Pat's Easy Change Pat's Easy Change System - Order Online!

[kco]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change System - Order Online!

I installed the Easy Change on my DK35 (CAT 1) one month ago and highly recommend it. I bought the spacer bar but find I don't need it since my implements' pins seem to have similar widths.

I back into the implement making sure the left hook is aligned and raise the hook to latch or, if the right arm is slightly off, just raise it so the right hook is slightly below the washer. If the right arm does need aligning I just move it over and latch it in using the DK's remote 3 point control or by lifting the arms by hand. I have probably used the hitch about 20 times and perhaps needed to make the right-hand adjustment 2 or 3 of those times. The hitch always releases properly by just lowering the arms.

After reading others' problems with mounting bolts I rechecked mine this morning by losening the jam nut and tightening the mounting bolt. They were fine, and I think I have put them through demanding conditions, ripping about 1,000' of rocky trails with my cultivator and using the rotary mower on rough terrain.

Here are photos using the cultivator.





This is some of the rocks from the 50' section. I included the glove to show what the cultivator can rip out. It ripped out larger rocks than those shown here.




As Gale Hawkins and gwdixon mentioned, I retightened the alignment bolts a few times and believe they may have finished settling-in.

The alignment bolts were longer than required for my tractor and stuck out more than I liked, so I shortened and reinstalled them all after fine-tuning the alignment.

I agree with Dan Dargeloh's statement: "Too bad the manufacturers don't make snap couplers an option. I'm sure it would be VERY popular, especially on these smaller tractors."

Although I have only used the couplers a short that use has been fairly severe. I think the Easy Hitch will work well for me and I wish I'd bought it sooner.

 

[newbury]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change System - Order Online!

Just a quick note to praise customer service.
In moving my PEC's from Virginia to Mississippi (off the tractor) I lost a pair of shims and the pin for them on one side.

A quick email to Greenwell Mfg. requesting purchase info for a complete set resulted in the pair and shim being put in the mail the next business day and in my mailbox a few days later.

Quick and easy, just like the PECs.

 

[kco]

Just a quick note to praise customer service.
In moving my PEC's from Virginia to Mississippi (off the tractor) I lost a pair of shims and the pin for them on one side.

A quick email to Greenwell Mfg. requesting purchase info for a complete set resulted in the pair and shim being put in the mail the next business day and in my mailbox a few days later.

Quick and easy, just like the PECs.

+1....One of the 10 bent washers (I ordered 2 extra pairs in addition to the standard 3 that comes with a hitch) was missing. I sent an email and promptly received 6 washers in the mail. I sent an email offering to pay for the extra 5. I did not get a reply so assume they meant to send the extras.

 

[tmanpdx]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change System - Order Online!

I bought a set of Pat's easy change couplers (category 2 to category 1). They went on easy enough, but looked kinda like a cobble job when mounted. Mounting equipment proved to be easier, but not by much. If one has cement to park the equipment on where it will stay level and can't settle, they should work fine. Unfortunately, I don't have that privilege, so it usually took help to get everything hooked up. I will say unhooking was alot easier with the Pat's system. I'm not a hobby farmer, so my tractor gets used and not babied. After some time with a 3pt disc and box scraper behind it, going thru ditches and rough ground, I noticed the snap couplers were loose on the lift arms. The jam bolts that are suppose to hold the couplers tight on the lift arms (also align them) are cheap soft steel and had mushroomed on the ends where they contact the lift arms. On one, the drift pin that holds the shim in the bottom of the coupler had came out with the subsequent loss of the shim. Once the bolts start mushrooming, that really lets the couplers try to sway on the arms (the ball in the arm is wider that the arm, so the couplers try to rock on the arms) and causes even greater mushrooming. This makes the removal of the snap couplers a real pain! I was going to put it back together with grade 8 bolts, but decided if they mushroomed I would be in real trouble and would probably have to use a torch to remove the couplers if needed. Therefore I decided to leave them off and go back to the old way. Now I have a couple of expensive door stops. My advice is if you are going to use your tractor under less than ideal conditions, leave it the way it is. If you are a hobby farmer who enjoys playing with equipment, then the Pat's system will probably make your day!

I agree with everything here & will add a few additional comments. I've spent > $250 getting a new shaft on my PTO mower deck after it came loose in the field. Ok, I thought, I didn't check the length of my shaft like I should have, so after getting new longer shaft welded on, and losing a week in the process, I went out & tried to mow.

