Towing with BX24/25

[Wayne's Train]

To do some serious towing with your Bota, I'd suggest what I did with my BX24. Go to your local aftermarket auto parts place and buy a step bumper mount receiver hitch, Reece makes one. Remove the rear center plate, don't remember if I used original or longer bolts, and install the receiver. I had to elongate the two most rearward holes (in the receiver, not tractor) outbound with a dremel to make the bolt pattern fit. With no ballmount it clears the backhoe no problem, you can leave it permanently attached. Then you can pick the ballmount with the proper rise or fall for your trailer height. I use 2" rise for the train cars and 4" rise for my 18' car hauler. Here are some pics. The train has pulled about 4000 lbs of coaches and people up and down hills with the BX, and about 6000 lbs with all 6 coaches on level pavement. The red engine (Craftsman GT5000) will pull 3 loaded coaches but it won't stop going down hill. Again level pavement only. The hayride is over 5000 lbs with 20 people on board. I've had it heavier on flat paved ground no problem, but that's about the max for paved hills.

 

[OrangeRidge]

You're in low range and 2WD with the BX and 2 to 2.5 tons I assume ?

 

[bp fick]

I'm sure many guys here would be quite concerned about 5000 lbs pushing against a 1500 lb tractor. I've crept across my yard, pulling a couple tons of sand in a utility trailer with my old BX. But that is a whole lot different than pulling people on blacktop with any kind of grade at all. Hmmmm.....

As Sarge used to on Hill Street Blues in dismissing role call, "Hey! Let's be careful out there!"

 

[wrooster]

The train has pulled about 4000 lbs of coaches and people up and down hills with the BX, and about 6000 lbs with all 6 coaches on level pavement. The hayride is over 5000 lbs with 20 people on board.

Good grief.

Take your attorney's business card and tape it to the underside of the BX24's ROPS. Then one day when you find yourself upside-down and jack-knifed you'll be able to read it easily, and you can try to get a head start on your defense of a huge liability lawsuit.

Wrooster

 

[wrooster]

To do some <snip> towing with your Bota

By the way, this is the product you are looking for:
Quick-On Receiver Hitch

I have one, it works great, and you don't have to grind/modify anything.

Wrooster

 

[bp fick]

Good grief.

Take your attorney's business card and tape it to the underside of the BX24's ROPS. Then one day when you find yourself upside-down and jack-knifed you'll be able to read it easily, and you can try to get a head start on your defense of a huge liability lawsuit.

Wrooster

Look again. No ROPS upon which to affix the card suggested. Each guy gotta do what he's comfortable doing, I guess. It's a personal decision, so I'll back out of here now.

 

[timswi]

Look again. No ROPS upon which to affix the card suggested. Each guy gotta do what he's comfortable doing, I guess. It's a personal decision, so I'll back out of here now.

He's got way more nerve than I do....No way I'd try that kind of weight with a BX...I did pull that much with a loaded 8N and it still made me nervous.

 

[Wayne's Train]

The receiver is a Reece product, about $40. Works better than the other. High range pulls it great with no lag or strain. Didn't start with that much weight, worked a little more weight (without people on board) at a time. Been pulling this train for 7 years with a Craftsman GT5000. Wouldn't take chances on hills because I did the testing to see what the comfort limits were. Got the 2300 lb (with fiberglass nose) to be able to carry the loads up and downhill (not steep). So I didn't have to turn away business. The ROPS would hit the front top edge of the first coach if it were left on there. The Craftsman tractor has no ROPS, hadn't turned it over either. If you would notice, all of this is done on mostly level pavement at very slow speeds. You see, I haven't rushed into this blindly. It's been a long, slow development of a business that has been a blessing to mine and many other families. We've made a lot of kids happy and have made many good friends. And yes I do have a sizable insurance policy that hasn't had a claim made on it.

 

[timswi]

The receiver is a Reece product, about $40. Works better than the other. High range pulls it great with no lag or strain. Didn't start with that much weight, worked a little more weight (without people on board) at a time. Been pulling this train for 7 years with a Craftsman GT5000. Wouldn't take chances on hills because I did the testing to see what the comfort limits were. Got the 2300 lb (with fiberglass nose) to be able to carry the loads up and downhill (not steep). So I didn't have to turn away business. The ROPS would hit the front top edge of the first coach if it were left on there. The Craftsman tractor has no ROPS, hadn't turned it over either. If you would notice, all of this is done on mostly level pavement at very slow speeds. You see, I haven't rushed into this blindly. It's been a long, slow development of a business that has been a blessing to mine and many other families. We've made a lot of kids happy and have made many good friends. And yes I do have a sizable insurance policy that hasn't had a claim made on it.

If you're on the flat, the worst that you'll do is wipe out the HST..I do admire your community involvement, that's certainly a good thing. We're not giving you a hard time, just safety first with this kind of thing.

 

[OrangeRidge]

High range pulls it great with no lag or strain.

These BX's must have more guts than I thought .