Reciever hitch for lawn tractor

[arc]

are u using ur new little auto set mig for that project? looks nice for little projects like that try down hand mig gives u a nice bead profile and plenty strong for that application.

[fun4now]

great looking hitch setup. should take one to your JDdealer and see if he wants to put them on the shelf.
great job.

[Larwyn]

Yes, I used the 180 autoset on the project. Actually most of the welds look okay but there was one or two beads that looked like they were done by accident (like a hot wire had fallen and arched/melted). I was welding inside with .030 solid wire and c25. The "settings" were .030 wire and the high side of the 1/4" material setting.

I know there was mill scale on the metal, the only cleaning I did was a quick once over with a twisted wire cup brush on a 4.5" grinder. I'm thinking there may have been some kind of oil on the 4" flat bar that I used which affected the welds, as the really bad looking ones involved that piece of scrap.

Also most all of my welding, previous to purchasing the MM180, has been done with the little Weldpack 100 and .035 flux core. And mostly with 1/8" material. So I am sure my welds will look better on the thicker material as I get a bit more practice. My welds with the 180 on 1/8" material look really good to me, it could be that I am moving too fast on the thicker material.

[Larwyn]

great looking hitch setup. should take one to your JDdealer and see if he wants to put them on the shelf.
great job.

There's an idea. Next time I have the X300 on the trailer I might run it by the dealer and let him have a look. Of course I should probably wait untill the warranty is out on the tractor. I've been warned by some people that some dealears point at such modifications to the small lawn tractors if transmission problems develop.

[fun4now]

I've been warned by some people that some dealears point at such modifications to the small lawn tractors if transmission problems develop
that sucks, but dose not suprise me. you didnt weld to the tractor though its a bolt on option isent it??? maybe take it in off the mower, tell him you made it for a frends and thought they might be interested. not that you need one, nothing to tow but they might.

[tnjind]

Nice work, looks very good. Nice paint too. I could see a problem with selling it to the public, I am sure some mooran would try to move a 10,000 lb trailer with his 18 hp mower and probably get hurt and sue.
Common sense tells you to only try to move light wieght things,as you designed it for, but "common sense" is not very common anymore.

Again nice job.

[fun4now]

but "common sense" is not very common anymore.


very true, sad but true.

[Larwyn]

I built an accessory for the hitch yesterday. Here's a couple of pics...

The cargo deck...
CargoDeck.JPG

CargoDeck2.JPG

John Deere and Guinness....Two of the best.!!!!!
JDGuinness.JPG

[fun4now]

great stuff man.
now ya need to make a basket that plugs in like the deck so you can cary hand tools for working around the yard.
i gotta get off my b ut and get some of that stuff made for mine, all i have so far is a watering tank. well i bought the tank but made the trailor it sits on so i can drag it around the property.

[FormerTankSarge]

Nice hitch and deck. Great looking!