Mounting a trailer hitch ball on the rear of a BX23S
- Thread starter ejb11235
- Start date
Thanks for the picture! Always nice to see what people have actually done.
My tractor doesn't have a drawbar. It's a BX23S, with a backhoe. But there is a bracket with a hole in it ... I'm hoping the hole is sized so I can use it to mount a trailer hitch ball, which is the question that started this thread. A lot of people suggested getting a 3PH receiver, but if I can permanently mount the hitch ball then I wouldn't have to take the extra time to set up the 3PH. Given that I have to remove the backhoe, eliminating that extra step would be nice. I'm not going to be towing very often ... just when I want to move my chipper around, at least at this point. I could see having a small garden trailer.
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Since the tongue weight in this is low enough to move by hand I recommend getting the BXPANDED quick change for your backhoe bucket and the receiver mount. I have one and tow a utility trailer full of firewood with no issues. No need to remove the backhoe, super easy and quick to change over and I think would fit the need well.
https://www.bxpanded.com/BX-quick-connect, https://www.bxpanded.com/BX-bh-hitch
JimDeL
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX2380; R4 tires; 54" MMM; FEL w Pirahna bar; Ballast Box; BXpanded skid plate.
I pull a DR Leaf Vac or a small trailer behind my BX2380, with no problems. The OEM plate will accept a standard hitch ball. My DR has a 1-7/8" hitch, like most small trailers, etc. use. Heavier stuff will use a 2" (or bigger) ball. For what you're towing just the ball will be all you'll need.
I recently installed a Heavy Hitch® adapter on the 2380, which uses a standard 2" receiver so that the size and height of the ball can be better tailored to what I'm pulling. It also moves the ball back about 6", which allows for a bit tighter turning.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
I can turn my BX23S into a 'tow truck' in 45 seconds...
made a simple adapter,using 'stuff from the shop'. It attaches in the 'thumb' mounting using 1/2" water pipe parts..., 1/2" pipe arms rest on the bucket top ,angle iron cross member has hook on it. I run a chain around the dead rider,then onto the hook. raise the boom and haul away...
I'll post a picture later,too nice to be inside....I's not pretty, it's not expensive BUT dang nice when needed !
made a simple adapter,using 'stuff from the shop'. It attaches in the 'thumb' mounting using 1/2" water pipe parts..., 1/2" pipe arms rest on the bucket top ,angle iron cross member has hook on it. I run a chain around the dead rider,then onto the hook. raise the boom and haul away...
I'll post a picture later,too nice to be inside....I's not pretty, it's not expensive BUT dang nice when needed !
I finally got to my tractor yesterday.... Wildfires have kept me away for a while.... The threaded rod on my 2" hitch ball doesn't fit in the hole in the stock plate. Lol. Not entirely surprised. The chipping season is winding down for me, so I'll have all winter to consider all of the suggestions people wrote about. Probably will buy a receiver adapter like you have, although I'm curious what @GreensvilleJay did with his backhoe thumb
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Here's some quik pics...
the top bar is really a 12" precut of 1/2" iron pipe, 5 washers each side, 1/2" elbows
bars are 31" +- of 1/2" pipe welded to flat plates, then bolted to a section of 2x6 angle iron that has slip hook welded to it
made it years ago to rescue a dead rider in the bush...spent all of 1/2 hour on it as daylight was fading fast.
yeah I know 'not pretty' BUT did the job and gets used way to often.
I can loosely chain it to bucket to keep from moving up...
Version 2.1 will have a 2" rcvr ,then use whatever sleeve the tow needs.
the top bar is really a 12" precut of 1/2" iron pipe, 5 washers each side, 1/2" elbows
bars are 31" +- of 1/2" pipe welded to flat plates, then bolted to a section of 2x6 angle iron that has slip hook welded to it
made it years ago to rescue a dead rider in the bush...spent all of 1/2 hour on it as daylight was fading fast.
yeah I know 'not pretty' BUT did the job and gets used way to often.
I can loosely chain it to bucket to keep from moving up...
Version 2.1 will have a 2" rcvr ,then use whatever sleeve the tow needs.
