Towing a 35 ton splitter with a lawn tractor

[Kenster]

After bringing home my Huskee 35 splitter a few weeks ago, I bought a combination ball/pin trailer hitch from Lowes and installed it on my little Husqvarna lawn tractor. Because the hitch sits so low, the splitter tongue angles down quite a bit and puts a lot of weight on the ball hitch. It actually bends the hitch plate of the tractor down. I'm wondering if there is a way to correct this problem.

I'm not a welder but perhaps have someone weld some support under the hitch plate on the tractor?

Come up with a way to raise the hitch ball so that the splitter can be pulled in a level position, thus balancing the weight better?

Maybe find a way to hang weights from the toe plate of the splitter in order to take weight off the tongue.

I'd like to be able to use this lawn tractor but I can always pull the splitter with my 8N tractor or my F-150. The Husqvarna
would be a lot more convenient, though, especially if I want to split out in the woods.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[cptoneleg]

Must be alot of difference between the 22 and 35 ton splitters, the tongue weight for the 22 ton is I guess 35 to 40 lbs I put a 2" ball right on my JD and bugdy bugdy, no problem.

 

[Thistle]

Before I sold it in Dec 2005,I used to tow my Speeco 20 ton with a John Deere 110 all around the property without any troubles.

 

[Kenster]

The Huskee 22 is quite a bit lighter and maybe more balanced. This 35 is very nose heavy at the tongue. It sits at almost a 45 degree angle when on the tractor's hitch so it's putting a lot of weight on the hitch plate.

 

[nate379]

I bent the one on my Craftsman garden tractor so I welded a piece of 1/4" under it. Ended up being that one a bit this year though, guess those trailer loads of wood where heavier than I thought!

 

[fossil]

Absent a photo, I don't know what the hitch receiver (if any) looks like on your lawn tractor. I do know that ball mounts are available with drops (or rises...just flip 'em upside down) in 1" increments up to at least 12". If you don't have a standard 2" square receiver on the tractor, maybe this at least will spark an idea and with the help of a welder you can fashion something that'll work for you. Rick

 

[Kenster]

Fossil, there is no receiver. The ball just bolts through a hole in a plate in the back of the little tractor. If there is something that can bolt onto the bumper/rear plate that will raise the ball up several inches, that would work great. If the ball was high enough that the tongue of the splitter was level, the weight would be more balanced and not have so much weight bearing down on the back of the tractor. I'll have to go out and take some pics and post them.
Right now I'm in the middle of a "Swamp Loggers" marathon.

 

[thewoodlands]

Fossil, there is no receiver. The ball just bolts through a hole in a plate in the back of the little tractor. If there is something that can bolt onto the bumper/rear plate that will raise the ball up several inches, that would work great. If the ball was high enough that the tongue of the splitter was level, the weight would be more balanced and not have so much weight bearing down on the back of the tractor. I'll have to go out and take some pics and post them.
Right now I'm in the middle of a "Swamp Loggers" marathon.

I'm not sure this helps but I found this, https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/54875/

zap

 

[HJsimpson]

Just a word of caution. Be careful how high you have your hitch with a lot of weight on it. I have a husqvarna tractor and raised the hitch up about 6" for a trailer i have and worked fine until it had more weight at the front. On inclines or hard pulls it makes the front end very light. I was told after that to try and keep your hitch even or below your axle. Kinda scary to have one stand up with you with no warning.

 

[Kenster]

Thanks, HJ. Good advise. My property is pretty level everywhere that I might be pulling the splitter. Mostly just out of the shed and over to the nearby work area but possibly out into the woods. I don't think I'll be popping wheelies but I'll take care.

 

[HJsimpson]

This is what i use on mine which works very well without bending.

 

[Kenster]

HJ, did you fabricate that or buy it somewhere? It looks good but doesn't alleviate the problem I have of huge amount of weight on the tongue if the tongue was angled down that low to sit on the ball hitch. I really think I need something that will raise the ball height high enough so that the tongue will be close to level, and therefore, the splitter will be balanced.

 

[HJsimpson]

I fabricated it myself after i seen a pic of one. No this wont help you when used like this but it accepts the hitch that fossil posted a pic of.

 

[Mesquite]

HJ, did you fabricate that or buy it somewhere? It looks good but doesn't alleviate the problem I have of huge amount of weight on the tongue if the tongue was angled down that low to sit on the ball hitch. I really think I need something that will raise the ball height high enough so that the tongue will be close to level, and therefore, the splitter will be balanced.

If you had a hitch like that, just turn the ball the other direction to raise it up!!

