Draw bar uses if you have a 3-point or quick hitch mounted receiver?

[jimh406]

For moving empty trailers of the size in your picture, you could also consider a ballast box that has a 2 inch receiver. There are also trailer movers that might also hook up to a quick hitch. Paired with a quick hitch, it would be easy to switch to.

 

[mcmxi]

For moving empty trailers of the size in your picture, you could also consider a ballast box that has a 2 inch receiver. There are also trailer movers that might also hook up to a quick hitch. Paired with a quick hitch, it would be easy to switch to.

Thanks for the suggestions and I'll certainly look into them. I think this is a good thread in that regardless of what we use or how we do things we can all learn from each other and hopefully think about what we're doing and stay safe. I don't have anywhere near the experience of many here with tractors, trailers or running implements so I really appreciate the advice and wisdom that you share.

 

[Magicman]

I can't help you but I absolutely am interested in your solution. My old back and the QH have the same problems.

 

[100AkerWood]

The only issue I saw/read was with "leaving' the draw bar in when using a rotary cutter.
There was a "possibility" of the PTO drive shaft drive to the cutter hitting the bar and bending the PTO shaft. I believe it was recommended that the draw bar be removed when mowing/bushhogging hilly terrain.

IMHO- A few minutes of bending over to install the bar vs the cost of a new PTO shaft made me think about how often I might use the bar. So, I removed mine (it is a tad heavier than I expected) and it sits in the corner of my pole barn along with the safety triangle I removed...

 

[mcmxi]

I can't help you but I absolutely am interested in your solution. My old back and the QH have the same problems.

I have it figured out and think it'll work very well. I'll be posting some photos this weekend. Stay tuned!

 

[RCW]

Guys - - - if you have a QH on and trying to use the stationary drawbar, can't you just raise the 3PH and leave it up so everything clears?

 

[Thunder chicken]

Guys - - - if you have a QH on and trying to use the stationary drawbar, can't you just raise the 3PH and leave it up so everything clears?

I’d think it would depend on the size of trailer and what you’re doing. I know I couldn’t with the dump trailer on, tongue not long enough.

 

[Elliott in GA]

If you are just attaching a chain to a clevis mounted on the draw bar, the QH is not in the way. I dragged an old telephone pole with a chain, and I just raised the QH out of the way.

 

[mcmxi]

Guys - - - if you have a QH on and trying to use the stationary drawbar, can't you just raise the 3PH and leave it up so everything clears?

I tried that but the jack is very tall and stout on the MidSota trailer which is rated at 15,000 lb GVWR.

 

[mcmxi]

The PJ jack which is rated about the same is located inside the frame so not a problem for clearance. The PJ frame is stronger so doesn't need the additional center support for the tongue so that frees up real estate for the jack.

 

[RCW]

I tried that but the jack is very tall and stout on the MidSota trailer which is rated at 15,000 lb GVWR.

Gotcha - - no way raising 3PH will work there...that jack is tall.

 

[mcmxi]

So here's what I've come up with to prevent the 3-point from lifting when the receiver is on the quick hitch. A sleeve slides along the draw bar and it's connected to the receiver via a rigid link with a Heim style joint at the end nearest the receiver. If the sleeve weren't pinned to the draw bar it would slide back and forth as the 3-point is raised and lowered. The connecting link is in tension and the pin in the draw bar is in shear when any lift force is applied to the receiver.

My SOP is to Frankenstein something from scrap parts and material which always takes ten times longer than designing and fabricating something from new material, but there's some satisfaction in not having to purchase material again. About 20 years ago I built a rear bumper for my '98 Jeep TJ that I still have and still drive almost daily. I put part of the bumper to good use for this receiver.

The modified (shortened) connecting link came off the MX when I had the top-n-tilt installed. I considered using the considerably larger, adjustable and more expensive top link but thought better of it. I need to clean everything up and get it painted but it's fully functional and works great. It takes about 30 seconds to get the receiver on the quick hitch and the link and sleeve installed ... maybe a minute if the quick hitch isn't level vertically and horizontally. When it's set up, the ball is at the same height as it would be if it were on the draw bar.

