Pat's quick hitch on BX tractors

[ejb11235]

Yesterday I installed my new set of Pat's quick hitches onto my BX23S three point hitch. I believe the 3PH is the same on all BX series tractors. Some of my implements are not quick hitch compatible which is why I went with the Pat's.

I have telescoping stabilizers, so I did not purchase the Pat's optional "stabilizing bar", on the theory that my stabilizers would do a decent job of maintaining the spread. In reality there's enough slop that they don't do as good a job as I'd like, but that is not my problem.

The problem is that the design of the linkages ("B" in the photo) causes the arms ("A" in the photo) to want to flop over. This hasn't been a problem but now I want the Pat's Quick Hitches to stay plumb when I'm backing up to engage an implement.

I need to contact Pat's and see if the stabilizing bar helps with that, but I thought I'd post here first and see if anyone had any thoughts.

EDIT: I just went out and took a picture, and I realized something. When the 3PH is fully lowered, the arms "A" are mechanically blocked from being vertical ... they have to be tilted over, as seen the picture. So clearly when I'm backing up to attach an implement, I'll need to make sure the 3PH isn't fully lowered. I'm not sure if that will totally solve my problem, but it should help a lot.

Thanks!

 

[MINICUP28]

The pats cross bar does help with alignment. It has to come off if using the PTO. There are screws on the side of the pats to correct the twist shown in your picture. I set mine with the yoke just below engagement with the implement. Now I can pick up everything with the same setting, just have to adjust the link length.

 

[ejb11235]

The pats cross bar does help with alignment. It has to come off if using the PTO. There are screws on the side of the pats to correct the twist shown in your picture. I set mine with the yoke just below engagement with the implement. Now I can pick up everything with the same setting, just have to adjust the link length.

Thanks. The picture is actually my tractor. The 3PH is at its lowest point, where the drag arms are mechanically forced to twist. This is well below where the arms would ever be once the implement is attached, so I wouldn't to do the adjustment in that position.

Once I raise the 3PH a couple of inches, but still well below the engagement point with the implement, the arms straighten out. They still want to flop over, but I can manually move them so the Pat's is plumb, as shown in the photo below. (btw, the picture makes it look like I've got the front to back tilt all messed up, but it's actually perpendicular to the arms, as it's supposed to be.)

I'll probably just order the stabilizing bar and be done with it, but I might mind-fuck it a bit to see if I can't come up with a DIY solution. I don't have a welder or drill press, but I do have perforated angle iron and nuts and bolts!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm, can you put the implements on skids or blocks to raise them up, instead of lowering the arms all the way ???

 

[ejb11235]

hmm, can you put the implements on skids or blocks to raise them up, instead of lowering the arms all the way ???

Oh, that problem's solved ... I realized that I don't have to lower the arms all the way and I've still got plenty of room to get underneath the pins on the implement. It's only when the arms are an inch or two above the lowest point where they actually get mechanically forced over.

The only "issue" now is the tendency of the arms to flop over a bit, but even that might turn out to be a non-issue. I won't know until I get another chance to try it out.

I'm still fiddling with getting the right width. I'm starting to wonder if it make sense to hook up an implement and then do the adjusting.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Oh, that problem's solved ... I realized that I don't have to lower the arms all the way and I've still got plenty of room to get underneath the pins on the implement. It's only when the arms are an inch or two above the lowest point where they actually get mechanically forced over.

The only "issue" now is the tendency of the arms to flop over a bit, but even that might turn out to be a non-issue. I won't know until I get another chance to try it out.

I'm still fiddling with getting the right width. I'm starting to wonder if it make sense to hook up an implement and then do the adjusting.

Good day.

Did yours not come with the spreader? Mine did and it’s helpful.

I guess it’s called a stabilizer bar, but that holds the width…and it’s adjustable. If you don’t have it I’d recommend it. I’d also recommend each time you hook an attachment up for first time have a paint marker and mark the setting then the next time you know where to adjust the stabilizer bar to.

I hope that helps.

 

[ejb11235]

Good day.

Did yours not come with the spreader? Mine did and it’s helpful.

