Pulling Trailer with BX

[walker450]

I have had a BX since 2008 and have always either pulled my 13' single axle with a drawbar on the 3 poi t or via a receiver hitch on my box blade. I made a video showing it and also loading some grass clippings. Maybe it'll help people in the future decode if they want to pull a trailer with a subcompact tractor.

Video here:

 

[JWR]

A few comments: I do not use my BX to haul stuff with a trailer, hardly at all. I do use the BX to move and position the trailer every time I use it ! I had a piece of steel bent to form a chunk of angle iron the right size to bolt on the front of the BX using existing frame holes and with the right amount of horizontal space to bolt an off-the-shelf receiver bumper hitch. I have found this the perfect gadget for moving trailers around -- with the trailer in front of me and super maneuverable. If I am hauling using the trailer I pull it with either my F-150 pickup or once in a while a larger tractor using the yellow T thing below. Note that the yellow T was cut down by the giuy I bought it from to fit smaller tractors like the BX. Many sources sell them already sized that way.

 

[bcp]

The BX has a "limited" Cat 1 hitch. It is the standard Cat 1 size, but starts from a much lower position and doesn't go as high as a standard Cat 1 tractor. No need to narrow anything to fit.

Bruce

 

[JWR]

With "how I do it" out of the way in post #2, I must be honest and say I do not like your "draw bar with hitch balls." That is not mechanically stable or sound in my opinion. I hear you loud and clear saying that you have used it a lot and that "the hitch ball can't come out. " Wrong. They CAN come out. I say you have been lucky and it is still a poor way to do things. The main problem is that your drawbar (with hitch balls fastened into holes in it) can and will rotate. The more pull on it, the more it will rotate (or if the trailer runs forward on you it will rotate that direction too.) While you are getting away with it that is still asking for trouble. You are depending on the grip that the trailer hitch socket has on the ball. The greater the pull the more the force is trying to pull the ball out of the socket at some angle.

The core principle is that trailer balls and "socket" hitches -- ball and socket -- are designed to handle fore and aft forces ONLY horizontally. That puts ALL the force on the threaded hitch ball shaft, NOT on the gadgets of various types intended to grip the ball and keep the hitch from popping loose. Ball grippers vary widely and none were designed to be load bearing in the "pop out direction." .

I would be the first to say we have all tried things which worked at the moment and got away with it. We all have. I just say there are far better, safer and more reliable ways to do this task. Not a good idea to be recommending it to others.

 

[JWR]

The BX has a "limited" Cat 1 hitch. It is the standard Cat 1 size, but starts from a much lower position and doesn't go as high as a standard Cat 1 tractor. No need to narrow anything to fit.

Bruce

You are correct. The yellow receiver hitch adapter for 3 point hitches that I happened to buy (used) was originally too wide for whatever reason. Had I been buying it new I could have bought one manufactured for standard Cat 1 dimensions and it would not have needed to be cut as the seller had done.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I gave up pulling trailers with my smaller Kubota tractors. too much time lost in disconnecting and reconnecting the trailer in order to load with the FEL.

I also had an incident while pulling a heavy trailer downhill. It weighed more than the tractor and the brakes weren't strong enough. I got going at a pretty good clip and actually considered bailing out! Luckily the hill leveled off before I lost control of the machine! Yeah, a rookie mistake but a lesson learned!

Pulling a lightweight trailer with a small tractor using the 3PT, drawbar or FEL is fine but I now tow the heavy ones with my pickup. This leaves the tractor free to do the loading.

 

[George the Beagle]

I'm afraid I'll have to agree with JWR here, and here's why. If you hook your trailer onto a standard rigidly mounted ball without latching it, you could theoretically pull it all over the place as long as there was sufficient tongue weight to keep it there (this isn't something you'd do in every day practice, just an example). Do the same thing with a drawbar mounted ball and you probably won't get too far before it comes off when the drawbar pivots--because the hitch lock is only designed to keep the hitch from popping off, and won't do well in trying to handle any of the load itself which is what will happen when the drawbar pivots. You could probably do this once in a great while to move an empty trailer and you'd get away with it, but doing it on a regular basis is not, in my opinion, a good idea.

 

[Eagle1]

I just put the drawbar in a frame so you have the top link and weld it together, works for me. YMMV
No pivoting of the bar or ball.

 

[walker450]

Thanks for the comments guys, I must say I agree with you all as well. I have thought about building a bracket to keep the drawbar from rotating all the way around. Your comments gave me some motivation to do it the right way.

 

[cmyoung2]

I agree with the comments on the ball rotating, even with the type of hitch your trailer has. I do like that type much better than the latch type. The yellow style hitch is much more stable. Another problem with using the 3pt is there is no down pressure, so if the trailer pushes you the tongue can get really high really fast. And if it does come off the ball it can come visit you, don't ask me how I know. Even a little log splitter will get your attention when that happens.
Safest is to put a receiver where the drawbar is, not totally easy with a BX. Next is the yellow type hitch.

 

[walker450]

Here is the bracket I've thought about building, something like this:

 

[JWR]

That looks practical, easy and quick to do. It would still allow ups and downs of tongue loading to cause the lift arms to rise way up during a bounce, etc. For most people using a small tractor for occasional trailer pulling that would probably never matter.

 

[dougtrr2]

I occasionally haul my log splitter out of my woods. It is up quite hill and I did notice the rotating of the draw bar. This is what I made. The block of wood is hickory, because that is what I had. With the sway bars I have, the drawbar can't come off even without retaining pins.



