Added Tie Down Points

B737

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Not sure what you guys will think of this, i haven't seen it come up yet. I see a lot of people using draw bar in the back, I have the ring for that but have not used it for tie down.

I have been throwing the strap over the top of the rear case (above the lift arms), behind the ROPS bars that come down. And tighten it down. This pulls it back, and applies some down force too.

The front is trickier for me, I've been looping it around the front of the frame, need to do something like NHS did with his front D ring. The harbor freight hooks dont really work on the front of the 2601 with the grille guard tilt mechanism. The loader is in the way too up front.

Attention safety police: below photograph is for example use only and is not final configuration for possible movement which may or may not occur.

 
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Old_Paint

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I almost always use washers. There must be a "rule" what to do in your application. It looks perfect, but should'nt there be a lock washer installed with the bolt?
Nope. The nuts are nylocks and I NEVER put a lockwasher under the head of a bolt that has an accessible nut. Always under the nut, with flat washers as needed depending on hole diameter and bolt size.
 
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Old_Paint

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Not sure what you guys will think of this, i haven't seen it come up yet. I see a lot of people using draw bar in the back, I have the ring for that but have not used it for tie down.

I have been throwing the strap over the top of the rear case (above the lift arms), behind the ROPS bars that come down. And tighten it down. This pulls it back, and applies some down force too.

The front is trickier for me, I've been looping it around the front of the frame, need to do something like NHS did with his front D ring. The harbor freight hooks dont really work on the front of the 2601 with the grille guard tilt mechanism. The loader is in the way too up front.

(yes i use protectors on the straps where they go over the BB).

My setup is VERY similar. What I did differently: I went through the lift frame of the BB and farther back on the trailer for my tie points, criss-crossing the straps to the opposite sides of the trailer so they don't touch the BB.

On the front, I attached down in the bottom of the corners of the trailer, and loop the straps around the FEL mount well behind the front wheels the first time. Haven't tried again since I put the hooks on, TBH, but the hooks have served well for tie points for other purposes. A heavy tractor makes a good anchor. It's pretty amazing how much more effective some of my hand tools are now that I also have a tractor

My LX also has a tilting grille guard that's effective for getting your hand behind it to lift the hood, but that's about all of it. The dealer here won't sell one with an FEL and no grill guard. I think it tilts forward maybe 20 degrees. Don't guess there needs to be more, and if there was, I'm sure it would become a problem for the FEL. I think there may be a few more holes in the front end of the LX frame, perhaps because a suitcase weight bracket can also be added with the tilting guard. I'd probably have to put longer bolts in the hooks.

BTW, I do like that trailer.
 

BigG

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Not sure what you guys will think of this, i haven't seen it come up yet. I see a lot of people using draw bar in the back, I have the ring for that but have not used it for tie down.

I have been throwing the strap over the top of the rear case (above the lift arms), behind the ROPS bars that come down. And tighten it down. This pulls it back, and applies some down force too.

The front is trickier for me, I've been looping it around the front of the frame, need to do something like NHS did with his front D ring. The harbor freight hooks dont really work on the front of the 2601 with the grille guard tilt mechanism. The loader is in the way too up front.

(yes i use protectors on the straps where they go over the BB).

Just wondering why people do not want to use the drawbar to tie down the tractor? It is designed to be pulled on.

People have spoken on OTT what if the tractor starts to come lose. The straps are very easy to cut when pulled across the edge of steel as shown in the picture on the box blade. If you use straps the edge protection needs to stay in place if something comes lose. If you move the tractor often with the straps you might get a piece of fire hose to protect the straps.

And depend on the mood of the DOT cop he might cite you for not strapping the FEL and the BB down. This is very vague in the "Green Book" of the DOT rules. I do not tie mine down either but just for information.
 

B737

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yes i add protection where the straps are touching anything, yes the loader is strapped by its hooks, yes the box blade is strapped.
anyhow.
I have no clue why i dont use the draw bar besides an extra sense of stability by anchoring from a higher point on the frame where force is applied down and rearward. maybe i'll try the drawbar next time.
 

