Added a feature to my counterweight

MacWorld

Tractorologist
Member
More than once I wished to use my counterweight while towing, pulling or using my tractor as a dead weight. I decided yesterday to add a receiver for my car drawbars to my counterweight.

I simply made a 5/8" x 2" hole in the rear angle and welded a section of 2"x2" receiver square front to back with a hole in it for the pin. I also added flat bars as braces to create triangles in order to add strength from the 3 points arms to the center of the receiver. I know I will eventually pull on this thing enough to pull it with the tractor, I hope this will be strong enough!
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Then I made a weird pin, it was a 5/8" bolt that I turned the head and kept only about 1/4 of. This allows the pin to rotate 180° to help remove it when it's stuck and still prevents it from going through the hole. In this pin I also drilled a hole on the side of the head
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Then using a 1/8" spring pin I attached a 1/4" (IIRC) rod with a bend away from the pin as a handle. The counterweight being full of bricks I won't be able to access the pin! This gets installed to the counterweight walls in a way that I can lift it just enough and I can rotate it as I need. The first picture has a weird angle but consider the bent part being at the top of the counterweight. The 2 other pictures are the bottom.
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I didn't take pictures of the completely re-assembled counterweight yet, I might come and add it eventually
 
Gotta admit it me a bit to visualize what you were doing. I knew but didn't get the rod and pin thing.... I do now. So you can take hitch off without taking all the weight out of the box.... I like it... :thumbs:
 
My counterweights on my snow blower tractor just get me laughed at. a solid steel bar, 1-1/2"X2"X 14" long between the draft arms, with 11 scrap brake rotors stacked as tight as they will stack, hanging from the bar. gonna have to copy that setup on my snow plow machine.
Cheaper than buying the Deere style hang on weights...
 
My counterweights on my snow blower tractor just get me laughed at. a solid steel bar, 1-1/2"X2"X 14" long between the draft arms, with 11 scrap brake rotors stacked as tight as they will stack, hanging from the bar. gonna have to copy that setup on my snow plow machine.
Cheaper than buying the Deere style hang on weights...
Wouldn't have me laughing.... Not unless they bounced off and rolled down the hill in front of you....! :thumbs: ;)
 
Most 2x5/8in hitches I have seen have the pin mounted vertically this way. In fact it’s what I have on all my cars, that is why I built it like this, I can use the accessoires of my cars on my tractor!

There were models with horizontal pins (1/4in dia) but I find it a weak concept.

I prefer flat bar hitches because they are thinner therefore further from the ground. I prefer smaller cars and I don’t have any needs for higher load capacity.

Also sometimes in life I like challenges, this was one of them. Spent 2-3 hours for the receiver and 30minutes for the pin mechanism, worth it! :)
 
Here is are more pictures, those help understanding. Also you can see one of my accessories I made some months ago, a hand cranked winch with a pivot. It's made in a way that the crank can turn toward the driver side of the car but not the passenger side as the handle would get in the way with the car's bumper. Obviously I measured to make sure the winch doesn't touch any of my cars in any angle!

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The only downside with the counterweight is that the crank handle gets too close to the ground to be functional if the counterweight is on the ground. Oh well.
 
In fact it’s what I have on all my cars,
You know what works for you and that's what's important. I have never seen a receiver with the pin hole vertical. At least on all my vehicles and equipment they have been horizontal.
 
You know what works for you and that's what's important. I have never seen a receiver with the pin hole vertical. At least on all my vehicles and equipment they have been horizontal.
You've never seen this one?

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It is no longer produced AFAIK and was sold by Hidden Hitch and/or Reese at least.

The most common was what I use, 2"x5/8" class 1 but there was also a bigger 3"x3/4" probably class 2.

What I find funny is that many 2x2 ball adapters have a 2x5/8 flatbar welded on which the ball gets screwed on.

Anyway, as you said, it works for me!
 
I've heard of hidden hitch but have no experience with them. I do use Reese products but have no recollection of a receiver with a vertical pin.
Even had a hitch on the Astro Van that only had a 1 1/4" receiver and that was horizontal.
Nice work on your project!
 
You've never seen this one?

View attachment 9326

It is no longer produced AFAIK and was sold by Hidden Hitch and/or Reese at least.

The most common was what I use, 2"x5/8" class 1 but there was also a bigger 3"x3/4" probably class 2.

What I find funny is that many 2x2 ball adapters have a 2x5/8 flatbar welded on which the ball gets screwed on.

Anyway, as you said, it works for me!
Gotta admit I've never seen one like that....!
 
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