Question for "Quick Hitch" Users

[Biggreenavalanche]

Question for those of you that utilize one of the "quick hitch" systems....Is it worth changing over ? If you don't mind, some pro's/con's ?

I have a Mahindra 4035, considering a swap to some sort of "quick hitch"...50 year old, bad back, tractor prim use is bush hogging, food plot maint, and some clearing and some dirt work...

Thanks in advance,

Rich

 

[dusty3030]

I used a JD Imatch, not the latest one, fixed top hook.

ITS AWESOME. Fix all your stuff to work with it, and forget it.

Benefits for me:
1. My back, safety - I don't have anyone to help me.
2. Time - I work a full time job and then some, the time saved for me doing the job instead of getting ready to do the job means actually being able to get it done before midnight.
3. Move stuff easy - I'll have stuff lined up sometimes, I can grab an implement and move it out of the way in order to get to something else easily.

Hope this helps. With a conventional quick hitch and hydraulic top link I can most times not get out of the seat to change implements.

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

Dusty,

Thanks for the quick answer...had a sneaky feeling the answers to my questions would end up costing me $$$ !! Other than the initial set up for your implements, any down side ? Ever had an implement come undone during use ?

Rich

 

[Sysop]

I've always been curious about the quick hitches too. I've always set implements off onto pallets or woodblocks or whatever to keep them off the ground and to make them easy to back up to for reconnecting. The hardest part of reconnecting has always been backing tractors up so both lower arms lined up with the pins. My Mahindra has the "nicer" links with the ends that will unlock and telescope slightly to help getting both sides connected even when the tractor is a bit "off". I've never had much issue reconnecting with these.

Besides not having to install the lynch pins on the lower arms, how does the quickhitch stuff help? Don't you still need to climb off the tractor and attach the top link and PTO? Either I'm missing something or the main benefit I see is the fact it gets the implements a couple inches farther from the rear tires and gives more room to work. Not needing to install the lower lynch pins seems like a minimal timesaver.

The main reason I've considered quickhitch kits is due to the PTO extender making the PTO release easier to get to as my tractor has a rigid PTO shield rather than hinged.

 

[vabiker23518]

I received a quick hitch when I purchased a used tractor and some implements. I tried it; but to me, its easier to not use it. Agree with Sysop, the hardest part is lining up the lower arms and pins...but I find it easier than the quick hitch.

 

[orangeandgreen]

I like the speed with which I can hook up my QH compatible implements. Back up, lift the implement, flip the locks down from the seat, hook up the PTO shaft : DONE.
Unfortunately, some of my implements aren't QH compatible, so I either use the adapter bracket for the top link or completely remove the QH for my CAT 2 implements.
All that to say if all your implements are compatible I think you will love it, if not, you will have mixed feelings.

 

[murphy1244]

I bought a Land Pride QH and had it now for 6 months. I would not go without one now. I have most of my implements on skids with wheels. All I have to do is back up in the barn pull up the skid, Pull up the handles and disconnect the PTO if used. Go to next implement and hook up and go.

 

[Sysop]

orangeandgreen: You can hook the PTO shaft up from the seat too? How's this work? In the "backing up" part, is there something that makes backing up with quickhitch easier? I guess my question is, if you can't get it lined up with standard hitches, how would lining it up with quickhitches be easier? Lining it all up was where I had the most difficulty and what led me to initially start looking at how quickhitches may help.

All I have to do is adjust the width for whatever attachment I'm putting on, hop on the tractor, back it up within a few inches, hop down and kick the releases for the lower arms and slide them on the pins and pop in the lynch pins, connect the PTO and top link, make whatever top link adjustments I want, hop on the tractor and lift the implement or backup to lock the lower arms and off I go. Now that I've gotten a good bit of practice at it, my average time for changing (removing and installing) implements is about 4-7 minutes (depending on which implements I'm changing between) and still, when it takes me longer it's cause I can't get backed into it properly.

I'm not spry, and I'm rather battered but not to the point of a disability.

 

[dusty3030]

I've always been curious about the quick hitches too. I've always set implements off onto pallets or woodblocks or whatever to keep them off the ground and to make them easy to back up to for reconnecting. The hardest part of reconnecting has always been backing tractors up so both lower arms lined up with the pins. My Mahindra has the "nicer" links with the ends that will unlock and telescope slightly to help getting both sides connected even when the tractor is a bit "off". I've never had much issue reconnecting with these.

Besides not having to install the lynch pins on the lower arms, how does the quickhitch stuff help? Don't you still need to climb off the tractor and attach the top link and PTO? Either I'm missing something or the main benefit I see is the fact it gets the implements a couple inches farther from the rear tires and gives more room to work. Not needing to install the lower lynch pins seems like a minimal timesaver.

The main reason I've considered quickhitch kits is due to the PTO extender making the PTO release easier to get to as my tractor has a rigid PTO shield rather than hinged.

Top link, no, the top link hook on my quick hitch hooks right up.
PTO, yes, you have to get off and hook or unhook the PTO.

I've got a hydraulic top link, I adjust it from the seat.

If I had a sub compact or smaller sized tractor it wouldn't be as much of a difference, but since my stuff is heavy and not easy to manhandle quick hitch makes me more productive.

The bigger the tractor and the bigger the implements the more difference it makes.

 

[Sysop]

The bigger the tractor and the bigger the implements the more difference it makes.

That makes gobs of sense.

Although even though my stuff is small by comparison to many, it's too much for me to "manhandle". If I don't line it up right, I have to start over.