Old_Paint

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I have no clue why i dont use the draw bar besides an extra sense of stability by anchoring from a higher point on the frame where force is applied down and rearward. maybe i'll try the drawbar next time.
I have a clue. Most of the time if you have any attachment on and lowered, it's in the way. If you have a backhoe, the drawbar is completely inaccessible, but you also have a lot more iron to tie to.

Straps are a lot tougher than folks give them credit for. It takes a pretty sharp edge to damage one. Not saying it can't be done, but see how many trucks you see on the highways with 4" straps (20000 lb break strength) hauling large equipment and lumber and power poles. A company down here makes galvanized poles for utilities and communications towers. If you put a chain across that, it's going to chew the galvanizing off and the pole will rust. Straps, baby, straps, with wood cribbing between them. One of those poles probably weighs 10 times what my little tractor does.

It's all about using some common sense where you route the straps and how you anchor the ends. I always make sure that I don't go across any sharp edges. They'll pull the rings off the trailer before they break.
 
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BigG

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"Straps are a lot tougher than folks give them credit for. "

I agree that the straps have the strength to hold the tractor. However they are not very durable compared to a chain. A tractor with a leaking tire will strap down nice and tight. As you drive the tire goes soft and the strap will loosen. Then every bump and stop/start cycle the tractor will move just a bit. Every movement will cut a few strands of the strap. It really does not take much to cut a strap with tension on it.

As to the statements that the trucker do it so it must be OK. There are a least 2 problems with that statement. First there are companies that do not supply chains and binders for the driver to use when they should. Second there are a lot of lazy truck drivers. Straps are lighter and easier to throw across a load so they use them instead of a chain.

If you watch as you drive the interstate look at the trucks that are carrying I-beams. Often they use straps. And those that do use straps do not use corner protectors. Everything works OK until it does not. The edge of an I-beam will cut a strap in less then a blink of an eye. Most truckers no longer place a chain across the front of the load to prevent the I-beams from shifting forward.

My dad was a volunteer fireman/EMT for over 50 years. He came in from a run one morning and was acting strange. A truck load of I-beams was involved in a wreck on the interstate. Strapped down and
without the cross chains. The driver did not make it.

Most 4 inch straps that are used on a truck are rated at " 4 inch Ratchet Straps are rated for 5,400 lb to 5,670 lb working load limits. "

Look at the trucks that are hauling similar types of freight. A new tractor in a crate gets strapped down. A rolling tractor gets chained.
 
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jimh406

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Fyi, my tractor was delivered to me with straps. I expect they’ll move more tractors than I ever will. That being said, I’m sure chains are fine as well. Most of us don’t have tractors that are that heavy compared to a car.

Uhaul provides straps for cars on their tie downs with a short chain to hook on the rear of a car. I’m pretty sure straps will be just fine, just don’t go with the cheapest straps made, but if you do use appropriate strap widths, they can exceed the strength of chains.

You can also use axle straps to make tie down easier. YMMV.
 
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dirtydeed

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If you have a backhoe, the drawbar is completely inaccessible, but you also have a lot more iron to tie to.
Negative.

I always use a clevis on my drawbar to chain it to the trailer...works just fine even with the backhoe installed. Maybe people are just too lazy to crawl under it to pass the chain through it? :unsure:
 

B737

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I have one that looks like this in my tool box, it fits the drawbar hole perfect, I will give it a try next time.
Screen Shot 2021-03-29 at 9.16.14 AM.png
 
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Old_Paint

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I have one that looks like this in my tool box, it fits the drawbar hole perfect, I will give it a try next time.
View attachment 57105
Yup, was gonna grab one of those at my dealership yesterday when I went in with a coupon for $10 off 5 gallons SUDT2. Didn't really need the oil right now, but the coupon expired tomorrow. The $10 off paid for a new spinner knob. Dunno if I really want it, but gonna give it a 'spin'. (pun intended) Dunno if I want the twisted clevis, or just a regular one. I need one bigger than any I have, though, because I intend to use the drawbar when I can. If I have the BB on, though ain't gonna work. Gonna just have to go around the ROPS for the smoothest edges, or around the axles. I don't have a problem crawling under something for a better tie down.

