Holcomb Hitch comparison

[Dutch]

Before I painted and mounted my Holcomb Hitch I took a few photos comparing it to a Simplicity OEM grader blade hitch. The Holcomb Hitch is built with steel equal to or heavier than the steel used by Simplicity. Mounting dimensions are faithful to the OEM hitch. The Holcomb Hitch has additional reinforcements and gussets. The Simplicity hitch had a couple of weak spots. They were the lack of material around the pivot hole, and the open end. The Holcolm Hitch has additional material around the pivot, and an additional gusset at the end of the hitch. Workmanship and welding is superb. All mounting and pivot holes line up precisely. The Holcomb Hitch is really a case where the reproduction is superior to the original. [img]/club2/attach/dutch/comp1.jpg[/img] [img]/club2/attach/dutch/comp3.jpg[/img] [img]/club2/attach/dutch/comp4.jpg[/img] [img]/club2/attach/dutch/comp5.jpg[/img]

[Dutch]

Okay, I painted a blade and my Holcomb Hitch and it's ready to mount on a tractor. I even cleaned up a squeegee, installed stainless hardware and that's ready to go. Hope I won't need it til next winter. I painted the blade while Maynard was away for his therapy session, so I didn't know what shade of black paint to use. Does it look alright? [img]/club2/attach/dutch/mounted1.jpg[/img] [img]/club2/attach/dutch/squeg1.jpg[/img]

[Guest]

Herb, READ!!! the section on shades of black!!!!! oh wait a minute, there isnt one.:D Nice work now what use do you have for it...what purpose does it serve. That is a "herbcutter" blade im assuming???????

[johnmonkey]

and now a word from the rolling stones......." ....I see a red door and I want to paint it black....." flat, gloss or satin??? oh decisions decisions. JH

[roma3112]

I got My hitch in the mail today :) i will have to wait for my next days off to paint the hitch and the blade up. I think i will get some use out of it when the house starts in the spring :) I got my johnny-weight box on the way as well. Now all i need is the spring :)

[MPH]

What size of spring do you need????

[toad270]

That makes me want to buy one to bad I don't have anything to use it on. Well I guess it's time to buy a house in the country with a nice long lane so I could use one of these. GREAT JOB on the hitch and grader blade what a display of fine craftsmanship

[comet66]

All the impliments for my 1920H are black so I went that way with both blade and hitch. They are hanging in the shop drying now. As soon as I finish installing the loader and hang the blade this rough driveway will get some much needed attention. Dutch where do you use that squeegee?

[ikipp]

Ya know, why not just use pumkin orange. Not the light orange of the giant pumpkins, the orange from the medium sized pumpkins, not the little pumpkins. If that isn't quite right try carrot orange. Poppy red might be nice as an alternative.

[john-holcomb]

I try to use a number of coats of different blacks, that way I can say I get a true average black. Thanks for the kind words Dutch, I try to build something I would want and feel like I got a good value after I bought it. I still have 3 hitches left and then they are gone unless I decide to do it again. Thanks to everyone this has been a fun project. JOHN

[Dutch]

quote:

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Originally posted by comet66
Dutch where do you use that squeegee?

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I use it to remove snow from my daughter's brand new brush finished concrete driveway. Hasn't scratched yet.

[comet66]

Now that's a great idea. Just what we need at my son's house. What did you use maybe a piece of conveyor belt? Mind if I steal that idea?

[Kent]

Looks like a great piece of work! I'm just waiting for someone to fabricate an affordable rear hitch for these blades... Hint! Hint!

[comet66]

What does the brinly rear hitch cost and who carries them?

[johnmonkey]

PS I got my Holcomb hitch this past weekend and it is one tough looking machine!! I'm going to paint it "Allis Chalmers orange" PSS Kent "Roger" that on the rear hitch!! JH

[Dutch]

quote:

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Originally posted by comet66
Now that's a great idea. Just what we need at my son's house. What did you use maybe a piece of conveyor belt? Mind if I steal that idea?

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Yup, that's conveyor belt. You just need a thick piece (3/8"-1/2"). I sandwiched the belt between two lengths of 1/4"x1-1/2" steel so I can easily slip it on and off the blade teeth.

[Dutch]

quote:

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Originally posted by comet66
What does the brinly rear hitch cost and who carries them?

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The Brinly arm and other parts cost between $60-$100. They can be ordered from any Brinly dealer. I fabricated my own mount so the blade can be rotated vertically as well as horizontally. That way you can push or pull with either the straight or serrated edges without removing or unbolting the blade from the tractor. [img]/club2/attach/dutch/knuckle-mod.jpg[/img] [img]http://home.att.net/~herb.niewender/brinly-seq.jpg[/img]

[Dutch]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kent
I'm just waiting for someone to fabricate an affordable rear hitch for these blades... Hint! Hint!

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Kent, I have considered that. I did build an “A” hitch (similar to the front hitch) that will fit the rear of Simplicity/Allis tractors. The problems are; the cost would be equal to or greater than the cost of a Brinly rear arm, the hitch would only fit Simplicity/Allis tractors, a rear lift would still be required. What I wanted to do is build a universal rear hitch that would fit any lawn or garden tractor. I concluded that the Brinly rear arm is an excellent and simple design. I could not duplicate that hitch for less, and there would probably be patent infringements. I also played around with other designs so the blade could be pulled by tractors that don’t have a rear lift. Every idea I came up with was complicated and expensive. A local customer asked me to rig something up for him cheaply. I fabricated a simple blade frame and bolted it to the rear of his cart. He can put weight in the cart, put it in the dump position, and drag the blade around his driveway with his riding mower. He has to get off the tractor and lock the cart down to raise the blade, but he is happy.

[rokon2813]

Kent, I drag mine around with the B. I use a front hitch off of the small frame tractors (narrower) and longer pins to hook it to the tractor. The small hitch frame is still a little wider than the tractor rear hitch but pins about 2" long "make it work", then just lift it with a chain. It sways some when raised but on the ground once it has resistance against it, it works fine. It only pulls though, cant turn it around to push that way. Wouldnt take much work to narrow the frame up a little more if I wanted a permanent one. :D