quick hitch problem on hills

[ymarianne]

Has anyone else had this problem: quick hitch attached to my finish mower was cutting into my pto shaft and also kept disconnecting from the top hitch. This was caused by mowing over even small indents in the ground. As the tractor was heading up from a little hole the mower was still going down, and the cross bar of the quick hitch would cut into the pto shaft as well as completely come off the top quick hitch hook. Had to remove the quick hitch or would ruin the pto. I guess quick hitches are only good on flat land, of which I have none.

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Certainly would have helped if you had provided some detail of the equipment involved.

PTO shafts on my set-up don't come anywhere near to hitting the QMH and I'm having a hard time conceiving of a way it could IF things are set up properly. Also wonder how you have things set-up if the top pin on the mower comes free of the QMH.

 

[ninefinger]

I know it is apples to oranges but my flail would not give me the cut I wanted, would not float enough. My top attachment uses the adapter and I replace the top link with a chain when mowing. Flail floats just fine now, gives me the cut I want and no problems with the PTO shaft. I do not have a finish mower and never have so I do not know if the chain would help your problems.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I guess quick hitches are only good on flat land

What brand of 'quick-hitch' do you have ?

 

[BlacknTan]

I cannot imagine an instance wher my PTO shaft would come anywhere near the QH..

The QH has made changing implements a pleasure.

 

[BigD23]

Have not seen/experienced this problem with my QH....Good luck.

Don

 

[GIJOE]

No problems here with my Pats QH.

 

[ymarianne]

I've got a MF 1531 and a Woods quick hitch. The MF service guy witnessed it too and said he's not aware of any quick hitch that doesn't have the cross bar above the pto shaft, but never saw this happen. It's the hill/valley thing that makes the pto shaft hit the crossbar, but I didn't notice that till I got off the tractor to keep putting the mower back on the top hitch, another big problem. I love the ease of the quick hitch but think I'll have to learn to live without it. Any recommendations are welcome!

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I've got a MF 1531 and a Woods quick hitch. The MF service guy witnessed it too and said he's not aware of any quick hitch that doesn't have the cross bar above the pto shaft, but never saw this happen. It's the hill/valley thing that makes the pto shaft hit the crossbar, but I didn't notice that till I got off the tractor to keep putting the mower back on the top hitch, another big problem. I love the ease of the quick hitch but think I'll have to learn to live without it. Any recommendations are welcome!

Can you post a picture with everything hooked up ?

 

[tugboat-2]

Sounds silly but what else would allow the top to be free, IF,..the side latches were not locked? But wait a sec, . . I had to buy and install an adapter kit of longer arms for my Bhuler RFM because the centre hook was too high. Could it be something of this nature where the top hook is loose and not getting a good grip, allowing it to discon? Long time ago, completely forgot.

Good luck,
. . tug

PS: that quick-hitch is a truly wonderful thing which you will love once you get the bugs ironed out. Something simple I'd guess,..just have to find it, . . you will,..hang in !

 

[ymarianne]

should have taken a pix but since the Woods QH wasn't working out, I returned it to the dealer, and now need to cut the pto shaft to fit, about 6 in. Hard to believe this is a unique problem. The service guy suggested I put a bungee cord to keep the top hitch closed, which I thought really dumb. I could just see it flying off and hitting me in the head. Even so, couldn't get past the pto vs QH crossbar problem. Was thinking of Pat's but that has the same basic set up.

 

[tugboat-2]

I'm sorry ymarrianne,..but I cannot understand your dealer. First of all, it doesn't sound like he put much effort into solving the problem. Also the fact that he took back the I-Match without attempting to find out "why" it is doing whatever it is that it's doing.

If he sold you the "Related-Equipment",...it is "his" duty to ensure that it works "WELL" for you the customer, . . OR, darned well establish good reason WHY and then do his best to make whatever changes and adjustments it takes to MAKE it work "safely" for you. "IF" that proves an impossible task then fine, but only after he has made "every" effort to satisfy you!!!!

Perhaps I'm jumping the gun here? . . . has he done this?

As stated earlier, my Bhuler Rear Finishing Mower worked fine on my JD-4410, but when I traded it for the JD-3520-Cab, . . it did not. The dealer inspected it and solved my problem with an Adapter-Kit with longer arms for the mower that allowed the top "hook" to slide in and get a "good" grip on the pin.

I'm wondering "IF" your problem might be similar? It really is a shame to give up the "work-saving-easy-con-discon" features of the QH. Personally I would not give up so easily on this. As I said above this really is your selling dealer's
duty, . . No, not "just" his duty,..but his OBLIGATION to you!!! I would most certainly push him for an explanation, and don't walk out when he shrugs it off as "just one of those things that don't work sometimes"!!!

I can only "suggest" that you ask for a reasonable explanation why ? I'll bet if he just sold half a dozen of the same units to a landscape contractor, he would be doing his best to make it good!!

My very best wishes to you,
. . tug

PS: "IF" the PTO was contacting the QH, . . you best ensure it is not even the slightest bit bent. It will vibrate and rip the bearings out of your tractor if the slightest bit out of line. DO NOT cut it till you have it closely examined, preferrably by an independant shop. Under the circumstances I think the dealer should make good on it. I KNOW this is much more than you want, but I'm trying to help. Help yourself to whatever you choose.

 

[rambler]

The service guy suggested I put a bungee cord to keep the top hitch closed, which I thought really dumb. I could just see it flying off and hitting me in the head.

