Quick Hitches Cat I or II quick hitch?

[jeffxjet]

I wanna pick up a quick hitch and my tractor has cat II on it. Does it make sense to get a cat II quick hitch or should I get a cat I? I already have one cat I attachment that I fixed with bushings to get on the cat II hookup.

 

[greg_g]

You have to be careful when selecting these three point quick hitches. I much prefer the lower lift arm type like Pat's Easy Change. Besides pin diameter differences between/among categories, there are hitch geometry differences. A true Cat II QH will have lower arms that are a nominal 32" apart, as opposed to the 26" Cat I spec. The Cat II toplink pin location will be higher too, and the QH itself should be rated to pick up heavier stuff than does Cat 1. And to confuse things even further, there are some QH out there that purport to be Cat I/II.

My best advice is to measure twice, cut once.

//greg//

 

[jeffxjet]

That's what I found from my research. I was wondering if it made more sense to get the cat I QH and modify it with bushings to fit my cat II hookup because there is greater availability of cat I implements. Or is it better to get cat II QH and modify the attachments to fit the QH. As you said the internal spacing is my big concern.

 

[gwdixon]

That's what I found from my research. I was wondering if it made more sense to get the cat I QH and modify it with bushings to fit my cat II hookup because there is greater availability of cat I implements. Or is it better to get cat II QH and modify the attachments to fit the QH. As you said the internal spacing is my big concern.

If you get the Pat's it can be adjusted to all dimensions. With the Pat's CAT 2 all you'd need is a couple of CAT 2->1 bushings for the lift pins.

To be especially fancy, buy enough bushings for all the CAT 1 lift pins on all your implements and leave the lynch pins/washers/bushings in place.

The special washers can be purchased or made using a regular washer with a small washer bent and tack welded on to hold the lynch pin.

A more expensive solution is to buy CAT 2 lift pins and just replace the CAT 1 pins.

I had a couple of the fixed frame quick hitches and ended up selling them because of their lack of adaptability.

 

[TractorTidy]

Also remember that the reason that your tractor has a Cat. 2 hitch is because it is a utility tractor, not a compact utility. All compacts have Cat.1 and utilitys have cat. 2. Keep in mind the HP and wt. of the tractor. It is suited for the heavier cat. 2 implements, not cat 1. So if you use cat. 1 implements on a larger HP, heavier tractor, you run the risk of tearing up the implement(s). That's why there are heavier implements built for cat. 2 tractors and hitches. Bottom line, if you go to a heavier tractor, you need heavier implements.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Also remember that the reason that your tractor has a Cat. 2 hitch is because it is a utility tractor, not a compact utility. All compacts have Cat.1 and utilitys have cat. 2. Keep in mind the HP and wt. of the tractor. It is suited for the heavier cat. 2 implements, not cat 1. So if you use cat. 1 implements on a larger HP, heavier tractor, you run the risk of tearing up the implement(s). That's why there are heavier implements built for cat. 2 tractors and hitches. Bottom line, if you go to a heavier tractor, you need heavier implements.

I agree with this 100%. There is a reason that your JD has a cat 2 hitch, and that is that it needs cat 2 implements. Yes you can use cat 1 stuff, but beware that there is a good chance that it will not hold up to your tractor. If you want to use cat 1 size implements, then maybe you should have bought a smaller tractor. Sort of like putting a finish nail in with an 8 pound sledge hammer. Yes it can be done, but not the best use of the tool.

 

[jeffxjet]

So I guess the question is do I need to look for cat II implements then? I was aware of the need to be careful with the smaller implements. With all the research I've been doing on tillers and box blades and such everything seems to be cat I. Am I needing to focus my search on a whole extra level?

 

[milkman636]

Try to find a Woods dealer in your area that carries some inventory. Their cat2 lineup has worked well on my 5210.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

So I guess the question is do I need to look for cat II implements then? I was aware of the need to be careful with the smaller implements. With all the research I've been doing on tillers and box blades and such everything seems to be cat I. Am I needing to focus my search on a whole extra level?

You bought the tractor, now you really should have the implements that belong behind it. I know first hand that when you use an implement that is too light duty for your tractor, it will get damaged in some manner sooner or later. Yes the cat 2 implements are a lot more money than the cat 1 implements, there is good reason for that. It is not just the actual hitch points that are different.

 

[jeffxjet]

Where do you find them? I was looking at tractor supply and various other websites and all I seem to find is cat I. Do I need to go to a physical location in my AO to find them, at the dealer? Even looking at the online woods catalog it seemed I was seeing all cat I. Was I not looking at the correct section ?