Telescoping Lower Links vs Pat's Easy Change

[RidgeHiker]

Why not get the arms that Kioti has and uses everywhere else in the world, xcept N. America, with the claws already in them? I'm sure the dealer can get them for you.
You may be able to sell the current ones and the new ones may not be all that much more than Pat's with all the bells & whistles. I like Pat's, but the added 4 or 6" can be a problem as you may have to also change the PTO shaft.

Trillium Farm when you say claws are you referring to a hook type connection like Pat's? Are they telescoping?

 

[RidgeHiker]

^^^^^ I concur ^^^^^​

From the hundreds of posts on T-B-N regarding Pat's EZ Change it is clear steel used is good. Few reports of failures.

However, Pat's while adequate for 90% of tractor tasks has only a fraction of the strength of factory telescoping Lower Links.

If you have greater than moderate ground engagement tasks in mind, particularly PUSHING a ground engagement implement in reverse, go with telescoping Lower Links, not Pat's.

Thanks Jeff but the strength of Pat's is not a concern for me.

 

[LouNY]

Although I don't have Pat's, I have what most likely Pat's is based on. The standard European Quick hook style:

View attachment 631656

In my opinion, this style is much stronger than the Pat's one, plus it's already welded on the lift arms, so no extra length there. The ball allows for more freedom of movement to prevent binding on any height position and allows you to offset the implement to one side or the other if it really needs. It will also self latch once the ball gets in.

Now, this style of hook won't need telescoping arms but it will surely benefit from telescopic stabilizers as it prevents the arm from moving around when trying to hook up to an implement.

Why not get the arms that Kioti has and uses everywhere else in the world, xcept N. America, with the claws already in them? I'm sure the dealer can get them for you.
You may be able to sell the current ones and the new ones may not be all that much more than Pat's with all the bells & whistles. I like Pat's, but the added 4 or 6" can be a problem as you may have to also change the PTO shaft.

I believe that Kioti has the Euro styl QH hooks as an option. They simply replace the extendable link slide in part with a slide in hook.

The balls that the Euro hitch connect on are typically left in place on each implement.

Top link QH also pictured.

This style of hitch is similar but better then the Pat's,
If people could see and use them it would end many of the quick hitch / Pats discussions.
They are quick and easy to hitch up,
I back into my implement and depending on how square I am I may get out and use my external
3 pt lift control or many times I will back in and if not perfectly square I'll raise my lift arms so the hook
part is just below the ball and then back up a bit more to line up the other side raise the lift arm,
get out and latch the balls in raise any implement jack connect the top link and go.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

This style of hitch is similar but better then the Pat's,
If people could see and use them it would end many of the quick hitch / Pats discussions.
They are quick and easy to hitch up,
I back into my implement and depending on how square I am I may get out and use my external
3 pt lift control or many times I will back in and if not perfectly square I'll raise my lift arms so the hook
part is just below the ball and then back up a bit more to line up the other side raise the lift arm,
get out and latch the balls in raise any implement jack connect the top link and go.

EXACTLY. Why anyone fights manually lining their implement up is beyond me. This applies to any type quick hitch that I know of.

 

[k0ua]

I vote for telescoping update.

I see no reason to add Pat's to telescoping links.

I think the time difference to hitch an implement, Pat's versus Telescoping, would be measured in a few seconds. Definitely less than a minute.

I have never owned Pat's, but did own Carters which were similar. I now have the OEM Kioti Telescoping links, and really like them. I got rid of the Carters when I got the Kioti. The Carters were far better than the OEM Kubota on the L3400 "standard L" Kubota, but the Telescoping links are superior. YMMV.

 

[RidgeHiker]

Are lift arms pretty standard? For example, would Kubota typically fit Kioti if the lengths were the same?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Are lift arms pretty standard? For example, would Kubota typically fit Kioti if the lengths were the same?

Quick answer, no. Pin sizes, angles, total length can all vary.

What tractor are you dealing with? Your Kioti should have an OEM solution. The fixed links are std for your model, but I would think that they would have an option or 2 for your tractor.

 

[RidgeHiker]

Quick answer, no. Pin sizes, angles, total length can all vary.

What tractor are you dealing with? Your Kioti should have an OEM solution. The fixed links are std for your model, but I would think that they would have an option or 2 for your tractor.

Thanks Brian. I did talk to my dealer recently. They have a telescoping lift arm set including stabilizers which I think are pin adjustable. I hopefully will get more info on it tomorrow. I will also ask if they have anything with the Euro style ends. Asking regarding other makes just to see if a wider choice range is possible.

Am I correct in understanding that you sell the Euro ends that could be welded onto the lift arms though they would not be extendable?

Yes this is for the DK5010. Only one we have.

Richard

 

[TheMan419]

EXACTLY. Why anyone fights manually lining their implement up is beyond me. This applies to any type quick hitch that I know of.

I use the quick hitch as opposed to pats. Getting lined up was an issue the first couple times I used it. It now comes naturally. I am a hobby farm so it is not like I am doing is dozens of times per day. I can hook my tiller or bush hog up in under 3 minutes.

 

[jgedmond]

I have never owned Pat's, but did own Carters which were similar. I now have the OEM Kioti Telescoping links, and really like them. I got rid of the Carters when I got the Kioti. The Carters were far better than the OEM Kubota on the L3400 "standard L" Kubota, but the Telescoping links are superior. YMMV.

^^ +1

I have Pat's on my non-telescoping Mahindra 3PH and they work well with the optional spreader bar.

The Kioti telescoping 3PH arms work very well as is and I see no need to mess with that system unless I were to get the Kioti "Euro-claws".

