Quick Hitch

[gerard]

Anyone have pros/cons, real life experieince with the quick hitch's? I like the idea of buying one unit ($200) that will work on all the 3 pt implements as opposed to the freedom hitch where you need to buy the tractor part and then an implement part for each piece. Just too expensive for my needs. Do I just have to make sure all my implement pins are spaced about the same so the quick hitch will fit? I can justify $200 but not the $1000 it would cost me to go with a freedom hitch system. (I tried to do a search w/o any luck 'cause I thought this had been visited before.)

 

[MChalkley]

I'm surprised you didn't find any hits in your search - maybe it was thrashed thoroughly in the previous incarnation of this board, but I do remember it being discussed a number of times.

The only types of quick hitches I personally know of are the SpeCo (or is it SpeeCo?) (also sold by Landpride under their name - at least they look identical), the Freedom Hitch, and the Delta Hitch.

I had a SpeCo hitch that I bought 7 or 8 years ago lying in the woods until I gave it away a few months ago. Some folks like them fine - their value to me is the going rate of scrap metal minus what it would cost me to transport it to the salvage yard. It would only work with 2 of the 5 implements I wanted to use it with, so it was far easier to do without it. I would suggest you look at one, measure the attachment points, and very carefully measure all of your implements. Especially take note of the fact that it has to have room to slide up vertically several inches to engage the pins. If it will work with your implements, you'll probably like it fine, of course, otherwise it's junk. Another thing you should think about is that there's a lot of slop with this hitch, so I wouldn't make any great plans to do any real fine grading or delicate operations with it.

The Delta Hitch is very similar to the Freedom Hitch, except that it costs more, so that puts it out of contention in my book.

That leaves the Freedom Hitch. It's more expensive than the SpeCo model, as you say. But if ever there were a case of getting what you pay for, I'd say the Freedom Hitch is it. Mine causes a sensation every place I go - any time there are folks around who have spent much time hooking up implements the hard way, they just stand and marvel over the ease of use. Frankly, I still feel pretty much that way every time I use it myself. Still, if you don't change implements often, or don't have the money, it's not worth it, is it? I wouldn't give mine up - I'll tell you that.

MarkC

 

[DVerbarg]

MarkC,

Does anyone else besides yourself use the Freedom hitch? My wife would use the tractor more if the implements were easier to hookup. Right now she will use them - only if I do the hookup. The freedom hitch looks great but am a little leary of investing that much money without knowing how well it works.

Have a box, blade, finish mower, and rotary mower. Some days I switch between three of the four and it gets a little old. With the way the freedom hitch looks on the website I might just switch for the fun of it (or to show off to some knuckle bangin' friend /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif).

DaveV

 

[MChalkley]

DaveV,

I'm by no means the only one here that uses the Freedom Hitch. JackinIL uses them and he's an even bigger critic of equipment than I am /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. I know there are others, but I can't remember who they are at the moment. (Muhammad, how about a way to search the bio pages?)

I really wish you could see them for yourself. That would clinch it for you. They're amazing - that's the only way to describe it. Two things to remember, though: You need to be able to set the front of an implement like a blade on something for it to work right. In other words, it needs to be supported and not rest directly on the ground. Secondly, you'll still need to hook up the PTO shaft the normal way, where necessary, of course.

If you have any other questions, I'm sure one of us will be happy to answer them.

MarkC

 

[Rch]

http://www.bubco.com/QuickHitches.asp is a quick hitch similar in design to a Freedom Hitch, I'd be interested if someone has had first hand experience with this.

RCH

 

[Billc]

Thanks for that web sight Rch. I order some info from them this morning.

Mark is right about the Freedom Hitch. I wanted get one but I have too many things to spend money on right now. However, my neighbor who has chicken houses saw the video and bought the Freedom Hitch and 3 hookups. He loves it!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I bought a freedom hitch from www.easternfarmmachinery.com we have seasonal employees for our landscaping business and they haven't been able to wreck it yet. I paid $145.00 for each piece.

 

[W5FL]

I had a really hard time hooking up implements (and my wife quit trying) with my Massey.

With my Kubota M6800, it has extendable lower links, adjustable pins in the stabilizers, good emergency brake, and I have a top hydraulic link. Yes, a quick hitch could be a little faster, but it is hardly any effort to hook them up now. The PTO shaft takes longer than the 3 point to hook up. I think Kubota has done a nice job on this in their new tractor designs. I am sure if I did landscaping or for hire work, I would feel that the cost of a quick hitch had a quick return on investment.

 

[Billc]

Just got some info on the Bubco quick hitch. They have a video tape they're sending. I got some price quotes and they seem really high. Think you need a hydrolic top link as well. Will take more time to study tonight.

 

[roysallis]

A Bubco rep just called me and is sending a video and other info. He has already received several requests for info due to their web site being put on this forum. I invited him to join the site.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I purchased a SpeeCo Cat. 1 Quick Hitch from Northern Tools & Equipment about a week ago. I purchased 6 implements from Howse the week before that and had difficulty attaching them to the tractor by myself. The Quick Hitch attached to all but the dirt scoop. I welded a 1 1/4" rod across the dirt scoop and it fit perfectly.

Now all I have to do is back up to the implement and the Quick Hitch snaps on the lower pins. I get off the tractor and raise or lower the 3 point hitch to align the top link, put in the pin and I am all hooked up.

There is clearance attaching the bottom link pins which doesn't do any harm in most cases, but I made 1 1/2" by 7/8" bushings to slide over the lower arm pins, just in case I ever need them.

I am real pleased with this hitch for the money.

 

[Billc]

Update: Got the Quick Hitch video the other day. Looks like a great system. But it is WAY more expensive than the Freedom Hitch and works about the same way. Main difference is the Quick Hitch needs a hydrolic top link.

 

[Rch]

Billc, on the web site it looks like the attachment of the implement device to the 2 lower points on the implement utilize something other than the usual category 1 pins.Does the video shed any light on this? See figues 1 & 2 at the bottom of the link http://www.bubco.com/QuickHitches.asp

RCH

 

[roysallis]

A few days ago I got the video and it made it more understandable. I could not tell how it connected from looking at the web site or the brochure. The video is very helpful. I like the hydraulic top link. It has a gauge on it that will be helpful in setting the tilt of the equipment at the same place each time use it. I wish I could afford it but it would cost me about $2000 to get it set up for the equipment that I have now. Another feature is that the attachment for the implement can be welded on or bolted on. If anyone buys this please post your evaluation of it.

 

[Billc]

RCH,

Saw the video several days ago. Can't remember how the implement half of hitch system atached to implement.

My general impression is the hook up was very similar to that of the Freedom Hitch. They both use triangles. The Quick Hitch did require a hydro top link where the Freedom Hitch does not.

One thing I did not like about the Quick Hitch...other than the cost...was the release mechanism. When you want to remove an implement from your tractor you back in to where you want to disconnect from your box blade say. You lower the box blade to the ground and there is a long rope that runs from the Quick Hitch to the tractor's cab. You pull the rope which opens the lock allowing you to disconnect from the implement.

If I remember right the Freedom Hitch has a metal handle you have to move to release the implement. To do so requires you to turn around in your seat, no big deal. I don't like the idea of a rope dangling between my hitch and the cab. In referring to the "cab", I don't have an enclosed cab, rather I'm referring to the area where I sit. Around my tractor seat I have a hammer, a couple of water bottles, 2 pair of gloves, couple of pair of safty glasses, a dust mask, ant killer, cell phone, etc. It gets crowded! When I am going down a bumpy hill the stuff has a tendency to slid forward and drop to the foot deck....if I am lucky I catch the item(s) before they drop off to the ground. I need to build a storage bin(s) into the canopy. That's a Winter project. Anyway, having a rope dangling there too just doesn't make too much sense. I get in heavy brush sometimes and I know that rope will catch on something.

I think the Freedom Hitch is a better product. I thought it was too much money. I have 8 implements. But after seeing the Quick Hitch maybe the Freedom Hitch isn't so bad after all.

Someone several months back mentioned the fact that to have a belly and have the Freedom Hitch didn't make too much sense. The poster actually thought that maybe manually doing the implements by hand was a form of good exercise. My wife saw that post!!! Worse still, she agreed with the poster!!! Celery anyone?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Billc on 10/9/00 07:01 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[MChalkley]

BillC - I realize I'm a little strange (well, a lot strange), but I'd say that to still have all your fingers, fingernails, toes, and toenails and not have a Freedom Hitch doesn't make much sense. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Here's a story I told once on the old board, but most of the current members may not have heard it. It relates to the reason I originally started looking for a quick-hitch-type product. Originally, my reason had nothing to do with the amount of work involved, and little to do with the time involved - my concern was safety. What happened was this: At the time, I had a couple helpers who helped me get implements on and off, so I wasn't even getting off the tractor, not even to connect the PTO shaft, so it's hard to get much easier than that. But one of the guys was a little spastic and when we were putting the 8' blade on one time, he started excitedly giving me instructions on how to manipulate the 3-point hitch. At one point, he was repeatedly saying "Raise it up!" so he could get his side link onto the pin. I put my hand on the lever to do so, then said to myself "Wait a minute, what's the other guy doing?" I looked at the guy on the left side, and he was so distracted by the guy on the right that he had left his hand on top of the left side link and it was right beneath the pin on the blade. So, if I had raised it up, I'd have crushed his hand. I immediately made a new "law": There shall never be more than one person at a time helping me hook up implements. And I started looking for a way that would allow me to do it without any help at all, at least for the dangerous part. They still help out, but they get to stand and watch while the hard part is now made easy, then, after the implement is on, one of them steps in and hooks up the PTO shaft. Of course, I often have to do all this alone and then I really appreciate the main reason most folks would want them - it's easier on me!

MarkC

 

[Rch]

Thanks Billc, sounds like Quick Hitch is pretty much the same but more expensive than Freedom Hitch even considering the hydraulic toplink. Do they break down pricing of the various components?

RCH

 

[Billc]

Rch, yea, they do. Unfortunatly I threw the stuff away. After watching the video I knew I was getting the Freedom Hitch.

Mark, I know what you mean. I don't like anyone (my wife mainly) helping me do the implements. At first I thought it was best to have her line up the lower links and start them on. But she left her hands on the lower links as I raise and lowered them. I kept trying to explain the consequeces. Then I smartly decided that it was better to let her drive the tractor and raise and lower the lower links. After the third time the lower links moved up or down without me saying for them to move I fired my wife from that job. I'm back to doing it by myself. Not to bad, but when we sell the next house a Freedom Hitch will be my reward.

 

[jmainel1]

I bought one of these for my Massey Ferguson GC2310TLB. Got it for $50 at Harbor Freight Tools. Works great so far...plus if you the triangle type quick hitch you have to buy the plate for all your implements, this one hooks onto any ASE type attachment. Can't beat it...

 

[JiminGa]

I got a JD I-match at Christmas and really like it, only thing is as stated before, your implements have to be made to standards. BTW JD's website shows this one as well...
John Deere Compact Tractor Attachments and Accessories