Pats ez change

[Yalerider]

I just ordered a Pats EZ change system. I borrowed my neighbors old disc and man what a pain to get hooked up. Speaking of which, I hadn't disked since I was a kid. Man that is fun! I was going to get a tiller but couldn't really afford it now. My neighbor stopped by and offered his disk. Of course the tiller would have been much faster but whats the sense in that? I work in an office all day and my tractor time is fun. Planted 1500 strawberry plants to will have plenty to do now.

 

[BigD23]

I have Pats EZ change on my Bota...What a nice/useful item to own...Good luck with those plants and let me know when it's time to harvest Our strawberries...

Don

 

[School_Farmer]

1500 strawberry plants!

When does the roadside stand open up?

 

[Barneyhunts]

You'll like how easy Pats makes things!

 

[johnk]

I am another that wouldn't be with PEC. It sure does make things quicker and easier....And no, I don't get any Royalties from them..

 

[Yalerider]

Got them hooked up. They work great. The berries are doing fine as well. If anybody is in the area and gets bored there is plenty of hoeing to to do

 

[foggy1111]

Got them hooked up. They work great. The berries are doing fine as well. If anybody is in the area and gets bored there is plenty of hoeing to to do

Before I ever tend to a Strawberry Patch....they need to come up with round-up ready plants.

....and I love my Pat's easy change too. 'Cept I lost my spreader bar and have invented a new method to spread the 3 point links. I'm going to try it out before posting a how-to-do-it. Stay tuned.

 

[RockyMnt1]

I don't use bad words around my tractor as much since I got them....

 

[jsborn]

Got them hooked up. They work great. The berries are doing fine as well. If anybody is in the area and gets bored there is plenty of hoeing to to do

Number one rule of Gardening NEVER PLANT MORE THAN YOUR WIFE CAN HOE

 

[kebo]

Before I ever tend to a Strawberry Patch....they need to come up with round-up ready plants.

....and I love my Pat's easy change too. 'Cept I lost my spreader bar and have invented a new method to spread the 3 point links. I'm going to try it out before posting a how-to-do-it. Stay tuned.

Foggy, please do post pic's of your spreader bar when you get it done. I would like to see what other folks have come up with. I made one myself and it works much like the center link on top of your 3 pt hitch. You have adjust mine by screwing one end of it out/in to lengthen/shorten it so the PEC ends will match up to the pins on the implement. When you get pic's of yours posted, I'll put some of my spreader bar on here.

This also brings up another point of discussion... Once I attach an implement using my homemade spreader bar, I take it off for fear of it getting bent, or losing it like Foggy lost his.

What do other PEC users do? Leave the spreader bar on, or take it off????

 

[foggy1111]

Kebo....I had taken a bungee cord and wrapped it around my tool box mount behind my seat.....and it was supposed to be a secure location for my "speader bar". ....but it musta got hung up on some brush or otherwise rattled free....cause I lost mine. It was a home made affair too with a 3/8" rod sliding in a tube which was held in place by a thumb screw...and it worked pretty well. This is probably the one negative issue on the PEC system.

Looking back...(and if my new idea dont work this is what I will do) I wish I would have mounted about a 1" ID PVC tube, with one end closed, vertically on the ROPS via hose clamps. The tube would hold the spreader bar when not being used.

My replacement idea is pretty simple actually....but I need to test it out in the next few days before I can tell you it's going to work well. It will be a far cheaper solution - provided it works as I think. I got my fingers crossed. It's cheap enough that Pat could afford to give 'em away with each set of PEC...or charge a very nominal fee. (hint, hint).

 

[fish6942]

For spreader bars I use PVC, three different lengths for the different attachments. If you look on the insides of the PECs, you'll see a cylindrical protrusion on each. A 1" PVC pipe fits perfectly over these. On one end of the PVC, I've cut off the bottom of the pipe so it lifts off of the protrusion. Make sense? I guess I should post pictures sometime.

 

[Yalerider]

I use a bunjee cord for a spreader bar. The lower arm adjustment holds it in the right place.

 

[foggy1111]

My idea didnt work out very well. I had some semi rigid plastic tube....and inserted some redi bolt into the ends to provide a slip fit with friction. But...in practice it slipped too easy and the tube would also bend at the wrong time....so.....no go.

I found some telescoping aluminum tube and may rig something up with that....or use the plastic tube as pointed out by Fish above. That idea sounds good...but I may need a few tube lengths to make it work.

 

[Willl]

For spreader bars I use PVC, three different lengths for the different attachments. If you look on the insides of the PECs, you'll see a cylindrical protrusion on each. A 1" PVC pipe fits perfectly over these. On one end of the PVC, I've cut off the bottom of the pipe so it lifts off of the protrusion. Make sense? I guess I should post pictures sometime.

I picture it completely, awesome idea.

Did you label each tube ?

 

[kebo]

Here are pic's of my (first) attempt at a spreader bar. I took a short piece of 3/4" tubing and welded a 3/8" nut on either end. Then, I took two short sections of 3/8" threaded rod and welded a 1/2" clevis pin to one end of them. Last, I got two 3/8" wing nuts and threaded one each onto the rods, and then threaded the rods into the tubing. This works ok, but not great. If you could find a short piece of left-hand threaded rod, and a left-hand nut, then you would have something.... a very small centerlink for your 3pt hitch lol!

Here's a closeup of one end:

This one does the job, but the one knock on it is if when you need to adjust it for a different width of implement, you have to measure, adjust it by turning ONE END ONLY, tighten it down, and then drop it down in the pin's on the PEC. If you are off by a little bit, you might have to pull it back off and adjust it a few more turns. It can take a few minutes to do that.

I have plans in my mind for a second prototype that will involve two pieces of square tubing, one will slide into the other. All I have to do is round up some material, cut to length, and weld it up. I think my next one will work better than this one because I'll able to adjust the width a lot quicker.