Quick Hitches Quick Hitch or Euro Hooks

[PikaPika]

I made at first my UNIVERSAL QH
It was suitable for standard cat1 and cat2 tools and for my not standard tractor tools
It works very well and I love it.
But it is complicated and heavy and most people do not like that.

What to do next . I try now EURO HOOKS.
I welded Euro Hooks to my Kubota L345DT lower links.
I made then two rod links to the cabin from the lower hooks
and a car tow rope from the top link to the cabin.

Here is a spring inside the rope at hook end keeping it upright
and an other spring and chain keeping the top link lightweight to use.

I made same thinks for next to JD

These ideas are suitable for small and big tractors and all cat three points and non standard attachments. I am near 83 years and can not do much more for your EURO HOOKS
Ask your tractor maker for EURO HOOKS!!!. They can do !!!!

Here is some videos of my works

 

[LouNY]

I'm well pleased with the Euro hooks on my Branson. I much prefer them to a "quick" hitch.

 

[ptsg]

I'm sure glad my tractor came standard with the Euro hooks. Super easy to use, no modifications on the implements needed, no QH frame in the way, no broken bolts like the PATs and doesn't extend the arms any further. It's really a game changer.

Just back up to the implement, lift the arms and it's latched. Go hook up the PTO shaft or the hydraulic lines and finally attach the top link. Even easy if you also get the top link hook with it.

I also think a lot of the people have unrealistic expectations of hooking up implements without leaving the seat from those Quick hitches. These is always something to do on the implement, either hooking up hydraulic hoses or PTO shaft, adjusting something on the implement, lift the stand up, etc. So these are not really one of those "never leave the seat solutions".

While Pika's idea is definitely good and has it's merit, I don't think the Euro hooks need all that complexity and linkages prone to get bent. Like I said above, for one reason or another, there is always something to do on the implement that will make one having to come out of the tractor.

 

[Hay Dude]

Hooks are great.

 

[workinonit]

The pain of that setup is hooking up my toplink. It's also the same reason a QH is miles better than any of the other ideas, at least for me. With a QH you don't have a toplink to hook up. If I connect to something not QH compatible it takes me several tries to get the toplink pin aligned.

 

[Cycledude]

Installed Euro hooks on my LS last year, they make hooking and unhooking much easier and safer.

 

[PikaPika]

The pain of that setup is hooking up my toplink. It's also the same reason a QH is miles better than any of the other ideas, at least for me. With a QH you don't have a toplink to hook up. If I connect to something not QH compatible it takes me several tries to get the toplink pin aligned.

Thank You workinonit and other writers
You can buy hydraulic top link. It is then easy to attach all your tools with QH or without it.

And use this kind of car try rope.
Put a spring abot 1 foot long and 1/2 inch dia inside the rope at tool end to keep rope upright.
Then you need a chain and bigger spring to make the top link floating and easy to lift to your tools upper pin.
This was for my Euro Hooks that I use from my tractors cabin, but i helps QH ,Pats and all other.

To day it was nice to have quick hooks

 

[D&D]

Thank You workinonit and other writers
You can buy hydraulic top link. It is then easy to attach all your tools with QH or without it.View attachment 834917

7 sets of remotes? 2 for top n tilt, what are the others for ? And the green item tucked behind the top link?

 

[PikaPika]

7 sets of remotes? 2 for top n tilt, what are the others for ? And the green item tucked behind the top link?

Thanks D&D
Yes I have 7 remotes -- 6 is used
2 for top and tilt
2 for lower arm hydraulic stabilizer bars. I like to tighten arms when I have big logs in my log grapple
2 for my homemade hydraulic log grapple
1 waiting for new use
That green item was my old lever for Euro Hooks opening
Now it is an elbow as I have with JD pictures

JD do not have hydraulic stabilizer bars.
It have left side rigid and right side movable from the
cabin with a lever I made for it

 

[D&D]

Thanks D&D
Yes I have 7 remotes -- 6 is used

2 for lower arm hydraulic stabilizer bars. I like to tighten arms when I have big logs in my log grapple


JD do not have hydraulic stabilizer bars.
It have left side rigid and right side movable from the
cabin with a lever I made for it

Ah, I missed that in the picture but sure enough it is there. I did not miss that you leave the back window open to use the rope and levers
Any pics of your grapple?

 

[LouNY]

The pain of that setup is hooking up my toplink. It's also the same reason a QH is miles better than any of the other ideas, at least for me. With a QH you don't have a toplink to hook up. If I connect to something not QH compatible it takes me several tries to get the toplink pin aligned.

Have you ever used the hook and ball setup?
Very few people that I know of that have tried the hooks prefer a so called quick hitch.

 

[scootr]

Have you ever used the hook and ball setup?
Very few people that I know of that have tried the hooks prefer a so called quick hitch.