I guess it’s called a stabilizer bar, but that holds the width…and it’s adjustable. If you don’t have it I’d recommend it. I’d also recommend each time you hook an attachment up for first time have a paint marker and mark the setting then the next time you know where to adjust the stabilizer bar to.

I hope that helps.

I opted not to get the spreader because I thought my telescoping stabilizers would be sufficient. And I think they are, for keeping the right distance between the arms. But the stabilizer bar, as @MINICUP28 confirmed, also help keep the arms from tilting, which is the problem I *might* be facing.

I'm going to have to do another "hitch-up" trial with the arms not all the way down. It may turn out that there's no longer any issue. If they are still tilting more than my liking, I'll order the stabilizer bar and DIY something.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I opted not to get the spreader because I thought my telescoping stabilizers would be sufficient. And I think they are, for keeping the right distance between the arms. But the stabilizer bar, as @MINICUP28 confirmed, also help keep the arms from tilting, which is the problem I *might* be facing.

I'm going to have to do another "hitch-up" trial with the arms not all the way down. It may turn out that there's no longer any issue. If they are still tilting more than my liking, I'll order the stabilizer bar and DIY something.

I don’t think the stabilizer bar will change the tilting (I think that is based on the height of the lift arms and screw adjustment on pats hooks that set the camber/angle) I use the stabilizer bar like a check fixture (you could probably use scraps of wood just the same) to reset to correct width for each implement…I adjust that with the pins out in the telescoping lift arms and the. Pin them after I set the width with the stabilizer bar…if that makes sense. If you go with the stabilizer bar, put a drop of the temporary thread lock on the threads…or go ahead and order an extra knob. I am on number two knob.

 

[ejb11235]

I don’t think the stabilizer bar will change the tilting (I think that is based on the height of the lift arms and screw adjustment on pats hooks that set the camber/angle) I use the stabilizer bar like a check fixture (you could probably use scraps of wood just the same) to reset to correct width for each implement…I adjust that with the pins out in the telescoping lift arms and the. Pin them after I set the width with the stabilizer bar…if that makes sense. If you go with the stabilizer bar, put a drop of the temporary thread lock on the threads…or go ahead and order an extra knob. I am on number two knob.

The tilting I am talking about is not the alignment between the Pat's and the draw arm. I'm talking about the tendency of the arm itself to flop to the outside. Remember the the arms are attached to the tractor with ball joints, so within limits, they can tilt from side to side. The linkage between the draw arms and the hydraulically-operated lift arms aren't straight, so while the draw arms tend to straighten out as you raise the 3PH, it's not 100%. Add to it that when the 3PH is within an inch or two of the lowest point, a mechanical interference actually forces the lift arms to tilt ... they literally cannot be plumb.

I know where my telescoping stabilizers need to be set to get the proper spread ... it's the same for all three implements I have. There's a little more slop in the system that the Pat's stabilizer bar will completely fix, but again, the purpose of my posting this thread was to learn whether the stabilizer bar also helps with the tilting of the draw arms.

I see that you at one point owned a BX, so if you had 3PH on it, I'm sure you experienced the things I'm talking about. The thing is, until you put a Pat's quick hitch on it, it's not a problem, so you might not have been aware of all the intricacies of the mechanism. I certainly was not. An added bonus for me is that I have a BX23S, and the mounting frame for the backhoe also interacts with the 3PH mechanism at the very bottom of the travel. It is not, however, the primary source of the issue.

 

[RCW]

I certainly wouldn’t discourage your new Pat’s system, as a lot of folks here on OTT love them.

That said, I really like a Quick Hitch. Took a little adjusting of various implements and the hitch itself over some time.

Last improvement after several years was an Extended Hook from @Kennyd4110 . That really made everything work fantastic.

Once dialed in, there’s no better system for me.

I bought the QH from Harbor Freight years ago for $80 with a coupon. Added Kenny’s extended hook a few years ago and it was a great addition.

For what it’s worth, I added the Omni mfg receiver adapter years ago also. Works good for pulling.

