Buying Advice Which hitch receiver adaptor would you get?

[smartguyz]

Hi guys,

I hope your Thanksgiving week is going well.

My 425 is still going strong, and I need another attachment.

I have need of moving some equipment around my property. The equipment is equipped with a ball hitch. Normally, I hook it up to my truck, but there are a lot of places on my property I'd like to move the equipment that only the tractor would be able to go.

Therefore, I need to buy a hitch adapter for the 425.

Of course, PowerTrac has one for around $300, plus around $50-75 for shipping.

There is a place called bucketsolutions dot com that also sells one for $139, which includes shipping.

The bucketsolutions item clamps to the bottom edge of your bucket as seen in the photo. I have the small rock bucket, and it would probably be clamped to that most of the time.

Normally, I'd just order something from PT, but at nearly 1/3 the price, the bucketsolutions item is pretty tempting.

I assume that the PT item would be stronger, as it is welded to the Quick Attach plate directly.

It would probably also be easier to see what you're doing as the bucket is not in the way.

The bucket-clamp one probably not as strong, but the equipment I'm moving is not that heavy (probably 2000 lbs max).

What do you guys think?

Sincerely,

Rob

 

[stray]

The Bucket solution seems like a good idea and what you decide to do has no wrong answer. There are just many ways to accomplish what you are wanting. I myself have 2 quick plates with rec hitches welded on them, also a rec welded on the plate between the lift cylinders, and a ball on the back of the PT. That is one extreme. A simple way to go for you might be just to mount one on your brush cutter (weld a rec on or drill and bolt a ball). I have at times place the ball hitch of a trailer on top of one of the wheel posts of the mower or brush cutter and moved it that way. Rather that un hook the cutter
Drill a ｾ hole in your bucket and mount a ball on it is another option. Of course there are many other options. Given some thought you will come up with the best way for you and later you will most likely have more than one way to move your ball hitch equipment.

 

[J_J]

Just cut a hole in the end of one of your forks, and install a 2 in ball.

 

[BobRip]

I use my two inch receiver attachment for many things:
1. Fire lifter (small forks that help stir a fire at a distance).
2. boom pole (multiple lengths)
3. 2 inch ball of course.
4. shovel
5. modified PT winch to fit 2 inch receiver
6. Plow
7. Ground slitter

I believe that this helps justify a PT version or like at PT version. That being said, I made my own. Actually Clint Blake had suggested this to PT and they came out with it sometime later.

 

[Gravy]

I haven't read the previous posts, but here's my advice:

Pick one or make one. Choose something that places the hitch ball close to the attachment plate. Don't get something that attaches to an attachment.

In your place, I'd buy a quick attach plate from PT, and a 2" trailer hitch receiver from TSC or Northern Tool or Horrible Fright and get them welded together.

From there, the possibilities are limitless.

 

[3238dpw]

I agree with Gravy. I put one of those clamp on recievers on my bucket and because it was too far out front I could not lift my trailer's tongue. If I put the tongue directly in the bucket I could lift it, but of course could not move it as it would not stay.

 

[stray]

Here is simple and quick. On the back a ball with a 3/4 bolt or stud just bolts right on. No drilling. Just install.

Bob I like your concept of making use of the REC hitch for so many things. I once wasted a quick plate just to make a chain link fence puller. After seeing what you did I rethought and decided that your concept would save a quick plate. I will use it somewhere else now.

 

[smartguyz]

Here is simple and quick. On the back a ball with a 3/4 bolt or stud just bolts right on. No drilling. Just install.

Bob I like your concept of making use of the REC hitch for so many things. I once wasted a quick plate just to make a chain link fence puller. After seeing what you did I rethought and decided that your concept would save a quick plate. I will use it somewhere else now.

Hey, that's something I can do tomorrow. That is quick and costs no cash. I will probably give this a try for now, and then I'd really like to learn to weld and use a plasma cutter.

Thanks for all the quick and helpful responses. I love Bob's ideas. Very creative and useful.

I do like a number of the suggestions.

You guys are the best.

-Rob

 

[J_J]

Here is what I use.

 

[smartguyz]

Here is what I use.