Unfortunately the dealer had no inventory on their shelving. The tornadoes that hit last weekend got the dealership. They had one brand new tractor tossed over their fence. No, not a little BX, but a big ol' M. It was sitting in a line of Ms and got tossed over the fence. Figure that one out. Ripped their roof off and made a general mess of the place. They were re-roofing when I stopped by yesterday.
 

mcfarmall

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I don't use the clevis in the drawbar for two reasons, #1 is the drawbar is mighty for pulling in a straight line along its axis but relatively weak for supporting tongue loads (reference your owners manual). There is a downward (tongue load) component when using it as a tie down point. #2 is that a chain will pass freely through a clevis. There is nothing preventing the clevis from sliding along the chain in the event of a failure somewhere else, theoretically. I prefer attaching to a grab hook or loop the chain around an axle or whatever and back into itself.

By the way, what does YMMV stand for? The only thing I found on Duck Duck Go was "Your Mileage May Vary" and it doesn't make sense to me.
 

Lil Foot

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y the way, what does YMMV stand for? The only thing I found on Duck Duck Go was "Your Mileage May Vary"
That is correct.
In use like this, it's kinda like "do whatever works for you".
 
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B737

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I don't use the clevis in the drawbar for two reasons, #1 is the drawbar is mighty for pulling in a straight line along its axis but relatively weak for supporting tongue loads (reference your owners manual). There is a downward (tongue load) component when using it as a tie down point. #2 is that a chain will pass freely through a clevis. There is nothing preventing the clevis from sliding along the chain in the event of a failure somewhere else, theoretically.
This was kind of along the reasons why i feel throwing the strap over the top of the rear case, behind the rops stanchions feels better to me. Its pulling backward and down.
 
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DeepWoods

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I put a clevis on the drawbar and just run the chain through that. With or without backhoe. large enough to get the job done but still fit in the tractor toolbox. I believe it's 7/8" pin.

One caution....remove it and store in your tractor toolbox when you have a 3ph attachment on. I had left it on one time while flail mowing. Somehow, it turned to the sideways and got caught under the lower 3ph stabilizer. It bent the stabilizer when I lowered the mower down.



View attachment 56375
I did the exact same thing with my box blade on the 3pt, tore the hole where the pin goes thru. Not sure how to repair it, I may need to replace that part. How did you bend the parts straight?
 

dirtydeed

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I did the exact same thing with my box blade on the 3pt, tore the hole where the pin goes thru. Not sure how to repair it, I may need to replace that part. How did you bend the parts straight?
Torch, and careful hammering. You can see where I coated it in fresh black paint...I got lucky.

Clevis.JPG
 

B737

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geez thanks for sharing this, i totally would have made that same mistake, and never seen it coming
 
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NHSleddog

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geez thanks for sharing this, i totally would have made that same mistake, and never seen it coming
LOL - even knowing this one, you will still get a bent stabilizer eventually if you use the draw bar a lot.

I stopped using straps for binding down equipment years ago. No matter how much care with repeated use, they just doesn't last like chain.

I will still use them on "cargo" and anytime I would like a little give vs chain which doesn't really have any give.
 

B737

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@Kennyd4110 sells these bolt on tie downs for a Deere. I bought a pair a while back thinking I could find them a home on my B2601 someplace. Their holes didnt line up with anything useful and I put them on the shelf.

When I was setting up my 3 point hitch on the LX I noticed 3 holes low on the rops, with large nuts welded behind them. They happen to line up perfectly with kens tie downs! I think this also would have worked on the B2601.

The holes on the frame are set up for M16 bolts w 1.5 thread pitch and length of 30mm - 35mm. Kens tie downs have a 1/2" hole in them, I just widened the hole a little on the drill press with 41/64 bit and everything fit right up. I used grade 10.9 hardware.

I'm not sure what these holes are used for, backhoe subframe? shipping? but its a great location for rear tie down, while clearing the 3 point hitch with lots of space.







 
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