Not the typical quick hitch question

[hosspuller]

I've a land plane and several other implements... some cat 1 others cat two. While it's not back up and drive off, Telescopic draft links pick up everything without trying to muscle a thousand pounds of iron around. The ball hitch at the draft links are especially important with the land plane since I set it high on the left side to form the road crown.

 

[jonsstihl]

Many may not know this but I found out by accident. when you are hooking up an implement to a quick hitch equipped tractor the latches do not need to be in the unlocked position. atleast not on my speeco quick hitch so really, with a hydraulic top link the only time you have to get off the tractor is when you want to unhook.

 

[Bayou]

I have seen that mentioned on the top hook before but it appears a lot of the problems people have are with older implements. It seems none of them are perfect, we'll see how it goes tomorrow.

 

[RBA50]

Even if you end up buying a new top hook, you will be dollars ahead with the HF QH. If you do a little online shopping you can find a top hook for about $25, maybe less. Many are priced much higher than that, but really they are all just a chunk of steel, so there won't be that much difference in usability. Yes, you may have to modify some implements, but it's worth it.

 

[TractorGuy]

Here are a couple of extras you may want.

Top Hook for Cat 1 Quick Hitch | Agri Supply 86528

Adapter Bracket Hitch 3-point Quick Adjustment Holes | Agri Supply 8717

 

[TheMan419]

I have had the HF hitch for a couple years. Love love love it. I have a bad back so cannot man handle equipment to line things up.

The top hook is poorly designed. I got the bracket TractorGuy posted a link for. It means you must get off the tractor to hook the top link. But it works. Also for me it is usually the bush hog or tiller so I am hook in a PTO shaft as well.

With the adapter you do not need to mod implements. I did get cat 1 to cat 2 bushings for all my attachments.

I also built dollies for them so I can move them around easily when not attached to the tractor. Allows more stuff stored in the same space if you have concrete floors.

 

[CobyRupert]

I went with Pat's. I only have two implements - a mower and a box blade. They are quite different in width at the pins. I don't know if either is quick hitch compatible and don't plan to make the necessary adaptations to make them so - if it's even possible. I can adjust the angle on Pat's easily when I need to adjust my lift arms for a different width - and adjustments are necessary to keep Pat's square with the pins.

Can somebody please explain this?
Yes, adjustments are necessary for Pat’s to be square with pins for different implement widths (and as implement is raised and lowered)..... but why do Pat’s need to be clamped on lift arm to eliminate side to side wiggle?

Why can’t you ignore those 4 adjustment bolts and let the Pat’s pivot (side to side) in the lift arm ball as implement is raised and lowered? This would keep it’s hook squared on the implement pin. ..and the soft grade bolts supplied with my Pat’s wouldn’t bend.

I’ve got a few years experience upgrading the Pat’s bolts and still having them bend, having to take them to a machine shop to extract after being bent, snapping off, etc...only then I wondered: what’s their point?

I haven’t tried using Pats again without bolts clamped and with side “slop”. If I do, I guess I’ll discover the hard way what those bolts are for! Didn’t get this degree from Hard Knocks University for nothing!

 

[Pibble]

Short answer is that yes, you can have an implement that is labeled QH compatible and still have issues. In my opinion the only sure fire way to beat that problem is stick with one brand of QH and implement. For instance my Harbor Freight QH didn稚 like my Land Pride QH compatible brush hog without a top link adapter and lower link bushings. Ultimately, it was even more of a pain to hook up with the HF QH because it was harder to access the PTO shaft. Since I have all different makes and ages of implements I ended up welding on euro style hooks. I have had them on for several months and I値l never have another tractor without them. They are essentially a heavier duty and standardized hook like the Pats system.

This ^

I had some steel plates fabricated in an attempt to make an old blade scraper compatible with my Kubota QH15 and it turned out to be more of a hassle than just taking the QH off.

The idea of a QH is great if everything works like it should. I love it when switching from my carry-all* to my box scraper, but am now looking for a replacement scraper blade.

* Note: My TSC carry-all frame needed some 'spacer' 2X4's between the frame and carry-all platform to provide enough space for the bottom hooks on my QH15 - a modification that some other brands of carry-all frames don't require.

So yeah, QH system can be a hassle but I think they're worth it once you get past that phase.

 

[Bayou]

Well, you could have guessed that the top hook didn't work. Who would have thunk it that quick hitch will not work with a quick attach implement lol. I'm going to try and word this correctly so bear with me. I did some video research and it's the same issues others have had. If I take the hook off and hold it on the implement it will not bolt back to the quick hitch, the hook needs to be further to the rear. What I've seen people do is mill out a half inch out of the rear of the hook and weld a half inch flat bar to the back of the hook to keep the dimensions the same but it would set the hook opening further to the rear which would help/give clearance with bolting or pinning the hook back to the quick hitch. I seen the hook above that TractorGuy linked above but there is no guarantee that it does not or will not have the same clearance issues. I can see having the hook cut on welded but I do not want to do anything to the implent, only the hook. If any of that makes since, advice would be appreciated.

 

[TractorGuy]

Well, you could have guessed that the top hook didn't work. Who would have thunk it that quick hitch will not work with a quick attach implement lol. I'm going to try and word this correctly so bear with me. I did some video research and it's the same issues others have had. If I take the hook off and hold it on the implement it will not bolt back to the quick hitch, the hook needs to be further to the rear. What I've seen people do is mill out a half inch out of the rear of the hook and weld a half inch flat bar to the back of the hook to keep the dimensions the same but it would set the hook opening further to the rear which would help/give clearance with bolting or pinning the hook back to the quick hitch. I seen the hook above that TractorGuy linked above but there is no guarantee that it does not or will not have the same clearance issues. I can see having the hook cut on welded but I do not want to do anything to the implent, only the hook. If any of that makes since, advice would be appreciated.

All I can say is the hook I linked to came stock on the QH I bought from Agri Supply and it hooks on everything I have except where I use the mower adapter.

My Howse brush mower has the top link pin that floats in a slot. When I use it I remove the two pins/bolts holding the top hook in the hitch, position it so it hooks on the mower pin, and just attach the QH hook with the top bolt.

On mine I made pins from some 1/2" bolts to hold the hook in place and run a single cotter pin through the holes to hold the pins.

If you have an Agri Supply nearby they have all the adapters, hooks, and bushings. They sell online also but I don't know how reasonable their shipping charges are.

Their lift pin bushings are $20 a pair.
Bushing Adapter Cat. 1 | Agri Supply 4557


Here is a link to the hook.
Top Hook for Cat 1 Quick Hitch | Agri Supply 86528


They have mower adapters in two different lengths.
Adapter Bracket Hitch 3-point Quick Adjustment Holes | Agri Supply 8717
Top Hitch Adapter-Quick Hitch | Agri Supply #61369


If I remember correctly all you need for the top is a cat 1 to 2 bushing.
Conversion Bushing Top Link Cat 1 & 2 | Agri Supply 1611


I have used 3/4" black pipe and cut it to length for the top hook pin.