# Euro/Canada tractor Front 3pt and rear drawbar questions



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Tractors I'm looking at have front 3pt hitch with hooks instead of eyelets. Should I keep them? 
If I buy tractor I will build dual bale spear. I can't envision how the hooks retain the dual spear without it popping off when it's unloaded?
Would I want to cut the hooks off and replace with American style eyelets? 
I'd rather "Americanize" the front 3 pt and more importantly the dual bale spear so I could use it on the back of my M126x, too.

Rear drawbar is different, too. Drawbar looks much thicker- like 2" instead of standard drawbar thickness. It even has a little "barb" sticking up from it. I don't understand what it's used for. 
Can I just remove the drawbar and replace it with a standard drawbar? Is a standard American drawbar able to mount to the hitch mount on the back of a Euro tractor?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

JD3430 said:


> Tractors I'm looking at have front 3pt hitch with hooks instead of eyelets. Should I keep them?
> If I buy tractor I will build dual bale spear. I can't envision how the hooks retain the dual spear without it popping off when it's unloaded?
> Would I want to cut the hooks off and replace with American style eyelets?
> I'd rather "Americanize" the front 3 pt and more importantly the dual bale spear so I could use it on the back of my M126x, too.
> ...


Hooks? You mean a quick hitch?

Drawbar may be interchangeable with same version of North American tractor. Drawbars are expensive. If you don't like the barb, a torch would solve that.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

About the front three point: I installed a new old stock CIH front hitch on my MX170 this past summer. I like every thing about it. Those claw ends make attach/detach much easier than a conventional three point. Think quick hitch adapter. The only thing you need to use the front hitch is an "eye" that fits in the socket.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

So what your saying jd is its to heavy built for you americans lol.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The hookends are fantastic - just need to get a few of the balls to put on your equipment. You can get them drilled Cat 1,2,3 etc.

The hitch sounds like a pickup hitch. They are good but you likely don't have equipement set up for it, they come new with a conventional drawbar that fits in place. MF stores it under the gas tank area on some models, others its in the rear somewhere.

The pickup hitch extends and lowers to grab pintle rings on equipment.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

What I want to do with the rear drawbar is bolt the NH discbine adapter to it. I guess I could install longer bolts in the discbine hitch to accommodate the 2" thick strap, but I would rather install a traditional drawbar that matches drawbar on Kubota M126x so I have fast, easy interchangeability between tractors.

On the front 3pt: if I install the balls on the bale spear, can balls be removed? Do they slide over the traditional pins then lock on somehow? 
I don't have a problem retaining hooks as long as I can make hooks work with traditional attachments.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Ball, pin, done.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Yes, my discbine sits outside.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I will be removing 3pt from rear, so not an issue. Just want to be sure I can get a drawbar that's thinner for rear hitch. 
Now I'm thinking that maybe the dual bale spear I have now (skid steer QA) could be adapted to euro hooks via a hitch from ffc or something similar. 
That way I won't have to build another dual bale spear.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

JD3430 said:


> I will be removing 3pt from rear, so not an issue. Just want to be sure I can get a drawbar that's thinner for rear hitch.
> Now I'm thinking that maybe the dual bale spear I have now (skid steer QA) could be adapted to euro hooks via a.


 ... welding shop.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

8350HiTech said:


> Ball, pin, done.


So the ball slides around on the pin, hook on 3 pt looks like it'd be as hard to line up with ball as eye is to slide over pin on 'murrican type setup.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Nah. Back under. (Pull up and back up again if you're having a bad day). Raise arms. Hook. Go. Times out of tractor seat: zero.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

They look alot more simple then the "murrican" hook up. I have the murrican hook ups and lots of implements are a PITA to hook up. I will switch the next tractor I get.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Partial retraction:

Front 3pt will obviously have less visibility to get it lined up AND bale spear may not weigh enough to even trip the latches. It might actually be easier to manhandle the spear into place (regardless of linkage type) IF indeed the spear is too light to trip/engage the springs in the hitch hooks. You'll have to get out of the seat after all.

You're still way further ahead to buy two $10 hitch balls than you are to start chopping the arms up. If you put a 3pt to universal adapter on it you'll never have to fool with the balls/hitch again anyway.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

My 260 lb ass jumping on it would make it latch.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Either way, it does not sound like anything to fear. 
Another possible front attachment would be a front mount hay mower, but that's way in the future and only a remote possibility. Gotta find out how much smoker welding will want for a 'murrican style hitch or hammer strap.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The balls also are available with half cone guide things and for light equipment you can retract the latch before hitching on most types of hookends.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

They should make the bottom 3pt arms movable from the tractor seat with small cylinders or something. That would make life easier for implements you have to put the arms between.


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