Rod size for euro hooks

[HybridVigor]

What’s the difference between a farmer and a welder? A welder doesn’t pretend he can farm.

I welded hooks onto my L3301 a little over 5 years ago and they’re holding up fine. Basically my welding experience was an ag mechanics class and YouTube. It’s been a while but I think I used a root pass of 6011 and capped with 7018. I put a nice bevel on the arms, preheated first, and alternated sides after each full pass. I just had a Lincoln 220V AC only tombstone at the time.

Run some practice passes to get a feel for amps. I found the hardest part was holding the arms just so for the initial tack welds. You want the hooks to be parallel to the centerline of the tractor/front of the draft arm before the bend, which is easier said than done once you have your bevels.

I didn’t do this, but I sort of think you could bias the hooks vertically with the tops out away from the centerline of the tractor a few degrees since they naturally point towards the center of the tractor as you raise the three point. I welded them in-line with the draft arms and haven’t had any clearance issues, but they do rub every now and then with cat 2/1 balls which are only as wide as the hook. I used cat 2 limited hooks from Agristore USA

 

[redmt]

If you don't care if they break off under load or if you're actually not going to use them then it doesn't matter how you weld them. If they are going to be used as designed then weld them correctly. A short description of the rods mentioned in no particular order. 6011 is a deep penetration rod with 60,000 tensile strength. 6013 shallow penetration good for sheet metal. 7014 is a shallow penetration filler rod that runs easily and makes it look like you know what you're doing. 7018 is a great all purpose rod that works well on various types of unknown steel.
My .04 worth is if you don't have access to a wire feed then 7018 is your safest bet. Keep your welds flat, keep you puddle concentrated on the thicker metal and whip in and out of the thinner piece.
Another option is to find a competent welder that can give you some basic tips while looking over your shoulder.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I'm pretty sure you can accomplish the task without an engine drive welder. that's the same kind of opinion as someone who will try to tell you you need a 3500 cummins and a gooseneck to safely haul a BX around. That said, I probably wouldn't attempt this kind of task if i only had access to 110 power and welder, but I'd be surprised to find any welder running on 220 that isn't more than capable of doing the job. don't let the welding snobs get any traction - it's bragging rights as much as anything else. do more with less when you need to. I'm a believer in the hold my beer while i try this school. Just find some scrap to get used to the welder, rod, and thick metal if you've never done anything like that before. keep turning it up until you get satisfactory results. Back in the day on my grandfather's farm, everything was done with an AC only welder and 1/8" 6011. to quote my granfather, with that combo, you could weld rusty farm equipment through 1/4" of cow @#$!

I have used 6013, 6011 with a fair degree of success, but for penetration and more holding power, prefer 7018, which is available for an AC machine. As the quoted post says, just about any machine running on 220 should do the job. I wouldn't try it with a 110 machine.

 

[coast40]

What does everyone think of welding a larger piece of plate onto the bucket first before welding the hook on, to try to spread the stress? My neighbor has a bucket that broke where the hook was welded on . Split it back about 8 inches . PS I'm not a welder.

 

[ruffdog]

What does everyone think of welding a larger piece of plate onto the bucket first before welding the hook on, to try to spread the stress? My neighbor has a bucket that broke where the hook was welded on . Split it back about 8 inches . PS I'm not a welder.

The OP is talking about euro 3pt hooks, not a bucket hook.

 

[redmt]

What does everyone think of welding a larger piece of plate onto the bucket first before welding the hook on, to try to spread the stress? My neighbor has a bucket that broke where the hook was welded on . Split it back about 8 inches . PS I'm not a welder.

The hook was more than likely undersized and welded too hot making the parent metal brittle.

 

[LouNY]

What does everyone think of welding a larger piece of plate onto the bucket first before welding the hook on, to try to spread the stress? My neighbor has a bucket that broke where the hook was welded on . Split it back about 8 inches . PS I'm not a welder.

Depending on the bucket it can be a good idea. On my Branson I welded a piece of 2" square tube the length of the top edge then installed the hooks.
I have two slip hooks over the loader arms and grab hooks on each end of the bucket.
(note I did not add a additional cutting edge to the bucket when I should have)

 

[MH8675309]

What does everyone think of welding a larger piece of plate onto the bucket first before welding the hook on, to try to spread the stress? My neighbor has a bucket that broke where the hook was welded on . Split it back about 8 inches . PS I'm not a welder.

Thats what I did on mine to spread the stress out. A hot root pass of 1/8" 6013 chip and brush and then several passes of 1/8" 7018 on top of that. Been holding up for years now and will pick up the back of the tractor