Quick hitch other than Harbor Freight?

[stuckmotor]

I spent hours rigging a 3 point hitch on the WD. It never worked very well and I dreamed of having a tractor with a factory installed one . Now that I have the MF, I want a quick hitch. Next, I guess I'll want someone to come and drive the tractor for me.

 

[Midniteoyl]

So, for 3 1/2 or more times the money, you can buy a better QH than HF's... Huh, who would've thunk it?

 

[timster2]

Has anyone ever broken a HF quick hitch? I have two and neither one has given me any problems in the three years they are on the machines. If and when I break one I can evaluate the failure and see if another brand is prone or immune from that kind of failure. Until that time I will still keep trying to break my HF hitches under my normal use/abuse.

 

[yelbike]

Has anyone ever broken a HF quick hitch? I have two and neither one has given me any problems in the three years they are on the machines. If and when I break one I can evaluate the failure and see if another brand is prone or immune from that kind of failure. Until that time I will still keep trying to break my HF hitches under my normal use/abuse.

I'm with you, plus the one I just a couple months ago required no grinding. Maybe China's quality control is starting to catch up with production.

 

[ovrszd]

I think under most use a HF or Northern Tool or any of the other cheaper cost QH's are fine.

I've got a CAT I Northern Tool hitch that I've bent. Where the lower hooks are fastened to the frame they used 1/4" plate and it's not boxed in. The hitch bent laterally. I think I bent it using a BB but not sure. The higher end QH's are built stronger in this area and are boxed. Is that worth the extra cost?? Depends on how hard you are gonna use it.

As for the value of having one. It's a no brainer to me. Modify any attachments that need it to fit the QH you buy and you'll rarely take it off.

The PAT'S is an improvement if you don't have extendable arms, but as stated you still are getting off/on the tractor to hook the top link.

I change rear attachments very frequently so get a lot of use out of the QH. Yesterday I picked up and moved a gooseneck trailer with the ball I mounted to the top of my QH. Then picked up a 3pt mounted 300 gallon water tank used to sprinkle the road for dust control and dumped a load of water. Then picked up a ballast box and moved some heavy rocks with the FEL. All without getting off the tractor or using a single pin or telescoping stabilizers or any of the other "solutions". Again,, it's a no brainer if you use your 3pt a lot.

 

[Illini22]

I have no welder and minimal skills ( compared to people here. My hf qh has been outstanding. The only thing that i can't use it on is a kk rake that was welded from the factory at the wrong spacing. Someday I'll have a buddy change it with his welder. The quality has been fine. I thought the springs that are part of the levers would of broke by now but it's holding up fine.

 

[radioman]

Well -- let me give another :2cents: - I think its much better to learn how hooking up with and without quick hitches for lets say one year. Then go ahead and get one. You might either its a night and day thing or its the right tool. You just gotta understand your tractor in and outs first and when you add on stuff afterwards - your knowledge/experience just goes up exponentially .

 

[LouieJunior]

The sales brochure for my tractor (JD4105-2011) says it is not compatible with iMatch Autohitch. Any idea what would make it incompatible? I have a dozen or more category-1 3-point attachments that seem to work fine. I do occasionally struggle to swap out attachments and would appreciate an easier approach -- if one of the easy hitches will work on my tractor, I'd get it.

 

[Fallon]

Autohitch takes the quick hitch to the next level. It automatically hooks up the PTO shaft. It looks like it has a PTO shaft running from the tractor to the Autohitch & I'd assume the PTO shaft on an autohitch spec implement would be hard mounted at the same relative position.

Check out the last half of the first video... The first half is just standard quick hitch stuff.
Operational Videos

 

[yelbike]

The sales brochure for my tractor (JD4105-2011) says it is not compatible with iMatch Autohitch. Any idea what would make it incompatible? I have a dozen or more category-1 3-point attachments that seem to work fine. I do occasionally struggle to swap out attachments and would appreciate an easier approach -- if one of the easy hitches will work on my tractor, I'd get it.

Pick one up, I don't know your tractor but can't see why it wouldn't work. Most places will take them back if it doesn't work out.

 

[yelbike]

Autohitch takes the quick hitch to the next level. It automatically hooks up the PTO shaft. It looks like it has a PTO shaft running from the tractor to the Autohitch & I'd assume the PTO shaft on an autohitch spec implement would be hard mounted at the same relative position.

Check out the last half of the first video... The first half is just standard quick hitch stuff.
Operational Videos

I spoke to my Deere salesman, he told me after selling some 400 I match hitches he's only sold one auto hitch. Very limited amount of implements fit( I think 3)and cost is too high.

