Simple tow ball hitch for my new 414-8

[Pirate 0]

After asking and seeing $50 tow ball hitches on ebay, I searched the scrap pile and used a 1/2" thick piece from a bolt on trailer hitch. A few bends with a lot of heat and a big hammer, and I had a hitch.

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[Gene_S 93]

I Like it... Simple and covers both types of towing, ball and pin! :omg:

[rickv1957 74]

Looks like your hitch will work fine,dont pull any thing too heavy though as stock drawbar has a limit,Rick

[Roger from southern Iowa 1]

Hitch looks good.

Like Rick said, the stock draw bar has it's limitations. :omg:

[Pirate 0]

Hitch looks good.

Like Rick said, the stock draw bar has it's limitations.

As I found out, as the orig. hitch bar started to bend.

I added an adjustable chain to the setup.

Each end is attached to the bracket on top of the transaxel and the middle of the chain is bolted to the top hole in the mount I made.

I adjusted it to be tight, when the forward end of the orig. bar makes contact with the bottom of the transaxel.

modification #1

[Pirate 0]

Chain addition. I'm now thinking of welding a pad on the front end of the orig. tow bar, to spread out the pressure where it presses on the transaxel housing.

[Roger from southern Iowa 1]

Looks lots stronger.

The pad would spread the weight over a much larger area.

[jusjeepn 59]

Here's an idea: Go to your local junk yard, look for a car with one of those class 1 drawbar (flat stock) type hitches. You should be able to pick one up really cheap because no one wants those. Cut the end off and your left with just a square tube with a flat adapter. Cut a "V" in the square tube so it can be bent back on both ends. Weld the bends. Weld a piece of flat stock on the end, drill a few holes, use the flat stock pieces off your snow plow mount and VIOLA!!!!

You have a bolt on hitch that is stronger than your draw bar, clamps around your axle housing and has a slot for interchangeable hitches.

I suppose you could get real crafty and put a couple of pivots at the axle mount and just turn it into an extra wide slot hitch that would be 2 to 3 time stronger that the factory hitch.

Any how, Nice fab job on the hitch and I wouldn't worry to much about weight on the rear. Common sense should tell you that your 30' yacht is too heavy for that tractor :omg: