mount other attachments that I have.No regrets.
I sure hope you hear from them, because thats no cheap hitch...
Al

 

[NuBota]

I have one, but haven't tried it yet - because I had concerns exactly has you have described. My property is all 15-20 degree slopes

I think (2000 miles from home, so can't check) that it is only rated at 1,000 lbs. I didn't realize this when I bought it - and was hoping to use it on my 18' landscape trailer (~2000#) and, possibly (but not likely), for my 18' boat.

That said, I have considered it to not be a good option for transporting the trailer any distance around the property - figured would stick with the truck to get it near the parking area, then use it for final parking. Like an airplane being pushed or pulled from it's gate.

However, some of the suggested mods would seem to be an option to actually "tow" with it.