Doug in SW IA

 

[Barnowl]

Using my tractor to pull a trailer around the our property was one of the best things I’ve ever done. And our property is only 2.5 acres. Today use it to maintain 3 different properties and it gets used all the time. I have a Deere 855. I built a single axle dump trailer 23 yrs ago. One of best timesavers ever. About 2700# with 6,000 lb total capacity. Single axle specifically to make it easier to pull and turn in tighter spaces. 12’ long to haul the CUT. And the hydraulic dump has been a huge back saver. From hauling mulch, topsoil, crusher run, stone into property, to hauling out brush or construction debris to dump. Lots of jealous looks at dump when I just push the button.

Haul in material with pickup pulling trailer, then let the tractor get it into the spot on property where truck may not fit. The next best addition was a Heavy Hitch style attachment. I chose to build my own simply as I wanted some extra features, but whether you build or buy, this is a great attachment. First of all, if you have the proper tongue weight, on a flat area, you can hookup without leaving your seat and disconnect, just leave the jack down on trailer. Of course you need to be careful, and if not on flat ground you latch it. I’ve saved so much time moving the dump trailer, boat trailer and enclosed car hauler. Parking trailers in spots truck just cannot. I usually pull my trailers in with tractor vs backing in, simple theft proofing method as trucks can’t get to tongue now. The Heavy Hitch style attachment can also use weights, ( I almost never use my weight box any longer). It can also be the adaptor to use soil rippers or small plows. Easily created ditches for drainpipe in my soil. I put 3 hitch receivers on mine, so I can run soil ripper on bottom, made a wire roller for top, so I could just lay in wire ( dog fence) in one operation. But the attachment gets used constantly moving my trailers.

highly recommend the hitch attachment.. and a dump trailer!

 

[jmc]

Can't remember if this cartoon-worthy incident happened to me or I witnessed it at a marina- moving a small trailer/boat/outboard with a 3PH:

boat rig has been sitting outside with rain water in the bow.

operator slips the the 3PH mounted ball under the socket and lifts the tongue.

water then runs to the stern, pivoting the tongue and 3PH upward, since the 3PH only floats.

outboard motor skew slams into the concrete driveway.

*********

dump trailers could be a problem too.

 

[GS1100GK]

I gave up pulling trailers with my smaller Kubota tractors. too much time lost in disconnecting and reconnecting the trailer in order to load with the FEL.

I also had an incident while pulling a heavy trailer downhill. It weighed more than the tractor and the brakes weren't strong enough. I got going at a pretty good clip and actually considered bailing out! Luckily the hill leveled off before I lost control of the machine! Yeah, a rookie mistake but a lesson learned!

Pulling a lightweight trailer with a small tractor using the 3PT, drawbar or FEL is fine but I now tow the heavy ones with my pickup. This leaves the tractor free to do the loading.

I use my Kabota (BX and B) to haul a garden trailer loaded with logs/tree clippings all the time on all types of terrain. On downhill slopes, I always use 4wd in low range and ready to apply the brakes if needed. As an added safety measure whenever I have heavy loads I make sure he FEL with bucket is attached ready to drop it to the ground as a stop measure. Luckily, I have never had to use the FEL as a last resort. That being said, using a pick up in place of the tractor for very heavy loads is the right call for sure.

 

[Shady oak]

I tried a version of this with a Ford 8N. To keep the drawbar from rotating I made the end pins so that they wrapped around the arms to keep the drawbar level. Not a good idea. Eventually the end holes on the drawbar snapped, seems the strength of the pin holes is horizontal not vertical. And no, I wouldn’t pull any type of weight with a loose drawbar.

 

[bdhsfz6]

As an added safety measure whenever I have heavy loads I make sure he FEL with bucket is attached ready to drop it to the ground as a stop measure. Luckily, I have never had to use the FEL as a last resort.

This can be a recipe for disaster if you aren't very careful!

I sold my old B7100HST to a friend who tried this while pulling a heavy trailer. The brakes weren't adequate going down his steep driveway and he panicked. He dropped the FEL to try and slow down but didn't roll back the bucket first. The edge dug in and almost flipped the tractor! Luckily, he wasn't hurt but the FEL looked like a pretzel!

If you try and brake with the FEL, make sure the bucket is rolled back! Don't put too much down force on the bucket either since it will lift the front tires off the ground and you could loose steering control.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

People tend to do dumb things sometimes. The laws of physics and mechanics always prevail. Heavy trailers behind small towing units always are "the tail wagging the dog". I tried once but weight distribution made for a scary situation with my BX, luckily it was a short distance. I found a drawbar was not an appropriate mount for a ball hitch, too low and it shifted the weight center way forward increasing hitch weight. I found it was a lot easier to move heavy trailers with a homemade attachment clamped on the FEL and pushing rather than pulling. Beats trying to back the trailer into tight places with the pickup. Always take it slow and easy. If you are towing with a tractor better add a lot of weight to the front of the tractor to balance the hitch load.

Ron

 

[Mudfarmer]

A couple of things: I too once almost crashed my old Ford 1700 coming down a muddy incline with a load of firewood on a 12-foot double-axle trailer. Jack-knifing down hill is pretty exciting.

Which brings up another issue. I use a T-shaped three point puller per the second post in this string. I note that whereas I am blessed with steep hills the OP has flat land and probably hasn't run into the following problem (unless he backed up a heavy load): The three-point lift arms go downward with gravity not power. When going downhill with a loaded trailer attached to the three point the trailer can catch up to the tractor and lift the three point to maximin height - not a stable situation. That essentially lifts up the backend of a small tractor and there goes control as the trailer pushes downhill and you jackknife around the front tires which are plunging into the ground! Solution; use a safety chain (and don't overload the trailer). I hook a chain from the drawbar (that thing down below that you're supposed to be pulling with) to the top of the "T" and snug it up by lifting the three-point a bit.