Saginaw for SMTA

[cp2011]

Hoping someone can help me find information on the Saginaw 3-point hitch. I understand they ve gone out of business, but does anyone have contact info? I d be interested in fabing one myself, but would be great to have drawings if they exist

 

[the tractor vet]

Ah just install a FAST HITCH , it and easy bolt on when ya use one from a 450 or 560 .

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Saginaw didn't go out of business as far as I know. They simply stopped making 3pt hitches due to lack of demand.

https://www.mapquest.com/us/michigan/saginaw-county-tractor-parts-357257191

But, if they are truly out of business odds are the phone number is no good. If they are still in business they may not want to give you a measured drawing of their design because that in and of itself is worth something if someone wanted to start making them again. In other words what's saying this isn't an elaborate ruse to steal the design so you can start manufacturing them again?

There is still a website out there for "Tony's Tractors" that lists 3pt hitches but it was last updated in 2016.

 

[used red MN]

Just FYI the toll free number on the Tonys website got
me to someone wanting to sell me a medical device.
The regular business phone was disconnected.

 

[J.Wondergem]

I think that I read somewhere a few years ago that Saginaw sold out to Iron Bull and they only make the ROPS now.
Maybe just bought the ROPS for tractors as I see they make them and canopies as well as trash hoppers.

This post was edited by J.Wondergem on 09/03/2023 at 08:06 pm.

 

[John M]

Tony is no longer in business, and I think I read he passed away unexpectedly but I could be wrong.

 

[jimmyjoe]

My fast hitch from a 560 on SMTA

 

[DR. EVIL]

Yes, And an SM-TA already has the bosses on the rearend to bolt the Fast Hitch on, just need to tap the threads if that hasn't been done. We used the Fast Hitch on our 450 lots back in the mid-1960's, had a 4F-43 4-14 fully mounted plow we used 3-4 years till we needed Midwest plow harrow like everyone else. Had an IH#25 rotary brush chopper, thing was built like a battleship. The 6 ft Service fast-Hitch blade was useful too. Lot's easier backing up and Click & Go with Fast Hitch than wrestle around lining up the two lower links on 3-pt stuff. Our 4010 had a 3-pt hitch but the lower links got in the way and got added to the pile of loose stuff to go with the tractor when Dad quit farming. Dad welded up a front weight bracket to carry 500# of front ballast, two 145# wheel weights plus two 50# scale weights, plus the weight of the bracket itself, around 100+#.
I plowed with the neighbor's Deere F-145 5-14 plow with 3-4 4020's and his brand new 4320 but never had to mess with hitching up to the plow. I DID have a lower link uncompleted on a White 4-180 4wd from a White semi- mounted 7-14 plow. Bet I fought getting that link re-hooked for over an hour.
The equipment hooked to an SM-TA would be smaller & lighter that stuff hooked to a 4020 or 200 hp 4x4. Maybe look for a nice used 400 or 450 with FH. Most SM-TA's have power steering by now, mostly Char-Lynn, but I cultivated with Dad's SM-TA & IH #455 cultivator when I was 10-11 years old, turning on endows was not really hard. After 1965 I did ALL the cultivating with the 450.

 

[caterpillar guy]

For get about the whole wrestling match idea. 3 PT is just a fight to put on and never stays on the stands/blocks used to hold it for rehitching later. The stands settle in the dirt and blocks always tip over and the fight is on. Just use trailer equipment ans drop in a hitch pin and go. I don't miss 3pt equipment.

 

[DeltaRed]

About 40 years ago when we were young and stupid,a buddy and I built a (saginaw type) 3 point on my super M. We used mostly 'scrap' iron. The thing is still in almost daily use. Over the years I have built
several more. each one is a bit different than the others. But they all work. You can build one too.Yes,it's a lot of work, but reallyt not hard.This site,YT, sells 3 points . They are $1000 dollars. Other
aftermarket hitches will be similar.Grab a buddy who can weld. Go measure a hitch(or two). Write down as much as you can. Draw some pictures.Then get after it. You can do it!

 

[DeltaRed]

I just removed the (home made) 3 point from my 350 and replaced it with a fast hitch from a 460. Now I have a fast hitch tractor that I can now use fast hitch equipment.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

I THINK Steiner's may still sell them. I have a WorkSaver brand on my SMTA and love it. Of course I bought it in the early 90's. Some others don't seem to
appreciate a three point hitch but I move hay bales, use a Land Pride 35-90, and a bush hog. Ellis

 

[Ellis Kinney]

I agree

 

[Butch(OH)]

Tony Carbaugh has been out of buisiness
for some time, pretty sure he passed away.

 

[Hayfarmer]

I have Worksaver 3 point on my SMTA. It is very handy. It has a loader on it and in the winter I put an 8 foot blade on it to plow snow. I have not had experience with fast hitch but seems you are limited to what fast hitch equipment you can find. Not much of that in my area. I know there are adapters to 3 point from fast hitch but it doesn't look like they would work that well. My hitch has 2 double acting cylinders and you can put down pressure on it. My drawbar works on tractor with 3 point on it. At one time I removed 3 point, but just the arms and stabelizers but really isn't necessary to use drawbar.

 

[wolfman]

I had a SMD-TA with a saginaw 3-pt a few years ago. Great hitch but the drawbar was compromised. I didn't like the tractor for drawbar PTO work with that hitch set-up.

 

[SinkholeRoad]

I got lucky with my set up. I used a Cross Engineering 3 point and kept the use of my original drawbar. The frame crossmember of the 3 point is perfect to mount the factory drawbar to. You can still buy Cross products, I spoke to them on the phone this summer.

 

[rustred]

the only place for them 3 point hitches was on them ford 8 n's as they could not pull a sick h... off a p... pot. if you have a smta use the
proper implements for it that it was designed for.

 

[DR. EVIL]

NICE LOOKING SM-TA. Dad's SM-TA is The One that Got Away. Was traded for the '57 450 gas at Westbay IH in Galesburg, Ill. In spring 1965. I was just getting old enough to do fieldwork all day without supervision, at 11 years old. The spring before in '64 Dad bought me a Deere R diesel that he sold off after 6 weeks. What a failure! In 65 & '66 I lived in the seat of that 450. I'm not really looking to add a 450 to my collection but I'd like to find THAT MTA, but I expect any MTA in reasonably good shape will have to do. I have NO idea what the serial number was. Was NFE, Char-Lynn PS, had a REAL NICE year old paint job with white painted grill kinda like a 350/450. But that was 58 years ago, it was probably hooked to a mix-mill feed grinder and run to death.
I spent a week washing & waxing tractors spring of 1965, lined EVERYTHING up, the '51 M and 450 still had the duals on, but the sections to the #461 cultivator are sitting outside ready to go on the 450, even the Cub Cadet 70 got washed & waxed. The '39 H was traded for a REALLY nice '54 Super H in '65 and the SH, '51 M and 70 Cub Cadet are all in my shop.

 

[Turkeyfoot]

I have a Saginaw on my M. It is compatible with the draw bar so you can use either one. If you decide to build one for your Super M, I'm happy to provide photos
or measurements if needed.