I do not understand this part of the problem. The top part of quick hitches I am familiar with is a big hook that catches the top pin of the implement. It cannot open or close, it hooks in and stays there. Only option is for a bottom arm to come loose, or something on top to break. There is no 'coming loose' of just the top hook. Can't happen. (I realize it did - I just can't understand how or what part is?)

I'd like to understand what was happening better?

I farm for a living, I have several of different sizes, including hanging a 17 row bean planter of several tons weight on the big tractor. I'm really puzzled by what happened to you?


As to the pto bumping the top of the quick hitch - I understand what you are saying; but the standard geometry of the 3pt & the pto would not allow that to happen either. Are both the tractor & implement the same cat 3pt hitch (both cat 1 for example.)? Do both the tractor and the mower have the pto located at the proper height? Is the 3pt of your tractor adjutable for different heights (3 holes with a pin, or threaded) and you have it set to one extreme? _Something_ is terribly out of line for you to have this problem. Again, I use pto stuff with different tractors & different quick hitches, and the pto problem just isn't a normal thing. You can't get a 3pt hitch so low as to make the top bar of the quick hitch to possibly hit the pto shaft on most setups?

Sure wish you had a picture.

Your dealer seemed to have looked over the situation? Something had to be set up wrong for you to have either of these problems. They are not a normal possibility.

--->Paul

 

[Mickey_Fx]

should have taken a pix but since the Woods QH wasn't working out, I returned it to the dealer, and now need to cut the pto shaft to fit, about 6 in. Hard to believe this is a unique problem. The service guy suggested I put a bungee cord to keep the top hitch closed, which I thought really dumb. I could just see it flying off and hitting me in the head. Even so, couldn't get past the pto vs QH crossbar problem. Was thinking of Pat's but that has the same basic set up.

Too bad you and dealer walked away from this highly unusual problem. It just screams for an explanation of what is not working as it should.

We're missing out on an explanation and you are missing out on the benefits a QMH can offer.

 

[ymarianne]

Haven't at all walked away from this problem! Took your all advice and had another rep from the dealer come today. Turns out the dealership has had very little experience with quick hitches and didn't bother to call Woods as promised. So while he was here, I called Woods to ask about compatibility with my MF 1531 and their QH. Turns out the finish mower needs a quick hitch attachment to work, no matter what tractor make. Keep in mind, everything I have is Woods. It's compatible with my Woods brush hog without this extra attachment. Apparently this is all in the manual but I haven't found this info in it yet; I'll look again but wanted to get back to you all. I had them take back the Woods QH as the mower attachment was an additional $170. I wonder if it would work with another qh brand. Needless to say I'm pretty disenchanted with my dealership. Customer service is so important. These guys apparently cater to the veteran farmer and not novices like me.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I had a similar problem with my finish mower and QH. My mower has floating pin design, both top and lower. What I did was weld up a custom adapter for the top pin. I still have to watch the QH when I go through dips in my yard or my pto shaft will rub the top portion of the QH.

This is not my mower but has the same type of floating 3 point attach points.

Chris

 

[tugboat-2]

GOOD GIRL Marianne !! Glad to see you standing your ground on this. Darn shame you unfortunately got sadled with this dealer, . . but at least now you know his crummy attitude on "Tractor-Gals"! Sounds like he could use one of those "Attitude-Adjustments".

Anyway, glad to see you got the Woods folk involved. I hope they know you're equipment is mostly theirs and that you are attempting to keep it that way, in spite of your dealer being so discouraging! Perhaps the Woods PR person (or someone with some gumption), could come to your aid and persuade the dealer to be just a tad more helpful with this?

A dealer with any smarts at all, is looking for future business from a hopefully steady customer, who may be happy to pass the good word along and bring in another customer. From some of the reports I read on TBN, I feel oh so lucky to have the great dealer I have. Even though most of his business is in the larger farm equipment,...he still treats the small "cut" owners like we are his very best customer,... no matter how busy he is!!

I honestly believe if your equipment "requires" that adapter to make it operate both "properly" AND "safely" for you, . . your dealer should attempt to make it a little easier for you by eating at least 50% of the cost!!! I would strongly suggest that to him!! (As stated, I think Woods would like to know!)

Good Luck !
. . tug

 

[taborekle]

I know for my 2 PTO attachments (a LP Tiller and a Woods Bushog) that the PTO is so low and the LP quickhitch crossbar is so high that it would be a very strange hole to impale the PTO on the crossbar.

By strange hole, I mean just the right size. Deep enough to give the drop and climb, yet small enough around to make the tractor climb while the attachment was still decending.

I'd try to fill in the hole with some fill dirt. A little time with the FEL and that would be the end of that paticular problem.

I'm thinking it's not so much a problem with the QH, as it is with the land. Fix the land...

Larry

 

[tugboat-2]

. . . er, . . ah, . . wha-a-a-a-a-a-t ???

~~anonymous

 

[taborekle]

. . . er, . . ah, . . wha-a-a-a-a-a-t ???

~~anonymous

Sorry about my post both tugboat-2 and ymarianne. It looks like I was trying to talk to the origionalpost and just totally missed the rest of the thread.

This weekend I bush hogged a hill that runs down to our road. The hill is rather steep, about 30 degress in some places. I was glad that I put several masonry blocks in the FEL. Anyway I backed the bush hog down the hill all the way to the road, where the bush hog was actually on the road while the tractor was still on the hill, and remembering this thread, took note that there was still plenty of clearance between the PTO shaft and the top of my Land Pride quick hitch.

So I no longer think that it's the "land" that was the issue. Perhaps missing a floating toplink?

I understand that ymarianne has now moved on.

Larry