[Big-o]

Has anyone here put a Craftsman Sleeve Hitch on a Murray Garden Tractor? I have seen a lot of post talking about it but have yet to find one that says they have actually done it. Anyway If this is not some kind of scam (http://eastky.craigslist.org/grd/1929704516.html) I just bought a Craftsman sleeve hitch from Sears in Hazard Ky. for $21.00 with free shipping. The phone number and store address are correct according to Google so I hope this is legit and I can make it fit.

 

[Rog02]

Look at the photos in my post here for how the OEM Murray sleeve hitch installs. http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=146507

They are pretty simple actually so a few bolt holes may have to be relocated but you should be able to figure something out.

Sounds like Sears is flushing those out of the system. Good find!

 

[hankll]

I'd get me one at that price. Do you reckon they have anymore at that price, or was that their last one in stock?

 

[Big-o]

Thanks again LOL. I hope everything is close to the OEM and all I have to do is drill new holes. I just am just not sure where I will need to locate the top piece. I no it will have it be in line with the bottom but I am not sure of the distance between the two. Guess I could go to sears and measure one to see how high above the hitch there holes are. This is just to get by with for now anyway. I will be putting a winch on at some point, if the tractor pulls a plow and cultivator like I think it will.

 

[Big-o]

I didn't ask if they had anymore. But it wouldn't hurt to call and ask. Just ask for Dee and tell her you are calling about the craigslist add. She will hook you up if they have anymore. She did go check to make sure that they still had the one I got but didn't say that was the last one or anything when she called back to confirm she had it. It wouldn't hurt to wait until about Monday when mine gets here so I can confirm this is all legit though. I will post as soon as it arrives. Sometimes $$$ that are to good to be true are.

 

[BushBoneYard]

Wow, for $21 that would be worth buying remaining stock and selling them of on the Bay...............$50 plus shipping.

 

[Big-o]

They are at sears stores allover the country at different prices but some are under $50.00. I am guessing that sears has decided to start selling them factory direct and do away with store inventory like Rog02 was saying. I have checked a few listings and all the phone numbers I checked are legit, direct to sears store. Check it out first. Or like I said wait until Monday when mine should arrive and then go for it. These are all $35.00 or less. The $19.93+tax was lowest I found.

.http://dothan.craigslist.org/grd/1946371801.html
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/grd/1930792715.html
http://bham.craigslist.org/grd/1898252707.html
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/grd/1897079489.html

Oh one more thing you will need a Sears card (no other card excepted) or you will have to arrange another method of payment. That is if it is like what I just did.
Now someone find me a great deal on some AG tires LOL.

 

[hankll]

I called Dee at that Sears to see if they had anymore of the Sleeve hitches......
All gone! Oh, well...just thought I'd try.

 

[SleazyRider]

Try here too:

http://craiglook.com/all.html?q=sleeve+hitch

Bob

 

[Big-o]

No scam here. It arrived today, and everything is complete. Hope to get it on tomorrow. The only thing I see that I am going to have to modify is the way the arms on each side hook up. Other than that just brill new holes in the back of mower to match ones on hitch. Also this is a one piece unit so the spacing is already there.:thThumbsU

 

[Big-o]

hankll the others I put the links to are still $105.00 below regular retail you might get lucky and there will still be one of them left. Wish you the best of luck in getting a good deal.

 

[SonnyT]

:wwp::wwp:

 

[Big-o]

Will do a step by step with pictures on what I have to do to make it work.

 

[BushBoneYard]

Very cool, glad it wasn't a rip off. A step by step on the Hitch mods would be great. That will help a lot of guys in the future, everyone goes nuts trying to hunt down the "Murray Hitch" and then pay a fotune for a used one.

 

[hankll]

Well, I got the one in Pittsburgh, but with shipping added it will be $58 for the hitch to my door. Not as good a deal as yours, but still half price isn't too shabby. All the other ones were sold out. I don't actually have a GT to put it on yet. I could have put it on the Green Machine GT I recently sold......but this way I'm prepared if I get another GT.

 

[Big-o]

I would call them back. That is BS they didn't charge me anything for shipping.:sorry1: That store just wants to be greedy. But still a great deal.:fing32:

 

[hankll]

I would call them back. That is BS they didn't charge me anything for shipping.:sorry1: That store just wants to be greedy. But still a great deal.:fing32:

Well I actually stated that was the only one left, but there was another one in Pell City (B'ham) but they wouldn't ship at all. And hey, as it was that I could get one at all, I didn't argue about $20 shipping. I've had to pay that much and more on FeeBay for stuff I wanted. I did have to pay sales tax on top of the $34+$20 shipping.

 

[Big-o]

If you are happy I guess I should be to, but GREEDY people P1$$ me off, especially in today's economy. If one store could do it they should all be able to.
Enough about that. All you will need to do to mount it to a GT is flatten the top brackets drill 6 new holes to match the three on each side of the frame and then add some spacers/washers to make it fit. It was to dark by the time I finished to get all the pictures I needed, but will do a full step by step tomorrow. Additional things you will need to buy are two 3/8 bolts, nuts, lock washers and whatever you want to use for spacers. I used washers for now but will get solid spacers later on.

 

[BushBoneYard]

Well, I got the one in Pittsburgh, but with shipping added it will be $58 for the hitch to my door. Not as good a deal as yours, but still half price isn't too shabby. All the other ones were sold out. I don't actually have a GT to put it on yet. I could have put it on the Green Machine GT I recently sold......but this way I'm prepared if I get another GT.

Good deal hankll. The one at Sears.com now is about $140.00. I was gonna get one too to have for the future. Worst case scenario is you never use it and sell it for $75.00.

 

[hankll]

That is true, but I had kinda been wanting one for awhile. I had plans I got off MTF for a Sleeve Hitch for a Bolens. I was planning to fab it up for my Bolens 1556 when I get to the restore job done on it. I'll need another working GT that will pull my recent acquisition, the Gannon Earthcavator. I could use it on the 1556 with the Sleeve hitch modified to the 1556, and then be able to have my large frame tiller for my HT23 mounted all the time. The HT23 also has a 54" snow blade with hydraulic angle. That's why I was following that build for the snow blade conversion to a Johnny Bucket, that was on that Murray. I'm thinking I might do that to my snow blade, since it is hydraulic lift and angle. Only difference I was going to make it a clam shell.