Quick Hitch advice please

[mcmxi]

I saw recently that Good Works Tractors is now selling their own quick hitch that does not require adding bushings to all of your attachments like most do.

They've been selling the SpeeCo brand for a few years now that doesn't require bushings for a Cat 1 implement.

Good Works Tractor Co. is a great company and Courtney is a class act, and if I were in the market for another Quick Hitch I'd probably buy the one that you mentioned. It's on sale for $299 and looks like a good product.

Quick Hitch for Category I 3-Point GWT Fast CAT I

Reduce time and effort connecting your tractor's 3-Point attachments with this quick hitch using a direct pin fit, and beating the competition's warranty.

www.goodworkstractors.com

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I'd love to see a CAT1 tractor USE a CAT3 implement !!
My gut's telling me the bottom implement 'hook' is CAT3 as the manufacturer finds this to be the cheapest 'way to market'...a 'one size fits all' deal. Maybe in the 'fine print' they say adapters may be needed ?
They SHOULD be supplying CAT1 adapters though,free of charge.

 

[mcmxi]

I'd love to see a CAT1 tractor USE a CAT3 implement !!
My gut's telling me the bottom implement 'hook' is CAT3 as the manufacturer finds this to be the cheapest 'way to market'...a 'one size fits all' deal. Maybe in the 'fine print' they say adapters may be needed ?
They SHOULD be supplying CAT1 adapters though,free of charge.

My point is that I'm not aware of any implement using Cat 3 pins on Cat 1 spacing, and "all" of the Cat 1 Quick Hitches use a Cat 1 spacing of approximately 28 in. on center. So what was Land Pride thinking? This might explain why the QH15 was somewhat short lived, and why the QH10 and QH15 were replaced with the QH16.

I kick myself for my lack of due diligence when I bought the QH15 sight unseen from the dealer in Wyoming. Had I bothered to look at the specs I would have realized that the QH10 at the local dealer was a better option, albeit for $200 more.

 

[jimh406]

I have the QH15.

First, think about how often you will change attachments. I've found the quick hitch in the way to hook PTO driven attachments. However, I don't use them that much. I've also found that I need different top link settings for each attachment.

Second, the adjustable top link isn't used if you have all QH compatible implements. The adjustment pins don't tend to stay in. I like other people have changed mine to bolts. The boltheads and nuts are a bit in the way on hookup at times.

If you ever plan to upgrade to Type 2 implements, adding sleeves to your other implements isn't that big of a deal. Tractor Supply sells what you need for bushings. It's an extra cost, but not that much.

 

[woodman55]

So after some investigation, it wouldn't be hard to convert a QH15 to a QH16. Here's a Cat 1 to Cat 3 bushing sitting in the hook. I would need to cut the bushing in half along the axis of the bore, weld it in place, then add some material to the lock so that it limits upward movement of a Cat 1 7/8" pin. This would be much cheaper than buying a QH16.

View attachment 139894

I originally planned to add 1/4 inch to the ends of the locks on mine, but never got there, and so far so good. I have pretty much given up on the idea lengthening the locks.

 

[Trimley]

I do regret buying the QH15 rather than another QH10 since I have to mess about with all kinds of bushing combinations to get it to work well with various implements. I have to deal with Cat 1 to Cat 2, and Cat 2 to Cat 3 bushings.

My venture into the QH began when I had a JD X739, which was Cat1-Limited/Cat1 compatable. There were two quick hitch types, solid top hook and adjustable. The adjustable model was ridiculously priced and not found on the used market at the time, but the solid hook model was all over out there for sale. People maybe upgrade, was my guess. Anyway, I bought the solid top hook model, then over time I rounded up all the necessary bushings.

I agree, the bushings are somewhat of a thorn, if you don't have them on every attachment and ready to use.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Responding bushings, with Pat's Category 1 QH no bushings are needed.

I also have the 3-point spreader arm and so far haven't used it, occasionally I change the spread between arms to match an odd implement, however that's fast and easy with the Messick's Telescopic Stabilizer Kit (see my profile - About for a list). Generally if the arms are a bit narrow I can back into the implement and they'll open on their own.

 

[Broxi]

I would like to thank all the forum members for all the information that you posted in response.
I don't particularly want to mess about with different bushings and the comment from one member about a quick hitch getting in the way of connecting the PTO shaft swayed me in the direction of the Pats system. I have now placed an order for the Pats system. Thank you everyone for your input!

 

[biketopia]

I've never had an issue hooking up a drive line with my Harbor Freight Cat 1 quick hitch, even my chipper which has a ridiculously short shaft, but to each their own. SInce I added a hydraulic top link swapping 3 point items is super fast, chipper to land plane to tiller and back to chipper yesterday in no time.

 

[AdmiralS]

Another vote for Speeco. Having had multiple different kinds, including land pride.

