I had recently mentioned the weight box on my tractor. I wanted to share a little more information about it. You may decide you want to build your own.
The back of my tractor was just a piece of stamped metal with a hitch formed into it. The hitch was nearly useless for my needs. It was not large enough to put a ball hitch on the tractor and it kept everything very close to the rear wheels when turning.
I removed the rear metal/hitch of the tractor. It was held on by four bolts. I had a heavy gauge piece of metal (four feet long and one foot wide for my application) bent to form the sides of the weight box. The piece ended up being bent into a “u” shape with 18″ sides and 12″ across the bottom of the bend. This piece was put in place of the original panel. I clamped it in place and marked the holes from the tractor frame. The holes were drilled and I temporarily bolted it on the tractor. I added a cross support on the existing frame to keep the frame solid where the original back panel was. I do not think it was necessary but I would rather be safe.
When the weight box was still on the tractor I measured and marked for the hitches. I cut two identical pieces of angle stock. I drilled matching holes in both pieces of angle where it would secure to the weight box. I mounted the angles to the bottom and top of the weight box. The bottom has a small hole for a garden cart. The top hitch has a larger hole for a ball mount. By having the holes identical I can swap the hitches top and bottom or adjust the hitch height by using the protruding angle positioned high or low to adjust the heights.
After all that was completed I bolted pieces of angle iron on the inside of the box frame flush with the bottom. A piece of mesh steel (like what is used on utility trailer ramps) was placed on the bottom, resting on the angle iron. The mesh is longer than the box. I bent it at a right angle where it meets the back of the tractor. This protects the rear end end pump housing/ drive belt from damage. After everything was made I removed it and painted it.
After it was installed permanently I put a large bucket of salt in it for weight. Later I found small tractor weights that hang neatly off the side of the frame. The interior of the box was a wonderful place to add a second battery to aid cold weather starts. In the summer I remove the weights and the extra battery and it works well as a place to carry extra tools.
If I remember correctly, it only cost about fifty dollars out of pocket to build the box. I had some of the parts on hand. I only had to purchase the metal for the box frame and the mesh for the bottom. If I had to do it over I would have changed only a few things. I would have welded the angle to the box rather than bolt the bottom braces on for the mesh. The other thing I would have done is threaded the holes in the frame for the hitches rather than use a bolts and nuts. That would make it quicker to change the hitches. This is something I could still do by simply stepping up to a larger sized bolt.
Please feel free to ask if you have any questions about this project.
I’ll see you in the backyard!
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