Heavy Equipment & Tractor Hitches

Heavy Equipment Hitch Attachments

Hitch attachments are one of those things that are necessary to tow a hauling trailer, camper, boat, or other heavy-duty equipment. With that said, you will need to determine the correct heavy equipment hitch accessories that will benefit you. Before choosing any hitch accessories, you will need to know the hauling capacity of your vehicle and the weight of what you intend to tow.

Pintle hooks have a distinct advantage over conventional ball couplers when it comes to towing capacity. A class 5 trailer receiver has a tongue weight capacity capable of 4,000 pounds and a gross trailer weight capable of 25,000 pounds. On the other hand, pintle hook attachments can double the capacity of a trailer receiver. For instance, the curt pintle hook attachment's tongue capacity is 12,000 pounds, and the gross trailer weight is 60,000 pounds.

The pintle hook also provides more movement at the connection point than ball couplers do, and ball couplers fit securely over the balls and locks into place leaving no room for movement. The range of motion on the pintle hook makes off-road terrain a possibility.

Determining the capacity of the operating machine buckets will depend on the excavator job it’s being used for and the machine’s operating weight. For instance, the large wheel loader is typically used for large excavator jobs. It has an operating weight of 96,379 pounds with the capacity of the larger buckets being 6.5 to 13.5 yards. The loader buckets will often be smaller for small excavator jobs.

Adjustable hitch attachments can benefit those who tow several different trailers within a day. These attachments offer a combination of height adjustability and several different ball sizes that can be used to accommodate the height of the trailer. Adjustable height hitch attachments are tough enough to handle high-capacity tow weight and tongue weight.

The weight of the pintle hook is based on your hitch and vehicle towing capacity attachments. For instance, if your pintle hook has a 30,000 pound capacity and your hitch can only handle 20,000 pound attachments, you will need to follow the lower weight capacity. The lightest weight item should be your guideline when considering the truck and trailer combination. However, if you connect it to a reinforced mounting surface that can handle 30,000 pound attachments, the pintle hook will be able to use its full capacity.