Quick Hitches Need a quality quick hitch

[California]

I went to the hardware store and bought a package of two magnets, about 1x2x0.5, and set one on each side of the top flat of the quick hitch. No more lost pins. It will even hold the big pins, not just the locking pins.

Bruce

Great idea!!!

I have similar magnets on my fenders to park the seat belt ends. I need to add your suggestion!

 

[downsizingnow48]

This was my solution to the HF bolt/pin problem. I made two short pins from 1/2 round bar with small holes drilled on the inside of the bracket, not the outside. Then one piece of piano wire keeps both in place and is easy to remove. The piano wire is bent slightly so is always in tension, cannot work out. The pins do not stick out at all so cannot interfere with any attachment.

 

[Ricn]

Good idea using magnets, will have try that here. Also like the pin ideas you guys are posting; right now mine are bolts but will be changing them soon.
So this is the top link hook that came with my QH requiring no welding or new holes. Also the setup as it looks now in mowing position with skids tilted up in front and weight on rear roller. In this position, it has 7.5 inches of overlap on the PTO shaft so hopefully that is sufficient as I have no hills or ditches, just a couple mounds here and there.

 

[Fallon]

What ever the tractor will dish out!

My Cat1 HF QH has been tested with my 1,700lbs flail. Even with it way offset at least a foot farther to the right than what is shown in the photo & catching on 2" scrub oak its held up fine.

 

[Ricn]

Fallon. Good news, i feel more confident now this HF will hold up with my 750 lbs mower from Woomaxx.

 

[LouNY]

Good idea using magnets, will have try that here. Also like the pin ideas you guys are posting; right now mine are bolts but will be changing them soon.
So this is the top link hook that came with my QH requiring no welding or new holes. Also the setup as it looks now in mowing position with skids tilted up in front and weight on rear roller. In this position, it has 7.5 inches of overlap on the PTO shaft so hopefully that is sufficient as I have no hills or ditches, just a couple mounds here and there.

Looking at the first pic I'm surprised at how little play it has in the top link for independent tractor and mower movement.
My brush hog has a floating adapter that pins thru the top link pin and extends to in line with the hook slot, it's just two pieces of flat stock with holes to pin to the top link and the wobble hook on the bush hog. It allows for a considerable amount of movement without binding that way. Of course your flail mower is much shorter so it may not often see much fore an aft movement at the top link while mowing.

 

[Threepoint]

Fallon. Good news, i feel more confident now this HF will hold up with my 750 lbs mower from Woomaxx.

Ricn, here's another data point. I have a HF QH on each of my two loader tractors. The one I use on the NX4510HST/cab is around 15 ys old. It has handled my 750 lb Woods 84" box blade and 550 lb Woods 84" back blade with no problems for four years. That's with frequent, fairly heavy grading with the box blade, and occasionally deep, heavy snow with the back blade (yup, even here in No. Va).

 

[Ricn]

Lou. You make a good point. - The current setup top hook allows maybe one inch of back and forth movement; also the mower itself has another inch in its mounting bracket, not much movement IMO. My field is 99% flat with a small mound or two that rise and fall very gently maybe 10 inches is all. If needing more movement, and I may, I can adapt using a flat piece of metal with an elongated slot where my hydraulic top link cylinder is pined at this time and perhaps something like what you are using. As things are, I use the top cylinder to push the mower's front end up and out raising the skids a little to prevent scalping so, there is always pressure in holding the mower front up while putting weight on the roller. Not sure how this works in my case if having several inches of slop back and forth? Another learning curve here being new to PTO implements and their use. Can you post a photo showing your top link setup?

Ricn

 

[Threepoint]

Good idea using magnets, will have try that here. Also like the pin ideas you guys are posting; right now mine are bolts but will be changing them soon.
So this is the top link hook that came with my QH requiring no welding or new holes. [snip]

The top hook in your new HF QH looks like the same it's always been. I.e., doesn't extend any further than before. From the pic on the right, it works fine for quick hook-ups with your mower, but with other implements you may still have the problem that others mention: The bolts can interfere with the walls of some implements' top linkpin bracket. Two ways to help with this, as you've seen. (1) Make up the type of pins that downsizingnow48 shows in his pic. They fit flush, and are held in place with a hairpin between the side of the tophook and the inside of the bracket. I did this on both my two HF QHs a couple of years ago and it helps a lot. Got the original idea from another TBN member, KennyD. :salute:

Or (2), replace the original top hook with this extended version from Quality Farm Supply: 873-HF141137 TOP HOOK FOR CAT 1 QUICK HITCH S141137 - Quality Farm Supply I finally went ahead and bought two of these last week, and they work perfectly in the HF hitches. I also reused the flush pins I'd made, so I'm covered that way as well.

