Farm hitch project(lots of pictures)

[SVS]

Built a hitch for a neighbor to pull a liquid fertilizer wagon behind a strip tillage machine.

Milled 5”x4”x1/2” angle down to 5”x3” for a tight fit in saddles then match drilled 1” holes on the Barnes drill press.

Used the Peerless hacksaw to cut 6”x8”x3/8” tube to length then jigged it up and welded.

[SVS]

[SVS]

And finally-Installed! Hitch needs to handle a 4 wheel wagon grossing about 7 tons. Fingers crossed.

[tom_d]

Nice! I don't see any need to keep the fingers crossed. Looks like a well built accessory mount that's plenty sturdy enough for the job.

[SVS]

Thanks Tom-My concern is the lateral loads during tight turns. Hitch pin sits close to 10’ from tractor’s rear axle, so there is a crack the whip game going on.

An A frame would have been naturally strong, but completely impossible for clearance during use, service and adjustment.

I KNOW it’s fine, but never feel good till things survive a little abuse.

[Dan Dubeau]

Top Job! Nice shop too. You've got some very nice big machines in there.

Wish I had a neighbor like you

[SVS]

Thanks Dan-I’m living proof of the saying “bigger the machine….cheaper it is “

During my “illustrious” career as a machine tool horse trader it was always easy to make money selling the little ones, and trading into the big girls. Fits me better, anyhow.

BUT, I’ve got to get to that overhead crane project. Pulled this 8” “Homgee” vise off the VerciPower to make room for the angle irons…..not very motivated to hump it back into place.

[Jerrythepilot]

Nice job! I agree, it looks well thought out and well executed.

[Dan Dubeau]

BUT, I’ve got to get to that overhead crane project. Pulled this 8” “Homgee” vise off the VerciPower to make room for the angle irons…..not very motivated to hump it back into place.

My back hurts just looking at that picture. About 3 years back, the shop next door to work was scrapping a bunch of stuff. As usual they drag it out into the parking lot, let it sit overnight for a few days, Even better if it rains a few times, then come around asking if any of us want to buy anything before it goes to scrap. There was a big old, really, really rough 8" vise like that welded to an old beat up welding table, and one of our guys got all horny for it. Of course it's sat out in the rain a few days already, and was in rough shape to begin with. He ground it off the table and brought it back over after forking over the money for it (don't remember what he paid). The honeymoon wore off pretty quick once he realized just how out of place it is on a bridgeport, and it's sat holding down the corner of his surface place ever since. Big vise, but you've got to have the machines to stick it on, which you do. There was a reason his was welded to that bench in the first place.

[The Metal Butcher]

Your toys are big. I like it.

[Tundra Twin Track]

Nice job on hitch I’m sure it will perform flawless,those Row Crop Tires sure are skinny compared to what we use up here.

[Doozer]

The coolest vertical milling machine I have ever seen.
Did not know Cinci made on like that.
Must be rare.

-Doozer

[wierdscience]

Nice job! Love that bed mill too.

[tom_d]

Thanks Tom-My concern is the lateral loads during tight turns. Hitch pin sits close to 10’ from tractor’s rear axle, so there is a crack the whip game going on.

An A frame would have been naturally strong, but completely impossible for clearance during use, service and adjustment.

I KNOW it’s fine, but never feel good till things survive a little abuse.

It should be fine, but if not then I suspect it will bend a bit rather than suffer a catastrophic failure. The tongue on a four wheel wagon offers some forgiveness pulling into a turn. 10' might be shorter than the distance from the rear axle to the front axle, so the hitch will swing slower than the front of the tractor. My concern would be an over the road scenario where sudden and hard braking is required when the trailer is full. The hitch is never perfectly straight, so I would worry about things jack-knifing at the pivot point. Jack-knifing was always a concern going down a hill and making a turn when the wagon is being pulled by an intermediate implement on rubber tires like a baler or harvester. Full wagon can skid those tires around. Does the setup have functioning trailer brakes?

[SVS]

Thanks guys-it’s a 4 sized “Verci Power” made in 66’. I don’t think there were many built. Cool thing is it was a modular design and they sold a horizontal version built out of the same basic component groups.

I really lusted over a horizontal Verci with tool maker over arm on EBay, but at some point you just have to say no….