BX25 Harbor Freight Quick Hitch

[Artisan]

It seems like the more I read about Quick Hitches the more confusing
things get. Chaotic at best is the info I have run into. I need to save cash
and after looking at the QH's for sale and assuming that many of the
inexpensive models look to be the same as the HF I went w/ it.

I pull it out of the box and started to hang it and HUH! ??? The box
says it fits "Most Cat 1" tractors. My BX25 is touted as a 0-1 unit
I do believe. So I start to hang it and I find issues.

1- The 2 lower draw pins are only 3/4" in diameter / the BX25's 2 lower arms have 7/8" holes.

2- The top link pin on the QH is like .70" in diameter / the BX25 3/4".

Way to sloppy for me, I want the implements to be snug not bangin around
and sloppy.

I actually box'd it back up and was going to return it. Now I am saying
I better just bite the bullet and buy a Land Pride so I call LP to
verify dims and indeed their QH-15 model is sized correctly for a BX25
but it will cost darn near $450.00 UGggh...So sleeping on it I thought
about things and decided since I only paid a little over 70 bucks w/
my coupon code at HF I would be smarter to try to modify the HF unit.

First things were to drill out the HF QH holes to the size I want. The lower
holes need to be very close in square to the world w/ each other so
a piece of 3/4" copper pipe was used to align the reamed out
bottom holes. I punched them out to 7/8", then I punched out
the top link hole to 3/4" . This was easy for not a lot of material
needs to be removed.


I need some lower draw pins in 7/8" flavor so stay tuned if you want to
see the outcome, I hope to have them in hand by midweek.
To Be Cont'd....

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Based on your other works of art I am sure this hitch will turn out awesome.

 

[creekbend]

Innovative. Looking forward to your future posts.

 

[radioman]

I'm watching this thread as I have same HF hitch for mine and love it. However not sure what you are planning to do with the newly drilled holes..

 

[Agent Blue]

I have a HF quick hitch. Based on the sale price with their generous coupons it must have been all of sixty dollars. After viewing I could not duplicate it for this price so I bought one. Haven't used it a ton due to the backhoe being mounted on the larger tractor. As I recall it didn't work for some application I had so it rests under the storage rack. After I read a couple more " Artisans Posts " I am sure it will get more usage and I will be more familiar on the quirks to get it user friendly.

 

[Zebrafive]

Was the 3/4" copper pipe used to check Harbor Freight's build? Did you have to do anything to get it aligned ?

 

[Artisan]

I'm watching this thread as I have same HF hitch for mine and love it. However not sure what you are planning to do with the newly drilled holes..

OK...I'll try again.

IMO;

The stock HF QH draw pins (2 lower) have a diameter of .75" (3/4").

The stock BX25 draw pin holes (2 lower) have a diameter of .886"
(7/8" that is slightly bigger and perfect for 7/8" CAT 1 pins)

So if you use the stock HF QH 2 lower pins in the stock BX25 2 lower
pin drawbar holes there would be .136" of SLOP, that is more than 1/8"! (or a smidge less than 9/64")
The fit would NOT be correct, loose and it will make things bang and clang
around and the implement will be a bit wild, not snug.

ALSO

Now up to the one top link pin.
The stock HF QH top link pin is only .70" in diameter (under 3/4")

The stock BX25 top link pin hole is about .765" diameter
(3/4"+ that is slightly bigger and perfect for 3/4" CAT 1 top link pin)


So in summary the HF QH pins are too small and need to be enlarged for a PROPER fit.
So I drill out the holes to the correct diameter and I will throw away the stock
HF QH pins and replace them w/ proper sized pins.

(Just wait for an explaination on the DOM deal, it will be way easier to see when I am done and
I am quite sure it will be VERY snug where the implement meets the QH
connections)

What is going thru my mind is all the HF QH's that are out there and being
run sloppy like that and more than likely unbeknowngest to the owners!

Caveat: In my reading I "think" I see that there may be different sizes of
stock pins and holes and hook openings, all w/ the HF name on it. So
you have to be sure of what you have before doing a mod.


Anyone have any scrap 1.5"OD x .313wall x .75" ID DOM Laying around?

 

[Artisan]

Was the 3/4" copper pipe used to check Harbor Freight's build? Did you have to do anything to get it aligned ?

The 3/4" (7/8" OD ) Copper was to make sure my reamed holes were in line,
or square to the world w/ each other. I wanted to make sure the two
lower pins were on the money. This step could probably be dropped
since the 2 draw arms on the tractor have pivioting balls.

I have a "thing" for trying to make all my endevors plumb and square to the world...

 

[Artisan]

RE: My DOM Tube dememcia...ptimist:


FWIW, I realize that a guy can buy CAT 1 QH bushings.
They are expensive, espically if you have 3-4 implements and you care not
to move them from one to the other. I think my DOM idea will be MUCH cheaper
for little work...+
One set of those babies w/ shipping is over 40 BUX! (see link)

Stay Tuned... I need to get the stuff shipped to me, I am pretty sure my way will work, well.

 

[94BULLITT]

I had a some problems with mine but nothing like that. Wait til you try and hook it to an implement. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/252974-quick-hitch-problems.html Northern tool is the cheapest I have found on the bushing but I have not got any yet.

 

[bcp]

This is kind of strange. My HF quick hitch fit my BX2360 perfectly. The HF holes and pins were the same size as the BX holes.

On each implement pin I use 2 adapter bushings, 1-2 and 2-3. I haven't seen any need for the expensive pin-on adapters with the larger ends.

Bruce

 

[Artisan]

I had a some problems with mine but nothing like that.

