Front hitch for Super A

[Lt.Mike]

Sitting In front of the tv and occupying my idle moments with possible configurations of a front mounted receiver hitch on my Super A.
Thinking of using the graderblade mount and having the lower portion of the hitch connect to the pivot bar where graderblade connects.
I could have it hang completely on the lower frame but it is designed to take the plows weight pushing back into the torque tube. I could make it pivot on the rod and hang from the lift arm like a front mounted 3 point hitch. The front graderblade is heavy as sin probably 300lb.s (?)
I figure my boat trailers loaded tongue weight is about 400lb.s.
The weak link in this equation is the bolster. If need be I have a square industrial A front axle assembly with brace I could swap over (?).
Rather not go that route though.
Sitting facing forward on the tractor to back my boat under its carport would be by far the easiest way to get that done with the best visibility.
Anyone else attempted this?

[Don McCombs]

It would be much easier to put a front hitch on your pickup.

[Lt.Mike]

It would be much easier to put a front hitch on your pickup.

Curt makes a great hitch for my truck so yes much easier to mount on the truck but it’s the operation that the tractor has the upper hand being shorter, more maneuverable and the visibility from the seat the truck can’t match.
I’ve got a lot of trees on my property and though there is a big open space in front of the carport add the 26’ of the trailer to the length of the truck it can get tight. I just hook and go on the way out but there’s a lot of back and forth, back and forth getting it parked under again.
Using the tractor off the drawbar to back it in has been much easier but I need a neck like an owl.
You can see rigs like this in marinas. Many times it’s a fork lift with a ball mounted in a short fork. There’s a huge advantage doing it this way.
I have one of the front receivers Rick made on my Cub which works great moving and parking my 15’ aluminum boat and trailer but it’s not sour enough for this duty. I’ve seen SA mounts that hang on the axle studs in the same way but that can’t handle this kind of weight. That’s why I’m looking at using the plow frame. We’ve seen grader blade front arms bend from abuse but I don’t believe I’ve seen the frame from the pivot axle back or bolster suffer damage.
I’m obviously not going to be rough with it but I’m thinking the frame can certainly handle this better than the axle hanger bolts.

[Bill Hudson]

Mike,

A suggestion for you -- whatever you do make the hitch height the same as the hitch height of your pickup which will simplify hitching to the SA.

My assumptions:
1. Parking your boat is the primary job for the hitch.
2. The boat will be parked close to the storage.
3. The site is level and fairly smooth.
4. You're going to be in first gear, not much above idle.

Given those assumptions, the hitch has to be well constructed but not so strong you could push stumps out with it.

Good luck with the project and keep us informed of your progress.

Bill

[Don McCombs]

What’s the tongue weight of your boat trailer, fully loaded? Do you plan to leave the front blade setup permanently mounted?

[Lt.Mike]

Bill, your pretty much spot on.
Here are a few pics to give an idea of what I'm working with and why I'm doing this.

This is what I'm parking. (don't get too impressed, it's an '87 that I picked up and restored. I did the work (deck, engine replacement and repair,transom, electrical wiring, etc... the list goes ) so I ended up with a good boat at a fraction of what this normally cost but it was "a lot" of work.


Where I'm parking it, I laid down a tri-axle dump truck load of clay using the Cub to level it out, then roll it smooth. Stone dust under the stelter and bluestone around. About 10 tons worth. Cub worked hard. There is a slight grade to it as I wanted rain water to run away from it than have it pool under.


It can be tight, especially with other stuff that finds its way under ...
Get off line just a little and it goes bad quick...


You can see the general area is pretty open, especially when its empty but there is a tree line directly in front.


You can see though that even a short tow rig can fill up that area pretty well.
( the tin boat on the right is mine, the red boat I restored like new for a friend. Needless to say this was the before pic )


It can be hard to take a pic anywhere on my property and not have a tractor in the view. See how bad this disease can get ?
Anyway this is the kind of task the tractors shine at. I'm kinda leaning in my head at the attachment not involving the lifting arm at all and yes I figured to pretty much match the trucks receiver height.
Also better higher that low and no lower than the trailer being level. The higher the ball the lower the tongue weight.

