Modified 42" Dozer Blade Hitch

[Roy 0]

Attached pictures show a 42" dozer blade hitch for a B-1/700/725 modified to fit my newer Sovereign. Design is from the picture in the Simplicity Parts and Attachments Manual. I lack the spring (P.N. 171011) for the lift rod but will add it later. Can anyone provide spring information (free length, coil diameter, number of coils, & collapsed length)? Also will add the missing lift arm angle support bracket later. Note the "hacked hitch" that someone has extended and where I cut the original arm and brace off.

Shot of the lift rod and how it fits.

Close-ups of the lift rod slide, set collars, & lift arm.

Took a while to figure out why the hitch had been lengthened. Then remembered that on my B-1 when the blade is angled left or right the end of the blade hits the tires when under a load. Extended hitch prevents that. My lousy welds are on the bottom so they do not show. However, they will hold. I put the blade on some rocks and lifted the front of the tractor off the ground with the blade. I'm amazed that the 1/2" set collars on the lift rod held (did not slip). Could not have done this without my new torches. Enough, P.S. Sovereign with turf tires (no weights, fluid, or chains) has almost no traction. Will have to get some chains and maybe put WW fluid in the tires.

[D-17_Dave 12]

Lookin good Roy. Useing what's laying around always works for me. BTW, whitch tanks and tourch did you end up with?

[comet66 0]

From here it sure looks like it will do the job, nice work.

[PeppyDan 3]

Looks great Roy. You may want to consider a brace for the lift arm. Dan

[johnmonkey 4]

Nice job. JH

[Roy 0]

D-17 Dave, Wound up buying 80 cubic foot tanks. Wanted larger but settled for these due to price and availability. Scored a set of Smith medium torches from E-bay for $30 some bucks. Have a cutting torch with one tip along with a MC-203 and MC-205 tip. Had a terrible time welding the hitch since I need larger tips but did manage to stick it together. Regulators and hoses are some Rod H. gave me. I had the regulators reconditioned. The acetylene regulator works but has some issues that must be fixed. Place I deal with said to bring it back and they would recycle it (e.g. try to fix). Kind of a botched up, put together system but the price was right. Have a welding cart from Harbor Freight. Awaiting a replacement tire for the one that will not hold air. PeppyDan, Brace is laying on the workbench. May wait until I have a larger welding tip to put it on. Thanks to all for the compliments.

[PhanDad 3,534]

Roy, Spring dimensions: Free length: 9 3/4" Inside coil diameter: 3/4" Coil Material diameter: 3/16" Number of Turns: 34 1/2 The coil's pretty "strong"; I don't have any way to get a colasped length with the spring off the tractor. After I mount my snowthrower, I'll see if I can get a colapsed length. But I think the above info should specify the spring. The ends of the coil are ground so that the faces are perpindicular to the coil length. The ground portion is about one full turn. Since the ends are ground, it was easy to get a material diameter.

[Roy 0]

Bill, Thanks for the spring info. Think I can live without knowing the collapsed length. Was hopeful I could pick one up at the local hardware but looks doubtful based upon the spring specifications. Will check out McMaster-Carr and some other sources but will most likely end up buying one from Simplicity unless I can find a used one. Anyone here have a spring available??? Thanks again,

[MDB 134]

Lookin good Roy, should do the job just fine.

[HubbardRA 19]

You keep doing projects like this and you are going to run out of coat hangers. LOL

[Roy 0]

Rod, I'm already out of coat hangers. Used the only three I had. Now looking for more. Will have to search the house. Cheers,

[RayS 79]

Looks great Roy.

[HubbardRA 19]

Roy, I have a bundle of them for you. Soon as I can get with Charles, I will give them to him. Guess you could call them a Christmas present from me. That is probably when you will get them. LOL

[comet66 0]

Some things should be left alone, these plastic coathangers aren't good for anything but hanging clothes on.

[HubbardRA 19]

John, Got a friend who has his dress shirts done at a dry cleaners. They send them back on painted metal hangers. He was going to throw them away till I convinced him to save them for me. I have quite a few stashed away at home, so I am sending the latest delivery on to Roy. Unfortunately, all the hangers in my closets nowadays are plastic. No more in there to steal. Had to find another source.

[Roy 0]

Update: The attached photos show the lift arm brace recently added to the hitch. This should make PeppyDan happy.

Make the brace out of a left over bicycle training wheel bracket. That's all,

[oldone 0]

Roy, that looks good! But what are you going to do this summer, when you need to ride your bike? :D

[Roy 0]

Bike is long gone. Was a 20" for the kids to learn on.

[MPH 12]

Amazing how nice some paint makes a project look.

[comet66 0]

Nice to recycle, good work Roy!!