Loader SSQA Adapters

[jcri]

Hello all,

I wanted to see who out there has put one of these on their tractors. I just bought one, the “ATI” brand and am reasonably happy with it. I say reasonably because I wasn’t able to really do much comparison with other brands.

Maybe owners of older tractors like me are few in comparison to the guys with shiny new tractors with the latest and greatest technologies. But this project has been somewhat of a challenge to get information on.

Examples of what I encountered:

My local dealer told me “sorry, Kubota doesn’t make a quick hitch adapter for your model of loader, (LA681), have you considered upgrading to a newer tractor”

A couple of other dealers offered to find me an aftermarket one but would not share any information. They just told me things like... “Yeah, I got a supplier for these things, I can order you one for $1,400. Another had similar response, but the price was $1250. Neither would send me a pic, tell me the brand, describe it, or nothing. It left me with the impression that they aren’t willing to give me info for fear that I’d got around them and buy it elsewhere.

Another issue related to cost is the bigger picture of converting your other attachments from pin on style to SSQA. We can assume that it’s likely that if you’re looking into this, you may have an older machine and don’t want to spend a small fortune investing in it. Example... one dealer wanted to sell me the adapter, a 60” standard bucket and a set of lightweight 48” pallet forks for just over $4,200. Yikes! That’s expensive in my book...

So... anyway, I’d like to share the little bit that I found in the topic.

A Messicks video online mentioned a local supplier, ATI that makes these adapters and to contact them if interested. So... I google searched ATI quick hitch adapter and found some distributors. I ended up buying mine from ‘Ford Distributing’ out of Columbus OH, for $865 plus $50 freight to my driveway.

It fit perfectly and seems to work fine. The mechanism is very smooth.

I chose this one over the WorkSaver brand (I seen that one on the “Ask Tractor Mike” website store and the same one from Iowa Farm Equipments eBay auctions. It looks nice as well, however the price was higher on the adapter and the shipping charges were more expensive as well. The WorkSaver hitch looked a little bulkier and according to the specifications, weighs 40lbs more than the ATI. Some might look at this as a good thing, but because it appears to attach at the implement further away from the loader frame combined with the extra weight, adds up to eating up lift capacity and break out force. My compact tractor is limited enough at only around 1500lbs of loader lift capacity, so I’ll save weight on the end of the loader where I can.

I would be interested in hearing feedback from others on these two adapters and any other brands that I’m sure that I never found. Maybe I would have made a different choice of adapter had I had more details on each, pros/cons, etc?

Also, I ended up shopping around and found Tomahawk attachments sell SSQA smooth buckets and SSQA universal pallet fork frames that work with your existing forks. The equipment seems very nice, and they saved me a ton of cash. I paid less than $700 for a brand new 66” bucket AND a new pallet fork frame. So all in... roughly $1,500 for all three things (adapter, bucket and fork frame)... that’s a reasonable investment to switch an older machine over from pin on to SSQA with a new bucket and forks. It makes the project a more justifiable expense on an older machine.

I hope this thread can collect some other good information and become a one-stop-shopping resource as a “sticky” thread on SSQA conversions so that others won’t struggle like I did.

 

[deezler]

Nice info, thank you for sharing!

Pulled up the ATI website, and what do you know, my cub cadet 417 loader is right at the top of their list and only weighs 78 lbs. Getting SSQA was one of the main reasons I've been wanting a new tractor (among others) but this pretty much shoots a hole right in that theory. Although, $900 for a simple SSQA adapter isn't exactly cheap (can't blame them one bit though).

The tomahawk forks and buckets are also very reasonably priced. Good research and thanks again for sharing.

 

[5030]

I have both the OEM SSQA and the ATI SSQA. the OEM is on my open station and the ATI is on the cab tractor. From my real time comparison of both. The ATI is much stouter than the OEM and the ATI has grease fittings on the pins as well as the arm pivots. The OEM don't.

Both work equally well and everything that goes on one, goes on the other, I exchange often.

If I had my preference, I'd go with the ATI over the OEM. My OS came with the OEM when I bought it. When I bought the cab tractor in 2004, the OEM wasn't available.

 

[Smokeydog]

Modified an early 80’s M5030DT full size with FEL with a Bob-tach yoke to be able to use a ssqa brush grapple decades ago. Very useful way to go. I have the Kubota B26 and M59 TLBs so they have some heavy duty OEM ssqa. Not nearly as heavy duty as that Bob-tach.

 

[jcri]

That’s great info, thanks for sharing. I would have thought the OEM would have been the best, so that’s a little surprising. The grease fittings on this ATI assembly are very nice and the lever action is very smooth and easy

 

[jcri]

Modified an early 80’s M5030DT full size with FEL with a Bob-tach yoke to be able to use a ssqa brush grapple decades ago. Very useful way to go. I have the Kubota B26 and M59 TLBs so they have some heavy duty OEM ssqa. Not nearly as heavy duty as that Bob-tach.

