[Frank R]

Just bought a 448. It occurred to me that I can use the trailer to move around my Scamp fiberglass travel trailer (weight is 1000 pounds).

I would like to mount a ball on the front somehow. Any tips? I went looking here and did not find anything.

Could I remove the blade from my plow and put the ball on the frame somehow? That way I could raise and lower it into place.

 

[bobneumann]

It would depend on the tongue weight, but if it could do it, it would be just barely.

To do this job you really need at least a sleeve hitch, ideally a 3 pt hitch.

Bob

 

[grummy]

I routinely move my enclosed cargo trailer with my 226 that has about 200lbs of weight out back. Never a problem. Tongue weight runs about 400lbs. Up front, I have an old mower deck mule plate with a rear hitch triangle bolted to it.
Having the hitch up front allows you to drive a trailer any where you want with pinpoint accuracy !

 

[Frank R]

I routinely move my enclosed cargo trailer with my 226 that has about 200lbs of weight out back. Never a problem. Tongue weight runs about 400lbs. Up front, I have an old mower deck mule plate with a rear hitch triangle bolted to it.
Having the hitch up front allows you to drive a trailer any where you want with pinpoint accuracy !

Do you have pictures?

 

[Bob MacGregor]

My 4018 with an Ingersoll front bumper with a ball mount added. This bumper will fit onto a 448.

 

[bobneumann]

I just want to clarify my opinion:. In talking about tongue weight I mean putting the ball weight out at the end of the blade bracket and asking the midlift to lift against all that torque.

So if you want a hitch ball that can be raised and lowered where you could theoretically not have to get out of the seat, I still think you need to look at a sleeve hitch minimum or a 3-point hitch ideally.

One of the first things I ever fabricated was a 48-in wide horizontal plate with two vertical end plates that hinged to the top outer corners of my front blade, so that the blade can act as a clamshell bucket, something like a Johnny bucket.

So you put the blade down drive into dirt it scoops up onto/into the bucket, lift it up drive it to where you want it and then pull the horizontal plate forward, which opens the clamshell, and it dumps the dirt.

And it did work, somewhat. But it was very frustrating to use, because the mid lift was right at it's very very peak limits trying to lift it.

And I spent a lot of time trying to reimagine the engineering of it of how I could get the mid lift to lift it higher and lift it stronger and eventually I gave up on the idea of using the blade bracket as a lifting device, and just went ahead and built a real front loader.

So you certainly could replace the horizontal blade bracket with a custom fitting that would mount the ball closer to the grill, and could be made to go up and down using the mid lift. But if it were me, if I were going to do that much fabrication work, I would direct it into a rear hitch so that that fab work also brought all the other benefits of having a rear hitch.

But a stationary front ball mounted up tight near the grill seems like it would and does work great.

Bob

 

[Frank R]

One of the first things I ever fabricated was a 48-in wide horizontal plate with two vertical end plates that hinged to the top outer corners of my front blade, so that the blade can act as a clamshell bucket, something like a Johnny bucket.

So you put the blade down drive into dirt it scoops up onto/into the bucket, lift it up drive it to where you want it and then pull the horizontal plate forward, which opens the clamshell, and it dumps the dirt.

And it did work, somewhat. But it was very frustrating to use, because the mid lift was right at it's very very peak limits trying to lift it.

And I spent a lot of time trying to reimagine the engineering of it of how I could get the mid lift to lift it higher and lift it stronger and eventually I gave up on the idea of using the blade bracket as a lifting device, and just went ahead and built a real front loader.

So you certainly could replace the horizontal blade bracket with a custom fitting that would mount the ball closer to the grill, and could be made to go up and down using the mid lift. But if it were me, if I were going to do that much fabrication work, I would direct it into a rear hitch so that that fab work also brought all the other benefits of having a rear hitch.

Are you talking about something like this? I would think you would have to limit yourself to snow and woodchips. Or very light loads of dirt or gravel.

 

[Frank R]

My 4018 with an Ingersoll front bumper with a ball mount added. This bumper will fit onto a 448.

Is that bumper an item I can buy and modify?

 

[bobneumann]

Are you talking about something like this? I would think you would have to limit yourself to snow and woodchips. Or very light loads of dirt or gravel.
View attachment 128711

Yes, very much like that. I just wrote a new post about it, so I don't hijack this one.

Bob

 

[Bob MacGregor]

Is that bumper an item I can buy and modify?

Hi Frank,
Ingersoll made the original bumpers but ran out of stock. Barneveld Implement had some made up as an aftermarket one but just like the original. I don't recall the part number but they would know about them. The piece that I bolted onto the bumper was one that I had made up with a plate and 2" ID square tube that I originally had on the lower bolts on the rear of the transaxle housing on my 448 years back to hold a 2" ball mount. When installed the new bumper on my 4018, I drilled a 1" hole thru the square tube and installed a long 2" ball.
If you do buy one of these bumpers let me know as there is particular placement of the bolts and a couple options. The hood doesn't make contact with the bumper or the ball when fully opened.

 

[Bob MacGregor]

Here are some pics of the front hitch that I had made up and installed on my 448 years back. I was able to move my 8'X20' 3,500 empty weight cargo trailer.

 

[grummy]

Do you have pictures?

Uhmmm, not, not handy anyhow. If you look at the front of any Case with a mower deck mounted, it is just that very front plate section that snaps the deck in place. You just have to find an old one (I've probably got some, but cant get to them till spring). I used an OEM rear hitch triangle and bolted it to that plate.

NOW, FOR SOME SAD SAD STUFF.....

One thing I will never forget related to towing a trailer on the rear of a garden tractor...

Happened locally here. A lady was going to move her boat and trailer. She must have dropped the coupler onto a rear ball but probably not snapped it tight. as she was negotiation some ups and downs, that boat trailer tongue with its rear hanging motor popped up in the air, and came down on her head killing her.

Granted, it was a boat trailer.. long tongue and all.... but lets just BE CAREFUL !

 

[Frank R]

Here are some pics of the front hitch that I had made up and installed on my 448 years back. I was able to move my 8'X20' 3,500 empty weight cargo trailer.

I can build that.

 

[Frank R]

If you look at the front of any Case with a mower deck mounted, it is just that very front plate section that snaps the deck in place. You just have to find an old one. I used an OEM rear hitch triangle and bolted it to that plate.

Still struggling with picturing it.

 

[a66coup289]

Still struggling with picturing it.

He is talking about the mule. I use one to hang a front weight and I will modify to connect a winch.

Side view

Front view upside down with some carriage bolts for "quick connect".

Installed, but not finished.

I may consider making a quick connect hitch to attach to the mule.

 

[Frank R]

He is talking about the mule. I use one to hang a front weight and I will modify to connect a winch.
I may consider making a quick connect hitch to attach to the mule.

Thanks

 

[Todd1968]

Bought this unfinished 6" x 2" receiver tube, welded it on plow mule, can use it to add front weight for tilling, add a 2" ball adapter

 

[Todd1968]

 

[Gordy]

Still struggling with picturing it.

Here are some pictures of another mower mule converted to weight mount. These mower mules are bolted to the deck, when using them for other purposes it is necessary to add a stiffener between the arms, see the blue pipe. Without a stiffener the arms are too flimsy and will flex and slide off the pins under the tractor.

Cheers,
Gordy

 

[bobneumann]

The problem with going the mule mount route is that you'll have to remove your deck any time you want to use the front ball hitch, because most Case/Ingersolls have to use a mule bracket to mount the deck to the tractor.

So for front hitches, I prefer the one Bob McGregor posted that's actually bolted to the frame independent of the mule bracket.

For what it's worth.

Bob