Three-Point Hitch Dynamometer Design
and Calibration
Jonathan Chaplin, Michael Lueders, Youmin Zhao
ASSOC. MEMBER
ASAE
ABSTRACT
A three-point hitch dynamometer was designed,
constructed and calibrated. The dynamometer is
suitable for use with tractors up to 90 kW using category
II and III mounted implements, and also trailed
implements. A hydraulic clamp was used to absorb
shock loads while equipment was being transported and
lifted.
Calibration of the dynamometer shows that the
instrument is accurate to within 5% for draft forces
ranging from 5 kN to 45 kN in any direction.
INTRODUCTION
Energy management on farms will be of paramount
importance in future years. This will be brought about by
the increased cost of all forms of energy and the need to
produce crops with optimization of inputs. In order to
better manage energy, an understanding of draft
requirements must be developed for implements
operating in various soil types and conditions. Attempts
have been made to predict these forces using numerical
methods (Upadhyaya, 1984), however, there is little
doubt that some standard practices must be adopted in
order to collect data so that models of this nature can be
evaluated.
Several methods of measuring draft forces on tractors
have been developed in the past. The majority of these
use strain gauges or load cells to measure the forces
concerned. The system of forces may be considered to be
either: non-concurrent and non-coplanar, or coplanar
and non-concurrent, depending on the information that
is desired.
Dynamometers may be divided into two main groups.
The first group consists of those mounted on the three
point hitch between the tractor and implement. The
device is similar in appearance to a "quick-attaching
coupler," but incorporates separate subframes that are
connected by load sensing members. An example of such
a design was developed by Johnson and Voorhees (1979).
This design used a large beam as the load sensing
member. Strain gauges were arranged to measure loads
imposed vertically and horizontally. A further gauge
network was used to quantify the moment imposed on
the beam, thus, sufficient degrees of freedom allowed the
Article was submitted for publication in August, 1986; reviewed and
approved for publication by the Power and Machinery Div. of ASAE in
February, 1987.
Published as Paper No. 15,029 of the scientific journal series of the
Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station on research conducted
under Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Project No. 12-028.
The authors are: JONATHAN CHAPLIN, Assistant Professor,
MICHAEL LUEDERS, Assistant Scientist, and YOUMIN ZHAO,
Graduate Student, Agricultural Engineering Dept., University of
Minnesota, St. Paul.
10 © 1987 American Society of Agricultural Engineers 0883-8542/87/0301-0010$02.00
determination of the coplanar non-concurrent force
system about the load beam.
A dynamometer designed by Barker et al. (1981) had
sufficient load cells so oriented to determine the location
of the resultant force in space completely. The
dynamometer consisted of two ''clam shell" subframes in
which commercially available load cells were mounted.
Reasonable accuracy was reflected in the calibration of
both dynamometers, however, alignment problems were
cited in the Barker design.
The second group of three-point hitch dynamometers
are those in which the link arms are modified to
accommodate the force measuring element. Such a
device was investigated by Morling, 1963. This design
had advantages over the "quick-attaching coupler"
approach in that it did not add appreciable mass to the
tractor or move the implement hitch plane rearward to
any extent. The interchanging of instruments would
make this design less attractive than the "quick-
attaching coupler" type, as link arms are virtually
unique for each make and model of tractor.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
In order to measure the draft of farm implements used
in several tillage systems it was necessary to acquire a
suitable dynamometer. An instrument similar to that of
Johnson and Voorhees (1979) was used initially, and
later rejected for the following reasons: (a) it did not
allow measurement of side draft, and therefore, the
implement force on the tractor could not be completely
defined, and (b) when used with large mounted
equipment the load beam was close to its design capacity
and readily yielded in transport. With these factors in
mind the following design parameters were listed:
1. Complete definition of draft forces
2. 90 kW tractor capacity, approximate maximum
pull 60 kN
3. Must be interchangeable between tractors
4. Rearward displacement of implement less than 30
cm
5. Absorption of shock loads during transport
6. Handles category II and III implements
7. Use with trailed equipment
8. Use commercially available load cells
The transportation of mounted equipment on the road
and on rough field tracks can impose large shock loads to
the dynamometer. These loads may be several orders of
magnitude greater than those to be measured when the
implement is in work. Although the exposure period of
these shock loads is short, they have been shown to
reduce the fatigue life of implements (Palmer, 1984).
Unless the shock loading is of interest to the researcher,
it is desirable to isolate the dynamometer from such
events because they may result in damage to the load
cells.
APPLIED ENGINEERING in AGRICULTURE

