Heavy Hitch Weight Cart?

[Mossy dell]

I love my Heavy Hitch dual offset rack. Very compact and unobtrusive compared to the 5' box blade I was using for loader counterweight. (My tractor shed is a narrow one-car garage.) The almost 250 pounds I usually have on the inner rack has been perfect for the constant mulch moving I've been doing all year. And has worked well for dirt. I am not sure it's technically enough for dirt, though my quick hitch and the heavy hitch frame itself add another 100+ pounds (my tires are also filled). For lifting logs with the grapple I'd load the rear rack.

My question is does anyone use the Heavy Hitch Weight Cart? Their standard-duty model is $312, plus shipping, and they have a new heavy duty cart, which costs $407. The lighter weight of the regular model, 44 pounds vs. 88, appeals to me—easier to handle. But I definitely want stability and durability. Once it gets here, I'll probably set it in a spot and leave it. I don't have enough cement or level ground to offer it much more protection than a tarp on my flattest gravel spot.

I really don't want the cart falling over if I have only one side of my hitch loaded. As I indicated, I typically load the inner rack closest to the tractor with six 41 lb. weights. Somewhere I got the impression this unbalance would cause the cart to topple over, and I'd have to put some weights on the back rack to balance things. My old, bad back protests when I handle weights ,so I want to do as little weight lifting as possible.

The nice person I spoke to today at Heavy Hitch said toppling in this situation shouldn't be a problem. I'd like to hear from a user on this as well. My grandchildren are around, and there must be no chance of toppling!

My own attempt to make a 2x4 stand has not worked . . . It DOES topple!

I'll attach some photos of my hitch loaded front and rear, just the front or inner rack, and my dangerous makeshift stand.

 

[Skyline808]

I’ve got one of the heavy duty carts - like everything else from Heavy Hitch it’s been great. The primary things the cart had to address were: 1) be able to move the rack/weights around my garage and 2) not inhibit a quick hitch system. On my concrete floor everything rolls smoothly. I’m actually more worried the rack is going to pick up too much speed and crash into something. And because it’s relatively compact, I find myself easily able to spin it/maneuver it past obstacles.

With the cart I can just back up to the rack, adjust the top link to the correct angle, and then lift the whole thing slightly off the ground. At that point all I have to do is pull the pin connecting rack/cart, and then wiggle the cart free. The reverse process for storage is just as easy.

I usually run six 70lb weights and two 41lbs weights along the back of my two level hitch (no weight on the front side closest to the tractor PTO), though I also happen to have six more 41lbs that live mostly unused in my garage.

The cart base is approximately 24 inches x 24 inches. Each of the casters (with brakes & grease zerks) are 4 inches wide, and are secured to the cart with four bolts/locking washers. What might not apparent from the attached photos is that with the big weights on the back rack and the 41 pounders on the front, the cart frame base is for the most part outside the leading edges of all the weights. If you stick a 41lb weight on the front rack, they extend beyond the base by approximately 2 inches, while a 70lb weight extends 5-6 inches past the cart’s frame.

I’m an out of shape middle age guy - with everything piled on (like in the photos), I couldn’t lift any portion of the cart. I also tried lifting it with my normal back-rack-only configuration and couldn’t get it to budge either. I was however able to tip the cart if I put just two 70 lb and two 41lb weights on the rack closest to the tractor. I think as long as there’s weight on the other side the risk is significantly reduced.

Given that there are four bolts to each corner of the cart, I don’t think it’d be hard to facbricate larger flat feet (in lieu of the casters). Though the casters definitely facilitate small position adjustments when hooking up to the tractor.

If you need any other measurements or photos just let me know.

 

[Mossy dell]

Thanks for such great info, Skyiine. I did order the HD stand like yours. Do you think if I have eight 41-pound weights across the back, I will need to add some weights to the inner/inside rack?

I ask because I may eliminate the inside weights that interfere with my quick hitch falling away. I could keep them and just pull the top pin so the top hook doesn't have to fall, and may do this if I have to get off the tractor anyway.

But if I cut the six inside weights and do load the back rack, this would put about 390 lbs, including the weight of the rack, toward the back of the cart. From your photo, it looks like this would work since the vast majority of your weight is on the back of the cart. Correct?

 

[Skyline808]

The rear only/highest rack configuration is very stable. I measured from the 'Made in the USA' sticker side of the cart to the rear rack and it came out to 13 inches. Coming from the opposite side (motorcycle tire side) to the rear rack was about 10 inches. Effectively if you use the rear only position the weight is fairly centered within the cart. In the attached I have about 500lbs of weight on the rear rack.

And for comparison I measured from the leading edge of the cart to the lower rack - that's only 5-6 inches.

 

[Mossy dell]

Thanks so much, Skyline. This cements my decision to try shifting my weights to the rear rack. I've been heading that way because, as I said, I use my quick hitch. Unfortunately it won't drop free of my weight rack with the inner weights closest to the tractor loaded.

Very nice to know I probably won't have to load a few weights to the inside rack just for the purpose of balance in storage.

 

[B737]

@Skyline808 that cart looks like a great set up!
what toothbar is that? can you show us a photo?

your tractor looks very comfortable parked in the living room

 

[Skyline808]

Thanks - the clamp on tooth bar is from Heavy Hitch as well. I have a set of Edge Tamers that I like to swap on if I'm working in/around the grass. For the wooded part of my property the tooth bar works wonders for clearing areas and breaking up the clay soil here.

I have a 60 inch bucket on my LX2610SU. The tooth bar that was recommended when I called Heavy Hitch was a 57" clamp on for sub-compact tractors (not the heavy duty version). I have an inch of room on either side of the bar when it's mounted.