Pulling with Three Point HItch

[KennK]

I searched through existing posts and was kind of surprised not to find much about this ...

Basic tractor safety says that I'm supposed to use the drawbar for pulling in order to prevent the tractor from flipping front over back.

In earlier posts I've read people seem to suggest we should avoid using the Three Point Hitch for pulling, but then I see videos of people using a plow (moldboard, chisel, ...) attached to a 3PH. Isn't that really an extreme version of pulling using the 3PH?

I understand the concern that using a 3PH to tow a improperly weighted trailer such the hitch could pivot upward and the 3PH - with no down-force or chain to limit upward movement -- could lift the rear of the trailer ... but I am always careful not to rear-load a trailer (well, now I am ... after learning my lesson the hard way hauling long lumber on a short trailer).

Are there other risks associated with pulling with a 3PH that I haven't mentioned?

 

[bcp]

Three point hitch is made for pulling but not made to hold anything down. The risk comes from situations that can lift the hitch, like a low tongue weight trailer, or a properly loaded trailer and downhill braking, especially while turning on rough ground.

Or think about pulling a log or boulder from a three point drawbar. All is OK when the drawbar is in the low position, but the log gets snagged, you raise the hitch trying to free it, and now you are pulling from near axle height instead of down low.

Bruce

 

[davesl708]

Any pull above the center of the axle will exert upward lift on the front tires. A plow hooked to the 3ph when lowered is pulling at or just below the center point. Provided the plow is adjusted properly and the top link is not doing the pulling.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I can remember Dad and his 8N pulling a large 4 wheel trailer made by John Deere. The 8N's don't have a fixed drawbar so it used the 3PH drawbar which raised up to full height everytime we stopped or backed the trailer up. This didn't affect the trailer load other than raising the tongue up but is was always an issue of slack in the pulling that could jolt anything on the trailer plus the tractor. We never had an issue with the trailer but it was all low speed travel and not much hill other than the occasional crossing of a small swale for drainage in the field. I definitely wouldn't want to pull a 2 wheel trailer or any trailer with a fixed frame/tongue if using the 3PH with a drawbar.

 

[davesl708]

I think most people get into trouble with 3ph's by as Gary stated pulling single axle trailers with heavy tongue weight or trying to pull an immovable object. Such as stumps or large logs.

 

[Gunny]

As far as I know, the only safe way to do it would be with stabilizer bars running from the top link down to the lift arms, which would keep the arms forced down

 

[SPYDERLK]

I searched through existing posts and was kind of surprised not to find much about this ...

Basic tractor safety says that I'm supposed to use the drawbar for pulling in order to prevent the tractor from flipping front over back.

In earlier posts I've read people seem to suggest we should avoid using the Three Point Hitch for pulling, but then I see videos of people using a plow (moldboard, chisel, ...) attached to a 3PH. Isn't that really an extreme version of pulling using the 3PH?

I understand the concern that using a 3PH to tow a improperly weighted trailer such the hitch could pivot upward and the 3PH - with no down-force or chain to limit upward movement -- could lift the rear of the trailer ... but I am always careful not to rear-load a trailer (well, now I am ... after learning my lesson the hard way hauling long lumber on a short trailer).

Are there other risks associated with pulling with a 3PH that I haven't mentioned?

Pulling a plow is a different situation because the resistance to motion is applied below ground, while the tires [always] apply force at ground. ... There can actually be a net downforce on the front of the tractor in this situation. The plow pulls on the lift arms and pushes on the toplink simultaneously. Resisting below ground favors a net forward lever on the tractor body.

In other pull situations, esp where only hooked to the lift arms, the front is always lightened - and the ability of the arms to rise easily presents no natural limiting influence on a back tip.

In contrast, the fixed drawbar is forced increasingly downward in a backtip and causes a natural decrease in the tipping leverage.

 

[KennK]

Thanks for the replies.

I feel better now knowing more about the physics involved. It looks to me like if my JD 3320's rocker arms are fairly level or lower then most of the pull will be from below the rear axle - which I think should be safe - assuming there is no uplift force on the 3PH.

 

[wcampbell47]

I am not advocating pulling from the 3ph, draw bar would be better. However you could fill the front bucket with heavy objects (concrete, dirt, rocks) to help hold the front down if there is no other way.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Agree that as a general rule it is NOT a good idea to pull with the 3pt hitch.. Ground engaging equipment, plow, disk, chisel digger are a whole different thing..
But to pull a 2 or 4 wheel trailer for instance is a bad idea.. In that it can over run the tractor, push the 3pt to the top or farther than its normal travel and in some cases do damage...

Not that being said I used my tractor with a 3pt receiver hitch to move a lot of boats and pontoons around a yard and in and out of buildings.. I put a chain from the receiver hitch to a shackle on my draw bar so the 3pt could not be pushed higher than it would go under normal operation.. Worked well enough..

For skidding logs, I have a short telescoping boom pole (12-20") that pins to the top link of my receiver hitch implement.. I lift the end of a log with that and use another chain to the draw bar to pull the logs with.. Takes a little extra time and trouble, but I have had no issues with this way of doing it..

Keep safe..
==