 

[GordonShumway]

Heres one that might give you an idea (not sure if tall enough tho) (broken link removed to http://backyardgardener.com/gp/Gardening_Products/Tractor_Supply_-_Farm_Equipment/ATV_UTV_Attachments_Accessories/Mad_Dog_Gear_Three_Way_Hitch.html)

 

[Kenster]

This looks to be just the ticket.

http://www.mowersdirect.com/Great-Day-LNPHH650/p3446.html

 

[Kenster]

Heres one that might give you an idea (not sure if tall enough tho) (broken link removed to http://backyardgardener.com/gp/Gardening_Products/Tractor_Supply_-_Farm_Equipment/ATV_UTV_Attachments_Accessories/Mad_Dog_Gear_Three_Way_Hitch.html)

Thanks, Gordon. I don't think this one would give me enough rise to balance the weight, though.

 

[TreePointer]

I've towed my Huskee 35-ton splitter with a HITCHIN' POST 3-Way Hitch Plate on my 2009 Husqvarna lawn tractor. It's angled down a little, but tows just fine. (I bought mine at Lowe's at a better price, but many stores carry this.)

Beware of something too high. A tractor can walk out from under the weight and flip if the weight is too high.

 

[Kenster]

I've towed my Huskee 35-ton splitter with a HITCHIN' POST 3-Way Hitch Plate on my 2009 Husqvarna lawn tractor. It's angled down a little, but tows just fine. (I bought mine at Lowe's at a better price, but many stores carry this.)

Beware of something too high. A tractor can walk out from under the weight and flip if the weight is too high.

That's exactly what I have on there now. Bought it at Lowe's right after I brought the splitter home. The weight of the splitter is bending the tractor's hitch plate causing the ball hitch to angle a great deal. I'm afraid it will bend until there is major damage. A higher rise hitch would hold the tongue more level and the weight would be better balanced so that there is not nearly so much weight on the tongue. My land is very level so, with a properly balanced splitter, I don't think towing will result in a flip but it is something that I will be on guard against. Thank you.

 

[CTYank]

Ball height and tongue weight are INDEPENDENT of each other. IOW moving the ball up/down will have no effect on the tongue weight. (Within anything approaching reasonable.) That was one of the reasons behind the Reese equalizing hitch.
Your trailer (splitter) probably has tongue wt that's fine for car, even on the light side, which may be too much for your riding mower. Totally different ball-games. No easy answer visible here.

 

[richg]

Fossil, there is no receiver. The ball just bolts through a hole in a plate in the back of the little tractor. If there is something that can bolt onto the bumper/rear plate that will raise the ball up several inches, that would work great. If the ball was high enough that the tongue of the splitter was level, the weight would be more balanced and not have so much weight bearing down on the back of the tractor. I'll have to go out and take some pics and post them.
Right now I'm in the middle of a "Swamp Loggers" marathon.

Ken,

I had the exact same issue as you, and have both good and bad news for your. The good news is that there is a guy on ebay who makes exactly the product you are looking for. It is a heavy duty bracket that raises and extends teh ball, and it mounts to the existing hole on your tractor hitch plate. The bad news is that unless your hitch plate is massively reinforced, the bracket acts as a fulcrum and will bend the snot out of your hitch plate. I found this out the hard way. I removed the bracket and reinstalled the ball in the existing hole. My tractor is a John Deere LT133 which is one of their smaller models.

 

[pen]

This looks to be just the ticket.

http://www.mowersdirect.com/Great-Day-LNPHH650/p3446.html

As others mentioned, if you do this find a way to add a suitcase weight to the nose of that tractor or you'll be getting a good view of passing jets.

pen

 

[cptoneleg]

Looks like you need a bigger tractor or a smaller splitter, like that ford in your Avatar

 

[Kenster]

Looks like you need a bigger tractor or a smaller splitter, like that ford in your Avatar

Well, I'm not going to go to a smaller splitter based on a towing issue. This splitter is a lifetime commitment!

Yes, the 8N tractor in the avatar is a real tractor and will pull the splitter just fine and that may be the way I have to go but the Husqvarna is a lot more convenient, especially if I want to split in the woods.

 

[triptester]

The problem with lawn tractor hitches is that most are not designed to handle tongue weight over 25#. In order to handle greater tongue weight the hitch needs to be adapted for the greater loads.
Attached are pics of the hitch I built that puts the weight and stress on the strongest points of thr tractor. It was built to park a 18 foot fiberglass boat in it's winter location that a truck could not maneuver.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c20/triptester/lawntractorhitch001.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c20/triptester/lawntractorhitch002.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c20/triptester/lawntractorhitch004.jpg