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DESIGN
The basic design chosen was similar to the subframe
arrangement reported by Barker (1981). ASAE Standard
S278.6 (ASAE, 1983) for three-point hitch dimensions
was followed in designing the subframe halves. The main
structural components consisted of two rectangular
frames constructed using 152 X 51 X 6 mm box section
steel tubing (for dimensions see Figs, la and lb). The
whole assembly was jigged and welded together on a
welding positioner. Great care was taken to ensure that
distortion was kept to a minimum by clamping and using
correct tacking and welding procedures.
The link positions may be altered by removing
hardened steel bolts so that category II and III
implements may be attached. Weld strength
determinations were conducted for points that were
subject to extreme loads and/or bending moments.
Using an assumed load of 45 kN and a safety factor of
two it could be shown that the design was sound.
Load cell selection was based on the following criteria.
First, it must be recognized that any one of the load cells
Vol. 3(l):May, 1987
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may support the maximum thrust developed by the
tractor. Large capacity load cells generally do not have
the desired sensitivity at small loads, say less than 5 kN,
so a compromise must be made in the selection process.
Also, it must be recognized that the orientation of the
load cells will allow up to three times the rated capacity
(3 x 45 = 145 kN) (Fig. 2) to be applied in the x
direction, however, this may lead to load cell failure if
the load is not equally distributed between the HI, H2,
and H3 load cells.
Six Beowulf™ type 2100U (45 kN capacity) load cells
were selected and fitted so that adjustments could be
made to their orientation. Fig. 2 shows a diagram of the
orientation of the load cells. Orientation was
accomplished by using spherical rod ends for each load
cell and supporting the unit on pins at 90 deg to one
another. The load cells could easily be removed for
individual recalibration if desired. A 25 mm retaining
pin, held in position by a tab and locating bolt, was used
to secure each end of the load cell.
A hydraulically actuated clamp, used to prevent the
H3 (see Fig. 2 for orientation) load cell from being
11

Fig. 2—Three-point hitch dynamometer load cell orientation—not to
scale.
exposed to shock loads during the lifting and road
transporting of the implement, was attached to the upper
subframe. Other clamping systems were evaluated, such
as an over center cam arrangement and manually
operated clamps. However, these were rejected as they
would be time consuming to operate.
In order to use the dynamometer with trailed
implements it was necessary to fit a drawbar. This was
done by using an "A" frame which mounted on the
"quick-attaching coupler." Another approach would be
to drill holes in the lower rear subframe and attach the
drawbar, however, it should be removeable because
projections into the implement hitch plane are not
permissible.
The rearward displacement of a mounted implement
was 29 cm. This was accomplished by maintaining a 5
mm clearance between subframes and mounting the load
cells "within" the supporting structure.
INSTRUMENTATION AND CALIBRATION
A Campbell Scientific™ CR7 data logger was used to
excite the strain gauge networks and to record their
output signals. An excitation voltage was chosen to make
full use of the sensitivity of the instrument. The time
required for the instrument to complete one
interrogation of all the networks was 285 ms, using
standard software with the CR7. A faster program,
allowing for an interrogation time of 66 ms, was also
available. It was recognized that digital representation of
such data is limited by the cost of instrumentation and
the quantity of data necessary to describe the
phenomenon of interest. The capabilities of the current
instrument were in accord with over-the-field averaging
of draft forces. An increase in the sampling rate would be
necessary if the signal was to be used for control
purposes.
Sufficient memory existed to store 64 kBytes of data
within the CR7. Data was stored periodically on
magnetic tape, then read by an IBM™ PC using a
Campbell Scientific™ communications program. A
pascal program was used to solve for the draft force in
terms of components and direction.
12
Calibration of each individual load cell was conducted
in tension and compression up to its rated capacity of 45
kN. This was accomplished by placing the load cell to be
calibrated in a loading jig. This cell was connected in
series with a "standard cell," which had been calibrated
by the manufacturer against a load cell which was
traceable to the National Bureau of Standards (NBS).
Loads were imposed on the assembly via a turnbuckle,
which placed the load cells in either tension or
compression. Other methods of calibration were
investigated, including the use of dead weights,
hydraulic rams, and third party calibration to NBS.
These were rejected for the following reasons: (a) dead
weights are too bulky for in-field calibration and are also
expensive, (b) loads imposed by hydraulic rams are often
difficult to maintain due to internal leakage of oil, and
(c) third party calibration is costly and cannot be
performed in the field.
The calibration procedure consisted of "exercising"
each load cell several times up to the maximum load of
45 kN. This was followed by three calibration runs in
steps of 0.5 kN. The output from the cell being
calibrated could then be normalized to the "standard
cell" by simply taking the quotient of their respective
outputs.
Calibration of the assembled unit was more complex.
This entailed the construction of a load frame which was
bolted to the rear half of the dynamometer. The
turnbuckle and "standard" cell were positioned at
known angles and compression and tension forces
applied. Calculated values of the forces and directions
were compared with the actual force applied. Small
changes were made in the interpreting program to take
into account any error in alignment of the load cells.
Reshimming could be carried out as a permanent
correction if desired. The load frame assembly also
doubles as a convenient transportation and storage unit
for the dynamometer.
CALIBRATION RESULTS
As expected, the relationship between the output
voltage for the individual load cells and applied load was
linear, as was shown by the results of a regression
analysis. The coefficients for compression and tension
were not always equal; therefore, provision was made to
treat each load condition separately. The intercept terms
from the linear regression proved insignificant and were
neglected.
The force and moment components in the Cartesian
coordinate system were computed from the following
equations (Fig. 2):
Fx = HI + H2 + H3
Fy = - S I
Fz = VI + V2 - WT
Tx = SI X f + VI X c + V2 X b - WT X (b + c)/2
Ty = H3 X d
Tz = - H 3 X e - H2 X a
Where, using the right hand rule:
Fx, Fy and Fz were force components along the x, y and z
axes; Tx, Ty and Tz were moment components about the
x, y and z axes; HI, H2, H3, VI, V2 and SI were forces
on load cells; a,b,c,d,e,f were the position parameters of
the load cells; and WT was the weight of the floating
frame.
APPLIED ENGINEERING in AGRICULTURE
 DYNAMOMETER CALIBRATION DYNAMOMETER CALIBRATION
CASE; XYZ Compression (Skewed Load)
CASE: XYZ Compression (Skewed Load)

