tractor towing safety

Tater_51

Member
I've only had my 861 for a couple years. I have been using a 2" ball attached to the front of the tractor to move my wood hauler around. I've seen some 3 point tow bars online and have been considering one to attach to the rear 3 point for towing the trailer around. Are these safe to use? They have attachement at the top and bottom links. Just would be easy to move around but I want to be safe.
 
I do have the swinging drawbar (atttached to bottom of rear diff). It would be nice to have the capability to raise and lower for attachment but not at the cost of safety.
 

Bear in mind that if you get your load tail heavy, then your tongue will be apt to rare up. Your safety issue may then come into play.
 
I probably will just use the swing bar that's already attached, probably a lot safer. It is very low but I'm sure it's for a reason, lower center for weight distribution.
 
You're right on the mark. There are plenty of people who say Oh, I've done it that way forever...but dead men tell no tales.
 
Larry NCKS has it right. Bear in mind
also descending a steep grade can get
you in trouble with it as well. After
a tricky experience once i now stay
on the drawbar.
 
I've used the swinging drawbar and the 3 pt for moving trailers around. As stated the 3 pt is easy to hook up but will definitely rear up easily.
It doesn't matter what you use be very careful towing anything with a tractor down any sort of grade. Most tractor brakes aren't the best and very easy to have one wheel brake harder with that load pushing you. Also going down a grade in a low gear isn't always a good idea. You've never had a thrill like sliding down a grassy hill with the trailer pushing you and the rear wheels sliding!
 
yes, you can get a 3pt one, but if you do, I'd make up some safety chains to prevent the lift from going high enough to get the load above my rear axle.

safety chain loop from a upper lift arm to an axle trumpet is easy to rig.
 
Just to second the idea that there isn't any down force on a Ford 3 point the front of the trailer is free to fly up.
 
I have taken an extra swinging drawbar and welded a receiver for a 2in trailer hitch on it so that I can use different hitches to get the height I want for the trailer.
 
one other problem is going down hill, you may have more weight on the front of the trailer to hold the tongue down, but going down hill the trailer and load can push you and lift those arms up.

if there is enough force, it can jam the lift arms up and possibly ruin some of your internal lift controls.

I have a three point hitch and do use it sometimes, but I do not have any hills to worry with.

just be aware of the possible danger of using unsecured lift arms as a hitch.

my old tractor only came with a cross bar hitch, but it also came with stay bar supports that go from the ends of the cross bar hitch up to the top link hitch area, so when you use it you have to secure the lift lever, to insure it is not raised while the hitch stay bars are in place.

I later bought a under belly bar type hitch and have been pleased with it.
 

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