i was wondering if anyone here had a 3-point hitch setup on their four wheeler. i'm planning on making one up for my sportsman this spring/summer. i got my idea from the Kolpin "dirtworks series" setup.

i'm just seeing what everyone else thinks about 3-point hitches and if anyone has anything bad to say about them. good or bad, let me know.

 

i have also looked into 3 point hitches and will probaly build my own when i get around to it. the main option i wanted on mine was a raise/lower system that could be used from the drivers seat. i looked into a few options for this and came up with either electric over hydraulic or a linear actuator arm but both these options are pretty pricey. you will have to watch as in my opinion a 3 point hitch will put alot of stress on the frame and other components and if your pulling a heavy attachment and was to hook a stump or big rock you would risk breaking something. this is just my point of veiw though so good luck.

 

well, i'm not going to be having any large attachments, it will be setup for cultivating the garden, and possibly a pull behind plow blade for fixing the driveway. both attachments will be custom made, close to the same size as the Kolpin setup, which is for atvs, and the right size for atvs(not too heavy).

i'm planning on having either one or two 12 VDC linear actuators for the lifting system. both run into the same switch if i do the dual actuators.

i won't be doing any thing big, and if i pull anything it will not be pulled by the 3-point setup.

the setup that i am going to have is going to attach into my receiver that i made, so it will be easy to take off and put back on.

 

Hi,
I had a similar plan as you with lifting things from the rear.
The ones available are real expensive. One of the things to me was you are somewhat commited to attachments manufacture by the place that makes the 3 point setup.
I ended up modifying a sleeve hitch from a garden tractor. Sears, Brinley,Cub and John Deere all make them and they are standarized more or less. This lets you use a variety of equipment from different manufacturers. Also making up your own implements isn't too difficult if you can cut and weld steel.
I've taken a Brinley 38" rear blade and extended it by a foot each side. I lift the sleeve hitch with a 1 ton harbor freight winch.
I don't have pictures of the setup yet but it is all attached to the machine via existing holes in the frame and the 2 bolts holding the lower A arms of the suspension. When I'm ready to trade up i can pull the lift off and the quad isn't hacked up.
The rear plow is the nuts for plowing snow. It adds enough weight to the rear to keep excellent traction even with a big plow on the front.
It cuts my turning in half as i can back up to a garage or barn and pull the snow away. Turning is a pain if you don't have to or are not pushing snow.
With one very light winter i paid for both plows and winches on the jobs i do.
I cannot tell you about the three point setups but i design and build things for a living. For the most part the more simple the idea and mechinism the better of you are going to be. Less crap to break and go wrong.
Deerkiller

 

As just a friendly suggestion, go buy one rather than build one. You will be money ahead. Kolpin and Cycle Country both have one plus there are several available that mount on a trailer. As long as you are only doing light to medium duty work the existing systems should work fine but each has its own problems.

I built one for heavy duty work and can tell you from experience the chance of damaging your ATV and ag. system are high if it isn't done exactly right. Mine works well now but I have been at this for several years to get it to this point. Just this weekend I mounted a rake on it for a landscaper that is interested in my system.

 

thanks deerkiller for your insite to your setup, i bet that works really nice.

Reb2- i understand the fact that everything has to be perfect especially with expensive things (ie. atvs). my plan is for light work only, lifting no more than 150 pounds(attachments). i actually will be farther ahead money wise if i make it myself, since i have tons of metal to work with(free), and the tools for the job. the only thing i will have to invest in will be the actuators, which i can get for an average price. instead of paying close to $600 on the lift alone, i will be able to design and create the lift and attachments for less than half that.

i thank you Reb for your opinion though, but i will make my own instead of buying one. i have the skills to do the job, so i might as well use them, right?

 

Actually I would do the same thing myself and I admire someone willing to get in and do a job.

Plan on a lot of side force so use a good sway chain. Don't rely on a receiver hitch to hold the side force.

Not sure what kind of actuator you have but plan on the actuator pulling the implement down, not pushing it down. If you try pushing it down the actuator will bend or break from the jarring of the implement. Basically, lift the implement up and pull it down.

Good luck.

 

that is exactly what my plan is, the actuator will be pulling the attachment down to the ground, not pushing. thanks for that tip though!

 

Check this one out. I found it in a magazine, It eliminates the weight on the quad and no actuators. A cheap winch from ebay will do the trick. Let me know what you all think. I think it would be easier to make and you could use it on more than 1 machine.

http://www.agri-fab.com/3pt45_0353.html

 

Originally I bought the Quadivator which is along the same line as the Agri Fab unit. Unless you add a lot of weight to them they will just bounce across the top of the ground depending on how hard the ground is. To get them to cut you have to add weight to the implement but that weight works against the ATV or garden tractor. With my soil conditions, that type of system won’t work which is why I built my own.