Tow Bar Keeps ATV Close By

Tow Bar Keeps ATV Close By Farming by himself, Scott Mueller keeps his ATV handy for emergency trips home from the field. The tow bar he fabricated allows the ATV to follow the planter, combine and other field equipment. “I used to throw a bike on field equipment and ride it back and forth,” says Mueller. “Now I always have the ATV with me. I just park it in a ditch or off the side of the field I’m working. If I have a breakdown, I have a way home.” It’s been close to 15 years since Mueller rigged it up. He fashioned a bracket to attach to the ATV’s frame. It extends just past the front of the ATV. The tow bar pins to the bracket, allowing it to pivot 90 degrees. When not in use, Mueller simply hooks it vertically with a bungee cord to the front rack on the ATV. “I have a windshield on the ATV for bad weather, so I needed more length for turning when pulling the ATV behind a combine or forage harvester,” says Mueller. “I designed the tow bar to telescope up to 2 ft. when hooking it to those machines.” He used 2-in. square tubing for the back half of the tongue and 1 1/2-in. square tubing for the front half. He drilled a few holes and pinned the two halves together with a standard hitch pin. The clevis hitch at the end of the tongue rotates, allowing the tow bar to articulate over rough ground.  “You should see the looks I get from people passing by when I have it hooked on behind the combine,” says Mueller. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Scott Mueller, Chippewa Falls, Wis.

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