So when you say Bob-tach, is that the hydraulic powered SSQA? That sounds super convenient to change attachments without leaving your seat!

 

[EverythingAttachments]

We offer the ATI Quick Attach and the WR Long Quick Attach adapters. We sell many more of the WR Long because they have more drawings on file, but guys tend to be happy with both.
ATI's prices vary depending on the loader, but I could've sold the ATI for $841 plus tax(for the LA681 loader), shipped to your door, so keep us in mind for your future needs!
Travis

 

[Smokeydog]

So when you say Bob-tach, is that the hydraulic powered SSQA? That sounds super convenient to change attachments without leaving your seat!

Still manual two lever. They (bobcat) held the original patten (expired) for the now universal quick attach.

 

[5030]

Was gonna say (but didn't) that my Bobcat skid is 2 lever just like the SSQA's on the tractors.

 

[5030]

We offer the ATI Quick Attach and the WR Long Quick Attach adapters. We sell many more of the WR Long because they have more drawings on file, but guys tend to be happy with both.
ATI's prices vary depending on the loader, but I could've sold the ATI for $841 plus tax(for the LA681 loader), shipped to your door, so keep us in mind for your future needs!
Travis

Cheaper elsewhere.

 

[HCJtractor]

I have the ATI on my Kubota. The weakness is the locking mechanism. The round tube that the locking pin slides in is weak. Mine have distorted, resulting in binding the pin. I’ve had to ream them out numerous times to get it to work. It’s a poor design, and certainly isn’t “quick detach” once it binds, as it’s prone to do. Often I have to hammer it out to get the pin to move.
The fact that I use it on a grapple probably stresses it a lot.

 

[5030]

I have the ATI on my Kubota. The weakness is the locking mechanism. The round tube that the locking pin slides in is weak. Mine have distorted, resulting in binding the pin. I’ve had to ream them out numerous times to get it to work. It’s a poor design, and certainly isn’t “quick detach” once it binds, as it’s prone to do. Often I have to hammer it out to get the pin to move.
The fact that I use it on a grapple probably stresses it a lot.

The OEM tube is the same gauge. If you were energetic, you could cut off the old ones and replace it with schedule 60 or 80 tube.

Shouldn't matter, grapple or bucket or forks. Sounds to me like the cutouts on the grapple plate aren't allowing the pins to fully engage. I've really torqued on mine in the past with my big M9000. My FEL can do 2.5 ton at the pins and I've used all of that before with no issues from either the ATI or the OEM. You need to check and see if the pins are fully engaging the plate cutouts and the plate is fully seated on the loader ends. If the pins don't fully engage, you can still cam over the locks because they are spring loaded.

When locked in properly, the loader ends of the SSQA take all the stress, not the pins.

 

[Xfaxman]

So when you say Bob-tach, is that the hydraulic powered SSQA? That sounds super convenient to change attachments without leaving your seat!

The hydraulic power is an option on most Bobcat machines: YouTube

 

[jcri]

We offer the ATI Quick Attach and the WR Long Quick Attach adapters. We sell many more of the WR Long because they have more drawings on file, but guys tend to be happy with both.
ATI's prices vary depending on the loader, but I could've sold the ATI for $841 plus tax(for the LA681 loader), shipped to your door, so keep us in mind for your future needs!
Travis

Thanks Travis. So... If YOU needed one for your personal tractor, which brand would you purchase and why? Can you compare pros and cons of these two brands designs?

 

[mikester]

Cheaper elsewhere.

Great if you could post examples of where it is cheaper elsewhere.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Thanks Travis. So... If YOU needed one for your personal tractor, which brand would you purchase and why? Can you compare pros and cons of these two brands designs?

You're welcome, man. Like other attachments, I always take the particular tractor into consideration when matching up the quick attach. They both function similarly, with nice spring loaded levers, and the fit has always been great.
I really hate to say it, since the choice has already been made, but for your 4310, I would have recommended the WR Long. The ATI weighs 76 pounds, and the WR Long is a more robust 100 pounds or more.

As long as you treat it nice, I think you'll be happy!
Travis

Here are a few pics from my collection. The owner of this tractor frequents TBN.

 

[number two]

Dealer installed an ATI on my LA403 at time of purchase,about $1K

Work's fine!
Nice to have all these years.

 

[5030]

Dealer installed an ATI on my LA403 at time of purchase,about $1K

Work's fine!
Nice to have all these years.

Mine was purchased in 2004 (ATI). No issues ever.

 

[5030]

Great if you could post examples of where it is cheaper elsewhere.

Do an Internet search yourself, you have a keyboard.

 

[shooterdon]

I tried to find one over a year ago for my old JD855 but was not successful. I would have kept the old girl but now I am glad I traded her for the bigger LS. Size does matter. Good info posted.