Using an Adjustable Pulling Hitch
on a Garden Pulling Tractor and How to Construct a Hitch
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If you can keep from doing so, don't use a bolted-on-solid/non-adjustable or a welded-on hitch. It's not that the weld may break, but if you had change the hitch height, chooses to pull in another class or with another club that requires a different hitch height, or if you were to change tire size, deflate/inflate the tire pressure, change the size of the front tires or as the rear tires wear, with an adjustable hitch, you can adjust the hitch height accordingly.
Always run the highest hitch height your club rules allow. And the further rearward the drawbar is, the more weight must be used on the front of the tractor. But if the hitch is too close to the rear axle, it'll be hard to control the front end from rearing upward violently at times. Therefore, the best position for the drawbar is 6-1/2" to 8" rearward from the center of the rear axle. This should allow the front of the tractor to rise gently (if tractor is weighted correctly) and the operator to have full control of the tractor. This measurement applies to all makes and models of garden tractors and for all classes of pulling tractors, from a basic stock to a fully modified.
 When some clubs' rules say something
like, "the pulling point may not be more than 3/4" in depth," what they mean
is on the drawbar, there must be no more (or less) than 3/4" of metal between
the rear of the hole and the outside edge. See the drawing below. Also, for
strength, safety and because most rules don't bother to mention this, the
drawbar should be made of steel (not aluminum), and be at least ½" in
thickness.
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How to Construct a Professional Adjustable Pulling HitchThis type of hitch is the most commonly used hitch there is. Plus it's very strong and requires no welding (optional). It will fit virtually any garden tractor as long as two pieces of angled steel can be fastened on the rear. It's the design that most professional pullers use, plus it's NQS legal!
ü Use four grade 8 bolts or hardened steel studs with hardened steel nuts to fasten this hitch assembly directly over the existing rear plate of the transaxle on an IH Cub Cadet or on the rear of the frame of another type of garden tractor. ü Use two minimum 1/8" thickness x 2" x 2" x 6-½" long angle steel for the upper and lower support brackets. ü Use two threaded rods, 8" in length, made of either 5/8" diameter heat-treated steel or 3/4" diameter mild steel, with 8 matching nuts or use 4 adjusting nuts on the drawbar and weld the rods to the upper support bracket. NOTE - Using large nuts to adjust the hitch height is much stronger than two 1/4" bolts. ü Use minimum ½" thickness x 2-½" wide x 6-½" long flat steel for the drawbar. Bore a 1-½" hole for the hook. NOTE - Before drilling the 3/4" holes through all three pieces of steel, remember, it's best that the drawbar be set at least 1/4" away from the rear cover plate, like it is in the drawing above. This means that the two 3/4" holes in the drawbar itself must be drilled 1/4" offset. |
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Looking for a place to pull your tractor? Then check out this web site: Hot Links for Various Garden Tractor Pulling Clubs and Associations.
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