Project of the day#1 : Super M Drawbar NON roller

Hey guys,
Built a little something today.When I first bought my tractor,the ORIGINAL drawbar roller was trash! (I guess 50 years of labor will do that???lol)
Well,I bought ANOTHER replacement complete roller assembly a while back(EXPENSIVE&It wasnt the FLAT roller like I see on SOME Ms.Has the "swelled" center in it,like a 706)I had it on for awhile now,but NEVER liked it! I dont use it in roller situations anyway.it sits on ONE point on the U bar and "teeters"back and forth when I pull something,so I went in the barn and found the remains of the first roller,threw the junk roller in the corner(SEE PHOTO OF IT!!!!)and made a new support that KINDA looks like a roller.its just a piece of 2.50 bar that has a 1" hole gun drilled thru the center.with the flat bottom on it(took a metal band saw and cut one edge flat.).I welded it solid.It is WAY more stable and way less of a "rattle trap"

I do not have to worry about the roller getting a "flat spot " on it now either.Probably overkill,but helps stabilize all that loosness in the hitch and helps to get a little more surface area across the u bar.

Just a simple project that worked for me.

With those 3rd links on there, Just how much weight are you putting on that U-hitch.....or is that just your 3rd link storage area, or is it rigged to lift the U hitch as well as the 3 point arms?

The 2 3rd links were added to make the U bar MORE ridgid.They hook to brackets that run across the top of the transmission plate.Right now,I probably really do not need them.I back my car trailer with my car on it and just hanging ALL that weight on the brackets that strap to the axles made me nervous!!! (I really DO NOT know the weight rating of a factory,standard set up U bar ???)

Mike , I know what you're saying, and I look at it this way: There were many tractors that did not come with a swinging drawbar, so they pulled from the u- drawbar. 3 bottom plows, man! It would take a lot more than a loaded car hauler's weight to worry me. Unless that trailer's got some kind of MEGA tongue weight! :^) -Andy

Yea Andy,I really do not know ???

I dont have a pic,but I back my car trailer with the car on it on the drawbar, backwards, up a hill!!! It handles it well.

With most implements I see,the drawbar just takes a load towards the rear.Usually doesnt pull DOWNWARD on it TOO much.(A plow adds some,but it isnt STRAIT DOWN.)

I just did not wanna take a chance of it giving out??? I have NEVER checked actuall tounge weight,but backing up a hill ADDS ALOT on the tractor!!! I also have a pintle hook adaptor I will post soon,.It bolts thru the U bar and is supported from above by those 2 3 point links.

Well, There's nothing wrong with making stuff heavy duty. Overkill is a good thing! Besides, I've seen busted drawbars. Not cool at all. My one friend's grandpa has broken 2 drawbars on ford 8000's, from pulling a 6 row flail mower. Something to do with him having a clevis setup for pulling a semi trailer dolly, and the mower could not pivot enough pulling in or out of a field. You wouldn't think a piece of steel 1 1/2" think would just snap off. But, it will! -Andy

If you did not want the drawbar to roll, why not use a piece of flat stock accross the top so that it has a larger load bearing surface? I welded up the U-bar on mine where the roller ate it away.

Looks good though.
Steve

It IS flat across the bottom of the round stock I used.

SAME thing.

The links are there to hold up that chunk of steel he used for a roller! WOW, 2.5" round bar.

Usually the swinging drawbar is the first thing to bend.

We used to hitch big old manure spreaders to the Super M during the summer. Loaded, they would not quite lift the front end of the tractor off the ground. Power steering!

Never had a problem with the U, until it got wore bad in the middle. Then it broke.

It looks like someone ADDED some thickness to My U bar if you look in the photo???? My U bar measures 1 3/8" thick now.I have seen ALOT of broken Farmall U bars at the tractor junk yards!!!!

I just made it out of round stock that was factory "gun drilled" cause I have a big piece t of it to use and I KINDA resembles the looks of the original???

OH,and it was FREE!!!

Gotta love FREE.

Could you tell me what brand 3 point hitch you have? I don't think it is a Saginaw. Thanks, Ellis

I thought it WAS a Saginaw??? (AN OLDER one.) I am not sure about this Ellis??? It originally had yellow paint on it.You can see it showing thru in the photo. (Maybe SpeedCo????)

Maybe some of the "Legends" on here can Chime in and tell us both for sure???

Looks good!

I've been thinking the last few days how I might come up with a top link keeper, I don't like it flopping around when not in use, I think after looking at your picture I'll just get a piece of steel and make a top link keeper that plugs into one of the horse shoe draw bar holes. Why is it that you have two top links? I can't quite tell if they are both part of your 3pt system or used as support for your draw bar?

I JUST posted farther up in the forum what I was ORIGINALLY doing with the 2 top link bars Yooper.(You can check the photos out.)

I am currently NOT really "heavy loading" the drawbar,so YES,they are just kinda a "storage area" for the links right now.(I SOMETIMES used to put alot of tounge weight on it.

Gotcha Mike, you"ve given me some good ideas, thank you for posting.

Yea Yooper,

All those top links are doing these days are just hanging there!

I DO NOT think I need those to plow with this fall??? lol It did help to make the U bar more ridgid though!