Cat 1 vs. Cat 2 3-point Question

[Dr G]

Hello All,

My neighbor has a Kubota L3560. He has a ton of attachments, but does not live in the area permanently. Just visits on weekends once in a while. He's offered me the use of any of his attachments when I need them. I am reluctant to borrow someone else's tools, but it might come in handy here and there for some oddball thing.

I looked it up, and the website says that the L3560 has a Cat-1 3-point hitch.

The MX series that I am considering is listed as having both Cat-1 and Cat-2 (or maybe that means one or the other?).

If I do get an MX, would I be able to borrow Cat-1 attachments and use them?

Thank you in advance for any advice. Gustave

 

[gary49]

Yes, there are bushings that you can use to convert the category 1 pins to fit the balls on category 2 arms. Tractor Supply Company or most any Ag supplier has them. The only possible issue I see is that you need to be careful not to damage the lighter weight equipment with a more powerful tractor. (Ask me how I know!).

 

[ovrszd]

My 35 year old Ford is CAT I/II. The balls are interchangeable.

 

[rbtjr]

We have a MX5800 and all of our attachments are either Cat 1 or compatible with both Cat 1 and Cat 2. Agreed about the bushings and that you need to be careful not to damage the Cat 1 attachments . Another thing to remember is that if you put a Cat 2 quick hitch on your MX, you will not be able to use the attachments that are only Cat 1 compatible. We just put a Cat 1 quick hitch on our MX and it works with all of our attachments except our ballast box, which we are regrettably replacing with a lighter ballast box that is Cat 1.

We really like our MX. If you have any specific questions about the MX, send me a PM and I will try to answer them.

 

[Dr G]

Thank you gents.

By "balls", "bushings", are we referring to the spherical bearings at the ends of the 3-point links? To fit larger or smaller pins? Is that the only difference between Cat-1 and Cat-2, the diameter of the mounting pins? Or are the actual links of a Cat-2 more robust as well?

Some day this will all seem obvious to me, as it does you all of you now. But for the moment it's all new to me.

Thank you rbtjr for your offer.

Gustave

 

[PineBrookFarm]

Cat 1 uses approx 3/4" pins and cat 2 uses approx 1" pins. You can buy cheap bushings to "bush" cat 1 implements up to cat 2 size. You cannot make cat 2 pins smaller obviously. So you can pretty much run any cat 1 implement on a cat 2 machine with bushings but the opposite is not true for obvious reasons.

Cat 2 implement are generally much heavier duty and can handle much more HP. The spherical ends in the top link and lift arms are where you would insert the bushings.

 

[LouNY]

To further muddy the waters;
many of the tractors with dual sized 3 points actually have reversible lift arms.
If it's a 1-2 the tractor pins are cat 1 with cat 1 to 2 bushings on the tractor ends of the lift arms,
with cat balls on the implement end.
To use cat 2 implements the lift arms are reversed and the cat 1 ends are attached to the tractor and the cat 2 are available for the implement.
The larger tractors listed as cat 2 - 3 do the same thing.
Most people end up with the smaller ball on the tractor end and use bushings on the implement ends.

 

[ruffdog]

Cat 1 uses 3/4 top and 7/8 bottom pins

Cat 2 uses 1" top and 1 1/8 lower pins

Yes, other dimensions also change a bit and get heavier:

TractorData.com - Three-Point Hitch

 

[Dr G]

Cat 1 uses approx 3/4" pins and cat 2 uses approx 1" pins. You can buy cheap bushings to "bush" cat 1 implements up to cat 2 size. You cannot make cat 2 pins smaller obviously. So you can pretty much run any cat 1 implement on a cat 2 machine with bushings but the opposite is not true for obvious reasons.

Cat 2 implement are generally much heavier duty and can handle much more HP. The spherical ends in the top link and lift arms are where you would insert the bushings.

OK, I get it. This sounds like what in Motorsport are called "Rod End Sleeves". Allows one to insert a smaller diameter bolt through a rod end or spherical bearing than what the bearing was designed for.

 

[Dr G]

Cat 1 uses 3/4 top and 7/8 bottom pins

Cat 2 uses 1" top and 1 1/8 lower pins

Yes, other dimensions also change a bit and get heavier:

TractorData.com - Three-Point Hitch

Handy link. Thank you. Gustave

 

[jeff9366]

All the MX series have a straight Cat 2 hitch.

Kubota supplies several bushings to "fatten" Cat 1 pins to fit Cat 2 fittings in the MX toolbox.

Kubota describes this combination as a Cat 1/Cat 2 hitch. I like it because it is simple.

Some older tractors have hitch fittings which swivel between Cat 1 and Cat 2 fittings. Some current model Mahindra tractors have swiveling bullseyes. Too complicated.

Cat 2 hitches are considerably more robust than Cat 1 hitches and adjustable parts typically extend further. Parts are not interchangeable.


L3560 implements are usually 60" or 66" wide. MX implements tend to be purchased 72" wide because of bigger MX wheels. Therefore you may show tire tracks behind implements borrowed from your neighbor.

An open station Kubota L3560, lightest and smallest of Kubota's Grand L tractors, weighs within 200 pounds of an MX bare tractor. Because of modest horsepower, L3560 tires are sometimes inflated with air, sometimes filled with liquid. My L3560 tires are inflated with air. MX tractor tires are almost always liquid filled. MX5800 often carry iron wheel weights and have liquid filled tires to apply 61-horsepower to ground without losing traction.

OK, I get it. This sounds like what in Motorsport are called "Rod End Sleeves". Allows one to insert a smaller diameter bolt through a rod end or spherical bearing than what the bearing was designed for.

In common tractor-speak these fittings are called bullseyes.

 

[Dr G]

Thanks for that Jeff. Gustave

 

[Richard]

So, some of this explains why I have a dickens of a time getting my RFM (Woods 72") mounted on the International1066 (which I think has Cat 3 hitch)

I get that the fitting size is bigger.... but the arms don't come together as close as the IH 444 tractor does (Cat 2).

I get that a larger tractor might have to go wider.... I just erroneously presumed they'd all close in to a similar distance


The ONE time I used my RFM behind the big International, (Backstory: I don't have the top-link) I simply hooked it to the two arms and pulled it around the field. Since I had no intent of raising it, I thought I could get by letting it float better without the toplink.

Though it did "work like a charm", I had to wrestle the bugger to get the arms in close enough to make it fit.

I've never done that since.

 

[jeff9366]

I get that a larger tractor might have to go wider.... I just erroneously presumed they'd all close in to a similar distance

Lower Links minimum widths:

Cat 1 = 28"

Cat 2 = 34"

Cat 3 = 40"