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Thanks Brian. I did talk to my dealer recently. They have a telescoping lift arm set including stabilizers which I think are pin adjustable. I hopefully will get more info on it tomorrow. I will also ask if they have anything with the Euro style ends. Asking regarding other makes just to see if a wider choice range is possible.

Am I correct in understanding that you sell the Euro ends that could be welded onto the lift arms though they would not be extendable?

Yes this is for the DK5010. Only one we have.

Richard

Yes, I can provide you with the weld on Euro QH hook ends and balls as needed. $250 gets you 2 ends and 4 balls shipped USPS flat rate box.

It is an option for you to consider.

 

[RidgeHiker]

^^ +1

I have Pat's on my non-telescoping Mahindra 3PH and they work well with the optional spreader bar.

The Kioti telescoping 3PH arms work very well as is and I see no need to mess with that system unless I were to get the Kioti "Euro-claws".

So having both types on your tractors do you find one significantly easier, better than the other?

 

[RidgeHiker]

Yes, I can provide you with the weld on Euro QH hook ends and balls as needed. $250 gets you 2 ends and 4 balls shipped USPS flat rate box.

It is an option for you to consider.

Thank you Brian, I will put that in the mix to consider. Right now it's all still stirring around.

 

[jgedmond]

So having both types on your tractors do you find one significantly easier, better than the other?

I have not done a lot of implement changing on the 1 1/2 month old Kioti, but I find it as easy as Pat's to hookup. With Pat's I have to dismount to attach the spreader bar, top link and lock in the side links. With the Kioti, I have to dismount to attach all three points, but it is quite easy, so I would call it a wash.

Others have mentioned that the extra length of the Pat's could be a problem with PTO shaft length, but I have not seen that. The Pat's are bit touchy to install and line up initially and do not have the "balls" for multi-dimensional movement. So, for installation and using I would give the nod to telescoping arms over the Pat's.

 

[hosspuller]

Sure, with a couple of hundred pounds of implement on a compact tractor, small attachment adjustments are easy. When attaching a 1000 + pound implement, telescopic links are a must for me. Being able to back the tractor within 3 inches in any direction is a time & hassle saver. For Deere tractors: extending the links to the pins, then backing up till the links lock is a back & finger saver too. Telescopic draft links are worth the expense IMHO. Recently, Deere has made the telescopic links standard equipment on 5xxx series.

Unlevel attachments as mentioned by jgedmond is important when using back blades and land planes. How well do the hook systems handle the mis-alignment?

 

[jgedmond]

Sure, with a couple of hundred pounds of implement on a compact tractor, small attachment adjustments are easy. When attaching a 1000 + pound implement, telescopic links are a must for me. Being able to back the tractor within 3 inches in any direction is a time & hassle saver. For Deere tractors: extending the links to the pins, then backing up till the links lock is a back & finger saver too. Telescopic draft links are worth the expense IMHO. Recently, Deere has made the telescopic links standard equipment on 5xxx series.

Unlevel attachments as mentioned by jgedmond is important when using back blades and land planes. How well do the hook systems handle the mis-alignment?

I don't think that it was me that mentioned unlevel attachments, but Pat's handles that quite well. Just get the hooks below the lower pin and lift to level the pins and connect. I have more problems when I don't get square and have to push the implement around using the pins. It still works, just a little more trouble. My heaviest implement at the moment is a 900 lb. flail mower, others are 500 - 700 lb.

 

[hosspuller]

I don't think that it was me that mentioned unlevel attachments, but Pat's handles that quite well. Just get the hooks below the lower pin and lift to level the pins and connect. I have more problems when I don't get square and have to push the implement around using the pins. It still works, just a little more trouble. My heaviest implement at the moment is a 900 lb. flail mower, others are 500 - 700 lb.

When you mentioned the lack of ball ends, that's what I envisioned. Having to operate with the implement tilted by the draft links being different heights. Using a land plane on a road, one wants the left side of the plane (in the road center) to be just a bit higher. This creates a crown in the road for water run-off.

 

[Texasmark]

3 of the reasons I bought my first Branson in 2007: Telescoping lift arm tips, telescoping lift arm stabilizers, and a lift control lever at the rear right where you are when you hook up.

I have Pat's on the 3000 and use the Cat II lift arms and adapter. They do extend the load another few inches making for more load to lift. The adjustable link connection between the lift arms (part of the regular price of the kit) is a must for non locking lift arms like the Fords with their floppy chains.....to get the hooks spaced for the width of the pins on the implement to be connected.

They are made to push against the implement for alignment meaning the tractor doesn't have to be perfectly square to the implement when connecting....get the top of the first to contact against that pin and slowly push on the implement (with tractor power) till the other side lines up and lift....connect your top link and away you go.

If you are using a rotary mower or something connecting the ground intermittently, ensuring that the lock nuts on the adapter bolts are secure is a must. If ALL your implements are setup on the standard dimensions then the $99 HF 3 pt would be a great idea.....problem for me is that they aren't...doubt that any 2 are the same.

 

[doneill127]

Been trying to see if there’s an aftermarket supplier of the telescopic arms and haven’t had much luck. Did find this Finnish company that sells both ball ends and the ball end hook quick connect. Don’t know if they have US distributor and shipping would probably make them too expensive. https://lhlift.fi/lataukset/Lower-link-arms_UK.pdf

 

[Trillium Farm]

I believe that Kioti has the Euro styl QH hooks as an option. They simply replace the extendable link slide in part with a slide in hook.
The balls that the Euro hitch connect on are typically left in place on each implement.
Top link QH also pictured.

That's exactly what I was referring to! Also those balls are used when mounting a lower category implement so that the smaller diametre pin fit better without slack.