Now I can safely move big trailers around without any worry that the 3-point is going to lift up and the trailer unhook and run over me.

 

[forky]

Sweet...that looks like a rock solid solution!

 

[Magicman]

Now I can safely move big trailers around without any worry that the 3-point is going to lift up and the trailer unhook and run over me.

That is an understatement !!

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Good job. Could you replace the link with a chain or short cable, so you could lower the ball to get under the hitch and then pick up the trailer without having to work the jack? The chain would still prevent going too high.

 

[mcmxi]

Good job. Could you replace the link with a chain or short cable, so you could lower the ball to get under the hitch and then pick up the trailer without having to work the jack? The chain would still prevent going too high.

Hang on a minute! Don't go suggesting that now after I cut up a perfectly good link! The problem with design is that it's easy to get tunnel vision, particularly when you want to use parts that are just laying around collecting dust.

Your suggestion is a good one and definitely worth thinking about. Yep, the chain is a really good idea and I can't think of any real downside to it. It would be much easier to hook up too since aligning holes at either end wouldn't be an issue, and as you say, you could raise and lower the hitch to get the trailer onto the ball without messing with the jack. Well crap! Good job I haven't wasted any paint yet! I guess I might be upgrading the connecting link and replacing it with chain unless I can delude myself into thinking that the link offers an advantage.

Now my Frankenstein effort is looking extremely cumbersome. With a chain you wouldn't even need the sleeve on the draw bar, just a shackle at the end of the draw bar to run the chain through. Sigh .....

 

[nbryan]

So here's what I've come up with to prevent the 3-point from lifting when the receiver is on the quick hitch. ...

Now I can safely move big trailers around without any worry that the 3-point is going to lift up and the trailer unhook and run over me.

Heavy duty! Oh for a little metal shop....

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Hang on a minute! Don't go suggesting that now after I cut up a perfectly good link! The problem with design is that it's easy to get tunnel vision, particularly when you want to use parts that are just laying around collecting dust.

Your suggestion is a good one and definitely worth thinking about. Yep, the chain is a really good idea and I can't think of any real downside to it. It would be much easier to hook up too since aligning holes at either end wouldn't be an issue, and as you say, you could raise and lower the hitch to get the trailer onto the ball without messing with the jack. Well crap! Good job I haven't wasted any paint yet! I guess I might be upgrading the connecting link and replacing it with chain unless I can delude myself into thinking that the link offers an advantage.

Now my Frankenstein effort is looking extremely cumbersome. With a chain you wouldn't even need the sleeve on the draw bar, just a shackle at the end of the draw bar to run the chain through. Sigh .....

Gosh, I'm sorry I ruined your day .

 

[mcmxi]

Gosh, I'm sorry I ruined your day .

You know I'm joking right? I found a section of very large chain at the landfill a few months ago and also have four smaller 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2" chain sections so could use one of those to replace the link. Another option would be to notch the sleeve that slides on the draw bar so that it stops against a pin at the end of the draw bar to limit upward movement of the 3-point. This would allow the 3-point to move up and down like a chain would, not require a pin to align to a hole in the draw bar but still limit upward movement of the 3-point. That would be an overly complicated, inelegant solution compared to the chain. I'm reminded of the engineering related saying that "if a product doesn't have any bugs it doesn't have enough features".

I thought about your chain suggestion a lot last night and can't see any downside so I'm going to upgrade what I have. I'll post photos once I'm done with that and seriously, thanks for the suggestion. We should always be open to improving what we have if someone puts forward a better idea.

 

[bmblank]

Instead of a hard-stop at each end of the chain, put a chain notch in your hitch that you can adjust the upper limit of the hitch. For your smaller trailers you don't need to lift it quite so high.