Easier connection of trailers and the security of a heavy-duty ball coupling are available to operators of McCormick CX tractors for the first time following the development of a new pushback pick-up hitch by Dromone Engineering.
Available from McCormick dealers through the parts department of distributor AgriArgo UK, the CX11 hitch’s compact design enables it to be fitted behind the tractor’s four-wheel drive drop box, which had previously thwarted attempts to install a telescopic auto hitch/drawbar.
“We’ve made a bigger version of our pushback hitch for several McCormick models for some time, but the CX transmission drop box installation has always posed something of a challenge,” Patrick Duffy of Dromone said. “Now we’ve cracked the problem using an innovative design, so McCormick CX operators can enjoy the benefits of the hitch with no restriction on service access to the drop box.”
Unlike a conventional pick-up hitch with a fixed hook, Dromone’s telescopic design has a built-in hydraulic cylinder that can position the hook 260mm further back than the standard hitch. This has several attractive features for McCormick CX operators, according to AgriArgo UK parts manager Tony Burgess.
“Extending the hitch means the driver can clearly see the hook when coupling up to a trailer or other trailed equipment, and it’s powerful enough to dig into the ground to recover a sunken drawbar,” he said. “Also, because the hook is positioned a little further back in the towing position, there is a better turning angle to help when manoeuvring in a tight corner or into a narrow gateway.”
The compact design of the Dromone CX11 means it can be installed behind the drop box so ground clearance is not compromised in any way. Also, there is a new design of safety latch to hold the telescopic drawbar securely in place when retracted.
Moreover, there is a choice of couplings – an ISO-standard heavy-duty hook, a clevis drawbar or Dromone’s innovative ball-and-spoon design, which provides a secure captive connection between the tractor and trailer or other heavy trailed equipment with minimal play and little wear.
“Tractors like the McCormick CX – which comes with three outputs from 83-101hp – are expected to handle heavier trailed equipment and recently were upgraded with twin-disc brakes in place of a single-disc design,” Tony Burgess of AgriArgo UK added. “The Dromone heavy-duty hitch is another worthwhile upgrade, especially with the ball-and-spoon coupling – it adds to safety and security when pulling a heavy load and the lack of play eliminates drawbar shunt when the brakes are used.”
A high percentage of parts commonality with other Dromone hitches is another feature of the CX11 design, which is available at £1,517 from McCormick dealers to fit all generations of the McCormick CX and many of the Doncaster-built tractors that preceded them.
For more information visit: www.argotractors.com.
