The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Can't send a pm (i'm not allowed, apparently ) but here are pics of the locking mechanism and one of the two hooks with drop arms that i have. Any use?

I've never seen a lift like that, how does that hook up to the dexta? Does it have a specialty for a certain job? Looking forward to your explanation.

Thats a Dexta hook alright but over half of it is missing, there are no lift arms or the piviot plates that fit on the axle housings, there is no locking latch, the mounting plate or the plate which stops the trailer jumping off the hook.

Would think all those bits would be like the proverbial "Rocking Horse manure".

Mark,

Over here, for many years, and again started by Harry Ferguson I think, trailers have been fitted with wheels behind the centre of gravity and a large ring instead of a drawbar clevis to attach it to the tractor. Some tractors are equiped with a hook as in the picture. There is a piviot plate mounted under the axle and the part in the picture fits to it with a pin (not the nasty bolt) through the legs,

The long arms attach to two arms fitted on plates that bolt ontp the axle trumpets using longer bolts, and then via a link to special lift arms. A locking mechanism also is mounted across the back to hold the hook in the raised position whilst towing a trailer or working with mounted implements.

Advantages of the system are:

Weight is always applied to the tractor low down. This gives better weight transfer from the trailer and a more stable tractor.

Greater weight can be applied to the tractor from the trailer than through a draw bar. On average a draw bar can cope with around 1000 lbs downward force whilst a pickup hitch can take 3000.

Trailers can be picked up and set down fully loaded without the driver leaving the seat.

Trailers are parked with the drawbar on the ground on a low skid. rather than left on a jack.

Nearly all modern tractors sold in Europe today are equiped like this but back in the time of the Dexta it was an extra and not all tractors had it fitted.

I have one on my Ferguson and it makes life easy when muck carting. I can drop the trailer off the tractor, load it with the loader, then pick up the loaded trailer, take it to the field and tip it, then drop it off again, all without leaving the seat.

We always used a ton dump truck to muck with. Or a manure spreader hooked to the draw bar. I can see how that would put more weight on the wheels, giving the operator better traction and stability.

That kind of pick-up hook is pretty much the standard in Finland. Almost every tractor has one.

Ambidextarous wrote:


Can't send a pm (i'm not allowed, apparently ) but here are pics of the locking mechanism and one of the two hooks with drop arms that i have. Any use?

I recognise the bits in the bottom pic, but what are the bits in the top pic - anyone explain?
Thanks,

Those are the piviots that fit on the axle and some of the links that I thought were missing. Now all we need is the arms and support plates.

There are a couple of clevis pins missing and the lift link 'ovals' that connect to the lift arms see image:


I suppose you may need the lift arms if yours dont have the holes for the lift pins on yours.

I also noticed that the drawbar assembley doesnt have the rear mount that the shaft runs through... the shaft also isn't original as the it looks a little small and the two big nut on the end should be a keep plate in to a grooved end see image:



Your also missing the latch return spring that pulls the locking clamps closed.

This style of pick up hitch is not common in NZ,as most people who use a "quick hitch" prefer one attached to the end of the 3 point linkage if they are not using the drawbar.I've only seen this style of pick up hitch on a ex UK MTX125 import, where a contractor does a lot of towing.My 900's drawbar could be altered quite easily for a quick hitch like this or I could get the proper one from Suolahti. TSG.

Crickey, there's been a good old discussion going on about my pick up hitch. As you can see, it's far from complete and some of what is there is "make do " rather than " original equipment ". Brian, as always, is the man with the knowledge and can explain better than me what the parts are and how they work.