Another Quick Hitch Mod

[The Tractor Guy 22]

I paid $280 for the John Deere quick hitch. I had some problems too, but my theory was to modify and bush all my attachments to the quick hitch specs, not modify the quick hitch to each attachment. It looks good though, that is a good idea to pin the inside.

 

[davygp38]

I thought about that but the pins were on sale for $1.98 each. Also, I'm rebuilding the shop and the drill press is somewhere under a pile of stuff in the corner. These days, time is harder to come by than money - up to a point.

Thats the story of my life? Time is precious.

 

[moored4]

Thats the story of my life? Time is precious.

At my age I know Time is precious:thumbsup:.

BUT I SURE COULD USE SOME MORE :2cents::2cents::2cents:

 

[downsizingnow48]

This is an old thread but big hat tip to KennyG.

Gave me the idea for a similar mod to my HF hitch.

I finally broke down and got one. It isn't real pretty but the price is right and it does the job. Except the bolts for the hook are in the way.

I replaced the bolts with two 1/2" pins made from mild steel bar. There is just enough room between the ears and the hook for 7/64" holes and a piece of 3/32 music wire. It has a handle bent on the end and a slight bend in the middle to maintain tension.

 

[aeblank]

I made this same mod a couple weeks ago. It's an easy fix to have a sub-$100 quick hitch that functions great.
I'm sure for a couple hundred more I could have gotten one that "just worked", but gosh, it was just some grinder time (narrowing the hook).

 

[JRobyn]

Reviving this oldy but goody again.....

The "pinned pin" solution looks good, but I wonder if there could ever be loads sufficient to spread the hook side brackets enough for the pins to pop out? I may be able to get enough clearance to use a clipped-head bolt and one nut with no lockwasher. That would be flush, or nearly so on the bolt head side. Then grind down the bolt length to just meet the outside of the nut. Should still be easy enough to get out to adjust height, even with a little blue threadlocker.

http://www.edgefasteners.com/bolts/Plow_Bolts_Clipped_Head.pdf

 

[aeblank]

I can say that with a Land Pride LPGS, that would not be enough room.
It *barely* fits with the flush pin mod.

Honestly, it's tempting to position it and weld it solid.
More than likely, you're modding your attachments to fit anyway.

 

[KennyG]

I can say that with a Land Pride LPGS, that would not be enough room.
It *barely* fits with the flush pin mod.

Honestly, it's tempting to position it and weld it solid.
More than likely, you're modding your attachments to fit anyway.

Correct, any type of external fastener wouldn't have worked with my Frontier box blade. It takes a bit more precision to line up with the top hook than any of my other implements. As discussed above, my wood splitter couldn't be modified to work with a fixed hook QH. The standard hook position interferes with the splitter beam - and you can imagine what kind of a mod that would take. A fixed hook may work for most people but I think a adjustable hook will allow easy adaptation of almost any attachment.

 

[TheSpoon]

OK. Related question. I've got the HF QH, haven't done any mods to it. My 3 King Kutter implements all work with the lower arms, but it's the same issue with the hook that everyone has. My question is, all of the implements have a bolt near the top of the implement, near, but not exactly in the way of the top link (see photo). The bolt has, what appears to be a cat 3 (maybe 2), spacer on it. Is there any reason I shouldn't be able to replace the spacer with a smaller sized and use that to connect into the hook of the QH? That way I don't have to grind the opening of the hook?



Thanks

 

[aeblank]

I think that's been done, at least cheating it forward with the existing bolt. Smaller bolt isn't as strong, but may well be fine. I think you'll end up doing the mod eventually anyway though, honestly. Just do it and be done.