Attachments
That definitely is an interesting contraption! Thanks for sharing the pictures.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
It was faster to make than removing the backhoe and installing the 3PH kit, that's still in the box. Crazy thing is for months it collects dust then bamm..use it 3-4 times in one week
Yeah I remember when I was looking for a 3PH kit you mentioned you had one sitting in a box ... but it wasn't going to work trying to buy it from you and have you ship it, so I bought one from Coleman.
Usage patterns, defined by inter-arrival times, are random, leading to spikes in demand and the formation of queues.
JimDeL
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX2380; R4 tires; 54" MMM; FEL w Pirahna bar; Ballast Box; BXpanded skid plate.
You can get a 1-7/8" ball with a 3/4" shaft. Not sure about a 2" ball since it's made for heavier duty than the smaller one.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
You crack me up. Thanks man. I think though the bloom is off the rose on this idea and I should just get a proper receiver plate. I need to think about the bxpanded backhoe mounted receiver. I have their quick attach system but I'm not thrilled about pulling things around with the backhoe ... it's unlikely that I would damage anything but just the thought of it makes me uneasy.
I recently pulled a 16ft tandem axle loaded with metal around my yard with the backhoe. I actually had the safety chains hooked to my dipper arm and there was no ball involved at all. Like everything unsafe, you can make it as safe as possible by being more cautious..
If I was just going to tow around a yard I would be more positive on the BH approach. I want to have as small a package as I can get, so I can go anywhere the tractor can go. This is why I'd really like to mount the chipper on a carry all.
I like the look of the Ai2 receiver plate ... too bad they're out of stock. I like the large radiused cutouts for rear-tie-downs.
bxattachments.com
The redline one is also interesting
www.redlinesystemsinc.com
not interested in the bxexpanded quick detach receiver plate...I want to bolt the receiver down and be done with it
the tie-down holes on the heavy hitch look kind of small
heavyhitch.com
Kubota BX Rear Receiver Hitch and Rear Tie Down - Ai2 Products
Ai2 Products Kubota BX rear receiver hitch and rear tie down was designed to work with the Kubota BX Gen 2 and 3 (80-Series) tractors.
bxattachments.com
The redline one is also interesting
Kubota BX Tractor Rear Receiver Hitch and Tie Down Points - Redline Systems Inc. Equipment Attachments
The Redline Systems Inc. rear receiver hitch and tie down points were designed specifically to work on the Kubota BX tractor. This was designed to give the person the hauls his tractor around a lot a dedicated place to secure his tractor from the back giving you a DOT required 4 point load...
www.redlinesystemsinc.com
not interested in the bxexpanded quick detach receiver plate...I want to bolt the receiver down and be done with it
Quick-On Receiver Hitch
www.bxpanded.com
the tie-down holes on the heavy hitch look kind of small
Rear 2” Receiver Hitch Plate for Kubota BX Series | Heavy Hitch - Compact Tractor Attachments
Upgrade your Kubota BX Series tractor with the Rear 2" Receiver Hitch Plate for stable towing and attachments. Easy bolt-on installation.
heavyhitch.com
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
yeesh, I need to start making them 'receiver hitches'..... any of them are over $100 USD. Just checked my cost, in Canucks for 2" rcvr x6" + plate steel, and $20 in materials ( qty of 10 pcs).......
mcmxi
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Equipment
***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Once you own or have access to a welding machine, plasma/oxyacetylene, drill press/mag drill, band saw, chop saw etc., you'll no longer spend money on any of these aftermarket tractor solutions. You can make anything you need for your tractor, truck, trailer, house etc., and often you can make it better than anything you can buy. Of course, you might have a bunch of new "friends" who need help fixing something but you'll learn to say no .... maybe.
I regularly look on Craigslist for material (particularly steel) and just this weekend found some steel frames with casters for $50 each!! I snagged the last two of five and will pick them up today. The frames are 54" x 44" and are made from 2"x1-1/2"x3/16" angle, 3" c-channel, 1/4" plate and come with five casters per frame. I'm not sure what I'll do with these frames yet, but the material alone is way more than $100. Heck, the casters alone are worth more than $100! This is a good find.
The point is, once you have the tools and ability to work with steel, you can do just about anything.