Splitter Hitch for Lawn Tractor

[El Finko]

Hey guys, quick question- If you were fabbing up a bracket to attach to the back of your 1986 Craftsman II lawn tractor to mount a 2" ball and tow your DHT 22-ton splitter, how thick would you make the plate/shelf that the ball mounts to?
The shelf will be 13" across the back of the tractor and supported underneath on either end by triangular supports. This will still leave me maximum room under the "shelf" to hook and unhook my utility trailer.
The gentleman who is doing it for me is able to use 1/8" and no thicker. I originally thought 1/4" would be nice and bomb-proof, so I told him to double up the 1/8" and call it good. Thoughts?

 

[BrotherBart]

Don't know. It was too easy to just buy this one and bolt it on. I love the thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Komodo-ATV3WH22-3-Way-Receiver-Hitch/dp/B001P2X4EQ

 

[El Finko]

bb- looks tres sweet, but it wouldn't attach to my tractor.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

This was my cheapo fab that does the job for pulling my splitter around the yard.....

 

[wahoowad]

Post pic of back of tractor so we can see what we're working with

 

[BobUrban]

I fabbed this one for my quad that is designed like a reese with other attachments like a log skidder and connects to 3 points on the frame. If you are ONLY going to tow the splitter or rather light loads in a trailer a single point set-up like the one you can buy will work but I would want more frame connection for anything heavier.

The back of my 2010 Craftsman 24horse looks a little light to attach a solid hitch but I am sure if it were my only option for towing I could get beneath the light steel and find some frame points to connect a solid hitch.

 

[Jags]

Yes - please post pic.

 

[Fifelaker]

Go to your friendly neighborhood steel supplier and buy a 3/16" - 1/4? plate the length and width you need, drill and bolt it on. Shouldn't cost over $10-15. Or if you just have to use 1/8" sandwich the existing hitch between the two.

 

[El Finko]

thanks for the replies fellas.
the back of my tractor looks like Ram15's.
the little tab with the hole is where I hook my dump cart, and it's way too flimsy to hold up the tongue of the splitter.

 

[Ashful]

1/4" is overkill for any lawn tractor. Even my old 1962'ish Cub Cadet garden tractor only had 1/8" or 3/16" as the factory hitch plate, and that had no gussets underneath for support. Keep the extension short, so there's little bending moment, and 1/8" with gussets will be plenty strong for anything a lawn tractor can pull.

 

[Jags]

I would be looking at an inside and outside plate of 3/16" or 1/4". That would give you the best chance at longevity. The backend of that thing really is only tin (imagine bolting this to the fender of your car). Surface area and stiff substrate will be the key to this project working well.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

This is the proper way.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200623545_200623545

 

[Jags]

This is the proper way.

Ya know, I like those designs...but...with that hitch located so much above the axle I would worry about lifting the front end of the GT. Mine is no where near as high as that one and my GT is heavier than what is being mentioned here and I can jack the front end if I take off a little too fast (or stop when backing up).

Full disclosure - this was not towing a splitter, but my boat (or sometimes my 3500 pound trailer loaded).

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

The hitch should always be hooked low to axel on these small tractors. my American splitter has very little tongue weight. for this craftsmen we are talking about I would try jack knifing the splitter and see if there is enough room to split and leave it connected. I leave my splitter hooked to truck and throw pieces right in the back, with tailgate off.

this hitch would be cheap to make, if you weld.

 

[Ashful]

The hitch should always be hooked low to axel on these small tractors

Exactly. There are stories in the paper ever year of farmers who kill themselves overturning their tractor, with something hitched too high on the rear. I remember one reported here last year, of someone overturning an 8N, skidding logs out of the woods, because he hitched the logs to the top link on his 3-point hitch, and the log caught on something while going out of the woods. Hitch points should always be located below axle center line... or keep your foot on the clutch!

 

[Fifelaker]

I can build something similar to the N-tool hitch PM me for a price.

 

[TreePointer]

Before I got into welding and experienced the satisfaction of fabricating my own parts and solutions, I purchased a HITCHIN POST from Lowes for less than $20. The 2" Reese ball allows me to attach my splitter, and there is still a hole for attaching my cart and other towables with a hitch pin.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_317694-60858-170_0__?productId=3121691

Here are a couple pics of one on our lawn tractor. The only drawback I've noticed is that it keeps the splitter's tongue lower than I'd like, but it hasn't caused an issue over the years.

(broken image removed)

(broken image removed)

If the tractor's rear hitch plate is on the flimsy side, consider a solution that's anchored to the tractor's frame in more than one place.

 

[El Finko]

Thanks all for the replies.
If you look at ram15's tractor, which is like mine, you see that the existing plate is too thin to support anything like the NT hitch or the Lowes Hitchin Post.
The way is designed it, it will transfer the weight to the edges of the tractors frame, which are the strongest areas. And the ball will be high enough that the beam of the splitter will be parallel to the ground. (Thanks for the heads up on the wheelies- I will be careful)
I have a local guy working on it. He's been good to me in the past. When I get it set up I'll try to post some pics.

 

[Halligan]

I went through this last year with my tractor. My issue was that I had a bagger setup on the rear of my tractor which narrowed my options. In the end I went with a front mounted hitch. Being in the front also makes it much easier to maneuver a short wheel based item like a splitter. I'm sure your fab guy could build something in front of your machine and bolt it right to the tractor frame.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

thanks for the replies fellas.
the back of my tractor looks like Ram15's.
the little tab with the hole is where I hook my dump cart, and it's way too flimsy to hold up the tongue of the splitter.

The metal on the back is strong enough to hold the splitter, it barely bends, it is an older model made with heavier metal back then. The plate was free, just need 3 proper size holes in the right place, and the ball was $9. It's the easiest and cheapest way to go. I am only hauling it around my driveway so it works perfectly for me and I only leave it on when moving it. It's so simple to attach at that height too, you never have to mess with lifting the leg stand up and down..

 

[Butcher]

Since Cub Cadet doesn't give you enough room to put a 2" ball on them I made this draw bar for mine.

At first I thought about building it so the ball would be at fender level making the splitter sit at working height but that would have made the mower a little to light in the front end.

 

[Flatbedford]

Can you get a sleeve hitch for your tractor? This is the setup I use on my IH Cub Cadet 149.


Here's the sleeve hitch ball adapter.
(broken link removed to http://www.xtrememotorworks.com/Parts%20Catalog/Parts%20Pages/CC-47-001.htm) or (broken link removed to http://www.xtrememotorworks.com/Parts%20Catalog/Parts%20Pages/CC-20-001.htm)

 

[El Finko]

Butcher- back of my Craftsman looks a lot like your Cub. Since I just arrived home with the thingamabob I'm gonna slap it on and see what happens.
I did not fully appreciate what you and others alluded to about the height of the ball playing physica with the front end of my tractor. So my ball is above the axle line of my tractor.
Will report back...
Will take it slowly...

 

[wahoowad]

How do you guys get a hole drilled big enough for the threaded part of the ball? I don't want to permannently weld my ball

 

[D8Chumley]

I got a smaller diameter threaded part for the ball on my quad. Its a good bit smaller than the ones for my truck