Why a pintle hitch?

[Jay4200]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is the advantage of a pintle hook/hitch? They seem used in heavyweight applications, so there must be an advantage, but it seems to be that they'd be loosey-goosey and just bang around all over the place.

Just curious - JayC

 

[firemanpat2910]

they are great for off road applications, they can flex to way more angles than a ball hitch.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Strength. I have never seen a ball hitch rated over 25K for both bumper and GN applications.

Chris

 

[powerstroke444e]

Easy of use and you know you have it on the truck when you have many operators and trucks with differant balls if it has pintle no doubt that it won't fall of the truck. And they are rated to handle more than most pickups can handle thus hitch won't be the weak point.

 

[farmboy12]

They're also easier to hitch up, as you have more like 4-5" as opposed to as small as 2" or so of room.


Kyle

 

[JB4310]

All of the above and you don't really get all that much "loosey-goosey" as you might think, at least it never bothered me. You'll get a little fore and aft movement but I've never felt ant side to side instability.

 

[Steve C]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is the advantage of a pintle hook/hitch? They seem used in heavyweight applications, so there must be an advantage, but it seems to be that they'd be loosey-goosey and just bang around all over the place.

Just curious - JayC

Another advantage is you don't have to worry about some low life towing your trailer away with his little compact beater truck......he is going to have to bring something a little more noticible.

 

[Slippy]

I would say it is mostly weight capacity. My dump truck will pull probably 30-40 ton and I can't imagine a ball that could handle that much weight. You can get a pentle hitch that is made for a 2" insert. I will use that occassionaly if I just want to move my empty trailer.
On the truck itself, the hitch is spring loaded that allows it to move in and out slightly to allow some flex which really absorbs any of the clunky feeling you might expect.

 

[Dargo]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is the advantage of a pintle hook/hitch? They seem used in heavyweight applications, so there must be an advantage, but it seems to be that they'd be loosey-goosey and just bang around all over the place.

Just curious - JayC

It is sorta loosey-goosey and always seems to grind around when cornering. I've never had one fail, but I would agree that they just don't seem as smooth as a ball hitch. Given my 'druthers, I like my GN trailer. But, that's just my personal preference and not based on any strength or flex factors.

 

[Cami]

Anybody ever used the off highway/military type pintle hitch? It revolves and allows a lot more articulation than the fixed highway type; I had one on my old deuce and a half. If a careless driver managed to dump a trailer on its side, it didn't necessarily take the truck with it.

 

[tugboat-2]

Cami : Never too late to say WELCOME ABOARD !
Interesting items in your Sundry Thoughts,...I'll go back and read some more later.

CHEERS!
. . tug

 

[Jay4200]

Strength. I have never seen a ball hitch rated over 25K for both bumper and GN applications.

That brings to mind another question regarding hitches - as the pintle hitch supposedly can move around more, what about the effect on tow rating? Evidently, all pickup trucks, regardless of rated two capability, can only tow 5k w/o a weight distributing hitch. It seems that the pintle hitch would be even worse from that regards.

Of course, my 4 ton tractor/trailer tows just fine behind my 3.5 ton-rated truck and 3 ton rated ball and mount. Pshaw.

JayC

 

[some zilch]

That brings to mind another question regarding hitches - as the pintle hitch supposedly can move around more, what about the effect on tow rating? Evidently, all pickup trucks, regardless of rated two capability, can only tow 5k w/o a weight distributing hitch. It seems that the pintle hitch would be even worse from that regards.

Of course, my 4 ton tractor/trailer tows just fine behind my 3.5 ton-rated truck and 3 ton rated ball and mount. Pshaw.

JayC

hhmmm, my pickup truck can tow more than 5k, w/o a weight dist. hitch. ive put 5k in the bed.....

the main purpose of a pintle is the "universalness" of it. i carry a ball/pintle combo in each of my trucks, a tacoma 4 cyl 4x4, and a dodge ram w/cummins power. construction trailers/equipment are almost always pintle or pintle/ball.