 

[ejb11235]

I certainly wouldn’t discourage your new Pat’s system, as a lot of folks here on OTT love them.

That said, I really like a Quick Hitch. Took a little adjusting of various implements and the hitch itself over some time.

Last improvement after several years was an Extended Hook from @Kennyd4110 . That really made everything work fantastic.

Once dialed in, there’s no better system for me.

I would have gone with a Quick Hitch in a heart-beat ... even had the brand picked out ... that one that doesn't require adapter sleeves. But alas my implements are not quick hitch compatible, so I went with the Pat's. I think once I get it dialed in, both in adjustment and technique, it should fit my needs.

Extended hook sounds interesting.

 

[RCW]

@ejb11235 - check out my previous post again as I may have edited it after you read it.

The hitch is handy, but the receiver adapter is handy too.

The extended hook is 5/8” over “standard” doesn’t sound like much, but is perfect.

For a couple dollars each, I leave bushings on each implement. Pretty easy to make your own.

I don’t use bushings on the Carry All, but do on ground-engaging things like box blade and middle buster/sub-soiler, where a tighter fit is more important.

I don’t have any PTO driven implements and can pick them all off a pallet without leaving my seat.

Like I said- lots of folks love Pat’s for good reasons. Not disparaging that system at all.

Just offering an alternative to another BX owner.

 

[ejb11235]

@ejb11235 - check out my previous post again as I may have edited it after you read it.

The hitch is handy, but the receiver adapter is handy too.

The extended hook is 5/8” over “standard” doesn’t sound like much, but is perfect.

For a couple dollars each, I leave bushings on each implement. Pretty easy to make your own.

I don’t use bushings on the Carry All, but do on ground-engaging things like box blade and middle buster/sub-soiler, where a tighter fit is more important.

I don’t have any PTO driven implements and can pick them all off a pallet without leaving my seat.

Like I said- lots of folks love Pat’s for good reasons. Not disparaging that system at all.

Just offering an alternative to another BX owner.

Yeah, I was going to buy the Speeco quick hitch but then I did some inspecting and concluded a quick hitch wasn't going to work. If I recall, one had a design that prevents the top hook from coming up from below, even with an extended hook.

For future readers, the extended hook @RCW refers to is this:

Imported Quick Hitch Accessories - BoltOnHooks LLC

Extended hook for the Harbor Freight and other imported Quick Hitch. KBOH. ChainBox

www.boltonhooks.com

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

The angle seems to be related to how the three point hitch works; I think that's why there's a ball pivot.

 

[ejb11235]

The angle seems to be related to how the three point hitch works; I think that's why there's a ball pivot.

I think that if the lifter arms (the arms actuated by the hydraulics) were positioned directly above the drag arms (the things you hook up to the implement), then the drag arms would not need a ball joint where they connect to the back of the tractor ... a simple pivot would suffice. On a BX there's not enough width to do that ... the lifter arms have to be spaced narrowly otherwise they'll hit the fenders.

 

[ejb11235]

Update. Today I had to swap out the landscape rake for the carry-all-mounted gas chipper. What a dream! I love having the chipper mounted on the back of my tractor and I really like not having to run the tractor or hook up a PTO.

The Pat's quick hitches are working pretty well. I mentioned before that the BX 3 point hitch design causes the drag arms to tilt over at the bottom of travel. That, and the fact that I was el-cheapo and didn't buy the spreader bar when I ordered the Pat's, makes it a teeny bit fussy when I back up to the implement. But on whole, it's still very fast and makes me happy.

I had to buy a longer top link for use with the box blade. The stock top link was too short to begin with, but the Pat's adds another 4", so I new the top link would be too short. I haven't used the box blade yet so I haven't had a chance to try out the new top link yet. If I ever get hydraulic top n tilt I'll probably have some extender plates made for the box blade to shift the connection point forward, but that's a long way off.

The 3 point hitch on the BX lowers with gravity. There's enough friction to keep the 3PH from lowering on its own with the Pat's hitches, so the detaching process includes stepping on one of the arms to force it down.

It's getting the job done, and the biggest indicator of success is that I no longer dread swapping implements.