# Ball Hitch



## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Has anyone used a ball hitch on their sleeve hitch ? :siren:

I need to put a 1-7/8” ball on the back of the GT5000.
The existing rear hook-up hole is too low for the cart I have.
I remember “Madjack” (GW site) built a ball hitch set-up for his GT
but I never could get a good picture of it.
No rush but if anyone has a hitch mounted ball (Sears sleeve or home made)
could you please post a pic. 

Thanks


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

I just realized maybe it’s not a good idea to use the sleeve hitch
to mount the ball. If the sleeve hitch raises and lowers with the
deck, so will the cart ! (Yikes) :knife:

Probably better off with home-made fixed mount.
Any home made hitches out there ???


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

I am pretty sure theres an adapter out there that will fit in the sleeve and convert to a ball hitch... ive seen it somewhere here..


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

hioaeg5000, on my toro i drilled the hole out.. but i would not recommend that.. I have seen an adapter, but cant find it right now.. ive got to travel this am. I'm sure someone will post, if not ill look later, I definetly rememberseeing a photo/link somewhere in the past..

im sure someone has a better memory than me and will find it.....


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by aegt5000 _
> *Has anyone used a ball hitch on their sleeve hitch ? :siren:
> 
> I need to put a 1-7/8” ball on the back of the GT5000.
> ...


Not exactly sure what you mean by a "sleeve hitch". Can you post a picture? I might be able to find something.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

*Re: Re: Ball Hitch*



> _Originally posted by Chief _
> *Not exactly sure what you mean by a "sleeve hitch". Can you post a picture? I might be able to find something. *


Here is a link of one.
Jody

sleeve hitch


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

jody do you remember where it was posted? there is a typical trailer hitch ball but it has a thin thread/bolt on the bottom so it fits in the hitch plate hole on the back of a tractor. 
Ive see the pic and link floating around, just could not find it...

now its really bugging me because i know i saw it and linked to it.. i just cant find it...


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

sj is this it.
Jody

http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=926&highlight=BALL


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

thanks, maybe it was on the 'other site' i remember seeing the picture.. i bet they sell them where they sell trailer hitches.. it was nothing more than a skinney bottomed hitch ball...

i tried seaching the web for sleeve hitch adapter/trailer balls ect.., checked jacks, and trailer hitch sites.. 

somewhere theres a pic and a link out there.. i cant find it..

now its really bugging me... of course before i go crazy looking, i may want to be sure thats what aegt is talking about..


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Yea i remember that i think tractor supply sold them.
Jody


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Thanks guys, but I’m really looking for ideas where someone
made some type of bracket to support a tow ball behind their
tractor. Something that would raise the ball about 6” above the
current “Pin Hole” and also move it back a bit.

There was a fellow on the other site who made one for his Sears
GT and posted some long distance pic’s of it, but nothing that
showed enough detail to copy.


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## PeteNM (Sep 18, 2003)

I don't know if someone sells them or not but I needed on on a Sunday and just threw one together. They aren't very complicted and it works pretty good. When I back up to a trailer to hook up I just lower the sleeve hitch and when under the hitch just raise it again. Then just reach back and fasten the catch and drive off. You must raise the jack too but I can reach that from the seat.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

*Re: Re: Re: Ball Hitch*



> _Originally posted by jodyand _
> *Here is a link of one.
> Jody
> 
> sleeve hitch *


Thanks Jody, I'll see what I can find. :thumbsup: 

The best solution I can think of and I believe it was mentioned over on GW would be on a metal lathe to turn down a 2 inch trailer ball shank to a 1/2" diameter or whatever the diameter hole is the hitch pin goes through and rethread it with 1/2"-13 or appropriate size threads. It would be limited in the weight it could handle but I think strong enough to handle more than the tractor could.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

there are places out there that sell the thin trailer balls...


see below:

http://www.traileraccessorysuperstore.com/accessories.htm#hitchballs

thats 3/4 of an inch.. 

But i found the ball on the back of the tractor was too low.. Thats what you are saying right aegt? 

Id really go to a welder and have him rig something up for you using one of those Rise or lower ball mounts welded onto 2 pieces of steel that would hook into your clevis hitch..

<img src=http://www.traileraccessorysuperstore.com/ballmo27.jpg> 

This is one of those raise or lower ball mounts...


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

heres an example of a hitch extender i added onto a spreader.. when i had suitcase weights on the back of my tractor the spreader was too close to the back of the weights and it hit when it turned..

id have a welder rig up some sort of an extender like this, but raise it up 8 inches so that its not so low... and add the ball mount to the end. Im sure that this is too long, but a shorter version might work out ok for ya..




<img src=http://www.apartofme.com/images/MVC-501X.JPG>

call leolav.. i hear he's handy with a welder... Im sure he'll be travelling to a location near you soon..



sj


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Simple_John…

I really want to move the ball up and back.
Like sixchows said, the existing hitch pin hole is forward of
the back edge of the rear tires. On tight turns the back surface
of the tire can bind against the tongue. Lengthening the tongue
won’t help this problem. 

By moving the ball back beyond the back edge of the rear tires, 
the tongue would have to be at an angle of less than 90 Deg. 
before it could come in contact with the tire.


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## PeteNM (Sep 18, 2003)

aegt5000

Do you have a sleeve hitch mounted ? If so just make a bracket to fasten on it like any attachment would. I just measured mine and it sits about 4 1/2" behind the tires. I made one and keep the ball on it. I can raise and lower the height with the lift. If I want to pull my little cart I just raise the sleeve hitch clear up and hook the cart to the little whimpy drawbar on the tractor....


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Pete..

I will be using the deck at the same time as the cart. 
If I use the sleeve hitch to hold the ball, I’ll be raising
and lowering the tongue every time I raise and lower
the deck.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

have you ever seen those drop down step/hitch that bolts to the bottom of a pickup step bumper? Maybe something like that but on top. Bolt a plate to the current hitch plate, and make a step up, and back .
Kinda like this...........

_______l_
/ /
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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

THAT did not work. Here look at this.............. Not the best but it IS early


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

The hitch that i showed can be used to raise or lower depending on what you need. flip it the other way and it would raise the ball hieght by 8". I use one on my pickup to lower, but if its flipped it would raise the hieght of the ball

That welded to the type of hitch extender shown above would work, i would think...

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=22759>


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