 

[deere5105]

It doesn't seem a pintle trailer would be practical for a 1/2 pick up application or may be even a 3/4 ton1 I work for a utility company and most of our trailers are pintle hitch, but I don't think the trucks towing them are greatly affected by tongue weight. I have yet to see one "squat" due to load.

 

[DK35vince]

That brings to mind another question regarding hitches - as the pintle hitch supposedly can move around more, what about the effect on tow rating? Evidently, all pickup trucks, regardless of rated two capability, can only tow 5k w/o a weight distributing hitch. It seems that the pintle hitch would be even worse from that regards.

Of course, my 4 ton tractor/trailer tows just fine behind my 3.5 ton-rated truck and 3 ton rated ball and mount. Pshaw.

JayC

I've towed 10,000 lb trailers with pintle hitch and 10,000 lb trailer with ball hitch behind my 3/4 ton pickup.
None had weight distributing hitch. And I noticed no differance in the way they towed.

 

[D7E]

I like the versatility..I have a 20T belly dump grain pup...Pull it with my tandems, semi tractors,even the tractors occasionally when it's too wet to get trucks accross a field..!

 

[Diamondpilot]

That brings to mind another question regarding hitches - as the pintle hitch supposedly can move around more, what about the effect on tow rating? Evidently, all pickup trucks, regardless of rated two capability, can only tow 5k w/o a weight distributing hitch. It seems that the pintle hitch would be even worse from that regards.

Of course, my 4 ton tractor/trailer tows just fine behind my 3.5 ton-rated truck and 3 ton rated ball and mount. Pshaw.



JayC

This is usually true but not always. The hitch on my F-350 is rated at 12K or 15K with WD. The one on my F-250 is 10K or 14K with WD. The one on my Titan is 7.5K or 10K WD but this truck is limited to 9.5K max tow rating which take over as the limit.

I am not the safety police but I will tell you from experience I broke a 10K rated hitch on a F-250 with a 14K load. My uncle also broke a ball mount with his F-350. I would get a heavier hitch, ball, and mount. Plain and simple. If it breaks and wrecks your stuff or kills someone your insurance is going to leave you out in the cold. It does not happen often but I see a broken hitch at least once a year in my marine business.

Chris

 

[some zilch]

It doesn't seem a pintle trailer would be practical for a 1/2 pick up application or may be even a 3/4 ton1 I work for a utility company and most of our trailers are pintle hitch, but I don't think the trucks towing them are greatly affected by tongue weight. I have yet to see one "squat" due to load.

usually things like portable light towers, generators, welders, pumps, etc are pintle pull. my 4 cyl toyota has no problem pulling these, and does frequently.

pintles are not for your everyday "happy homeowner". they do slap when starting and stopping. i find myself frequently needing the pintle to pull stuff around quite a bit. but both my personal trailers are regular balls; 6x12 is 2", 18ft 12k is 2&5/16".
My pintles are both pintle/2" ball combos, so each hitch can tow lunette ring trailers, and the 6x12 trailer. since only my cummins powered dodge can handle the weight of my 12k, it has its own pintle and 2&5/16" ball combo.

you ought to see people come into the equipment rental yard i work at. they pull some good sized excavators behind single axle dump trucks. they squat pretty good when you load a 18ton machine on the trailer...........

 

[LoneCowboy]

1. cannot come loose. The ball can't jump, nothing. Much safer.

2. can be rated for ridiculous poundage. (40Tons easy)

3. WAYYYYYYYY easier to hook up. You can be within 4" or so and it goes right in. Since most trailers can't actually be seen within a large truck, that helps a lot.

4. Much harder for two little guys to steal. Not everyone has a pintle hitch on their truck.

 

[tlbuser]

3. WAYYYYYYYY easier to hook up. You can be within 4" or so and it goes right in. Since most trailers can't actually be seen within a large truck, that helps a lot.

That's the best reason to like them.