Quick hitch setup advice

   / Quick hitch setup advice #1  

JHTFarmer

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
180
Location
Lake Charles, La
Tractor
Case DX40
or: "what's wrong with these pictures?"

the main problem is that when I put the hitch in float position, the cross bar for the quick hitch will rest on the PTO shaft (3rd picture). In travel position, everything looks fine (1st picture). I believe the problem has something to do with the way I have the top link connected. It just looks too long. It seems to allow the whole assembly to drift down onto the shaft. There has got to be a better way of setting this up. Unfortunately, no directions came with the hitch. any advice will be well appreciated (the mower is a Woods RD7200, Tractor is a Case DX40)
 

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  • Float position with hitch resting on PTO shaft.jpg
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   / Quick hitch setup advice #2  
One thing that is wrong is that you don't have the lower pin bushings. That lets the front of the mower tip up more than it should. I don't know if it does it enough to cause the problem that you are having or not but I am sure that it will contribute some to it. They are sleeves that take up the slop on the pins.
 
   / Quick hitch setup advice #3  
Is it possible this is due to a design difference in the Speeco Quick Hitch? If you compare it to a JD iMatch or Landpride QuickHitch, I think you will find that the horizontal beam on the Speeco unit is thicker, which may provide less PTO Shaft clearance. I measured my iMatch from the bottom of the horizontal beam to the bottom of the lower hook (inside), it was 14-1/4". I would be curious to see what this measurement is on the Speeco.

As mentioned by JerryG, you should be using a bushing kit as well. There are different ways to accomplish this but I usually use the JD iMatch Bushing Kit (P/N BW15056), which costs around $30. It comes with the lower and upper link bushings. I have attached a picture of the kit. The bushings may give you another 1/2 inch of clearance.

By the way, did that upper link bracket come with the Speeco Quick Hitch? I'm referring to the black bracket that connects the Speeco Quick Hitch to the Floating Upper Link of the mower. I like the looks of this bracket but it looks like you may have to remove the upper hook to use it. I would be curious to see if that works on an iMatch. Landpride has a more simplistic setup but it allows you to leave the hook in place. Landpride QuickHitch Floating Top Link Kit (P/N 320-013A).
 

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   / Quick hitch setup advice #4  
I bought a Woods PRD8400 finish mower and in the manual there is an optional kit for quick hitch use. It has brackets that make the lower lift arm attachment points fixed which would not allow your quick hitch to hit the pto shaft. Hope this helps.

Mike
 
   / Quick hitch setup advice
  • Thread Starter
#5  
JerryG said:
One thing that is wrong is that you don't have the lower pin bushings. .


Thanks, That will be an easy fix, but from the looks of things, I'll still have the problem of the hitch floating down onto the PTO shaft. The solution has got to do something with how the top link is attached.

Rich
 
   / Quick hitch setup advice
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Neophyte said:
the horizontal beam on the Speeco unit is thicker, which may provide less PTO Shaft clearance. I measured my iMatch from the bottom of the horizontal beam to the bottom of the lower hook (inside), it was 14-1/4". I would be curious to see what this measurement is on the Speeco.

By the way, did that upper link bracket come with the Speeco Quick Hitch? (P/N 320-013A).

I had an opprotunity to see an iMatch quick hitch side to side with this unit.
With both sitting on level ground, the horizontal bar on the iMatch looked about 1" inch taller.

That U shaped upper link bracket came with the hitch. I can't see any other way of hooking it up. The mower bracket will not fit around the hitch. the real problem I think is that the black upper link bracket allows way too much slack in the system. In fact, it would probably allow the hitch to nearly drag on the ground if I took off the PTO shaft.
 
   / Quick hitch setup advice
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Newblue said:
I bought a Woods PRD8400 finish mower and in the manual there is an optional kit for quick hitch use. It has brackets that make the lower lift arm attachment points fixed which would not allow your quick hitch to hit the pto shaft. Hope this helps.

Mike


Looking through the RD7200 manual I just happened to come across the
Quick Hitch Kit (Optional). It looks like it even comes with the right bushing sleeves. Thanks everyone, I learned my lesson: read the manual
 
   / Quick hitch setup advice #8  
I have attached a picture of the kit for those who are interested.

JHTFarmer, could you please let us know how much this kit costs once you price it out through your dealer? I like the looks of this kit. I may want to give it a try on my LandPride RFM. It looks like it would work well on my rotary cutter as well.
 

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   / Quick hitch setup advice #9  
I have the same problem on my KK mower, speeco quick hitch and Case-IH DX29. The problem is not the quick hitch but the floating part of the mower. The solution is easy and costs nothing. Your lift control lever should have a lowering stop on it. Just set the stop on the lift lever to where the quick hitch will remain a couple of inches above the PTO shaft. The float mechanism on the mower goes so low it allows the speeco quick hitch to hit the pto. The mower does not need to have this much room to float. I'm sure this would happen with with nearly all of these style of quick hitches. I've been doing it like this for a few years. The problem on your tractor is probably worse with your DX40 due to its higher PTO shaft and may hit the quick hitch sooner than my DX29.

Also get the bushings for the lift pins on the mower.
 
   / Quick hitch setup advice #10  
JHTFarmer

Just a suggestion. One other thing I noticed in your picture is your top link cylinder all the way retracted and your using the adapter on the quick hitch. Use the other hole (further back) on the adapter where it pins to the cylinder. This will allow you to lift the front and back of the mower at the same time and remove some of the extra length you have between the floating mower top bracket and quick hitch. You will probably like how the mower lifts with the change.
I use the adapter in the farther back hole on all my implements.
 
 
 
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