Connecting PTO with Quick Hitch

[ritcheyvs]

Seeking advice on getting a quick hitch. A quick hitch would make many things faster and easier but what about connecting the PTO shaft with a Quick Hitch? It looks like a quick-hitch would seriously interfere with connecting the PTO .
My Kioti DK45s has a PTO brake and the tractor shaft cannot be turned to align PTO splines.
Typically, I connect the top link after the PTO so I have more clear space for connecting the PTO.
So, does a Quick Hitch hinder connecting the PTO? It sure looks like it would but what have others experienced?
On a related issue, would a Quick Hitch damage the hitch pins on the attachment? It looks line standard lower-arm "balls" would be more gentle.
Thanks, Scott

 

[GSVette]

I have a Farmhand quick hitch. It does seem to make PTO hook up a bit more challenging but not I’ve made a few changes in how I sequence things which seems to help .

I hook up the PTO shaft to the tractor first which seems to be easier and eliminates the issue with the PTO brake making spline alignment challenging. I then use a bungee cord to hold the shaft to my quick hitch, back to the implement, hook the shaft to the implement, complete the quick hitch hookup and go.

 

[oldnslo]

Yes a quick hitch will restrict your access to the PTO but I find the new in improved PTO shaft shields to be far more troublesome than a quick hitch ever will be.

Old PTO shaft shields were steel and the flared ends over the U-joints was approximately 4 - 5” in diameter. These new plastic shields with the larger flared ends prevent me from getting my hands into activate the locking mechanism so on the one newer piece of equipment that flared end is history.

 

[HybridVigor]

I found my quick hitch to be in the way when hooking up the PTO. On a smaller tractor with shorter three point arms the more I found it to be a problem. This was part of the reason I put weld on euro hooks on my tractor.

 

[LouNY]

PTO's are my main reason to not have a quick hitch. My Branson has the Euro hooks and balls when I first got it I used a quick hitch on and was always P.O. getting in under it to hook up pto shafts. I removed it and started using the Euro hooks and couldn't believe that I ever messed with the quick hitch.

 

[garry1p]

I added a short PTO extension after installing a Pat's quick hitch and it is now easier to connect/disconnect the shaft.

 

[ritcheyvs]

Thanks all. Your replies pretty-much confirmed my concerns. I think I'll stick with what I have.
On my new implements, permanent guards in the implements make the PTO attachment there much worse than the tractor end. Also, heavy slip clutches make the implement end very unwieldly.
On the other hand, My tractor has a flip-up guard over the PTO connection and telescoping lower arms. So "what I have" may be as good as it's going to get but I might research "Euro hooks", whatever they are.

 

[Fallon]

I've got over a thousand hours on the L4060 & hundreds on my former L3200. Pretty much all of those hours are with a QH. I end up changing implements most times I use things. The mower, snow blower, tiller & a few other use a PTO shaft. Annoying to hook up & worse with the QH. But apparently I think it's worth it as I'm still using the QH.

I wouldn't put up with the QH drawbacks without hydraulic top & tilt though.

 

[old and tired]

First thing I did to my tractor was to remove the flip-up guard over the PTO connection. Pat's actually gives you more room to hook up the PTO. My quick hitch is hanging on the wall of my tractor shed!!!

 

[Cycledude]

Got my euro hooks from Fit Rite Hydraulics and I love having them ! Mine are category 1 and 2 , they make hooking up heavy equipment a lot easier.

Adding euro three point hooks

Been wanting to add these for several years and finally doing it. Ordered the weld on hooks and an assortment of balls from Fit-right hydraulics. I have some class 1 and 2 as well as some nonstandard implements so decided on these. Ordering from Brian was quick and the hooks showed up well...

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