using tractor to pull a stuck car/truck/rv

[Lil Foot]

Posted this awhile ago; wasn't with my tractor, but speaks to the "attachment point issue".

We were 4 wheeling near a lake north of Phoenix when we came across an older gentleman in a small 2wd Toyota pickup stuck in a mud flat where the lake had receded. He asked for help, so I rigged a tow from my Landcruiser, and when I attempted to hook to his hitch ball, (hitch mounted solidly to the frame) he refused, saying I must wrap my chain around his spring shackle. WTF? When I explained that that would destroy the shackle at the very least, he became very angry & told me to GTFO, so I packed up my stuff & left.
A few hours later we came by again & he was still stuck, but with one rear shackle completely collapsed, and the other one torn off completely. We laughed & drove away. Near dark, we passed by again, and his front AND rear bumpers had been pulled off, and his grille was damaged. He was covered in mud head to toe, and pleaded with me to pull him out. I said "No, you ran me off because you knew more than I, and we can all see the results of your thinking." He then apologized, said he would keep his mouth shut, and do whatever I told him to do, and then offered me $100 cash. I rigged a strap, hooked to his hitch, & pulled him out in one yank. Took about 3 minutes total. I kept his $100 to teach him a lesson.

I drug it far enough so he could call a tow truck.

 

[GeoHorn]

My ballast box is in the way of the drawbar so no pulling out for me. I'll go home and get the pickup truck and the wife to lay in the snow and hook up the tow strap!

View attachment 54006

You can connect to your drawbar and run your tow-strap/chain BENEATH and FORWARD from the tractor ...and pull the car/etc by running the tractor in REVERSE.... I.E. this Will keep the pulling-tension down Low and Below the tractor to avoid flipping the tractor and not interfere with the ballast box.

 

[armylifer]

You can connect to your drawbar and run your tow-strap/chain BENEATH and FORWARD from the tractor ...and pull the car/etc by running the tractor in REVERSE.... I.E. this Will keep the pulling-tension down Low and Below the tractor to avoid flipping the tractor and not interfere with the ballast box.

This works but you must be very careful not to run over your tow strap or chain.

 

[NCL4701]

You can connect to your drawbar and run your tow-strap/chain BENEATH and FORWARD from the tractor ...and pull the car/etc by running the tractor in REVERSE.... I.E. this Will keep the pulling-tension down Low and Below the tractor to avoid flipping the tractor and not interfere with the ballast box.

That’s what I do when pulling with a box scrape on the 3 point. Hook a chain to the drawbar, run it under the box scrape and if a rope or tow strap is needed, hook that to a clevis on the end of the chain. Don’t have to be concerned with the box scrape damaging a rope or tow strap using the chain as an intermediary.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: This works but you must be very careful not to run over your tow strap or chain.

If you do run over it, you better SELL your tractor PDQ, cause you ain't no farmer !

 

[hope to float]

Pulled a car that had gotten stuck on the beach once. I told him not to drive and just let me pull because I didn't want him to run into the back of the tractor when he got traction. I pulled him out in 2nd low and then found I couldn't get out of his way. As soon as I started moving him he stuck it into gear and floored it and of course ran straight into me. Didn't do any damage to the tractor

 

[torch]

One day, the summer after I got my tractor, there was a knock at the door. A rather sheepish looking fellow needed help pulling his 4x4 Dodge and 40' trailer out of the lake. He had backed the trailer in to launch a new dock. Didn't realize there was a bit of a drop-off just off-shore that the rear tires were now trying to climb while the front tires spun in the sand.

The B7100 provided enough extra oomph to get him out. That is, it did after I remembered to downshift into low range!

 

[Old_Paint]

A little thread drift, but my school bus turned around in my driveway.

One early-spring afternoon the driveway was icy and the bus slid off a little. 10-12 kids on the bus.

I went and got the ol' Minneapolis Moline and pulled it onto the driveway (with the drawbar). I was maybe 13 or 14. 5 minutes and the bus was back on the road...

Today, State Police Cars, a few ambulances, and the NTSB would have descended on "the scene."

Bus also turned around at my house. We were next to last house on the end of a mile and a half of dirt road that was NEVER properly maintained by the county. They'd scrape it until there was no gravel left in it to help it drain, so sometimes in the winter it would be a mile and a half of fun just staying straddle of the crown and hope you didn't bottom out. Not so bad in a light car with a flat bottom (VW), but school busses are not known for their handling qualities. They're a lot of weight on skinny tires. I know that drill. Did it more than once.

But, you're right, these days a stuck school bus usually gets helicopter coverage on the news, especially if someone's feelings gets hurt. There's usually a few lawyers involved, too, because I'm sure at least one kid or his parents suffer some sort of mental anguish from the event.

However, as most have pointed out, always pull with the back end, or push with the front end on lighter vehicles. If the tractor spins, ya need a bigger tractor or a better angle. Connected down low, the tractor is more likely to spin than to do a wheelie and land on ya. A good friend of mine back-flipped a tractor on himself. He lived, but had a very long and slow recovery which included learning how to walk and talk again.