20 40

APPLIED FORCE (kN) APPLIED FORCE (kN)

DYNAMOMETER CALIBRATION DYNAMOMETER CALIBRATION

CASE: XYZ Tension (Skewed Load) CASE: XYZ Tension (Skewed Load)
100
90
80

70
60

50
o^ 40
Or 30
O
or 20

20 30
20
APPLIED FORCE (kN) APPLIED FORCE

Fig. 3—Calibration results. Fig. 4—Percent error vs. applied force.

Four loading patterns were used in the calibration and
these were: loads parallel to the assumed coordinates
axes x, y and z; and a combined or skewed load. Each
run was performed by applying a load in small steps up
to 45 kN in tension and compression. Application of the
load in this manner gave a quasi-continuous set of data.
The 45 kN upper limit was imposed as the maximum
load which could be transmitted through the standard
cell. A larger standard cell with a greater load capacity
could be used to calibrate up to 60 kN in the x and y
directions, as the reaction on the dynamometer would be
distributed over more than one load cell.
The data was sorted and coded before conducting a
linear regression. The results of skewed loading in
tension and compression are shown in Fig. 3. Excellent
agreement between the applied load and the computed
load was exhibited. The fit of data was almost perfect,
with R squared values close to 1.000. The percentage of
error in both the force and moment measurements was
significant at small loads, as shown in Fig. 4. The error
in the calculated force and moment exceeded 5% below 5
kN when the skewed load was applied. Thus, the
dynamometer is not recommended for use with
implements requiring less than 5 kN draft if errors are to
be kept to within 5%. This error is thought to be due to
friction and alignment between the elements of the
dynamometer, which causes cross interference between
load cells.
CONCLUSIONS
The three-point hitch dynamometer was designed,
constructed and calibrated. The calibration results
showed that the instrument was accurate to within 5%
for draft forces ranging from 5 kN to 45 kN in any
direction. Errors in recovery of the applied load were
attributable to the alignment of the load cells and the
friction in the ball end connections between the load cells
and the supporting frame. The dynamometer performed
well in the field and satisfied the design requirements.
References
1. ASAE S278.6. Attachment of implements to agricultural wheel
tractors equipped with quick-attaching coupler. Yearbook, 1983, pp.
151-153. ASAE Standards, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI 49085.
2. Barker, G. L., L. A. Smith and R. F. Colwick. 1981. Three-point
hitch dynamometer for direction force measurement. ASAE Paper
81-1044, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI 49085.
3. Johnson, C. E. and W. B. Voorhees. 1979. A force dynamometer
for three-point hitches. TRANSACTIONS of the ASAE 22(2):226-228.
4. Morling. R. W. 1963. Soil force analysis as applied to tillage
equipment. ASAE Paper 63-149, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI 49085.
5. Palmer, J. 1984. Evaluation of peak loads and load cycles of
implements in soil. ASAE Paper 84-1550, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI
49085.
6. Upadhyaya, S. K. 1984. Prediction of implement draft. ASAE
Paper 84-1518, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI 49085.

Vol. 3(l):May, 1987 13