Using Pat's Easy Change

[bobframe]

I just placed an order for a Pat's Easy Change system (including Stabilizer bar) for my Kubota L3010 HST. I use my tractor on my 52 acre hobby farm and most frequently use a 60" Bush Hog rotary cutter and a 60" box blade. The most difficult work involves using the rotary cutter to cut brush around the dam to my pond and this involves some tricky (for me anyway) hillside work (cutting on incline, backing up the incline).

The Pat's Easy Change system appears to be great...since most of my implement changing is done solo.

However, I am a bit concerned about how securely the system will hold the rotary cutter while doing the tricky hillside work.

Anyone have any experience doing this?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I have owned the Pat's system and if installed properly it should be as secure as with out it. Quick hitches are great for the single person attaching rear implements. They do extend the attach point back a bit so implements with drive shafts may need a longer drive shaft.

 

[bobframe]

I have owned the Pat's system and if installed properly it should be as secure as with out it. Quick hitches are great for the single person attaching rear implements. They do extend the attach point back a bit so implements with drive shafts may need a longer drive shaft.

Thanks for your input. I'll watch for this.

 

[RoyJackson]

You won't have anymore problem using Pat's system with your cutter then if the cutter was directly linked to the lower arms.
As John wrote, the cutter will be about 4" further from the PTO stub shaft. If you have adequate overlap on your cutter's drive shaft, might not be a problem.
If you do need an extender, try this one:
Pto Adapter

I still use it with my chipper.

 

[bobframe]

You won't have anymore problem using Pat's system with your cutter then if the cutter was directly linked to the lower arms.
As John wrote, the cutter will be about 4" further from the PTO stub shaft. If you have adequate overlap on your cutter's drive shaft, might not be a problem.
If you do need an extender, try this one:
Pto Adapter

I still use it with my chipper.

Thanks Roy. The PTO Adapter is ingenious. Can't see why that wouldn't work...and has the advantage of being easy to change if it wasn't needed.

 

[sawduster98]

I never needed to extend any PTO's but I did need to get a longer top link. You'll love Pat's. Great company to deal with.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I never needed to extend any PTO's but I did need to get a longer top link. You'll love Pat's. Great company to deal with.

I now remember, I did have to get a longer top link. Checked at a Green and Yellow dealer since I was driving by and they wanted about $80 for a longer top link. I passed on their offer and up the hwy was a Tractor Supply so I stopped there and felt good paying $20 for one. I also later sold my Pats and got cast steel quick hitches off ebay for under $100 that lets the implement sit on top of the hitch instead of extended back because my tiller drive shaft was to short.

 

[Beltman60]

you'll be impressed how easy your rotary cutter will be to take off and on
just make sure it sits relatively flat
I sit mine on 2 broken 4" posts and it takes me about 2-3 min to put on and even less to take off
used to take both me and the wife 5 min with plenty of words of wisdom between the 2 of us (not good once I would get back into the house)

Like others have said just make sure your PTO shaft has plenty of length (mine did)

 

[RoyJackson]

used to take both me and the wife 5 min with plenty of words of wisdom between the 2 of us (not good once I would get back into the house)

5 minutes with no PEC or QH? That's not bad...used to take me at least 10-20 minutes with a lot of foul language.

 

[ovrszd]

I used Pat's on a L4400 Kubota. Did a lot of box blade work and cutter work on very uneven ground. never had any issues with the Pat's durability. But remember it does change the dynamics as in, implement is farther from rear axle of tractor which makes the weight more noticeable and you feel the "swing" of the cutter more when working on an incline.

 

[Beltman60]

Roy

and lets not forget about a busted finder or two over the years

 

[DennisArrow]

Got my Pat's hitch system yesterday via UPS. Gonna try to get around to installing it today I hope and will try to post some thoughts. I talked with the folks at Pat's about if it would fit my B7610 and work with my Landpride finish mower that has, to me a different kind of pin system. Anyway, the folk's over there were totally great and informative and you guy's totally give me the impression that I haven't gone wrong..........WE SHALL SEE........God bless............Dennis

 

[WaxMan]

The first ones in the picture looks real nice, like a forged one piece.
The ones in the video and other pictures look more fabricated, which one do you get?
I take it the video is the older model?
Which one did you just receive?





Pat's Easy Change System - TractorByNet.com Store

 

[Beltman60]

I believe the video is older
You will probably get the ones shown that are now casted
either will work just as well

 

[DennisArrow]

The one I got is definately cast. I have read in several threads about the instructions are less than adequate. Yes, I agree; but a bit of mechanical common sense gets the job done. The only real problem I had was the alignment of the devices on the arms. The instructions say to make them paralell with the hitch arms.......They do NOT say in what plane. For me, what I ended up doing, as the original attachment by me was not lined up with the implement pins, was to hook up and implement and then.........work with the lock/set bolts and a pipe wrench for leverage to get the jaw of the device at as close to 90 degrees with the implement........THEN.......the thing was a cinch.........FANTASTIC

My wife, sitting on the tractor, is able to do the simple reverse, line up the arms/jaws with the implement, raise the arms up to engage the hook with the pins, engage the lock, hook up the top link, and OFF YOU GO.........EASY PEASY as they say

Unhooking is just the revers............WOW what a deal this is........Major pain in the tail is over and done. Now I just need to set the distances on the stabilizer bar with some marking for the different implement widths and it's over......PERHAP 2 hours at the most, with the extra adjusting I had to do to get the hitches aligned properly on the arms............Great device..............God bless............Dennis

 

[ovrszd]

Yep Dennis, coming from a tractor without extendable lower links, it's a whole new World isn't it!!!!! :thumbsup:

It's the same quantum leap from Pat's to a QH.

 

[RoyJackson]

It's the same quantum leap from Pat's to a QH.

I wouldn't say "quantum leap" or even close to that.
Pat's System does fit any implement. Quick Hitches do not fit all implements, including some that were advertised as "quick hitch compatible". And, one does have to dismount the tractor to hook up the PTO drive shaft.

 

[ovrszd]

I wouldn't say "quantum leap" or even close to that.
Pat's System does fit any implement. Quick Hitches do not fit all implements, including some that were advertised as "quick hitch compatible". And, one does have to dismount the tractor to hook up the PTO drive shaft.

Pat's easily cuts hookup time in half. I'd consider that a Quantum Leap wouldn't you Roy??

 

[RoyJackson]

Pat's easily cuts hookup time in half. I'd consider that a Quantum Leap wouldn't you Roy??

That was actually a response to your comment "It's the same quantum leap from Pat's to a QH".
No doubt, Pat's Easy Change is a "quantum leap" from using just the lower links. Anyone who has hooked up any implement without wheels can attest to that.
But going from the Pat's Easy Change to a Quick Hitch isn't that much of an improvement...again, IMHO.

 

[ovrszd]

Roy, do you have a QH with attachments setup to use it??