Drill Tandem Hitch Repair and Reinforcement on a John Deere

This John Deere grain drill came in with a tandem hitch that was done. Completely rotted through at the connection point - the kind of rust and structural failure that doesn't give you much warning before it lets go in the field. Here's what we were working with: a hitch that had eaten through to the point where you could see daylight through the metal. Not a patch job situation. This needed to be done right.

We cut out the compromised material and built the hitch back up with new steel plate and gussets, then welded everything solid. The gusset work on the hitch connection is layered and fully tied in on multiple faces - that's not just cosmetic, that's how you add real structural integrity to a joint that takes constant stress and flex every time the drill tracks over uneven ground.

A tandem hitch on a drill like this is under a lot of load. It's not just holding the two sections together - it's managing the push and pull of the whole toolbar as it follows the contour of the field. When that connection is weak or failing, you're one hard pass away from a breakdown mid-run. And in farming, time lost in the field isn't something you get back.

That's the whole reason we do this work the way we do. Fix it once, fix it right, and make it stronger than it was when it left the factory. Whether it's mobile welding out in the field or bringing equipment into the shop, we approach every repair with that same mentality. No shortcuts.

The drill is back out where it belongs now - in the field and ready to work. If you've got equipment that needs repair or structural reinforcement before next season hits, we're the call to make.