I have used Pintle Hitches when designing material handling equipment over the last 30 years. During that time I have specified multiple pintle hitch types with a wide range of capacities.
In the below mentioned article we are going to answer the simple question “How much weight can a pintle hitch pull?”. We will then proceed to elaborate briefly on the design elements that enable the pintle hitch to handle so much weight. Finally we will break down the vast universe of available pintle hitches and recommend the best pintle hitches at each weight class.
If you need a primer on what a pintle hitch is, or how it works, check out our article – Pintle Hitches, What they are and how they are used.
How much weight can a pintle hitch pull?
Pintle Hitches are designed and manufactured to economically and efficiently handle towing heavy things. Commercially available pintle hitches have gross towing capacities that range from 6,000 lbs to 170,000 lbs and vertical capacities that range from 2,000 lbs to 30,000 lbs. For the most part, if it can be towed, you can use a pintle hitch to tow it.
Design elements that determine how much a pintle hitch can pull
Material – Pintle Hitches can be found made out of various materials. Some examples are forged steel, steels of various alloys, cast alloy steel and ductile irons. Each material acts differently and each has their own advantages and dis-advantages.
Shape – The shape and sizes of the geometry have a huge impact on the strength of the pintle hitch and how much towing stress it can resist. Tools like FEA are used to move material from areas of low stress to area of higher stress, thereby making a more efficient pintle hitch.
Material treatment – Some pintle hitches may go under various heat and chemical treatments. The material treatments are largely proprietary and considered trade secrets.
Best Pintle Section
The best Pintle Section below is our recommendation that takes multiple factors into account to arrive at a Pintle Hitch that gives you, the customer, the most bang for your buck. Our formula takes into account the Manufacturer, Pintle Hitch material, GTW capacity, TW capacity, price point, availability, and any special characteristics and calculations.
There are multiple types of pintles including the standard rigid plate mount, receiver mounted, combination pintle/ball hitch, channel mounted, swivel mounted, spring loaded and air compensated pintle hitches. To explore all of the different options – please check out our article – Pintle Hitches – Different Types, Sizes, Capacities and Manufacturers.
In the below section, we will concentrate on the standard rigid plate mount pintle hitches. They are by far the most economical and efficient type of pintle hitch that are readily availible.
Best Pintle Hitch that can pull 10,000 lbs
The Buyers Model PH6 tops the list by costing less than the competing 10,000 lb models, while boasting a higher 12,000 lb capacity. One metric that we use in our evaluation is the cost per 1,000 lbs of GTW. The PH6 beat the nearest competitor by a whopping 45%
Manufacturer – Buyers Products
Model – PH6
Material – Forged steel
GTW Capacity – 12,000 lbs
TW Capacity – 2,400 lbs
Drawbar – 2″-3″ Inside diameter with a cross section up to 1-5/8″-
Mounting Bolt Size – 1/2″ grade 8 or equivalent fastener torqued to 100 lb-ft
Mounting Bolt Pattern – 1-3/4″ Vertical x 3-3/8″ Horizontal
CP1K (Cost per 1k of GTW) – $4.07
Best Pintle Hitch that can pull 20,000 lbs
The Buyers Model PH10 bests the list by costing less than the competing 20,000 lb models, while providing equal performance. One metric that we use in our evaluation is the cost per 1,000 lbs of GTW. The PH10 beat out both Wallace 2055125 and Curt 48210.
Manufacturer – Buyers Products
Model – PH10
Material – Forged steel
GTW Capacity – 20,000 lbs
TW Capacity – 4,000 lbs
Drawbar – 2″-3″ Inside diameter with a cross section up to 1-5/8″-
Mounting Bolt Size – 1/2″ grade 8 or equivalent fastener torqued to 100 lb-ft
Mounting Bolt Pattern – 1-3/4″ Vertical x 3-3/8″ Horizontal
CP1K (cost per 1k of GTW) – $2.44
Best Pintle Hitch that can pull 30,000 lbs
The Buyers Model PH15 bests the entire field by costing less than and having a lower CP1K than the competing models from Curt, Holland, Premier and Wallace. The rest of the performance and applicable characteristics were as good as, or better than the competition.
