Quick hitch

[santa2u]

I have a Land Pride quick hitch and wouldn't be without it. However, I had a near catastrophe and thought I would share in case it may save a life.

I have a 16" low boy trailer and a Kubota L3400. I bought the trailer when I had a smaller B7510 and with the longer tractor the mower hangs off the back of the trailer nearly four feet. As I was driving to a job, the mower popped off of the quick hitch and fell off the trailer. There were several near accidents before a couple of fellas stopped and helped me push it to the side of the road. Upon thinking about it, the mower must have hung off enough to cause a negative weight on the hitch and it came unhitched.

My solution was to turn the top hook upside down on top of the implement. That way, the to hook holds it down and the lower hooks hold it up and it is impossible for it to unhitch until I remove the top hook. It is not as convenient, but much safer.

 

[kennyd]

Don't take this the wrong way...but you need to blame yourself and not the QH. You have a unsafe setup with that trailer and a mower hanging off 4 feet. If that mower was resting on the trailer and secured properly this would not have happened. If this near catastrophe isn't enough to open your eyes then what will? Causing that accident and injuring poeple?

 

[JB4310]

How did it come unhitched? did you have the latches engaged?

I've thought about those QHs not being as secure under some conditions as the old thru pins.

I would say if your hitch has the movable top hook and you can flip it, that might help. How about leaving it as it is and bolt a lock bar over the top of the open hook?

Regardless you need to strap that mower down to the trailer with it's own tie down or chain and binder. 4 feet over, I assume that still leaves a couple of feet on? strap it so it's pulled back up onto the trailer.

Or put the mower up front under the loader if you have one.

Sounds like you need a bigger trailer though.

JB.

 

[Runner]

So, how exactly did is come "unhitched"? Did the upward pressure on the implement pins break the tabs on the quick hitch?

I've wondered if it would be possible to break the pins that hold the little tabs on the lower hooks of a quick hitch when they are put in a situation like this, i.e., under upward pressure from the pins. I have a loader-mounted quick hitch, which would allow down-pressure when using something like the rear blade on the front.

They don't look very hefty.

 

[santa2u]

Kenny, I do indeed blame myself rather than the quick hitch. As I stated in my initial post, I wouldn't be without it. And yes, I added a tiedown over the mower in addition to reversing the top pin. And yes, I do wish I could afford a longer trailer. By the way, I am still in compliance with Texas law, not that that is an end all statement.

That said, I still don't think the locking device on the quick hitch should have let go with the locking levers down. There is obviously a weakness in the design, but again, I accept the responsibility, especially now that I am aware of this weakness.

Actually, nothing broke. Once we had the mower pushed over to the shoulder, I unloaded the tractor, hitched back up to the mower (with the top hook upside down this time) and off to the next job.

Don

 

[RoyJackson]

That said, I still don't think the locking device on the quick hitch should have let go with the locking levers down. There is obviously a weakness in the design, but again, I accept the responsibility, especially now that I am aware of this weakness.

Actually, the design is probably great since the quickhitch is designed to pull an implement that is supposed to be on the ground. You worked outside the design intent.
Now, if we see a spate of implements coming off the quickhitch while being transported (by the tractor), then we'd have a design/manufacturing problem.

 

[JB4310]

I'll have to check mine to see if when those levers are in the locked and closed position, that the keepers that hold the pins in place are mechanically held or just under spring tension.

I guessing for it to have become unhitched, they are just under spring tension and the constant pressure on them along with the dynamics of the way the load was, caused the latching keepers to move back and eventually release the pins.

JB.

 

[shane]

I appreciate your willingness to share this incident. We can all grow by sharing. Thank you.

 

[santa2u]

Actually, the design is probably great since the quickhitch is designed to pull an implement that is supposed to be on the ground. You worked outside the design intent.
Now, if we see a spate of implements coming off the quickhitch while being transported (by the tractor), then we'd have a design/manufacturing problem.

I respectfully disagree with your statement. When you drop the three point all the way down while using a box blade for instance, you would have the same negative force unless you set the hitch level to just touch the ground with the blade. Maybe I am wrong to run my box blade like that, but unless I am putting the finishing touches on a surface, I often drop the three point all the way.

That also begs the question of running the tractor in reverse, again using a box blade. I can easily visualize an upward force on the quick hitch. Again, I may be in error by doing that, but since my box blade has blades facing both forward and backward, I assume that is the reason for it.

So, unless the quick hitch manufacturer specifically addresses this type of operation, I have to assume there is no problem operating the equipment that way. Actually, there were no operating instructions at all enclosed with my quick hitch. Hopefully I have worded this post to correctly convey my thoughts.

All of that said, again, I am not blaming the manufacturer. I was simply trying to share my experience so that others might avoid a potentially serious accident.

 

[KennyG]

If I recall, some states require that, when trailering, all attachments be independently chained/strapped down. I guess this is why.

 

[RoyJackson]

I respectfully disagree with your statement. When you drop the three point all the way down while using a box blade for instance, you would have the same negative force unless you set the hitch level to just touch the ground with the blade. Maybe I am wrong to run my box blade like that, but unless I am putting the finishing touches on a surface, I often drop the three point all the way.

