Another Fronkensteen

[Lee1977 7,371]

16 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

Just let me know sir. I'll take it!

 

I've used them in many applications. Not to mention they will wear out on larger implements. Think 60 inch decks and such. 

I've welded them back up and ground them back round. That was back when I could still see to weld.  As Richie has said it still do some of that " Blind ______ welding " .

Over 48 years I think I repaired the mid hitch on my C-120  twice that was with a 48" deck and a little with a grader blade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kpinnc 15,653]

10 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

That was back when I could still see to weld.

 

Hey Don I'll weld stuff for you any time! Always good to get together and talk tractors anyway! 

 

 

[kpinnc 15,653]

My 3 point drag links and lift arms are from another brand machine...  

I only had one set of WH arms, and they are in my Bronco. 

 

Nothing I can do about that. Sometimes you gotta work with what you have. 

 

But they'll look like this, just painted red. 

 

 

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,322]

They’ll work! I had a pair sitting here, asked you if you had a set, off a D.

[kpinnc 15,653]

38 minutes ago, "Manic-Mechanic" said:

They’ll work! I had a pair sitting here, asked you if you had a set, off a D.

 

Yeah the D series are much nicer in my opinion. The bends on them definitely work better in a small space. 

 

But these will work. Since the rest will be fabricated (minus the lift arms)- they'll still look somewhat custom. 

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,322]

4 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

Yeah the D series are much nicer in my opinion. The bends on them definitely work better in a small space. 

 

But these will work. Since the rest will be fabricated (minus the lift arms)- they'll still look somewhat custom. 

Yeah, be nice to have those adjustable arms tho’

[kpinnc 15,653]

Finished fabbing the 3 point parts today. I think it'll work OK. Testing will have to wait for my top link, and it's delayed per tracking until next week. 

 

Anyway...

 

Don (Lee1977) came by today, and dropped some common sense on me. I've grumbled about the drag links for a while because I just don't like how narrow they are due to the tiny bends in them. My acetylene torch is broken and nothing else will get hot enough to bend the 3/8 steel arms. Don suggested cutting them almost all the way and bending them to whatever I want and weld them back. As he said, nothing I can possibly pull with a 500lb tractor will break them. They turned out nice and the pic below is the top of one and the bottom of the other- just comparing to make sure they are the same now. 

 

I also fabbed up the top part of the hitch. Both lift links and top link will connect to it. And it installs with a 5/8 pin just like the drag links. It will be quick to remove and reinstall. Full up and down clear everything and still give decent amount of lift. It actually turned out pretty good. 

 

And finally a dash of red makes it look better, so tomorrow will be assembly and initial testing. 

 

 

[kpinnc 15,653]

Here is the completed hitch. Forgive the aluminum tube but my top link isn't here yet so it's just to hold the drag links out...

 

Full travel- needs adjusted up some but that's easy. 

 

Is very smooth. I was afraid it would be hard to lift empty but it's like nothing is even back there. 

 

And I'm really glad I listened to Don and changed the drag links. They look much better and have more sway travel. 

 

 

Edited Sunday at 05:51 PM by kpinnc

[kpinnc 15,653]

Well my top link showed up today, so I fabbed up my A frame hitch reciever during lunch. It's shorter than the one I made for the Bronco but that was on purpose. The top link connects much closer to the drag links on this tractor, hence the shorter frame. 

 

Cleaned up and painted. Now I need to go get some CAT 0 standoffs for it and this one is actually finished. 

 

...until I think of something else. 

 

 

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,322]

33 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

Well my top link showed up today, so I fabbed up my A frame hitch reciever during lunch. It's shorter than the one I made for the Bronco but that was on purpose. The top link connects much closer to the drag links on this tractor, hence the shorter frame. 

 

Cleaned up and painted. Now I need to go get some CAT 0 standoffs for it and this one is actually finished. 

 

...until I think of something else. 

 

 

Nice little A-frame! Becomes addictive, today an a frame, tomorrow?

[kpinnc 15,653]

55 minutes ago, "Manic-Mechanic" said:

Becomes addictive, today an a frame, tomorrow?

 

When Don @Lee1977 left my house yesterday he told me I needed "just one more project", and I think this tractor has given more than any before it. 

 

It will be nice to say this one is done! 

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,322]

1 hour ago, kpinnc said:

 

When Don @Lee1977 left my house yesterday he told me I needed "just one more project", and I think this tractor has given more than any before it. 

 

It will be nice to say this one is done! 

I got a nickel every time I said that!

Edited Monday at 10:59 PM by "Manic-Mechanic"

[kpinnc 15,653]

2 hours ago, "Manic-Mechanic" said:

I got a nickel every time I said that!

 

I would be a wealthy man... 

 

Well, here is the finished product. This thing has great range, but I'm certain it will be fairly light implements only since it's a "Popeye assisted lift" instead of hydraulic lift. But it's very smooth and I really like it. This tractor isn't set up for only a 3 point, but rather it's just one of the options. It will still work with all the traditional slot/ clevis hitches as well as the standard tiller and anything that connects to the rear axle hitch. 

 

Maybe I can get back to my 701 in the next couple weeks... 

 

I still need to make up a stop for the hood, but I'm calling this one done since that's a simple mod. 

 

 

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,322]

I give it a “simply outstanding!”

[kpinnc 15,653]

6 minutes ago, "Manic-Mechanic" said:

I give it a “simply outstanding!”

 

Greatly appreciated! 

 

This one has been the most work so far as fabrication since the Bronco 3 point. But it works well and looks good. This tractor will be able to do alot of different tasks, which was the point of building it to begin with. 

["Manic-Mechanic" 1,322]

Just now, kpinnc said:

 

Greatly appreciated! 

 

This one has been the most work so far as fabrication since the Bronco 3 point. But it works well and looks good. This tractor will be able to do alot of different tasks, which was the point of building it to begin with. 

I love a horse, but it must have a function as a true “garden tractor”.

So yeah, any mods that enable the machine to do more is phenomenal 

[ineedanother 1,728]

That's a beautiful machine @kpinnc. I'm in awe of it all but the engineering from the hoodstand through the hitch is just fantastic. 

[kpinnc 15,653]

11 minutes ago, ineedanother said:

That's a beautiful machine @kpinnc. I'm in awe of it all but the engineering from the hoodstand through the hitch is just fantastic. 

 

Thank you very much. Most of the "head scratching/ staring for hours" parts were done years ago on the Bronco, so a great deal was just repeating the process with small upgrades. 

 

 

[19richie66 17,763]

So you will be the guy at the tractor shows with the huge left forearm? Easy to spot.   Excellent work Kevin. 

[kpinnc 15,653]

6 hours ago, 19richie66 said:

So you will be the guy at the tractor shows with the huge left forearm? Easy to spot.   Excellent work Kevin. 

 

Only if I put my dual gang disc behind it! 

 

Thank you sir! 

[Handy Don 14,612]

On 11/2/2025 at 4:15 AM, kpinnc said:

cutting them almost all the way and bending them to whatever I want and weld them back

I had someone show me this trick just as I was learning welding and I’ve used it several times on both bars and rods.