Tractor Trailer Hitch

[Furu]

I was in need of being able to move normal ball hitch (2 5/16") trailers with my tractor (JD4720). I looked around at the quoted prices and was appalled; mid 3 figures and up. Thinking that was absolutely ridiculous I got to thinking about an alternative. Mind you this is for moving with a tractor not driving on the interstate highway.

I found a receiver tube welded on a small piece of flat plate. ($16)
Next I found a short scrap piece of 2"x2"x 0.25" wall square tubing left over from another project. Miter cut a 90 elbow to insert in the back of the receiver tube and two small pieces of 1/2" plate to make the top link connection. Mounted (3/4 inch bolts) it on the three point universal bar that I use for so many things. Had to drill two new holes in the receiver hitch plate as did not like the existing hole placement.

Welded the miter cut, welded the stub in the back of the receiver, and welded the top link plate forks on and painted. Now I can put any of my trailer hitch stingers in the tractor trailer hitch receiver and go move a trailer without hooking up the tow vehicle.

Total cost under $20. Hugh savings over the ones I found offered.

 

[diesel lover]

This is what I planned to do as well!!! For heavy tongue trailers simply back under the trailer and use the 3pt hydraulics to lift the trailer. I thought the same thing when I saw 3pt hitches for 140$ or so. Too much money for something I can build. I have several hours experience with mig welding on a miller 240v setup. With the 2 inch receiver hitch you can also change to a pintle hook quickly for pintle ring type trailers. Also you can move gooseneck trailers! Nice work. I hate trying to back under the ball of a trailer with my pickup truck to hook up and move a trailer a short distance.

 

[Stimw]

I made something similar only I just made an "L" bracket for the top link and used the regular holes for the ball.
Also here is pics of my tractor for trailer moving.
I have to move small construction equipment around, some with ball hitch and some with loop hitch.
This is what I came up with.
A neighbor set the tractor to the curb not running with a bad deck so I got it running and put on a $49.00 HF winch.
It will lift the tractor front end off the ground if the trailer is too heavy!

 

[Soundguy]

tisco makes an a-frame kit that bols to your drawbar.. then you add a traler ball and go.

cost, back 10ys ago was about 20$.. probably 2x that now.

 

[6011Artist]

If you search this site for trailer mover hitch you will find lots of discussions about building and using the same type hitch you just made. I built my first one from scratch 20 or more years ago before I ever saw anything like this, thought it up myself. I used a reciever tube butted into a piece of 3" tubing, 2x2 tubing for my upright going to my toplink, a mobile home spring hanger bracket drilled bigger for the connecting point for the toplink. It's been around for years, been used for many things. It is cat 1 but have put it on a 70 HP Belarus and moved a 12 X 60 mobile home across a field with it. I've since built one like you did using the existing bar but my favorite way is to take a old reciever hitch for a truck and cut the tubing the right size, add pins for 3 ph, weld a piece of tubing for the upright, add the spring hanger bracket and I have one for basically less than 10.00 and 1 piece of 2x2 tubing (if I find hitches for 5.00 used, scrap prices).

So i needed a hay rake. I took a mule drawn rake, cut out the piece of angle with the tines mounted to it and welded it to a piece of tubing and in less than an hour I was raking wheat straw. By using the hitch I didn't have to build any of the 3ph part and my rake slides in and pins off just like a reciever tube/hitch.

I have 2 boom poles but made a short one only 2' tall that comes out of my reciever hitch, turns upward on a 30 degree angle (guessing) and a flat plate capping the top of the tubing with a 3/8 chain hook swinging to hook my chain to. Wrap a short chain around a log and hook the chain into the hook on my short pole and pull logs or poles with it. It works better than a long boom pole as there is less leverage. I have one that is 40" tall, about a 30 degree angle I use the same way. I very seldom put a boom pole on with these two quick slide in poles in my collection.

I mounted a c-tine to a short piece of tubing, bolted on a spade plow and use it to lay off rows in my garden. I've built 4 different rakes that I use in my reciever hitch. So now that you have the hitch, you can build all sorts of tools and empliments to use with it a lot faster to use or change out than building the whole 3 ph thing over and over.