 

[jimmyob]

I would not tow anything from the front of any tractor. The rear is the recommended place (drawbar preferred) -- I also used this and they're easy to fabricate, but now rely more on wireless winches to move vehicles short distances -- the wireless on these winches (Smittybilt, Warn, etc) typically operate around 35'-50' so it gives you plenty of room to maneuver. Have also used pulley arrangements (as mechanical multipliers) to pull the really heavy stuff (e.g. stumps even my JD410E couldn't handle).

View attachment 54016

This might answer my question! It looks like this rig hooks up to your lower links so you're actually using the lower link arms to pull. I built a rear ballast using a cut down 55gal drum and added a 2" receiver tube near the bottom, welded and surrounded by concrete. Not worried about the integrity of the ballast barrel but wasn't sure it was OK to pull with the link arms. I'm pulling small locust trees out of the ground. Nasty suckers covered with huge thorns. Reciever tube/shackle/strap/tree. I tested it on a couple small ones, seemed fine.
To be safe, I might add a chain to the draw bar like Lil Foot did in the previous post and let it run under my barrel. This site is great, y'all have so much knowledge! If anyone thinks it's a bad idea to use my barrel to pull, I'd be happy to hear about it. Thanks all!

 

[jyoutz]

I have a Kubota M9540 with a front end loader. just want to ask if i have to pull a stuck truck or rv out. Where do i hook up a chain to? where the strongest part to hook up to....

i always think i can look up to a front end load hay folk, will that cause any problem later down the road? what about the rear end? is there a spot there to hook and tow?

thanks

I keep a clevis pinned to my drawbar to connect the chain for pulling or cable for log skidding.

 

[jimh406]

Not worried about the integrity of the ballast barrel but wasn't sure it was OK to pull with the link arms. I'm pulling small locust trees out of the ground. Nasty suckers covered with huge thorns.

I'd use the drawbar. There is no reason to add the extra force to your lower link arms. It may or may not hurt them, but I can't think of any reason to take the chance.

 

[D2Cat]

Notice post #12 (Lil Foot) and hook a clevis as shown there. The previous posts mention using the clevis also, just understand what it is and how it connects and you'll be fine.

 

[jimmyob]

I'd use the drawbar. There is no reason to add the extra force to your lower link arms. It may or may not hurt them, but I can't think of any reason to take the chance.

Thanks guys, I'll use the draw bar, sounds like the better option. I appreciate your replies!

 

[hagrid]

Always a nylon snatch strap on the drawbar and THEY always hook it to THEIR vehicle, not me. That reduces the liability and I ALWAS charge them for the service, usually 50 bucks, up front, in cash or no pull.

Your online persona is most unsavory. And I hope something mildly unpleasant, such as inopportune diahrrea, befalls you in a social setting.

 

[hagrid]

Don't worry... he'll see it.

 

[Dieseldonato]

Draw bar with clevis is the correct method for pulling. Captive pulling systems are best. No tow balls or tow hitches. They are made to pull rolling resistance and the "stuck" force is typically much greater then a trailer on the road. From quite a bit of experience with roll backs, wreckers and off road recovery we often underestimate how much force is needed to pull out a stuck vehicle.. I submit this video for a bit of education to proper off road recovery, and some of the proper equipment needed.

From a liability stand point, it doesn't much matter who hooks up the chain strap or whatever, the tow truck driver isn't typically held responsible for damages from recovery. I'm certain there are good Samaritan laws that may apply to a good citizen, but with out a waiver of liability it's anyone's guess.

 

[RalphVa]

I have a Kubota M9540 with a front end loader. just want to ask if i have to pull a stuck truck or rv out. Where do i hook up a chain to? where the strongest part to hook up to....

i always think i can look up to a front end load hay folk, will that cause any problem later down the road? what about the rear end? is there a spot there to hook and tow?

thanks

NEVER use a chain. My dad used one once to pull our car. Chain broke and wrapped back over the hood off the car leaving a nice groove, just short of the windshield. Could kill you if it wrapped back to you in the tractor seat.

My neighbor has pulled my tractors twice using a thick nylon thing. When the dealer delivered the Kubota in January, he also had a similar nylon thing.

 

[lynnmor]

NEVER use a chain. My dad used one once to pull our car. Chain broke and wrapped back over the hood off the car leaving a nice groove, just short of the windshield. Could kill you if it wrapped back to you in the tractor seat.

When I was young and even dumber, I tried pulling a stump with a dozer using a chain. I turned that chain into a solid bar by stretching the links till they pinched one another.

 

[N3BP]

I agree and fabbed up some winch hitches that bolt right to the frame. The frames are quite beefy and stable.

 

[Flintknapper]

I keep a clevis pinned to my drawbar to connect the chain for pulling or cable for log skidding.

Keep a clevis attached also....but forego the draw-bar most of the time.

Tow loops in the front (frame mounted) are handy for 'LIGHT' pulling in reverse or for an attachment for a 'come-along' for manual winching.