Hi J_J,

That looks cool... but I can't quite figure out what you did. It looks like you built some kind of platform for a single pallet fork and then drilled a hole in the fork and installed a ball?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[MossRoad]

I say Gravy has it right, too.

Get a quick attach plate and have a 2" receiver welded to it. You can then make a huge array of 2" receiver attachments, including the ball hitch that you need.

I can guarantee that if you put that ball hitch on a bucket or fork, you will have to remove it within a week to accomplish another task! :laughing: And if you put it on the back, you will have to get off the unit and LIFT an attachment onto the ball if it doesn't have a jackstand.

If you put it on a dedicated quick attach plate you can drive right up to things like, say, a log splitter, tilt it down, slip it under the tongue and then curl up to lift it. Then all you have to do is flip down the manual lock on the splitter's tongue to secure it. NO LIFTING! :thumbsup:

 

[J_J]

The frame is a standard forklift carrier. I just welded brackets on the back for my 3pt hookup. I use two forks when I move pallets. I also use either one or two forks to dig up plants. You could make up a simple ball hitch adapter for the QA plate if that is what you have.

You can't see it, but there is a 2 in receiver behind the one fork.

 

[J_J]

I say Gravy has it right, too.

Get a quick attach plate and have a 2" receiver welded to it. You can then make a huge array of 2" receiver attachments, including the ball hitch that you need.

I can guarantee that if you put that ball hitch on a bucket or fork, you will have to remove it within a week to accomplish another task! :laughing: And if you put it on the back, you will have to get off the unit and LIFT an attachment onto the ball if it doesn't have a jackstand.

If you put it on a dedicated quick attach plate you can drive right up to things like, say, a log splitter, tilt it down, slip it under the tongue and then curl up to lift it. Then all you have to do is flip down the manual lock on the splitter's tongue to secure it. NO LIFTING! :thumbsup:

It only takes about 1 minute to remove the ball. and another minute to add the other fork .

 

[J_J]

Here is another adaptation for the FEL arms. A tractor 3pt boom with a high reach limb cutter on the end.

 

[BobRip]

I also did a 2 inch receiver with a home made quick attach plate. It's not as strong I think, but OK for light duty use.

Yes I now have qty 2, two inch receiver attachments. The home made one was very cheap.

 

[MossRoad]

It only takes about 1 minute to remove the ball. and another minute to add the other fork .

It takes 15 seconds to drop one attachment and mount another without getting off the tractor if you use the quick attach.

Video evidence to support my claim! :laughing:

http://mossroad.com/PT425Videos/PT425_15S01.WMV

 

[robs660]

I built my own for about $30.00. You can see it in posts I started. Works great. Moves my dump trailer loaded without issue

 

[ponytug]

Just a comment about moving trailers around the property. Even a trailer that is within the lift range of your PT will have a profound impact on the driveability on slopes, specifically any sort of cross slope manouevers.

I had an interesting time with a 40HP chipper pushing my 1445 around a slope as I tried to extract it from a location where we had been chipping. Let's just say that the tractor didn't tip over only because there wasn't anything on the slope to catch a wheel sideways. Let's also say I won't do that again.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

Just a comment about moving trailers around the property. Even a trailer that is within the lift range of your PT will have a profound impact on the driveability on slopes, specifically any sort of cross slope manouevers.

I had an interesting time with a 40HP chipper pushing my 1445 around a slope as I tried to extract it from a location where we had been chipping. Let's just say that the tractor didn't tip over only because there wasn't anything on the slope to catch a wheel sideways. Let's also say I won't do that again.

All the best,

Peter

Very good point. I frequently move my car hauler trailer around my yard with a load of wood on it with my PT425. I imagine it weighs in at around 5-7 thousand pounds. But my yard is table top flat. Even the slightest slope, wet grass, etc... could send me sliding very easily.

 

[smartguyz]

Just a comment about moving trailers around the property. Even a trailer that is within the lift range of your PT will have a profound impact on the driveability on slopes, specifically any sort of cross slope manouevers.

I had an interesting time with a 40HP chipper pushing my 1445 around a slope as I tried to extract it from a location where we had been chipping. Let's just say that the tractor didn't tip over only because there wasn't anything on the slope to catch a wheel sideways. Let's also say I won't do that again.

All the best,

Peter

Excellent point. I will be very careful.

-Rob