BTW, I noticed today the replacement hook is again out of stock at Quality Farm, but I'm sure they'll restock. Evidently a popular item. :laughing:

 

[Ricn]

Threepoint. Having seen this hook you mention on the Net, I tried buying one but none available. The company making them said they would email me when available and like you said, very popular item! Right now, all four of my attachments fit easily on the HF hook without issue. All are newer Kubota products plus the Woodmaxx mower. Just getting the HF QH, I had been concerned before if their hook would work for me but alas, it works just fine. Maybe I cheat because of how I hooked them up. -

By extending the top cylinder out, this changes the approach angle on the hook point. I then back under the top cross pin lifting up just a little, then retract the cylinder. I then drop the 3 point just enough to back under the bottom pins, then pick up the implement just slightly, then lower the locking arms. While this seems to work, having an extended top hook would be easier so I will get one when available. Meanwhile I can use as is because of the top and tilt system on my 3 point.

Ricn

 

[ovrszd]

I spent a lot more on my Quick Hitch from Land Pride. I had given thought to the Habor Freight unit till I watched a few you tubes. Nearly every one they said you had to modify or buy extra things to hook to all your equipment. The last one was one all bent out of wack when the fellow got stuck in the mud with a tool on the quick hitch.

The Land pride QH 15 hooked up nicely to my L3301 Kubota. Came with bushiungs for the small size lift pins also. back up to my back blade and hooked the bottom pins. Removed the 2 pins from the top hook sliped it thru the back blade top pin and reinstalled those 2 pins with the hair pins.

Works the same way on the box blade, rear cultvator and brush hog. I did it the same way on the finish mower but the hook have to be hooked a lot higher on the QH so will probably made a mod to thre finish mower.


Best thing I see to do with a HF QH is to remove the bolts holding rhe top hook in place and buy removable pins that fit in their place.



Also since I can not see my hooks when backing up to a tool and line the pins to the hook I painted an arrow on the top of the QH as a line up mark.



Al

Would a Pat's have been more useable?

 

[Threepoint]

Threepoint. Having seen this hook you mention on the Net, I tried buying one but none available. The company making them said they would email me when available and like you said, very popular item! Right now, all four of my attachments fit easily on the HF hook without issue. All are newer Kubota products plus the Woodmaxx mower. Just getting the HF QH, I had been concerned before if their hook would work for me but alas, it works just fine. Maybe I cheat because of how I hooked them up. -

By extending the top cylinder out, this changes the approach angle on the hook point. I then back under the top cross pin lifting up just a little, then retract the cylinder. I then drop the 3 point just enough to back under the bottom pins, then pick up the implement just slightly, then lower the locking arms. While this seems to work, having an extended top hook would be easier so I will get one when available. Meanwhile I can use as is because of the top and tilt system on my 3 point.

Ricn

Hah, sounds like you've got the technique down! BTW, you're not cheating. That hydraulic toplink is definitely the way to go.

 

[FTG-05]

Buying and using pins for the upper hooks seems to be counter productive and defeats the purpose of the QH in the first place.

I just change the implements that need it to fit the QH. I used my EA ED 8' grader blade as the primary example and made everything like that. Some were easy, some were difficult. My LMC box blade was the worst: all that effort for being off by an inch.

 

[ovrszd]

Buying and using pins for the upper hooks seems to be counter productive and defeats the purpose of the QH in the first place.

I just change the implements that need it to fit the QH. I used my EA ED 8' grader blade as the primary example and made everything like that. Some were easy, some were difficult. My LMC box blade was the worst: all that effort for being off by an inch.

Yep. Modify the tool to fit the QH, not modify the QH to fit the tool. Counter productive.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Well yes in principle. In my case both the Land Pride tiller and the Bush Hog would not fit because the stock HF hook had big bolts holding it on. I could have widened the upper bracket on both - a lot of cutting and welding - but it was much easier - like 10 minutes - to install the zero clearance pins.

 

[downsizingnow48]

And another hat tip to kennyd for the original idea.

 

[Fallon]

Yep. Modify the tool to fit the QH, not modify the QH to fit the tool. Counter productive.

It took me a while to get around to modifying or making an adapter for a few of my impliments. I used some hitch pins to facilitate quick top hook height adjustments until then. Painted some colored stripes on the relevant holes as I never remembered which ones matched what impliments or the QH standard.

 

[TheMan419]

I just bought the adapter and never looked back. The 3pt tools I use are all pto driven so I have to get out of the seat to hook that up.

Qh should just come w a tractor. I cannot imagine going back to not having one.

 

[Ricn]

with the "top Link" connection being such an interesting topic, it would great to see photos of each persons setup along with a short description. Something close up but not so close everyone is stymied by what is going on. What do you think? For me, and being a beginner at using PTO implements, it would be an education for sure.

Ricn

 

[California]

with the "top Link" connection being such an interesting topic, it would great to see photos of each persons setup along with a short description. Something close up but not so close everyone is stymied by what is going on.

Not the top link, but I used washers to widen the lower pins on a small disc so it matched the QH. Tractor Supply stocks these washers, and pins with extra-long threads if needed.