 

[bandaidmd]

The HF hitch i got a few weeks ago needed some work on the top hook, the groove was not parallel where the pin would slide up and down. I took the bandsaw and shaved it off so it was square. This is my 2nd HF hitch( the other is at least 5 years old) this one has the cat 3 sized lower hooks that need the bushings where the old one didn't need them. They have made them a little wider but it still wasn't wide enough for my non QH implements so I cut the box tubeing crossbar and added 3/4" on each side.

 

[ovrszd]

They have made them a little wider but it still wasn't wide enough for my non QH implements so I cut the box tubeing crossbar and added 3/4" on each side.

I would have never thought of doing that. Should work great as long as you stay with the same attachments. Only down side I can see is if you buy another attachment that's made to CAT I specs, your QH is gonna be too wide. Thinkin outta the box though!!!

 

[bandaidmd]

I would have never thought of doing that. Should work great as long as you stay with the same attachments. Only down side I can see is if you buy another attachment that's made to CAT I specs, your QH is gonna be too wide. Thinkin outta the box though!!!

actually 28 1/2 seems to be right at the upper limit for i match/ qh if not a set of long pins will be a quick fix.

 

[stuckmotor]

I think under most use a HF or Northern Tool or any of the other cheaper cost QH's are fine.

I've got a CAT I Northern Tool hitch that I've bent. Where the lower hooks are fastened to the frame they used 1/4" plate and it's not boxed in. The hitch bent laterally. I think I bent it using a BB but not sure. The higher end QH's are built stronger in this area and are boxed. Is that worth the extra cost?? Depends on how hard you are gonna use it.

As for the value of having one. It's a no brainer to me. Modify any attachments that need it to fit the QH you buy and you'll rarely take it off.

I change rear attachments very frequently so get a lot of use out of the QH. Yesterday I picked up and moved a gooseneck trailer with the ball I mounted to the top of my QH. Then picked up a 3pt mounted 300 gallon water tank used to sprinkle the road for dust control and dumped a load of water. Then picked up a ballast box and moved some heavy rocks with the FEL. All without getting off the tractor or using a single pin or telescoping stabilizers or any of the other "solutions". Again,, it's a no brainer if you use your 3pt a lot.

Are you using the HF hitch on the big Kubota or the little Deere? I'm trying to figure out if one would hold up on my MF which is between your tractors in size.

 

[RoyJackson]

I had the Pat's Easy Change on a Deere 790 for several years. That is a great system that fits any implement with no modifications. As one TBNer wrote, you'll still need to dismount the tractor to hook up the top link...but with any QH, you'll have to get off to hook up the PTO drive shaft anyway.
The Pat's System went when I traded the 790 for a 4400 Deere. I bought the Deere QH (iMatch) when I bought the 4400.

Personally, I think they're all pretty much the same, but if I had to do it over, I'd have either kept the Pat's system or got a QH with an adjustable top hook (my Deere brand QH top hook is welded in place.

No matter which type or brand you buy, they'll all make it a lot easier to hook up an implement...especially something like a rotary cutter. Before I got the Pat's system, hooking up a cutter was one of the most aggravating tasks I could do...lots of cursing and other bad things.

 

[bcp]

If I didn't have a quick hitch, I would build frames from which to hang all my implements, so they could swing easily for hookup.

Bruce

 

[Sysop]

I personally find having telescoping lower links makes connecting such a breeze, anything else is a waste of money unless all you deal with are non-PTO implements. If you need to get off the tractor to connect the PTO anyway, the typical quick hitch is just more to work around and get in the way. Telescoping lower links for me any day!

 

[bcp]

Telescopic lower links are nice if you have them or can afford them.

I just checked on Ebay. The two inner and two outer sections that fits lots of JD tractors would cost $800-900 plus shipping. (I didn't check farther into it--brands, etc., just what came up on the first page.)

Bruce

 

[PhysAssist]

Telescopic lower links are nice if you have them or can afford them.

I just checked on Ebay. The two inner and two outer sections that fits lots of JD tractors would cost $800-900 plus shipping. (I didn't check farther into it--brands, etc., just what came up on the first page.)

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

EXACTLY! By the time I got the telescoping stabilizers and Pat's EZ change, I'd be out close to $400, and STILL be needing to get off and move all the gear around. The other QH's are at a minimum twice the cost I paid for the HF QH on sale with 20% off.

If my HF QH does ever break, I will be the first to post it here and then I will be hard put to decide whether to take the time to fix it, or just buy another one.

BTW, if you don't have any of the 20% off coupons handy, you can always Google "Harbor Freight Digital Savings" and print one from the website.

Thomas