Pat's Easy Change

[GaryM]

Pat\'s Easy Change

I got to install and use my Easy Change adaptors today. They installed easily and work even better. I no longer have to try and drag the implements around to get the ball ends over the pins. They work as advertised! Changing from the cutter to the box blade just got a whole lot faster. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I had just enough travel left in my toplink to accomodate the increased distance to the implement. Also had enough travel in the PTO shaft for the cutter. I plan to make a new, slightly longer, set of metal arms that make the swinging link on the JD413 cutter an inch or two longer.

 

[Rowski]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

Any pics or a web site?

 

[MikePA]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

<font color="blue"> Any pics or a web site? </font>
Pat's Easy Change web site.

 

[GaryM]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

The photo on the website is the old design. I've attached a picture of the improved model.

There was some discussion in another thread about how the ball ends on the factory links fit the pins better, an the Easy Change hooks might concentrate the wear on your pins if the hooks are not perpendicular to the pin. And that's probably true. But with the smaller CUTs that most of us probably have I don't think it's a problem. If I have to changes pins after 2-3 years that's probably a lot less time than I would have spent wrestling with implements.

 

[surfran]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

Gary,

Do you mind me asking how much a set of these goes for? They look like they may be better than the quick hitch.

Thanks,

 

[GaryM]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

They were $180 plus $15 shipping charge.

Now be aware thet with these you still need to work the top link, but that's never a problem for me. It's moving the implement to slip the ball ends over the pins that's a pain.

I haven't measured, but I'd estimate the set back due to the adaptors is about 4 inches. This would reduce your lift capacity some. I'd guess that's less than the distance that a quick hitch uses. And these weigh less too! They will work with any pin spacing too, unlike what I read about the quick hitches.

Pat offers a 30 day satisfaction too.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

Very cool! I remember the last thread on these. Glad you took the plunge and got them. They look like a real back saver.

 

[Tractors4u]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

These have really got me interested. I am thinking that if I cut the ball ends off of the lift arms of my tractor and then attached these that it would not reduce the lift capacity if the tractor nor would I have to extend any PTO shafts, or top links. What do you think?

 

[DK_Farms]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

I had looked at these before I went with the Quick-Hitch. My neighbor has a set on a JD 5105 and likes them but the only problem he has with them is keeping the draft arms spread the right distance to line up with the pins while backing up to a tool. He has to back up within an inch or so, get off the tractor and spread the arms, and try to back up gently so as not to disturb the position. The additional weight on the end of the draft arm makes the arm want to swing to the center. He has gotten creative and made a wooden spacer out of a 1-by to keep the arms spread while he hooks up his cutter. Still better than having to get on and off the tractor a dozen times to move an 1/8th of an inch.

 

[GaryM]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

I did not have to make any adjustment to my PTO shaft. And I currently only have one driven implement.

I'm considering making a set of metal plates that would extend forward of the bracket that the lower pins are mounted on. These plates would angle toward the PTO shaft and be shaped so as to spread the draft arms to the proper width allowing the adaptors to meet the pins properly.

I was bush hogging Saturday and after finishing I wanted to use the box blade. If I'd had to wrestle the implements off and on I probably wouldn't have bothered.

I don't think I'd consider cutting the ball links off the draft arms. I think unless your lift capacity is too low to lift the implement.

 

[gotrocks]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

<font color="blue">nor would I have to extend any PTO shafts </font>

Brent,
I had to cut 2 inches off my shaft on 5' Howse cutter so I could connect after hooking up ball ends.
I still have a lot of overlap on the PTO shaft. I would think that a foot or so would be enough overlap on the shaft.

If you shaft has extra length I would guess that would not be a problem for you.

From you info sounds like you know a whole lot more about these things than I do but I just wanted to spend my .02

Comments??

 

[RedDog]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

My neighbor has a set on a JD 5105 and likes them but the only problem he has with them is keeping the draft arms spread the right distance to line up with the pins while backing up to a tool. He has to back up within an inch or so, get off the tractor and spread the arms, and try to back up gently so as not to disturb the position. The additional weight on the end of the draft arm makes the arm want to swing to the center. out of a 1-by to keep the arms spread while he hooks up his cutter.

I agree.

My Kioti had a set very similar to these and I did not like them. As mentioned above, they would move around a lot. Once I did get them hooked up, they rubbed the bracket on my Landpride finish mower /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. The back part was to thick and would rub the bracket. I swapped arms on my tractor to the more "traditional style" and like it much better.

To me, they look like they would start to wear a groove in them.

RedDog <font color="orange"> Kioti DK65 </font>

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

I have been considering a quick hitch but my Befco finish mower will not work with one. This seems to be a good compramise, but I sent an email to ask a question and they still have not answered. They have a form on their website to do it, but apparently they don't check it very often?

Personally I think a quick hitch is a better solution for a lot of reasons, but in my case my most used attachement won't work with a quick hitch so that leave me out of using one.

I do wonder if an adjustable spreader bar could be welded to the Pat's Easy Change brackets to set them to the correct spread. It seems like it would be easy enough to do to modify them with a couple of rods and an adjustable connector.

 

[Henro]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

<font color="blue"> ...I sent an email to ask a question and they still have not answered. They have a form on their website to do it, but apparently they don't check it very often?
</font>

Sent one myself a couple days ago and same lack of response here... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Inspector507]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

Then call..........it's free
1-888-243-4204

 

[Henro]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

I thought about calling...but since a picture is worth a 1,000 words and I had a question related to application of his product...[would it work HERE? ] and so on... It just seems like it would be better to send an email with a picture attached...rather than call and try to explain with words...

Think I will just wait for them to get around to their email...winter is almost here anyway... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif or is that /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I guess it's /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif now that I have the tractor /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DK_Farms]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

I have a Befco mower as well, and I went through the same song and dance. 9 e-mails before I got any reply. Their answer to me was "Nope, it ain't compatible with any Quick Hitch and we don't have any plans to make it that way." That was from the Product Engineering guy. Later on I got another e-mail from the Sales department saying they are considering an adapter of some sort but no delivery date has been set. Like I said in my earlier post, I'm not waiting on them. I have some flat bar, some pins, and a welding machine, and I'm gonna make a set of floating links that line up with my hitch. Winter time project.

 

[GaryM]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

They responded to my initial e-mail within one day. Maybe I caught them at a slow time. I suspect it's a small operation.

Pat is a regestered member of TBN, so may see your comments here.

I need to get a few more of the modified spacer washers that they supply.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

DK_Farms . . . apparently I am a couple days behind you because I also contacted Befco and their engineering guy gave me the NOPE answer, only to be followed up a bit later by one of their sales guys saying WELL MAYBE BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN . . .

I would really like a quick hitch and I also have access to a machine shop and may end up modifying the Befco unit so it fits. Everything else I have would work with the quick hitch but the Befco is the heaviest implement I own and biggest pain in the back(?) to mount on the 3pt.

 

[Soundguy]

Re: Pat\'s Easy Change

Since I don't own a befco mower.. what is the problem with it and a quick hitch? Is it not sized for full cat 1 specs? Or is it a geometry/interference problem with the toplink.

Soundguy