Love not having to mess with the bushings

I made a SSQA 3pt adapter with the Harbor Freight quick hitch and constantly have to adjust it

You wont be disappointed with the Speeco

 

[woodman55]

I have never had issues connecting the pto shaft with my quick hitch.

 

[mcmxi]

I have never had issues connecting the pto shaft with my quick hitch.

I have a Del Morino flail with hydraulic offset which isn't QH compatible, but like you, I've never had an issue with the pto shaft of the rotary cutter or snow plow with either tractor or either QH.

 

[Old Machinist]

If I were starting from scratch I would first determine if any driveshaft driven implements had the lift pins lower than my other implements. If all my implements had the same height lift pins I would go with the Speeco but be advised it still has a large opening top hook so bushings are still required on the top pin.

I bought my first quick hitch over 10 years ago before all the custom pin bushings were available. It was a China hitch from Agri Supply and it at least had the offset top hook that some others didn't have. Before I walked out of the store with it I bought bushings to stack on all my implements to fill up the cat 3 wide hooks. It was $100 back then. They sell a similar or the same hitch these days for about $140.

I had to do some adjustment or modification on every implement I had to match up to the quick hitch but it was worth it in the end.

The only driveshaft issue I had was my finish mower lift pins were lower than normal and if I wasn't careful the driveshaft would make contact with the crossbar on the hitch. I have since modified that hitch for more clearance.

Both of my shaft driven pull behind mowers take some extra effort to connect the top link on but it's not a deal killer. This is the only area I see the Pats version being an advantage over a full quick hitch but never having used a Pats hitch I could be wrong.

I almost bought a Speeco off marketplace for the Kubota but since I already have everything set up for the China hitch I decided not to get it. A few weeks ago I got a deal on a barely used China hitch and bought that.

 

[DanDavis]

Benefits of the Pats system are obvious I think. ease of use, flexibility, blah blah

 

[BAP]

Benefits of the Pats system are obvious I think. ease of use, flexibility, blah blah

Pat’s system is only 2/3 of a quick hitch system. You still have to get off the tractor and screw around to get the top link hooked up. Waist of time in my mind. If I’m going to have a quick hitch system, I don’t want to leave the seat unless it’s to hook up a PTO driveshaft.

 

[wsurff]

I started out with Pats which I used without difficulty for a couple of years. One of my hooks malfunctioned this year and decided to try a QH.
Worked okay, but I still had to make several adjustments of the top hook for different implements. Also had to reconfigure the lift pins on my sprayer and spreader. Turns out, for my particular case (seven rear implements from six different manufacturers), I wasn't saving much time with the QH. Ultimately, I went back to Pats. That said, if you are planning to only use a single manufacturer for your rear implements, going with QH from that manufacturer would work out fine.

 

[Old Machinist]

I pretty much have to readjust the length of my top link for my different implements. I still feel the QH is beneficial and a time saver vs having to line up and connect the lift pins each time.

 

[mcmxi]

That said, if you are planning to only use a single manufacturer for your rear implements, going with QH from that manufacturer would work out fine.

I have a snow blower and rotary cutter from Land Pride/Kubota, a box blade and land plane (land leveler) from Everything attachments, a trailer receiver from King Kutter, a sprayer from Fimco and a seeder from Herd that all work with the QH10 and QH15. That's five manufacturers without an issue.

 

[mcmxi]

Pat’s system is only 2/3 of a quick hitch system. You still have to get off the tractor and screw around to get the top link hooked up. Waist of time in my mind. If I’m going to have a quick hitch system, I don’t want to leave the seat unless it’s to hook up a PTO driveshaft.

This has always been my issue with Pat's over a QH. You have to mess with the top link with Pat's whereas with a QH you don't. Add in top-n-tilt and it makes picking up an implement about as easy as it gets.

When I get the Del Morino flail (not QH compatible due to hydraulic offset) on the MX it's not much of a challenge with the telescoping lower links.

 

[biketopia]

This has always been my issue with Pat's over a QH. You have to mess with the top link with Pat's whereas with a QH you don't. Add in top-n-tilt and it makes picking up an implement about as easy as it gets.

That exactly, why spend the money for almost a quick hitch system. Even before I added a hydraulic top link hooking up to various manufactures and age of equipment was pretty straightforward. Now with the top link being just a lever to adjust, picking things is stupid easy. I think also people hear quick hitch and think it will make up for user error. At the end of the day there's still 3 points that need to all line up, if you don't set yourself for success any system will suck. Also, the bushing debate is really not a big deal at all. Set of QH bushings on amazon were 25 bucks, have roll pins so I can knock em out and let someone borrow my implement if needed. My Catawba land plane has both cat 1 and cat 2 hook ups, effortless to pick up.