I emphasize try. When backing up, PEC disconnected twice in less than 30 minutes. From what I can tell, the special washer & pin rotate about 90 degrees, and then the something caused the pin/and or washer to let loose. Again, I'm guessing because the only thing I noticed is the hole on PEC was 90 degrees from where it was when I started. Let me tell you, trying to remount these in the field is a PITA. And after the 2nd time, I just said screw it and replaced took them off in the field.

I will echo Dan's complaint that uneven ground requires you to adjust the PTO arms because the clearance of PEC is not much. You only have 2-3 inches to play with, so the time I'm off/on the tractor, I could have easily just hooked it up without PEC.

Since you have so little room to play with (2-3" at most), you will also find that you'll be getting on/off the tractor to adjust the sway bars to they line up to your implement's arms. I am not such an expert backer that I can accurately back up with that accuracy. If you had a helper who could adjust the bars horizontally in the last few inches, it would help, but then why have PEC in the first place?

I know there are lots of satisfied customers here for PEC, so obviously some are getting use out of them. But for me, they don't work and in all honesty are more work than I had before. I get on/off the tractor MORE, and them coming lose in the field was the last straw.

 

[Dan Dargeloh]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change System - Order Online!

tmanpdx, $250 for a new PTO shaft was cheap! I had a new one made to replace the old "el cheapo" that came on my 6' Rhino. Cost me a little over $600. But the new shaft puts the old one to shame and will probably outlast 3 or 4 shredders. I also installed a slip clutch from TSC to eliminate the fairly frequent failure of the soft shear bolts. The tractor I have it on, a 5303 John Deere works real well for mowing ditches, as it will crawl as slow as 1.2 mph, and has way more than enough horsepower. Now if I can ever get used to that green paint!

 

[GManBart]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change System - Order Online!

I agree with everything here & will add a few additional comments. I've spent > $250 getting a new shaft on my PTO mower deck after it came loose in the field. Ok, I thought, I didn't check the length of my shaft like I should have, so after getting new longer shaft welded on, and losing a week in the process, I went out & tried to mow.

I emphasize try. When backing up, PEC disconnected twice in less than 30 minutes. From what I can tell, the special washer & pin rotate about 90 degrees, and then the something caused the pin/and or washer to let loose. Again, I'm guessing because the only thing I noticed is the hole on PEC was 90 degrees from where it was when I started. Let me tell you, trying to remount these in the field is a PITA. And after the 2nd time, I just said screw it and replaced took them off in the field.

I will echo Dan's complaint that uneven ground requires you to adjust the PTO arms because the clearance of PEC is not much. You only have 2-3 inches to play with, so the time I'm off/on the tractor, I could have easily just hooked it up without PEC.

Since you have so little room to play with (2-3" at most), you will also find that you'll be getting on/off the tractor to adjust the sway bars to they line up to your implement's arms. I am not such an expert backer that I can accurately back up with that accuracy. If you had a helper who could adjust the bars horizontally in the last few inches, it would help, but then why have PEC in the first place?

I know there are lots of satisfied customers here for PEC, so obviously some are getting use out of them. But for me, they don't work and in all honesty are more work than I had before. I get on/off the tractor MORE, and them coming lose in the field was the last straw.

You didn't get the adjustable stabilizer bar did you? If you have one, you can pretty much set the width to match the implement, and not have to get off/on the tractor more than once.

 

[Dan Dargeloh]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change System - Order Online!

That adjustable stabilizer bar works well under level conditions, AND if you are real good at backing up straight and even. The video makes it look like it works like a charm. In real life it ain't as easy as it looks!

 

[tmanpdx]

I fabricated my own adjustable bar (3/4 PVC w/dowels screwed in at the appropriate distance) - so the problem is not maintaining the appropriate width - the problem is that your side-to-side movement and ability to back up to an implement within the 2-3" clearance you have. I simply can not back up my tractor that accurately, particularly over uneven ground.

 

[rbrb561]

how can I tell if the stock top link on a 2013 L 3200 will work or how do I measure it before ordering, thanks

 

[kco]

Set your top link to the longest length you use for your mowers, etc. Then extend it a total of 4"(2" on each end) . If it will not extend that far with a suitable amount of thread still in the barrel (6 full threads--others correct me if I am wrong), then you need a longer top link.