Welder Project - Put a Hitch on the Boxblade

Here's my second welder project after making the loader forks. I wish I had the experience in welding that some of you do but I'm simply an enthusiastic novice.

I've been using the Subaru to tow the trailer delivering harvest ladders down to the back of the orchard, and to haul out the family portion of the harvest. I wanted to put the trailer behind the tractor for this, except it needs the boxblade for ballast and the boxblade didn't come with a hitch.

Finally I found a hitch ball already mounted on an L-shaped bar. The moment I saw it I figured this was ideal to put on the boxblade.

My welder is a yard sale find, a 1960's Wards 235-AC stick welder. I was told 'grandpa' only used it a couple of times, and it works great. I got a new auto-darken hood and strongly recommend them.

1/8" 6011-AC rod was just right for this project. The first pass probably gave all the strength needed but then I tried to make it look more even by adding additional beads. Frankly, the finished job looks a little short of professional so I'm not going to show a closeup. I have no doubt the welds are strong, they have excellent penetration and cover twice the area of the welds that attached this bar to its original mounting assembly.

Photos: After the first tack welds; the finished product; and typical use.

Looks good California.

Believe it or not..I have one in the exact same spot on my box blade LOL. Yours might be a little stronger than mine.

I'm wondering something here. If I was pulling a trailer, I'd think I'd want the trailer ball connected to the drawbar, if so equipped, or god forbid the 3PH. Then the ballast in the front?
Wouldn't the tongue weight of the trailer along with the box blade weight just add to the weight in the rear?

edit.......BTW good looking job

Good idea. I can see where that would really be useful.
Thanks for sharing! Rep points for CA!!!!!

OhioTC18 said:

I'm wondering something here. If I was pulling a trailer, I'd think I'd want the trailer ball connected to the drawbar, if so equipped, or god forbid the 3PH. Then the ballast in the front?
Wouldn't the tongue weight of the trailer along with the box blade weight just add to the weight in the rear?
BTW good looking job

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Thanks!

The loader added 1000 lbs so I'm well ballasted in front, in fact noseheavy if I don't have an implement on the back.

I wish this trailer were big enough to have an effect. But its only 2k gvw and the tractor doesn't know it's there. With the boxblade, the rig feels well balanced with the trailer loaded or empty.

I pulled the trailer using the drawbar for a couple of years, but that convinced me I need an implement on all the time to put weight on the drive wheels.

Here's the 'before' photo (drawbar pull) during 2005 harvest.

I added one to my BB myuch like yours but used a short receiver hitch tube - braced underneith with an upside down piece of channel. This way I can change out ball sizes easily. It's handy to have when the BB is on the tractor.

I've been wanting to do the same thing for quite a while now, too. Too many other irons in the fire right now.

Stuck a 2" receiver on fathers weight box.

That looks good Will.
With all the green I'll guess your dad is a JD guy.

Doc said:

I'll guess your dad is a JD guy.

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Father like son.

Just looking at the trailer hitch pics. My 2 cents. I welded a receiver tube also into my BB with a piece of 3/16" plate to the face of the BB to strengthen things up a bit. Sort of what TwinWillows did. The receiver tube end also connects to the internal cross member.

Looks good! I wish I had an application that called for strength like that.

Redbug said:

Just looking at the trailer hitch pics. My 2 cents. I welded a receiver tube also into my BB with a piece of 3/16" plate to the face of the BB to strengthen things up a bit. Sort of what TwinWillows did. The receiver tube end also connects to the internal cross member.

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Kinda makes you wonder why they just don't come that way in the first place... sorta like the hooks they don't put on our FEL buckets.

Makes too much common sense I guess. Too simple and practical.

Dougster

Dougster,

They dont put hooks on buckets, especially the outside corners because they are afraid you will tweak them or carry something high and unbalanced and roll your tractor.

based on what I have done with my self mounted hooks they should be concerned...and besides it is a nice thing a dealer can charge you extra for if you still dont have a welder (for the extra they charge you could probably justify the welder purchase on this one project)

If they put them on box blades they won't sell as many $250 3pt reciever carriers like the one Quincy made.

shinnlinger said:

Dougster,

They dont put hooks on buckets, especially the outside corners because they are afraid you will tweak them or carry something high and unbalanced and roll your tractor.

based on what I have done with my self mounted hooks they should be concerned...and besides it is a nice thing a dealer can charge you extra for if you still dont have a welder (for the extra they charge you could probably justify the welder purchase on this one project)

If they put them on box blades they won't sell as many $250 3pt reciever carriers like the one Quincy made.

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Oh, I understand all that... but that doesn't make it any less silly.

Bucket hooks are one of those simple, straightforward, everyday things that have fallen by the wayside due to a lack of common sense by the few and evil product liability lawyers like our smilin' politician friend Mr. John Edwards.

It's just something the poor old Dougster is too old, practical and ornery ever accept or fully understand.

Dougster

Dougster said:

Oh, I understand all that... but that doesn't make it any less silly.

Bucket hooks are one of those simple, straightforward, everyday things that have fallen by the wayside due to a lack of common sense by the few and evil product liability lawyers like our smilin' politician friend Mr. John Edwards.

It's just something the poor old Dougster is too old, practical and ornery ever accept or fully understand.

Dougster

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Doug,
The reason they don't put them on the bucket is simple.

1) If they put them on the bucket at the factory they would have to do a load anaylsis.

2) They would have to post the load on the bucket.

3) They would have to get an Engineers stamp on the calculations.

4) There would have to be 10 more pages in the owner's manual on "The Do's and Dont's.

And the Biggy 5) They would have to get their Legal Department to buy into the whole thing.


This is all because you know the first idiot to get hurt because of the bucket hooks is going to SUE THE PANTS off of someone!!!!

civesnedfield said:

Doug,
The reason they don't put them on the bucket is simple.

1) If they put them on the bucket at the factory they would have to do a load anaylsis.

2) They would have to post the load on the bucket.

3) They would have to get an Engineers stamp on the calculations.

4) There would have to be 10 more pages in the owner's manual on "The Do's and Dont's.

And the Biggy 5) They would have to get their Legal Department to buy into the whole thing.


This is all because you know the first idiot to get hurt because of the bucket hooks is going to SUE THE PANTS off of someone!!!!

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Hmmmmmmm. Now how do you know all these details??? Something tells me that in your current capacity you are not part of the solution... but rather, part of the problem!!!

Dougster

Yeah, it's kind of frustrating having to come up with all these solutions to make the equipment more usable. It's not quite like all the options you can get when you order a new truck. I guess it's easier to build the tractor, load it partially assembled in a crate, and simply sell it.

Dougster said:

Hmmmmmmm. Now how do you know all these details??? Something tells me that in your current capacity you are not part of the solution... but rather, part of the problem!!!

Dougster

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Now Now that's not nice.

I can't remember when I have seen so many old Lady's in one place!

Carrying around a ballast box makes no sense to me (even though I have one) when you can have something productive like a box blade /tiller or B/hoe occupy the same space and weight as needed!

That old fool Newton was right after all! More rollover deaths are caused by not putting more weight on the south end then the north end due to leverage!!

If you follow one simple rule you will out live the thing that will feel no remorse when it tries to kill you "Weight and Balance" will keep you good friends!