Watch your balls

[Marveltone]

I think painting them different colors is not a good idea. A lot of us - ME - can not tell the difference between green and red.

How can you tell a John Deere from a Mahindra? :confused2:

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Actually, when I read the title of this post, I thought it was going to be on TSA screening at the airports. I was very relieved to see it was just on trailers and hitches. I like the Convert-A-Ball system in stainless steel. Real quick and easy to change ball sizes at a moment's notice without tools. :thumbsup:

Joe

 

[bigtiller]

How can you tell a John Deere from a Mahindra? :confused2:

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Actually, when I read the title of this post, I thought it was going to be on TSA screening at the airports. I was very relieved to see it was just on trailers and hitches. I like the Convert-A-Ball system in stainless steel. Real quick and easy to change ball sizes at a moment's notice without tools. :thumbsup:

Joe

It's always spelled out on the side.

You should see me at traffic lights.

 

[RadarTech]

It's always spelled out on the side.

You should see me at traffic lights.

Are you the guy I had to honk at yesterday?:laughing:
When the right lane moved and you didn't I thought you were sleeping!

Just kidding!

 

[ultrarunner]

How can you tell a John Deere from a Mahindra? :confused2:

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Actually, when I read the title of this post, I thought it was going to be on TSA screening at the airports. I was very relieved to see it was just on trailers and hitches. I like the Convert-A-Ball system in stainless steel. Real quick and easy to change ball sizes at a moment's notice without tools. :thumbsup:

Joe

I used one for years because I was always changing balls between 1 7/8, 2 and 2 5/16.

Lost a trailer on the Interstate. It was an empty 4 x 5 box trailer and the way the trailer frame corner hit a sectional slab of the roadbed tore/broke both safety chain links.

Best I can figure is I had complacent... the shank was still attached to the carrier and the ball was still in the hitch... only thing missing was the pin.

Thankfully traffic stopped as my trailer bounced along... and that was it.

I now keep a 2" ball with cotter in the receiver and changed my regular hitches to 2"

I like the convertaball system... had been using it at least weekly for 15 years.

 

[ModMech]

I don't disagree with any "system" others have developed but I keep it utterlty simple - it CANNOT be messed up.

2" for all BP applications

2 5/16 for the GNs

Because all the receivers are marked "2in Ball Only" those that borrow should be able to figure it out and we don't own a receiver with anything by a 2" ball on it.

 

[Marveltone]

You should see me at traffic lights.

Lights? What lights?

Joe

 

[Skyco]

So how many here have seen the old trick where you put a sweat shirt on top of the wrong size ball to make it bigger?

What color sweatshirt?

 

[RadarTech]

What color sweatshirt?

Grease gray.. Or maybe moly red?

:laughing:

 

[mojoinco]

I used to have a 1 3/4" ball. What a pita! Finally cut off the ancient Bulldog hitch (man that's a nice coupler) and made it 2". So much simpler.

I have changed out the occasional 1 7/8" for that reason. No need for 1 7/8".

 

[Trowell and Trimmer]

Been a landscaper for 12 years and our Newest staff Last year did the same thing Caused a Little Damage and that was at low speed in the yard.
At 1st glance, the 2" looks good for that big trailer but it only takes a second to screw up... I like that painted reciever idea. I just keep my 3 different sizes on 3 different recievers, but I'm lucky as they all have a different height. which I associate with each trailer.

My Buddy from Drumheller asked me one day ....Do you know why farmers have the same sized balls?.......so they can tow each others trailers around :laughing:

 

[Trowell and Trimmer]

Been a landscaper for 12 years and our Newest staff Last year did the same thing Caused a Little Damage and that was at low speed in the yard.
At 1st glance, the 2" looks good for that big trailer but it only takes a second to screw up... I like that painted reciever idea. I just keep my 3 different sizes on 3 different recievers, but I'm lucky as they all have a different height. which I associate with each trailer.

My Buddy from Drumheller asked me one day ....Do you know why farmers have the same sized balls?.......so they can tow each others trailers around :laughing:

oops not 3 revievers , 3 different ballmounts.

 

[clemsonfor]

Small trailers need small balls. If people had the ability to hook up a 2 5/16" ball to a Astro Van somebody would be pulling a backhoe with it .

You can do it, just buy the right receiver tube and put a 2 5/16 oon it.

 

[lostcause]

over the years i've bought a decent number of light duty trucks. generally they have been either brand new off the lot, or a beat to snot pos. virtually ever pos has had a 1 7/8 ball rusted solid to the (usually twisted into a pretzel) rear bumper. i can only assume that the trailers towed by said trucks were probably also a not fit for the highway pos.

for the last 20~ish years i haven't hooked up to a 1 7/8 coupler and i don't even own a drawbar with that size ball anymore. several different drops with a 2" ball pretty much will cover any light trailer now. i know there are a few exceptions out there, but there probably aren't too many trailers out there sporting a 1 7/8 coupler that are still fit for the highway.

 

[milkman636]

Okay Ultrarunner, you win (so far), even though there is no prize.

Can anyone top 5 sizes????

Pintle hitches won't count for this 'contest'.

Even though I use three different sized balls myself, I have to vote for only two balls. I think thats the way God intended it to be