Why is Buyers # PH50 Rated Higher than a Holland PH 200?

Question:

Purchased Buyers ph 50 to replace Holland PH 200. Holland hitch is rated 45 tons and is a solid hook, and Buyers is rated at 50 Tons and is hollow construction when viewed from back How can holow be stronger than solid? Is hitch D.O.T. approved?

asked by: David W

Expert Reply:

All hitches and towing equipment are given a weight rating, not just based on their construction, but on the weakest part of the assembly. So while the Buyers Products 50 Ton Pintle Hooks # 337PH50 does have a semi-hollow construction, it is rated as an assembly for up to 100,000 lbs gross trailer weight. The Holland hitch you were using might have a seemingly more solid construction, but if one of the components is rated for less, the whole assembly will be rated to that limit.

The DOT does not approve specific products. Weight ratings are provided by the manufacturer alone.

expert reply by: John R