Ball hitch for lawn tractor, need help...

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
I was looking at that......thanks....
My buddy made me a simple little plate, I got a ball at pep boys for 11.99. Didn't want to drive a half hour or wait 4 days to get to HF store, they had it for $6.84, now that's cheap.....
I will send pics tomorrow, it isn't pretty but it does the trick and it was free, I don't even have to waste 3 min changing things around, I still got the trailer hole freed up.... Thanks all for your help.....but I think BEERBELLY wins this one for the best answer..... Will send pics tomorrow, stay tuned........but really, thank you all...... No more lugging that sucker...
 
P.s. Where the hell has Dennis been? He ok?.....
 
image.jpg image.jpg Simple piece of metal with three holes does the trick just fine, I don't even have to lift the front stand, it's a few inches off the ground, works like a charm.....thanks again all.....
 
I did the same thing that brother Bart did.image.jpg
 
I have a Harbor Freight 30 ton splitter that is a simple I beam with a trailer hitch mounted on that I beam; it's pretty heavy for me to lift up to vertical and I think too much weight for the weak metal on my lawn tractor-there doesn't seem to be any metal that won't bend back there, and I don't thing the lawn tractor body would take it either, for long. Anyway, I just have to haul it out to the end of the driveway, so my needs aren't that great. I took the stands off my Harbor Freight trailer dolly, hook that up to the splitter and tie the handle to the hitch hole with a rope. The angle is extreme, but it hasn't come off yet, and then I can use the dolly to move it into position. Ideally, it should be modified or a custom one fabricated so the angles are right, but I have no skills. I haven't found anything like that on the web, except for one student who did it as a welding project.
 
I don't think u can go wrong with tree pointers idea seems pretty practical but I sometimes just look at quickest way to go. So $19 for hitchen post $16 for ball =$25 for a do all hitch sounds reasonable to me
No opinions / skin in this game... but I did pass 2nd grade arithmetic. :lol
19 + 16 = 35
 
No opinions / skin in this game... but I did pass 2nd grade arithmetic. :lol
19 + 16 = 35
Hope I never see u post a mistake. I'm watching u lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful
Hope I never see u post a mistake. I'm watching u lol
Oh geez... I post so much mis-information here, you're going to get bored with that in no time flat!
 
I have a Harbor Freight 30 ton splitter that is a simple I beam with a trailer hitch mounted on that I beam; it's pretty heavy for me to lift up to vertical and I think too much weight for the weak metal on my lawn tractor-there doesn't seem to be any metal that won't bend back there, and I don't thing the lawn tractor body would take it either, for long. Anyway, I just have to haul it out to the end of the driveway, so my needs aren't that great. I took the stands off my Harbor Freight trailer dolly, hook that up to the splitter and tie the handle to the hitch hole with a rope. The angle is extreme, but it hasn't come off yet, and then I can use the dolly to move it into position. Ideally, it should be modified or a custom one fabricated so the angles are right, but I have no skills. I haven't found anything like that on the web, except for one student who did it as a welding project.
Got a pic, would be great......
 
Here are the Hitchin' Post pictures I promised. 35-ton Huskee is not perfectly level but it tows fine. You'll also notice that its hitch pin hole is only a little higher than the tractor's hitch pin hole. This means that carts and other towables designed for lawn tractors will remain fairly level.

If you decide to use this product, remember to get a ball with a shorter shank.

HitchinPost_tow_001_zpse2b633ed.jpg


HitchinPost_tow_002_zps43fb6ad7.jpg


HitchinPost_tow_003_zps7825f300.jpg


HitchinPost_tow_004_zpsd15c15b7.jpg


HitchinPost_tow_005_zps9a8ff5b4.jpg
 
Last edited:
That tractor seems a lot beefier than the one I have. I tried that hitching post, I believe, but I returned it because it seemed to be bending the thin metal it was mounted on.
 
Many of the lighter stamped bodies can pull fine (think cart), but can't handle much for tongue weight. It can bend or start to fatigue the metal pretty quick. About the only solution to that is to add some beef to it.

ETA - keep in mind folks, if the back end connection is of light duty that should tell you that its towing capacity is light duty as well. Keep the loads reasonable. There are lots of the "shift on the fly" type transmissions out there that simply aren't designed to be a pulling tractor.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TreePointer
Our Husqvarna lawn tractor pictured above is a 2009 model, and regrettably, doesn't have the beefy rear plate plate our venerable Wheel Horse had.

When I was looking for a solution for mounting a 2" ball for the splitter, I came to the conclusion that a device which mounts in multiple points (many examples in this thread) would be better than simply mounting a ball directly or mounting one to a Hitchin' Post. I even came across a multi-point mount that had a lower part supported in the bend of the real plate and not at the hitch pin hole.

In the end, I decided to save some money and use that Hitchin' Post. When I tow the splitter with that tractor, it's only around the driveway and not more than 50 yards onto mowed lawn. Even though I haven't noticed any deformation or other issues, I am keeping an eye out for issues. Time will tell if that rear plate holds (fingers crossed).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.