Description
Implement-tool carrier with a 3-point hitch at the rear, a tool carrier in the middle, and drawbar hitch at the front. Crawler tractors are designed for a drawbar hitch and a winch on the rear of the tractor or a ripper toolbar. Toolbars for agricultural implements are available for smaller crawlers (120 horsepower or less). These hitches attach to the trunnions on the side on the tractor. Aftermarket (or replacement parts not made by the original manufacturer) three-point hitches are available for smaller crawlers. Hydraulic cylinders are used to control implement height and depth for both toolbar styles. Implement-carrier hitches designed for grain and no-till drills are hooked to the tractor’s drawbar. They are supported with rubber tires of sufficient size to support the weight of the implements. These hitches have several methods of attaching implements including three-point hitches, and they may be designed for single or multiple drills or tillage tools. Specialized hitches for Forest Service implements used in fire protection or range revegetation have been developed but must be fabricated in a machine shop.
Application
Hitches adapted to crawler tractors allow for the use of tillage implements, or land-forming equipment. Precautions should be taken to size the tool to the pulling capacity of the tractor to prevent undue implement breakage. There is no draft control on these hitches; the operator must monitor implement depth. Ripper toolbars are optional equipment supplied by the manufacturer. Implement carriers can be used in some situations where it is not practical to install three-point or toolbar hitches that attach directly to the rear of the tractor. Implement carriers, also called tool-carrier hitches, provide a viable method of towing agricultural implements used in revegetation. They are available from drill manufacturers (see Grass Drills and Seeders section).
The Forest Service Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) can provide drawings of an implement-carrying hitch, tandem-Brushland-Plow hitch, and a hitch for two or three Rangeland Drills. These drawings originally were done by the San Dimas Technology and Development Center but are now filed at MTDC.
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