CAT1/Limited CAT1

[SI2305]

I am sure this has been discussed in the past, but could someone out there, maybe even a dealer, give me a concise definition of what exactly a LIMITED CAT 1 hitch really means. From personal experience and dealer info, I have been told that the limited cat 1 hitch means any or all of the following:

1) The lower link arms will not spread wide enough to get around some older cat 1 3pth

2) From personal experience, this may refer to the inability to raise the rear implement very high off the ground. Case in point, my 2305
could only lift the LX4 about 6 inches off the ground. this could be remedied in two ways.
a. find a shorter toplink
b. extend the lower link arms--in my case the PEC did exactly this and now any implement lifts up nice and high

3) Is the limited part referring to the fact that the 3pt will only lift about 620 pounds where other tractors with similar specs but a full
CAT 1 will lift over 1000 pounts?

4) Is it the combination of all the above factors?

I would love to find the answer to this riddle or to find if it is just myth. In my personal experience, #1 is irrelevant as I can get my link arms
around any implement I need with room to spare. Option #2 was a problem for me, but PEC changed the geometry slightly and my ground clearance hugely. I have stress tested the lifting capacity of my 3pth and it seems to be exactly as advertised--about 620#'s (though my loader is rated to the same weight limit and I have lifted well over 900 pounds without any difficulty. I did not go anywhere fast with that load, but I just wanted to see what it could do. I have no idea about option 4.

Thanks in advance to whoever has the wisdom to decipher the limiting quality stamped on the literature.

SI2305

 

[bakerg]

This is John Deere's description of the limited Category 1. The 3-point hitch is standard for quick hookup of 3-point hitch implements. Industry-standard link and connecting point specifications for Category 1 hitches are met, allowing implements to easily connect to the tractor. However, the low profile of some sub compact tractors may prevent the hitch from lifting some implements to the minimum height prescribed by the Category 1 standard. Thus, the word limited is added to the description.

 

[RG1]

OP-
The explanation above is what you are wanting to know.


If you read through your loader ops manual, you will see that that max lift capacity is at full height, either at the pins or the leading edge of the bucket. At approximately half the max lift height, your loader is probably capable of lifting that much weight. While your loader may lift that much weight, doing so places a lot of extra strain on your front axle, ballast or no ballast on the rear. I wouldn't do it very often if I could avoid doing so.