Quick hitch other than Harbor Freight?

[Fallon]

Is there any decent reason to get a 3pt quick hitch other than the cheap one from Harbor Freight? I've seen a bit of complaining about, but can't tell if it's just implements that would have issues with any quick hitch, or actual issues that would make it worth thinking about paying a couple hundred more for another brand.

 

[Coyote machine]

Cheap tools, you get what you pay for.:thumbdown: Pat's 'easy change' is available on TBN at discounted price, but NOT discounted quality. Wouldn't getting a TRACTOR be your 1st order of business?:confused3:
Welcome to TBN.

 

[Fallon]

lol, pick up my new Kubota L3200 HST along with a Land Pride blade & 6' rotary cutter in the morning. :thumbsup: Just killing time reading & researching all I can for safe proper tractor operation (My first tractor).

Will look at Pat's a bit closer.

 

[jeff9366]

Pat's are very popular on T-B-N.

My Kubota B3300SU is near same size as your L3200. I prefer pin adjustable rigid stabilizers over Pat's.

Mine are from Stabilworks and have been excellent. <$200

Kubota tractor stabilizers Kubota [url]www.stabilworks.com - YouTube[/url]

Use the T-B-N SEARCH function keyword: Stabilworks

( DO NOT LET DEALER SHORTEN ROTARY CUTTER PTO SHAFT UNTIL YOU MAKE A DECISION ON MOUNTING OPTIONS.)

 

[Midniteoyl]

People report good news on the HF quick hitch..

 

[jeff9366]

Hard to sleep the night before new tractor delivery, isn't it?

 

[JJZ 109]

I'm with Jeff. When I had B3030 I was happy with Kubota's adjustable pin 3 point lift arms and a TSC quick hitch. Before that I had a JD 790 with turnbuckles. The Kubota was a big improvement.

 

[mikim]

I bought the cheap HF QH because I wasn't sure I would like it and didn't want to invest in something I would end up throwing out. After several years now -- it only comes off to put the backhoe on. I love it...and if it breaks I will then look at spending more on a better one ....but it's been several years and still going strong.

 

[yelbike]

I have a qh from northern tools, no complaints. I just bought another one from HF for the other tractor. They only issue with both I believe would be common to ALL qh. You need to spend some time setting your implements so they will fit the qh. Some people complain about everything and you can't satisfy everyone.

I could be wrong but with pats design, it looks like you need to get off the tractor to pin on the top link. Well all implements have a top link so your getting off the tractor twice per implement change over(disconnect than reconnect). With the qh you only get off if there's a PTO shaft.

 

[Fallon]

After watching the 2 guys that knew what they were doing take about 15 minutes to hook up the rotary cutter (granted a large part was the PTO shaft being fiddly & not wanting to click) I know for sure I want some kind of quick hitch back there. I go in on Wednesday for my 2nd spine injection (herniated disk), so I got the tractor to make life easier on my back, not harder (among many other better reasons).

Probably going to go with a HF, maybe Northern Tool or EverythingAttachments.

 

[yelbike]

After watching the 2 guys that knew what they were doing take about 15 minutes to hook up the rotary cutter (granted a large part was the PTO shaft being fiddly & not wanting to click) I know for sure I want some kind of quick hitch back there. I go in on Wednesday for my 2nd spine injection (herniated disk), so I got the tractor to make life easier on my back, not harder (among many other better reasons).

Probably going to go with a HF, maybe Northern Tool or EverythingAttachments.

If u go HF, find their 20% coupon. U can't go wrong.

 

[murphy1244]

I use a Land Pride, A bit expensive but worth it . IMHO

 

[yelbike]

I use a Land Pride, A bit expensive but worth it . IMHO

Is it better than the hf one? Just curious

 

[94BULLITT]

I have a Harbor Freight quick hitch on the BX and the JD imatch on the L4240. Like someone said earlier, you get what you pay for. The HF QH will do the job but requires some modifications to work. Click the link in my signature to see what you need to do to it. I think the Imatch is tough to beat for the money($350). Here is a video I made comparing the HF QH and the imatch. For your rotary cutter you may need a adapter to use the floating toplink with any quick hitch. The Landpride adapter may work on another brand QH or you could make one. Here is a link to a picture of the adapter. QH15 Series Quick-Hitches | Land Pride

Pats easy change is good if you have older implements that are not QH compatible. You will also need to get the Stablizer bar to hold the lift arms in place. You still have to get off to hook up the toplink.