Yes 94, I saw your thread, I did not read it all in depth but I got the jest of things.
I think you will be interested in what I will be doing here as soon as I get
a few more materials. Both the lower issue w/ bushings and the top
width issues.

(yes, I saw the "Adaptor" in the HF QH Manual as well, but seems it is non existant
as it has no HF SKU # ! I have a solution for that too I do believe as well as the
draw bar width issues for non ASAE Sized Implements, well , at least one off size)

Stay Tuned, Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel! :batman:

 

[Artisan]

This is kind of strange. My HF quick hitch fit my BX2360 perfectly. The HF holes and pins were the same size as the BX holes.

On each implement pin I use 2 adapter bushings, 1-2 and 2-3. I haven't seen any need for the expensive pin-on adapters with the larger ends.

Bruce

Yep, I have been seeing that HF seems to be distributing a few different
flavors of the same tool!

 

[Artisan]

NOTE: SPRING PINS HERE

 

[94BULLITT]

It seems like the more I read about Quick Hitches the more confusing
things get. Chaotic at best is the info I have run into. I need to save cash
and after looking at the QH's for sale and assuming that many of the
inexpensive models look to be the same as the HF I went w/ it.

I pull it out of the box and started to hang it and HUH! ??? The box
says it fits "Most Cat 1" tractors. My BX25 is touted as a 0-1 unit
I do believe. So I start to hang it and I find issues.

1- The 2 lower draw pins are only 3/4" in diameter / the BX25's 2 lower arms have 7/8" holes.

2- The top link pin on the QH is like .70" in diameter / the BX25 3/4".

Way to sloppy for me, I want the implements to be snug not bangin around
and sloppy.

I actually box'd it back up and was going to return it. Now I am saying
I better just bite the bullet and buy a Land Pride so I call LP to
verify dims and indeed their QH-15 model is sized correctly for a BX25
but it will cost darn near $450.00 UGggh...So sleeping on it I thought
about things and decided since I only paid a little over 70 bucks w/
my coupon code at HF I would be smarter to try to modify the HF unit.

First things were to drill out the HF QH holes to the size I want. The lower
holes need to be very close in square to the world w/ each other so
a piece of 3/4" copper pipe was used to align the reamed out
bottom holes. I punched them out to 7/8", then I punched out
the top link hole to 3/4" . This was easy for not a lot of material
needs to be removed.


I need some lower draw pins in 7/8" flavor so stay tuned if you want to
see the outcome, I hope to have them in hand by midweek.
To Be Cont'd....

I just checked mine. The lift arm pins are small in it too. The toplink pin is smaller than a normal cat 1 toplink pin but the hole is large enough for a normal one to got through. I never paid any attention to it. I was so glad it finally came and I threw it on the tractor. Maybe they make the quick hitches like this so they can sell tools to make them right. :laughing:

 

[Artisan]

When I looked at the LandPride QH I believe I saw reinforcments around the
lower draw bar pin holes. Looked smart to me, so I scrounged up 4- 7/8" ID
washers and bead blasted the finish off them, SpiralCool'd off the Chinese
Powdercoat from the frame and welded the washers in, keeping all aligned
w/ my temp use copper pipe.

This is turning into a pretty nice accessary after all.
While I had the SpiralCool spinning I knocked down some of the sharp
edges that the worker left for me... His name was "Menokair" I am sure. :indifferent:

 

[Artisan]

I have seen where MANY others find out after buying a HF QH that
it does not fit some of there implements. I think I see a fix or two or
three that are somewhat easy to make, making the less than "Standard"
implements work.

My King Kutter 5' XB Blade does not fit. The 2 lower draw pins
are like 1/4" short and are like almost perfectly too short!
More pics are coming w/ explaination.

Here is my soloution to making the 2 lowers work in a HF QH,
and I am sure as well as other QH's too. There are bushings
available for the lowersat TSC, they are like 40 bux a pair
w/ shipping!, so I made these. Here they are pre-paint and
post glass bead blasting, pure white metal...

 

[Artisan]

Excuse me if I am jumping around a little, a lot on my plate here.

Simple way to deal w/ the 2 lower draw bars and holding them apart...

Here is how I dealt w/ the HF QH's top hook that is not friendly to
the King Kutter 60" blade. Just a simple extension. It is tight and
seems to work just fine. I have NOT used the blade w/ this yet
to determine if the swing this adds is going to be a problem. I
lok at it and I believe it the lowers stay locked into the QH that
it will not raise and come unhooked, time will tell. If there is a problem
I will have to make an adaptor like is shown in the HF QH's manual,
of which there is no part number associated with it at HF! ERR!

I threw this together very fast, and by "eye". I really should draw it
in CAD and make it a lil more robust. I hope the geometry is ok.

All these HF QH parts are trash in my book.

Here are the parts w/ their part #'s I picked up from TSC for
replacements. I could have done better on the lower 7/8" pins,
they are a little long for my liking. I think a 2.5" usable length would
have been better but I did not see such and animal at TSC.
Anyone know where there are similar pins for sale in a 2.5"
useable length?

 

[Artisan]

Concerned about the top link extension....

I forced down on it and then tapped it w/ a hammer in attempt
to try and unseat it. I can't unseat it, does not make it OK...
I think this needs some engineering...

This picture shows it seated, perhaps shortening up the center
to center dimension maybe .5" will make it tolerable.

 

[Zebrafive]

For the too long TSC lower pins; can you redrill then cut them off? Or are they hardened? If so weld a spacer to the washers you welded on , inside or out side which ever will work best.