[inairam]

I would want a receiver for front carry all like the one you see on the back of a suv.

What about a version of the reserver the barnyard sells for the cub? http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=96724

[Lt.Mike]

I would want a receiver for front carry all like the one you see on the back of a suv.

What about a version of the reserver the barnyard sells for the cub? http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=96724

I have one on my Cub and it’s excellent for light duty towing duties. You can’t hang to much weight on it because it hangs on the axle bolts.
I wouldn’t use it for a carryall.
You can bolt a receiver to the drawbar and that will hold a carryall and I know because I’ve done it.
Too much weight hung on it or trying to move too heavy of a trailer could break the tractors axle hanger.
I move the aluminum boat with the one I have on the Cub and I can whip it into the tightest places which is why I want a stronger version to handle the bigger boat that way.
For heavy work it’s best to use the implement attachment points the factory designed into the tractor to handle some abuse.
Axle hangers weren’t intended for that kind of thing.

[Lt.Mike]

What’s the tongue weight of your boat trailer, fully loaded? Do you plan to leave the front blade setup permanently mounted?

Going on it being 10% of the towed weight the tongue weight should be about 400Lbs.
I figure the graderblade and front frame to be at least 2/3 that weight.
The rear portion of the grader blade mount will stay on the tractor.
Spring, summer and fall it’ll be setup to park the boat then when winter arrives it’ll have the blade hung to plow snow.
I’m working it out in my head and on paper to make a mount that will slip into place and bolt up to that mount. My reasoning is this will use the mounting hardware and locations that the factory designed in to handle the strain that the blade and cultivators would feed back to it.
I will follow the design of the grader blade frame and mimic the material used and the way it is braced.
Ultimately what I’d like Is for the outcome to pass for something the factory would have made.

[Don McCombs]

I'm wondering whether the Super A Touch Control will even lift that amount (blade frame + tongue weight). How about bolting something like this to the blade?

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Fabricat ... 04055.html

Then it could be removed easily if necessary, without removing the blade.

[Lt.Mike]

I'm wondering whether the Super A Touch Control will even lift that amount (blade frame + tongue weight). How about bolting something like this to the blade?

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Fabricat ... 04055.html

Then it could be removed easily if necessary, without removing the blade.

Ya, that occurred to me as well plus the bouncing even mildly wouldn’t be good so I’m not going to involve the TC in the design. It will be a stationary piece as would be like I have bolted on the drawbar.
So now I’m leaning towards a four point attachment with bolts so there will be no movement. Moving parts tend to break. To mount I’ll remove the pivot bar and bolt to either side of that mount then bolt to one of the 3 holes on the left upright, and drill a hole to bolt directly opposite of it on the right upright.
The receiver frame would be a box of sorts.
It looks doable on paper but may get tweaked a bit when it gets tacked together.
That part could work it’s way into my plans

[Jim Becker]

You might consider the question of whether you want it centered or off to one side.

[Lt.Mike]

You might consider the question of whether you want it centered or off to one side.

Thought about that , it’ll be centered on the plow mounting hanger which is also center on the tractor. The factory centered the plow and I’d assume that would be the strongest position for the tractor. Stability wins out but it should also enable me to look down the side of boat as I back it in and see how close it is to the wall.

[inairam]

You are not going down the road nor doing it all day. If you remove the blade, fab a receiver mount that will work with the blade mount, and are careful it will work. You are moving a boat a few times a year. You are not working in a boatyard and doing it all day every day. I think this is a low risk to try as long as you go slow and are careful

The is a boat showroom near my house. They have a jeep with a rig in the front like snow blade that they use to move boats.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

the boat pictures make me wonder if you will be able to sufficiently see around the boat well enough to back it with out hitting small stuff that is close.