These things are far more like a front-end loader than a tractor. They use a single roll-over bar and a top link to curl the bucket, moved by a LARGE cylider/ram, similar in size (though not stroke) to those on the lift arms. They have a hydraulically actuated triangular (with the tips chopped off each end) self-centering quick attach plate. It has a lip on the top of the attachment's QA plate and a pair of slots in the bottom that is bent out toward the tractor at a 90 degree angle. You put the top of the tractor's QA plate somewhere close to the center of the attachment's QA plate, lift the lift arms gently while maintaining a curl on the QA plate to catch underneath that top lip. This lifts the rear of the attachment slightly, it self-centers onto the tractor's QA plate, then you actuate the Aux/QA valve to lock the two locks/dogs into the slots in the bottom of the QA plate.
To attach a grapple or any attachment with a hydraulic ram/cylinder (I also have a hydraulically angled snow/dirt blade and a 4 ft mini-hoe with a 12" bucket, for example), you must then disconnect the hoses for the QA cylinder, and connect the hoses for the attachment. This leaves two short lengths (4"-6") of hydraulic hose hanging underneath the lift arms, with their quick connects exposed.
The PTs come from the factory with two males on the tractor, and two females on the QA cylinder and on every attachment. The hoses for the QA mechanism are run parallel to the loader arms, and very close (if not on top of them), to keep them away from the rollover/toplink curl mechanism. The short lengths for the QA cylinder are not long enough to connect to each other, and should they be longer and connected, they could easily come in contact with toplink for the curl mechanism, since it travels in the center between the lift arms. I've tried to use dust caps on my old PT-425's quick connects for the QA mechanism, but was constantly tearing them off -- especially when working in brush with the grapple.
By using females on the tractor, either an attachment or the QA cylinder will be connected at all times, keeping those females clean. Cleaning a male hose connector is simple... females are much more difficult to clean. That's why I swapped them the way that I did.
The PT implements that ,motors and use the hydraulic PTO have one male and one female so the hoses can be connected to keep them clean. While that setup would work well to keep the connectors clean on attachments with cylinders, it would require that the tractor AND the QA mechanism have a male and a female also. The female for the QA mechanism would then be exposed to dirt and debris much of the time... I've tried to use dust caps on my old PT-425's quick connects for the QA mechamism, but was constantly tearing them off because they were hanging underneath the lift arms -- especially vulnerable when working in brush with the grapple.
That was my reasoning...
