Improving 3pt hitch

[Mosey]

I’ve read some of the posts on quick hitches and the freedom hitch. After looking at the quick hitches, like the one in the Northern catalog <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=7807&prmenbr=6970>http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=7807&prmenbr=6970</A>, I was wondering if it would make sense to just replace the eyelets on the 3pt arms and top link with the same type of hook used on the quick hitch. That way you wouldn’t have to spread the lower arms apart and fit them over the pins, you could just back up to the implement so the arms are under the pins, then raise the arms to hook it up, then latch it (with some mechanism). It seems like the hardest part of hooking up an implement is having to hold the lower 3pt arms apart while getting them to the correct height to slide the eyelets onto the pins, especially if the tractor isn’t level. Same idea for the top link, just lower it onto the pin from the top and latch it. This would eliminate having to remove the pin, line up the eyelet, then put the pin back in. Does this make any sense to anyone?

 

[EdKing]

<font color=blue>I was wondering if it would make sense to just replace the eyelets on the 3pt arms and top link with the same type of hook used on the quick hitch</font color=blue>

The problem I see with doing that is you would lose the play allowed by the eyelets. They allow for a certain amount of top to bottom and foward to reverse play.

 

[mikim]

with the ball assy in the eyelets you get the fexibility of tilt - might lose it your way

 

[gmason]

one of the things I've tried is to move the pins on a few of my tools to point inward. This way you still have the flexability of the pins and eyes, but much easier to connect. I've not notice any different in using my box scraper or finish mower with this opin set up.

gary

 

[Chuck52]

Mosey,

Since I don't have a concrete floor in my shed, and even the "level" spots on bare ground never really are, I usually have to mess with the problem of uneven pin positions. I find that if I first connect the non-adjustable arm, I can usually get the adjustable arm in position and then even things up after the implement is connected. If I get stuck somehow, I will just disconnect the arm at the lift end, swing it around, and then adust it to the pin position. If I'm anywhere near square in the other direction, this usually gets me hooked up with only minor shifts of the tractor or implement. With my old L210, I can leave it in neutral and move it to the implement by leaning on the rear tire....the big old ag treads make that easy. My 60" KK tiller is the hardest implement to hook up, but with this technique I get there without killing myself. On dirt or gravel, moving the tractor after one side is connected, as described above, will often rotate the tiller in the desired direction too, if I didn't come at it quite square with the tractor.

Chuck