They said it couldn't be done

[Banj0Bolt]

I recently acquired a second hand 'Y' hitch which I intend to adapt for my ol massey 165.
It may also be called a swinging drawbar???
The one the pin drops down into to hold the trailer on etc..
To get it to fit I need to shorten it a little and drill a new hole in it. Is this possible with a pillar drill?

 

[timff]

Pictures?

 

[Wisconsonian]

Yes, it's possible to drill through anything. You'll want the best quality bit you can find, and a good cutting oil, and the right speed and pressure. If that fails, then you can still drill through it with a carbide drill, but you might not want to. A masonry bit that's sharpened will drill through steel slowly.

 

[Banj0Bolt]

It looks like this one, I haven't been home since to take a photo until tomorrow, I have been helping out with moving cattle offshore.
It is probably 30 or 40 years old and needs to be shortened considerably and a hole of approximately 1 inch diameter drilled through 1 inch thick.

 

[Wisconsonian]

A better option might be to take it somewhere to get it cut with a plasma cutter or water jet. or drilled with a carbide annual cutter.

 

[Lincsman]

You could buy this;

Drawbar suitable for Massey Ferguson - 872149M1

Drawbar

agrilineproducts.com

 

[Lincsman]

Or this depending on your tractor age

Drawbar (c/w Clevis & Bolts) suitable for Massey Ferguson - 1869060M1 874948M1

Drawbar (c/w Clevis & Bolts)

agrilineproducts.com

 

[DeeGee]

The steel on these things is exceptionally hard to drill, my advice would be to take it to an engineer with the proper kit to do it fairly easily: I wouldn’t even try with my pillar drill.

 

[Banj0Bolt]

The steel on these things is exceptionally hard to drill, my advice would be to take it to an engineer with the proper kit to do it fairly easily: I wouldn’t even try with my pillar drill.

I'd imagine the older steel would be stern stuff. Myself and the mad scientist uncle are gonna have a go at it with his pillar drill. If it doesn't prove successful I'll probably just buy 1 similar to the one linked above. It's just this one was free, a neighbour lad gave it to me.

 

[Cowabunga]

MF drawbars were/are extremely tough spring steel. The genuine article could be loaded such that it would bend like a leaf spring in work [Overload. Not advisable]. I would not be drilling it personally but would get one that fits without modification. The standard length for PTO work is 14" from the end of the PTO shaft to the centre of the implement pin [16 for 1000 rpm], which should always be a purpose made drawbar pin not some old bolt found at the back of a shed. The pin should be secured by a lynchpin when in place, ideally one with a security lock to prevent loss. Oh and the genuine ones also have an alternative hole to shorten the drawbar length for use with heavier vertical loads. You can also swing it to the side by repositioning the stabiliser pins either side of it. This is so that PTO shafts of mounted implements are not damaged by the clevis when lowered. You can use the clevis either way up and genuine drawbars have a crank, so that depending on which side the clevis is mounted and which way up the drawbar is fixed, it gives a choice of four height settings.

Make sure that the clevis bolts are always dead tight. Use only one clevis and a tongue. If your implements have an upper tongue, remove it by either unbolting or cutting it off. A clevis on both implement and tractor drawbars allows for no vertical articulation and may cause damage to the implement or bend and weaken the drawbar pin.

The last thing you want is for a drawbar to break or to lose the drawbar pin and towed implement.

Sorry if you know all this but many people don't I'm afraid.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

MF drawbars were/are extremely tough spring steel. The genuine article could be loaded such that it would bend like a leaf spring in work [Overload. Not advisable]. I would not be drilling it personally but would get one that fits without modification. The standard length for PTO work is 14" from the end of the PTO shaft to the centre of the implement pin [16 for 1000 rpm], which should always be a purpose made drawbar pin not some old bolt found at the back of a shed. The pin should be secured by a lynchpin when in place, ideally one with a security lock to prevent loss. Oh and the genuine ones also have an alternative hole to shorten the drawbar length for use with heavier vertical loads. You can also swing it to the side by repositioning the stabiliser pins either side of it. This is so that PTO shafts of mounted implements are not damaged by the clevis when lowered. You can use the clevis either way up and genuine drawbars have a crank, so that depending on which side the clevis is mounted and which way up the drawbar is fixed, it gives a choice of four height settings.

Make sure that the clevis bolts are always dead tight. Use only one clevis and a tongue. If your implements have an upper tongue, remove it by either unbolting or cutting it off. A clevis on both implement and tractor drawbars allows for no vertical articulation and may cause damage to the implement or bend and weaken the drawbar pin.

The last thing you want is for a drawbar to break or to lose the drawbar pin and towed implement.

Sorry if you know all this but many people don't I'm afraid.

What? Are you trying to tell us that two clevises and an old bent gate crook is not the way forward when baleing or rolling? Should we not be drawing bale trailers with a pick up hitch ring on the clevis drawbar with a 3/4” pin with an old mower blade as a washer to stop it falling through?

 

[Cowabunga]

Should also mention that older drawbar frames by MF, those not fitted with integrated combined auto-hitches, may have adjustable height facilitated by a choice of two holes for the long pin at the back. These are additional height adjustments to the orientation of the bar itself.

There’s more to drawbars than meets the eye.

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Seen somebody using a knackered socket ratchet handle
Assume its not acceptable ,but to be fair they had fastened it in with gaffer tape

 

[Banj0Bolt]

I've decided to buy the correct drawbar for the tractor instead, either new or second hand.
Thanks for all the advice guys.