Manufacturer – Buyers Products
Model – PH15
Material – Forged steel
GTW Capacity – 30,000 lbs
TW Capacity – 6,000 lbs
Drawbar – 2″-3″ Inside diameter with a cross section up to 1-5/8″
Mounting Bolt Size – 1/2″ grade 8 or equivalent fastener torqued to 100 lb-ft
Mounting Bolt Pattern – 1-3/4″ Vertical x 3-3/8″ Horizontal
CP1K (cost per 1k of GTW) – $1.99
Best Pintle Hitch that can pull 40,000 lbs
The Buyers Model PH20 is our recommendation the 40,000 lb class due to costing less than and having a lower CP1K than the competing models from Premier and Wallace.
Manufacturer – Buyers Products
Model – PH20
Material – Forged steel
GTW Capacity – 40,000 lbs
TW Capacity – 8,000 lbs
Drawbar – 2″-3″ Inside diameter with a cross section up to 1-5/8″
Mounting Bolt Size – 9/16″ grade 8 or equivalent fastener torqued to 120 lb-ft
Mounting Bolt Pattern – 1-3/4″ Vertical x 3-3/8″ Horizontal
CP1K (cost per 1k of GTW) – $1.67
Best Pintle Hitch that can pull 60,000 lbs
The Buyers Model PH30 is our recommendation for the 60,000 lb class, but only by a narrow margin over the Curt 48231. The PH30 was slightly less expensive, even though it weighs twice as much. 24 lbs to 12 lbs respectively. The PH30 also boasts a 15,000 lb vertical capacity over the Curt’s 48231 12,000 lb rated vertical capacity. Another major difference has to do with the aesthetics of the hitch. The buyers model has a different type of head, than you see on typical pintle hitches.
Manufacturer – Buyers Products
Model – PH30
Material – Forged steel
GTW Capacity – 60,000 lbs
TW Capacity – 15,000 lbs
Drawbar – 2″-3″ Inside diameter with a cross section up to 1-5/8″
Mounting Bolt Size – 3/4″ grade 8 or equivalent fastener torqued to 275 lb-ft
Mounting Bolt Pattern – 4-1/2″ Vertical x 4-1/2″ Horizontal
CP1K (cost per 1k of GTW) – $1.51
Best Pintle Hitch that can pull 100,000 lbs
The Buyers Model PH50 is our recommendation for the 100,000 lb class mainly due to the fact that is more readily available than any other make or model and at an economical price. The PH30 also boasts a 20,000 lb vertical capacity. The major difference you will notice between this and lighter models, is that they finally added additional bolt holes to handle the added towing stresses this hitch is designed to handle.
Manufacturer – Buyers Products
Model – PH50
Material – Ductile Iron casting
GTW Capacity – 100,000 lbs
TW Capacity – 20,000 lbs
Drawbar – 2″-3″ Inside diameter with a cross section up to 1-5/8″
Mounting Bolt Size – 3/4″ grade 8 or equivalent fastener torqued to 275 lb-ft
Mounting Bolt Pattern – 6 bolt hole pattern per drawing the the installation instruction link below
CP1K (cost per 1k of GTW) – $2.22
Conclusions
When it comes to the question “How much can a pintle hitch pull?” The answer has a lot of factors. But the short and sweet answer is any amount up to 170,000 lbs.
We have also come to the conclusion that when looking for the pintle hitch that generally gives you the most value for your dollar, Buyers products are almost always at the top of the list.
When looking at value across the different capacities, it seems like the Buyer’s PH20 hits a sweet spot. The mounting bolt hole pattern is consistent with all of the lower capacity models. It offers one of the best CP1K values across the board. It is readily available from more than 20 different resellers, from Napa, Tractor Supply, and Reese Hitch to online giants like Amazon and Ebay.
