Pulling a trailer with your tractor

[MHarryE]

I don't have pictures handy now to post showing what can happen towing from a 3 point hitch raised high. When the 3 point is in position to pull a heavy pull like a plow, it is not a problem. Raise the draft links and pull having good traction. Torque of the drive tires is enough to raise the front end and keep going until something stops it. I have a picture somewhere in my files of a young man found neatly skewered when pulling a load with a trailer hooked to a drawbar between the draft links. When a trailer tire dropped into a rut the trailer stopped but the tractor rears kept going. With the pull so high, the tractor rotated until the man was stabbed by something on the front of the trailer and then crushed. I don't know about your Kubota manual but mine has several warnings to attach towed loads to the drawbar only and to use the 3 point hitch only for equipment designed for 3 point hitch usage. Remember that with these warnings in place your survivors will not see a penny when they sue.

 

[Localmotion]

Actually, it is quite the opposite.

The low hitching point LESSENS traction as less weight is transferred to the rear tires.

A higher hitching point, like a 3PH raised up a little, INCREASE traction as ore weight is transferred.

Why do yo think they hitch so high at the truck/tractor pulls. And why do you think they impose height restrictions on drawbars for said pulls???

OK - I'll re-word, as you obviously miss understood... :laughing:

The drawbar is designed to optomize traction - a higher centre of gravity may add slight traction to the rear wheels - but definately lessens front end traction.

Don't know about the US, but in the UK the height restriction at tractor pulls is for safety - exactly because the higher the centre of gravity the greater chance of the tractor going over backwards...

 

[5030]

Just FYI, using one of those gooseneck hitches on the 3pt hitch is VERY hard on the top link/mount. We have one that we sometimes use on our tractors to pull a similar sized gooseneck trailer as well as a gooseneck cattle trailer, but only with light loads on relatively easy terrain. When you pull with one of those virtually 100% of the pulling force is transmitted through the top link, which it is definitely not designed for. Furthermore, the toplink mounts on the larger Kubotas are used for the draft sensing mechanism and therefore even less adapt to this kind of use.

I'm not one to tell others how to use their tractor, but just be aware of this as it is something that most people don't consider.

Being a machinist by trade I'm very aware of geometry and angles and I don't see where the top link (draft control linkage) receives any undue strain. As an aside, I lock the hydraulic valve before moving any trailer so the system is in hydraulic lock anyway. Been doing it for years with no adverse issues. I even did it with my 5030 that had no draft control. I've pulled some serious loads, upwards of 15 ton on the gooseneck from the field to the barn.

I don't see (I've watched the linkage and the 3ph out the back window) when pulling and there is no movement in the actuation linkage whatsoever.

15 ton makes the tractor smoke a bit......

 

[KYDan]

It appears that we have varying opinions regarding this matter, varying sizes of equipment and varying skill levels. I am not an expert and have not had any advanced mathematic courses since high school, so it is lost in the cobwebby areas of my tired old brain. That said it still seems to be about weight, angles, velocity, inertia, traction, ad nauseum. Common sense has not been mentioned and experience with the equipment involved. What worked one time may not work the next time due to unforseen variables. We are going to do what we do and most of the posts from users that have used the 3 point hitch rather than the drawbar are real life experiences. Obviously, they have survived or someone else would be posting on their behalf. Knowing the capabilities of your equipment and your abilities is key to this the same as using any other equipment. I have been doing this for close to forty years with a series of tractors large and small with no adverse consequences to-date. That said, it doesn't preclude something adverse happening the next time I do so. I have not had any damage to my 3 point hitches to-date from doing this.

 

[5030]

My sentiment (and course of action) exactly, Dan.

Never an issue here (other than maybe squat tires on the gooseneck.....:laughing

 

[Localmotion]

Very well said Dan, and of course we will all always do what works for us... My key point was simply that none of the major tractor manufacturers recommend using the 3pt to tow trailers (for the reasons I've stated), and given that they've designed and built the machines we use - they probably know best!

While you say the majority of the posts on this thread are in favour of using the 3pt linkage (I haven't counted them) - a lot of people (myself included) also smoke, but that doesn't mean it is a sensible thing to do...! If asked (as we have been on this thread) whether it is OK to tow a trailer with the 3pt hitch or if asked whether if it is ok to smoke - the answer has to be no, because both the tractor and our bodies aren't designed for those stresses! :laughing:

If the original question was whether people had problems towing with the 3pt linkage, than you and the other advocates are quite right to say that you haven't... :thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

OK - I'll re-word, as you obviously miss understood... :laughing:

The drawbar is designed to optomize traction - a higher centre of gravity may add slight traction to the rear wheels - but definately lessens front end traction.

Don't know about the US, but in the UK the height restriction at tractor pulls is for safety - exactly because the higher the centre of gravity the greater chance of the tractor going over backwards...

I would probabally word it....

The drawbar is designed to "lessen" traction enough that there is an unlikely chance of rear tip-over.

It is simple physics that the higher the hitch results in more weight on the rear tires, thus increasing traction. Hooking to a drawbar in a near horizontal pull adds next to no weight. Raising the hitch not only tries to lift the object being pulled (less friction with the ground) but it ads that weight to the rear tires.

I know there are other dangers associated with pulling from a high hitch, and I am NOT suggesting it to anyone, but simple physics states that for MAX traction, use the Highest hitching point. Anything lower, will result in less traction. (but safer as we agree)

 

[CTPhil]

This has been an interesting discussion, lots of theory vs. practice, many good points. But unless I've missed a post, nobody has yet reported that they have damaged their tractor by towing with the 3 point hitch.

 

[JB4310]

Say my GL3240 weights 3,500 pounds + loader + fluid in the rear tires = well over 4,000. Stats say it will lift 2,600 on the 3 point.

How heavy of a trailer would you pull behind it? I can't find the manual on line to say how much can be pulled with the 3 point. And then I have to get it stopped. The heavy loads will be off road and mostly dirt and rock, no people. Would you only pull a dump trailer with the drawbar?

I know the drawbar would be better but want to use the 3 point as it will be hooked and unhooked alot. Hook up to go dump then bring back and unhook to fill it up again. Probably with a pintle hitch.

I missed this thread, but I think it's right up my alley, just a different color.

I do exactly what you are talking about with a 10,000 pound pintel hook dump trailer.

Coupled to a 3 pt receiver hitch. works awesome, if you go heavy stay in 4x4 in low range, you'll have all the control you need.
You could use the break away switch in an emergency if you were on crazy hilly terrain and super heavy.

You do need to limit the free travel of the 3pt with a chain to the draw bar, especially for dumping the trailer as it causes uncontrollable tongue/3pt lift.

I did just what you're talking about to dig out my patio.

JB

 

[Whitnel]

I missed this thread, but I think it's right up my alley, just a different color.

I do exactly what you are talking about with a 10,000 pound pintel hook dump trailer.

Coupled to a 3 pt receiver hitch. works awesome, if you go heavy stay in 4x4 in low range, you'll have all the control you need.
You could use the break away switch in an emergency if you were on crazy hilly terrain and super heavy.

You do need to limit the free travel of the 3pt with a chain to the draw bar, especially for dumping the trailer as it causes uncontrollable tongue/3pt lift.

I did just what you're talking about to dig out my patio.

JB

Yep, what you are doing is exactly what I was looking into. Wich I had a that nice dump trailer you have there.