I figured I would come back with a status of where things are for me. I purchased a Pats system and really got to compare it to the quick hitch that I was struggling to get mounted.
I have a total of six implements. All different manufacturers and all of various ages. Of the six, only one would work with the quick hitch without mods. Two would require slight modification and the other three would not work as the QH was either too wide or two narrow in most cases by a 1/2 inch or so. It also would require modification of my tractor lift arms to accommodate a hitch. I do see the value though if I had a similar setup across implements and was able to make it work.
Pats setup. Was able to get this setup in about an hours worth of time. Hitching up is simplified for sure. I simply back up, get aligned, then lift the arms to it it to grab hold. I have to manually hook up the top link, and/or PTO or remote lines.
In my case only 2 of the six implements would not require me to get off the seat of the tractor to hook up. The other 4 require additional hookups anyhow, so not much advantage of the QH.
For me, having both systems here, working with my implements and how I use my tractor gave me a clearer picture what was the right setup for me. The Pats system makes a pretty handy Cat2 to Cat1 configuration which saves me from using bushings with all my implements having Cat1 pins. Pats clearly is the best option for me with what I have.