In the begining of this video I hook up to the pallet forks. I don't even get off the tractor.

http://youtu.be/D6GNZlIGfTs

 

[murphy1244]

Is it better than the hf one? Just curious

Can't say really. I never had a HF one but I did not have to grind anything to fit. Also came with adapter for Shredder.

 

[hslogger]

For over three decades I never had any kind of quick hitch thingamabob. A year ago I bought Pat's quick hitch and think it is great and wouldn't be with out it.

 

[PhysAssist]

After watching the 2 guys that knew what they were doing take about 15 minutes to hook up the rotary cutter (granted a large part was the PTO shaft being fiddly & not wanting to click) I know for sure I want some kind of quick hitch back there. I go in on Wednesday for my 2nd spine injection (herniated disk), so I got the tractor to make life easier on my back, not harder (among many other better reasons).

Probably going to go with a HF, maybe Northern Tool or EverythingAttachments.

Hi Fallon,

Welcome to TBN!

My philosophy, after reading dozens of old and newer threads about the various QH's and Pat's end thingys, and finding that were really no objective practical differences in use or utility between the HF, JD, TSC, LP, etc quick hitches, and that no one had ever damaged or destroyed any tractor, implement or ANY QH in normal or extra-normal, or any other use, and finally that with the Pat's I'd still have to move the lift arms in and out, all came down to why waste money you could spend elsewhere???

We have had no problems with our HF QH, it has been on the tractor for 3 years, and so far, only our ballast box (sold by the dealer as Kubota brand) has needed re-fitting to work on it.

Although there are more than a few people on here who disparage them, there are also many who use them and have no problems as a result.

My advice is to save your money for more critical expenditures.

Thomas

PS: Despite Roger's experiences, my HF QH required NO modifications to fit my QH-compatible implements, so there may be some discrepancies between claims of compatibility by mfg and the actual standard.

 

[the old grind]

My probs with the HF were two-fold. For one, it's too narrow for my King Kutter 5' BB and for Glenn's Wallenstein chipper. I don't presume HF's are all exactly the same dimensions, if they should be. I spread it a bit (to near distortion) with a bottle jack and plan to shave a bit off each side just to see it fixtured-up on the mill & get a braggity pic of a 'big' job.

What's easily as confining about my own HF is that my littlest implements aren't ASAE and won't work with the simple top hook, so I'd be muscling the QH off to hang them. Those that will just 'hook' from the seat have PTO shafts. :confused2: I also have widely varying lengths required to adjust my top link to, so for <$30 per I plan to buy a few extra and color code them to which tools they fit with the least adjustment. (four more, tops) Hopping off for that change/adjust would be needed for me, anyway. :banghead: (Quicker & easier, tho' ...)

I'm really liking at Pat's for showing the most flexibility for my jumble of hardware. (You still have to climb of to disconnect stuff.) I might have to replace two pto shafts, but then I'd have .... two new PTO shafts. :dance1:

 

[yelbike]

For over three decades I never had any kind of quick hitch thingamabob. A year ago I bought Pat's quick hitch and think it is great and wouldn't be with out it.

Imagine how happy you'd be with the quick hitch.

 

[Fallon]

Roger, that's a nice video comparison, very informative. Thanks to you & everybody else!

It sounds like:

• Pretty much most newer stuff should be compatible with the quick hitch standard and any of the quick hitch adapters, or require tweaking for all of them
• The HF quick hitch is the quality of workmanship you generally expect from HF... It may or my not quite conform to specs & is done as cheaply as possible but usually works acceptably

For my needs I don't think 2-5 times the price is worth it for the extra quality & can do some grinding to make things fit (Have a welder, but minimal skill & no power due to having just moved with no chance to wire stuff up yet). I'll probably end up with a HF. I have a brand new Land Pride blade & rotary cutter I got with the tractor, I expect they are to ASAE standards.