Homemade towing hitch

quincy

Member
My first home made tractor implement!!! ... i shot a primer coat on it, needs a top coat... hmmmmmmmm..... kubota orange I think..... lol

Towingrig1Medium.jpg


I've made like the american 2" receiver hitch, makes it a bit more versatile. (we dont use the common US square receiver hitch over here...) Simply undo the nut on the bottom of the tow ball and pull it out. Can use the 2" receiver for whatever and put the tow ball back in to secure it. I made it reversible with a 1/4" plate pin hitch on the reverse side for using a lot of the other implements I already have...
Towingrig2Medium.jpg


quincy
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Nice work Quincy. It looks good. That'll do the job for sure. :thumb:
 

Mark777

Member
Looks excellent Quincy.

Tell me...what is the distance from the ball center to the tube base (the vertical top link post)? Just curious about trailer tongue length and clearance.

Mark
 

quincy

Member
Looks excellent Quincy.

Tell me...what is the distance from the ball center to the tube base (the vertical top link post)? Just curious about trailer tongue length and clearance.

Mark

Its around 5 inches centre ball to face Mark. I went and checked all the tongues I have on all my trailers and Used the tongue with the largest overhang as my guide. I gave it about 2 inches clearance which allows for complete articulation in all directions (even farther than i would dare to in a towing situation).
One thing I didnt take into consideration was that I welded the lower link pins onto the lower bearer. I welded the pins to a 2" X 2" plate and welded them to each end of the bearer. In retrospect, I may have been better to make them in such a way that I could replace the pins. I assume these will wear/bend over time. When the time comes, I can cut them off and change the design a bit. For now though, at least I can use the 3 point for something.... I am amazed at how strong the lift is. I wonder would it be ok to put a set of forks on there for lifting pallets? In the manual it says "lower link, end max weight 400lbs." Would the hydraulics be up for deadlifting that kind of weight?
 
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Mith

Active member
Yup, pallet forks are a good use of the lift. Its got a relieve valve, so anything too heavy it just wont lift.

I think the only thing you have to watch out for is pushing with the 3ph in reverse, like if you were reversing a very heavy trailer up a hill. Might bend some bits of the linkage that way, but more likely you'll just lose traction.
 

Mark777

Member
Quincy,

I certainly didn't mean to imply....but, er...ahh, I made one a while back and, well, Don't ask.

I've made all my implements with my Miller 210 (Girly MIG) and haven't broken anything regardless of load.

As Mith mentioned...backing up with a heavy attachment can, and does create excessive stress on the lower lift arms. I snapped one backing up a Man-Lift right at the sway chain hole.
 

quincy

Member
Quincy,

I certainly didn't mean to imply....but, er...ahh, I made one a while back and, well, Don't ask.

..... LOL... I know what you mean Mark.... been there myself a few times...
Dont think for a second that i took offence to your question, on re reading my reply to you, it might have sounded a bit cross...? I didnt mean it to sound that way..... :beer:

Its a better idea to tow/push back heavy loads from a fixed point on the tractor instead of the link?.... ok, good advice, thanks guys.
Looking under the tractor, theres 3 bolt holes under the rear diff that looks like some sort of a hitch was originally fitted there. I found a parts list .pdf for the kubota on the web so I had a look and sure enough, there is a kubota pin hitch sposed to be there, 96316-06312. I rang my local stealership and they're looking for €185 for one... dont think so....
Time to get on the welding mask again... this is fun..lol

I dont have a mig. I've used them from time to time in my buddies place but for some reason I just dont 'feel' its burning in deep enough??? I dunno, I guess I've been using stick welders for so long now, I'm just more comfortable with that set up...
 

Mith

Active member
Mark, its just an arc/mig thing :D I've not broken something at the weld either (arc of MIG), or havent since I progressed from the bird s**t stage of welding anyway :D


Nice tractor BTW. Is it (or was it) road registered at some point?
You'll probably be fine towing from the linkage, but towing from the towing eye would be better. Less convenient to hitch on to though.
 

quincy

Member
Is it (or was it) road registered at some point?

Yeah Mith, it was registered on a Q plate in Lancashire. Once I get it cleaned up a bit, i will likely register it here.


Nice tractor BTW
Thanks, it is a bit rough but I'll soon fix that. My wife bought me a brand new genuine kubota seat for it early this week as the original was bad! How cool is that!
I must paint the wheels for sure, they are annoying me as they are. The rest, I'm not sure will I paint it or just polish the tins and bring it up "natural".... It has a lot of biggish dots of surface rust and generally is a dull, faded colour. (Theres a layer of brown paint haze on it like the owner sprayed something brown near it one time and the overspray landed on the kubota.) I gave the bonnet(hood) a rub of 'T cut' paint restorer the other eve and it brought back the colour fine, didnt get rid of the rust dots but it cleaned it up nice. That might do me. If I went 'the whole hog' and repainted the whole lot, it might be too shiney and I might be concerned about scratching it etc... I want a work horse not a show horse...
We'll see..... might get a mad notion to paint it later in the year.

Q
 

quincy

Member
Moving my brothers trailer camper in the garden... Before I had the kubota, I hated having to do this as the soil is a bit wet up there. Using the car to tow it nearly always got some wheel spin as its front wheel drive. Not so for the Kubota... A little extra smoke from the exhaust is all... grin factor 10/10

KubotacaravanSmall.jpg



Heres someone else that LOVES the little kub...

AbbeyonKubotaSmall.jpg
 
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Mith

Active member
Now that would be very neat to put it on the road. Would have to be careful with the red diesel though.
Thats the great thing about these tractors, nice and easy to drive. Good to see the whole family having a ball :D

Nice landscape too.
 
B

bczoom

Guest
Now that would be very neat to put it on the road.
That brings something to mind.

Make sure your anti-sway bars (or chains with turnbuckles) are snug so there's no lateral movement.

A trailer being pulled down hill (especially a single axle) will have a tendency to try to sway your bar back and forth. In extremes, it can jackknife or flip your tractor.
 

Milwaukee

Member
Wow can't believe your weld on homemade hitch held that trailer.

Did you have trouble pull that trailer though mud or soft ground or hill?
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Love the rear view mirror .................. :D

You made me go back and look. That is a cool little mirror. I've wished I had one more than once. :pat:

That is a heck of a trailer to pull with your kubota. Glad to hear it works well. No wonder a hitch was the 1st 3PH implement you made. :thumb:
 

lb59

Member
My first home made tractor implement!!! ... i shot a primer coat on it, needs a top coat... hmmmmmmmm..... kubota orange I think..... lol

Towingrig1Medium.jpg


http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/Blagadain/Towingrig2Medium.jpg[/IMG]

quincy
Hi Quincy:
You can make me one of these.
You don't have to paint it though; I'll just paint it black:D .
 
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