A Quick Hitch works if all your attachments are the same width. My neighbor has one on his Yanmar and loves it. My collection of stuff is not all the same width.
I ordered the Pats Easy Hitch BEFORE I learned about the European ball type. Which is superior but requires cutting and welding the drag links. The Pat's was easy to install and I made a couple of plates the extend the tractor side mount.
So Pat's may not be the best alternative but it sure beats the old fashion hook ups.

 

[workinonit]

I've never used it because it requires you to have to hook up a toplink. Have you ever tried to hook up a hydraulic toplink on a cab tractor by yourself? It's not easy. There is nothing at all that could possibly be easier than hooking an implement up with a quick hitch. Back into it lift the lift up and go. There is no other system that is that easy, period. If I have to get off the tractor to hook up the toplink then I might as well not use any of the devices because mine is really not that bad with the telescopic lift arms I have. The toplink is the real issue.

Have you ever used the hook and ball setup?
Very few people that I know of that have tried the hooks prefer a so called quick hitch.

 

[scootr]

I see some tractors (TYM) offering a remote toplink control. I have an open station so reaching the control is not a problem. I've looked at adding a rear lever but there is so much crap in the way... So to each their own. Pat's Quick Hitch may not be the very best but it sure is working good for me. 150 hrs on them last year with many many attachment changes of varying widths.

 

[LouNY]

I've never used it because it requires you to have to hook up a toplink. Have you ever tried to hook up a hydraulic toplink on a cab tractor by yourself? It's not easy. There is nothing at all that could possibly be easier than hooking an implement up with a quick hitch. Back into it lift the lift up and go. There is no other system that is that easy, period. If I have to get off the tractor to hook up the toplink then I might as well not use any of the devices because mine is really not that bad with the telescopic lift arms I have. The toplink is the real issue.

Yes, I routinely hookup hydraulic top links from my cab tractors as well as my open station tractor.
At this time one of my hydraulic top links has a "hook" coupler, one is a conventional hydraulic type.
I have no problem connecting either of them.
I have used standard 3 point connections, tractors with the extendable lower arms and conventional quick hitches, in my opinion and having used these on various tractors open station and cabed in my mind there is no doubt that the Euro hooks are much nicer then a so called "quick" hitch.

This one with the "hook" is a piece of cake. Open the window extend or retract the hydraulics drop the hook and I'm connected.

 

[D&D]

I've never used it because it requires you to have to hook up a toplink. Have you ever tried to hook up a hydraulic toplink on a cab tractor by yourself? It's not easy. There is nothing at all that could possibly be easier than hooking an implement up with a quick hitch. Back into it lift the lift up and go. There is no other system that is that easy, period. If I have to get off the tractor to hook up the toplink then I might as well not use any of the devices because mine is really not that bad with the telescopic lift arms I have. The toplink is the real issue.

If you never get off the tractor, does it make the pto powered stuff kinda useless?

 

[PikaPika]

Thanks D&D
Here is some pictures of my Homemade Wood grapple.

I can use it with my leveling drag

Here is use of MY EURO HOOKS

I think the Top Link is not problem after that rope and springs.
Welding Euro Hooks one may need help.
And making linkage from hooks up to
the window one may need help too.
But work is worth the job.
When you come old you understand me.

 

[workinonit]

Yes, I routinely hookup hydraulic top links from my cab tractors as well as my open station tractor.
At this time one of my hydraulic top links has a "hook" coupler, one is a conventional hydraulic type.
I have no problem connecting either of them.
I have used standard 3 point connections, tractors with the extendable lower arms and conventional quick hitches, in my opinion and having used these on various tractors open station and cabed in my mind there is no doubt that the Euro hooks are much nicer then a so called "quick" hitch.

This one with the "hook" is a piece of cake. Open the window extend or retract the hydraulics drop the hook and I'm connected.

The hook would definitely make it easier but without the hook it takes a bit of magic and ingenuity to hook up a hydraulic toplink. It's one of the reasons I bought the right hand door kit for my tractor, Please tell me how you do it with so much ease and with the first try.

 

[workinonit]

If you never get off the tractor, does it make the pto powered stuff kinda useless?

I have a lot of implements that aren't PTO powered but obviously if you have PTO it has to be hooked up. Actually the QH makes it easier because it pushes the implement away from the tractor about 6". But unless you want to spend several thousand on one of those auto devices there's no choice. That said when I do have to hook up PTO I still back up, lift and it's hooked up. 3 minutes hooking up the shaft and you are done. It's the same deal with hydraulic hoses.

 

[scootr]

I have a lot of implements that aren't PTO powered but obviously if you have PTO it has to be hooked up. Actually the QH makes it easier because it pushes the implement away from the tractor about 6". But unless you want to spend several thousand on one of those auto devices there's no choice. That said when I do have to hook up PTO I still back up, lift and it's hooked up. 3 minutes hooking up the shaft and you are done. It's the same deal with hydraulic hoses.

I bought a PTO quick connect adapter. Should be called an easy connect adapter. Added the 4 inches I needed to compensate for the Quick Hitch on my mower. And it is super easy to connect. Slip it on then turn to align the teeth - pull the spacer and go. I have adapters on both mowers.

Amazon.com