quick hitch comparisons

[old freddie]

Just being a new owner I am already challenged with hooking up the cat 1 3 point hitch. My implements are and will be compatible and not planing on buying old. I have read a lot of quick hitch reviews and opinions but they only scratch the surface for what is available.
I do not think I want the Pats type since I do not need the flexibility and I don't want to mess with spacer bars and stabilizers and I like the top link included.
My question for help is. What are the pros and cons of the different quick hitches on the market? Since the price range is so broad from $80 - $400 what is the difference? (I see some have adjustable top hooks) I am not in a location I can go look at them.
Harbor Freight, Nortrac, Agra Supply, Speeco, Land Pride, Kodiak and there are more that I don't know about.
Most of them you can not tell which brand it is by looking at the pics. If they are pretty much the same then why not buy on price? (I will take into consideration American made)

 

[NS kubota]

If you look up pat's easy change on google you can watch video clips of this thing in use, they work real nice and just fasten on to the ends of your 3 point hitch arms and if you buy a set spend the $30 extra and get the adjustable bar to keep your arms spread out to match your implement you want to hook up. They are sold out of Tennessee I believe so freight should be very reasonable. We bought the cat 1 set up but have not installed because I think we are getting a bigger Kubota with cat 2. There is number to call and just order what category you need and have fun. I told my Dad a year ago he should have set on his tractor and he told me he didn't need such a thing then as he bought more implements and had to fight to mount them n uneven ground he asked me to look up the pat's easy change again and told me to order them. I think you can get cat 1 for about $189 us which is not bad considering some of these units cost upwards of $400.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I have several Quick hitches, they all work about the same, the only advantage to an expensive QH is they are built a little better and the levers operate a little smother.

Save some $$$ for good implements and find a good price on a QH and go with it.
Yes you want an adjustable top link.

 

[axlst2]

I bought my QH from Agrisupply.com - they are a Southeast US company and easy to deal with. I think i paid just north of $120 for mine - a great deal compared to some of the others. I've put it through the ringer so far and not had any issues (~75 hours of use).

 

[Wbk]

Hi Freddie, we have 3 Nortrac Cat 1 hitches which are good for what we do I think I paid $110 for. The bottom holes a beginning to enlarge on the one that does a lot of rototilling, the others are ok, but the top hook is a real PITA on all three with the way that they have the adjustment bolts it makes them too wide for some implements to hook up easily. If you look up the one made by Agri Ease it seems to be a better system, since seeing one I have cut the adjustment off of ours and made them all similar and am much happier. Up here their sold by Peavey Mart I'm sure you can find them down south as well. Hope this helps with your decision Barry

 

[old freddie]

Hi Freddie, we have 3 Nortrac Cat 1 hitches which are good for what we do I think I paid $110 for. The bottom holes a beginning to enlarge on the one that does a lot of rototilling, the others are ok, but the top hook is a real PITA on all three with the way that they have the adjustment bolts it makes them too wide for some implements to hook up easily. If you look up the one made by Agri Ease it seems to be a better system, since seeing one I have cut the adjustment off of ours and made them all similar and am much happier. Up here their sold by Peavey Mart I'm sure you can find them down south as well. Hope this helps with your decision Barry

Thanks for the input. I have looked for Agri Ease with no success and wonder if they are under a different manufacturer? I did find a pic under Peavey and the top link does look different than any here in the US but there is only one front pic so hard to tell detail. Good info on the nortrac which is part of the info I am looking for. Since I will be doing very little work in August I plan to do a lot of research on this necessary item for me.

 

[old freddie]

Hi Freddie, we have 3 Nortrac Cat 1 hitches which are good for what we do I think I paid $110 for. The bottom holes a beginning to enlarge on the one that does a lot of rototilling, the others are ok, but the top hook is a real PITA on all three with the way that they have the adjustment bolts it makes them too wide for some implements to hook up easily. If you look up the one made by Agri Ease it seems to be a better system, since seeing one I have cut the adjustment off of ours and made them all similar and am much happier. Up here their sold by Peavey Mart I'm sure you can find them down south as well. Hope this helps with your decision Barry

just a follow up to research. I found the Peavey Mart that comes from Braber Equipment. Braber does not list this on their website and imports it from China as their low end. I had Peavey send me some pics of the top connection and I believe it to be superior as you have seen to designs here in the states. Peavey does not ship out of the country and must be picked up at a store so I am out of luck on that one but I will keep searching. For the short term I will probably succumb to the HF as the north idaho wolfman suggest so i have something to use but will continue my research. It appears from the lack of response to my post that there must not be much difference in brands so not worth commenting on or not many are using them.