Pat's Easy Change System

[CaveCreekRay]

For those of you on the fence, I thought this might help...

The installation was straightforward. Glance through the instruction sheet before starting or you may have to demount them to get the shims to fit like I did.

Two heavy cast iron latches come with the kit...

You get plenty of hardware. Because the kits are designed to fit a zillion different tractors, the hardware is a tad large for some applications. I replaced all of my bolts with shorter 1" long stainless and stainless nuts for $10.

I bought the spreader bar ($20) which locks the width down for the hitch arms. You can mark the spreader bar with paint marks for different widths if needed.

The directions...

Use is simple: Back up and adjust hitch arms to be just below pins on implement. Back into implement until both implement pins are touching Pats latch. Then raise 3-pt and latches capture implement pins. You still have to get off the tractor to hook up the upper attachment rod but that is the easier of the three.

The Pat's kit comes with bent washers for three implements. Additional washer sets were $5 per set. No more monkeying around with linch pins!

 

[Burt]

For those of you on the fence, I thought this might help...

The installation was straightforward. Glance through the instruction sheet before starting or you may have to demount them to get the shims to fit like I did.

Two heavy cast iron latches come with the kit...

You get plenty of hardware. Because the kits are designed to fit a zillion different tractors, the hardware is a tad large for some applications. I replaced all of my bolts with shorter 1" long stainless and stainless nuts for $10.

I bought the spreader bar ($20) which locks the width down for the hitch arms. You can mark the spreader bar with paint marks for different widths if needed.

The directions...

Use is simple: Back up and adjust hitch arms to be just below pins on implement. Back into implement until both implement pins are touching Pats latch. Then raise 3-pt and latches capture implement pins. You still have to get off the tractor to hook up the upper attachment rod but that is the easier of the three.

The Pat's kit comes with bent washers for three implements. Additional washer sets were $5 per set. No more monkeying around with linch pins!

CCR,

Yep, we love our quick hitches also.

I just use a dowel marked with the different implement widths for the measurements.

These and a set of Hodges stabilizers make tractor life much easier.

Burt

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

What he said. They work great with Hodges stabilizers

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Any good online source for Hodges Stabilizers?

 

[Tomcat]

Any good online source for Hodges Stabilizers?

Read somewhere on here (OTT) that Hodge has stopped taking new orders. Check his posts.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

Do the Pat's require you to disengage the latches when hitching up or are they spring loaded to click past when you raise up to engage?

 

[Tomcat]

Do the Pat's require you to disengage the latches when hitching up or are they spring loaded to click past when you raise up to engage?

I see in the instructions they are spring loaded.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

I see in the instructions they are spring loaded.

OOPS !, It did not even dawn on me to read all those nicely posted pictures of the instructions.

 

[Tomcat]

OOPS !, It did not even dawn on me to read all those nicely posted pictures of the instructions.

The instructions are usually the last thing I read

 

[CaveCreekRay]

The latches have an ingenious latch that locks them closed, preventing opening. But, it can also latch the hitch open, bypassing the latch in case you want to pick up something and just move it. Or, if you want to unhook an implement, you can bypass the latch and then set the implement down and lower the hooks out of the way. Neat design. I am thinking of hooking mine to a T-handle.

 

[OldeEnglish]

That's pretty slick Ray, but how is the top link hooked up? Is this for just making the lift arms easy to hook up?

I gotta lay off the beer, I answered my own stupid question.

May I ask why you didn't go with a regular quick hitch setup instead?

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

Well if he has implements like me, they are different widths at the pins, so a regular quick hitch is not going to work. And its way better than just oem.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

I bought a used tractor that came with three KingKutter implements. KingKutter appears to keep all their pin spacing very close so another style hitch mount may have worked in my application...

My big concern was getting the two lower pins hooked up. Even with common pin spacing, I was doing the "dance" trying to get the pins in the balls. Fortunately, I have an HST tractor and could move the tractor an inch or so either direction from the ground. Even then, it was a huge pain in the "boo-tay." The upper link was never the issue. I am not a farmer so I use my implements fairly infrequently, compared to a lot of you.

Pat's does have some kind of "hydraulic" upper that will reset quickly for those who vary their upper length. All my stuff seems to work fine on just one upper, with minor adjustments. If you have varying pin widths, I am not sure how you would resolve that. I just adjust the spreader bar and go latch it up, hook up the upper and I am on my way. Mo-bettuh than before, that is for sure.

GEOMETRY CONSIDERATION: Whatever you choose to hang on your tractor to interface with implements, just remember: The longer you make the arms of your 3-pt, the lower the lifting capability of your tractor. The Pat's jaws are maybe two to three inches longer.

 

[cstone]

The product is fine but do not buy from Pats website because the return policy is a joke, no spacer bar, plus you will pay about $60 more than if you bought from Rural King: http://www.ruralking.com/pats-easy-change-cat-1-w-bar.html. Even Amazon is a lot less.

 

[Mike9]

I love my Pat's quick hitches. Now I just need a warm day to install the stabilizers Mark Hodge made for me.

 

[CountryBumkin]

The product is fine but do not buy from Pats website because the return policy is a joke, no spacer bar, plus you will pay about $60 more than if you bought from Rural King: http://www.ruralking.com/pats-easy-change-cat-1-w-bar.html. Even Amazon is a lot less.

Thanks for the Link cstone. I've been thinking about getting these for a while. Just placed my order.
Rural King is $30 cheaper than Amazon.

Amazon is a funny place - they have some "look-alike" units (also called "Pat's) and prices ranging from $209 for the Cat1 to $600 (seller says they are normally $1,200 so its half off) for the same item. That's a heck of a price swing. Anyways - I have a set ordered from Rural King. Thanks.