That also begs the question of running the tractor in reverse, again using a box blade. I can easily visualize an upward force on the quick hitch. Again, I may be in error by doing that, but since my box blade has blades facing both forward and backward, I assume that is the reason for it.

So, unless the quick hitch manufacturer specifically addresses this type of operation, I have to assume there is no problem operating the equipment that way. Actually, there were no operating instructions at all enclosed with my quick hitch. Hopefully I have worded this post to correctly convey my thoughts.

All of that said, again, I am not blaming the manufacturer. I was simply trying to share my experience so that others might avoid a potentially serious accident.

Unless your 3PH actually has downward pressure, I can't see how your first paragraph would apply. My 3PH depends on the weight of the implement and gravity...no hydraulic or mechanical pressure at all ("float" in other words). That's simplifying things to a degree as some ground engaging implements "pull" (for lack of a better term) the implement in to the ground. Your box blade scarifiers for example.
However, running an implement on or in the ground isn't suspending them off a trailer and expecting the QH to hold them during transport.

Thinking about this, perhaps a better way to transport that implement would be to load it on the trailer first and rest the loader bucket on it. That would reduce the overall length of the tractor/implement and everything might fit on your trailer. That's speculation on my part, of course, since I've never seen your trailer, but I have seen guys do this on shorter trailers.

Just be glad those "near accidents" were just "near".

 

[Qapla]

Perhaps you should be glad you are in Texas. In Florida you may get a ticket with the load hanging 4' off the back, especially if it is not flagged. With the economy the way it is, FDOT has gotten a bit more picky.

If you cannot afford the right sized trailer, loading the mower under the FEL may be the best solution. If needed, back the tractor on and load the mower under the bucket on the back of the trailer. Tie the mower down separately, don't rely on the bucket holding it down.

At any rate, try to find a solution that doesn't leave that mower hanging that far off the back. It is only a matter of time before something else happens, like someone driving under the mower at a light.

Nothing replaces having the right sized trailer.

 

[santa2u]

I appreciate all of the replies I received concerning my "near miss", as we used to call it in the oil field. I think I have adequately resolved the situation so that it won't happen again.

I would try the suggestion to load the mower under the loader bucket, but I fear I wouldn't have sufficient tongue weight with the tractor further back which, in my opinion, would be far more dangerous than having several feet of mower hanging off the back of the trailer.

Roy, I don't intend to get into a debate over your post, but you still have negative force considering the hundred or so pounds of quick hitch and three point arms, etc. Granted, it isn't the same as the mower hanging off the tail of the trailer.

With respect to this question, I took a closer look at close look at my QH this morning, and the flat bars that swing out to hold the implement on the lower hooks only span about half of the width of the hook opening. I looked and couldn't find a way to adjust them so that they protrude further, so I think I will contact Land Pride and inquire about it.

Again, thanks to everyone who responded.

 

[wvpolekat]

Within the law (barely) or not, what you are doing is negligent. The quick hitch is not designed to support the implement during trailering like that.

If someone gets hurt it WILL be on you for not properly securing your load. Don't count on your insurance to help either.

In the face of that, $1000 for a trailer properly sized to your tractor shouldn't look too expensive.

 

[Deere Dude]

I don't have a hitch like that but thought of getting one. Are those hitches that unsafe that an implement will just fly off with a little bit of bouncing. Once hooked up they should stay hooked up even if they up in the air and are not tied down to a trailer when towing. Just wondering? I would let it down onto the bed of the trailer but that's just me. I wouldn't have thought it would have wrecked anything.

 

[kennyd]

I don't have a hitch like that but thought of getting one. Are those hitches that unsafe that an implement will just fly off with a little bit of bouncing. Once hooked up they should stay hooked up even if they up in the air and are not tied down to a trailer when towing. Just wondering? I would let it down onto the bed of the trailer but that's just me. I wouldn't have thought it would have wrecked anything.

I have been around a little while now...and this is the FIRST I have ever heard of something like this happening. Like I wrote in my first reply, it's wasn't the QH's fault.

 

[kennyd]

I don't have a hitch like that but thought of getting one. Are those hitches that unsafe that an implement will just fly off with a little bit of bouncing. Once hooked up they should stay hooked up even if they up in the air and are not tied down to a trailer when towing. Just wondering? I would let it down onto the bed of the trailer but that's just me. I wouldn't have thought it would have wrecked anything.

I have been around a little while now...and this is the FIRST I have ever heard of something like this happening. Like I wrote in my first reply, it wasn't the QH's fault.

 

[bironacad]

I appreciate your willingness to share this incident. We can all grow by sharing. Thank you.

Ditto

 

[RoyJackson]

I have been around a little while now...and this is the FIRST I have ever heard of something like this happening. Like I wrote in my first reply, it's wasn't the QH's fault.

Same here...no other incidents of implements disconnecting from a QH.
This is also the first time I've ever heard of anyone depending on a QH to hold the implement when being trailered though.

I have had an implement come off Pat's Easy Change though (while mowing). The springclip of the lynch pin used to hold the stamped washer (those who use PEC know what I mean) wasn't strong enough when the implement was in a turn. Easy fix though...

 

[RRILEY]

Do you have quick hitch adapter pins from 7/8 to 1-7/16 on your mower pins? maybe this will help fill the void on your quick hitch to help keep it from so much movement.