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cherymax
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 80 Grantville, GA
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2004-05-18          86332

I purchased a JD i-match hitch today. It works fine on my Frontier (i-match compatible) rear blade. However, the supposedly i-match compatible JD ballast box is another story.
The upper "tooth" on the i-match hitch is too tall to fit under the upper pin/bushing in the ballast box. To make the i-match hitch fit you'd have to either take the upper pin out or lay the i-match hitch over a bit and slide it under the pin/bushing. Either way... ya gotta get off the tractor... Doesn't seem like the ballast box is i-match compatible.

Anyone else had this problem?


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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-05-18          86334

No, it doesn't sound like the ballast box is I-Match compatible. Is it possible there was a change in ballast boxes to make them compatible and you got an old one? If you had a hydraulic top link it might be possible to dip the hook and scoop it up under the top pin, but that's a lot of money to make the I-Match work. I had this problem with a non-JD carry-all and had a welding shop modify the carry-all to fit. You might ask your dealer about it, maybe they would modify your ballast box for you. ....

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cherymax
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 80 Grantville, GA
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2004-05-18          86337

According to the JD website... ballast boxes are (are now) i-match compatible... I must have been given an old one... ARRRGGGG. I'll be at the dealership in the morning... :( They can give outdated equipment to someone else. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2004-05-19          86344

Cherymax; Check with your Deere dealer, perhaps he is also a Land pride dealer. I've got a couple Land pride hitches that have a top hook that is adjustable by pulling a couple pins and moving the hook up or down to where ever you need. I don't know what an I-Match costs, but as I recall these were in the 200 - 225 range three or four years ago. If he's a dealer for them surely he'd trade your I-Match back for a Land pride. Frank. ....

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b8fish
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 39 Rochester, NY area
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2004-05-19          86359

Well, my iMatch works great on my 48" box blade (Woods) and the JD LX4 cutter, but not so hot on my ballast box--seems like the side pins were a little short, went to TSC and got some longer bushings and everything works fine now. I wouldn't do this with a "working" attachment, but for the box it was a cheap (about $5) fix. ....

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cherymax
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 80 Grantville, GA
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2004-05-19          86369

Hardwood, I just now looked at the Land Pride QH on the net... looks the top hook on the Land Pride version will also be too tall to go under the upper ballast box pin. If ya get a chance, let me know how tall your upper hook is on the Land Pride QH.

From the top of the JD ballast box to the center of the upper pin is 2 5/8" the upper hook on the JD i-match hitch is 4" tall... no way it can fit under. ....

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jbs
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 25 Issaquah, WA
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2004-05-19          86394

The Quickhitch from Speeco has an adjustable top hook and is priced less than the I match. WWW.speeco.com ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-05-19          86417

The advantage of an adjustable top hook sort of escapes me. If you have to get off the tractor to adjust the top hook for each implement then you might as well get Pat's Easy Change system and skip the troublesome top hook entirely. A quick hitch with a fixed position top hook and compatible implements is the only way to get all the advantages of a quick hitch. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2004-05-20          86420

Cherymax; I'll check that measurment today and post it. I've never owned a JD weight box, so I can't tell you much about them. I bought a box blade instead of a weight box for ballast. Kwschumm; I really don't even know what a Pat's Easy Hitch is. I guess my defense to the adjustable top hook is that it cost's about the same as an I-Match, you don't have the expense of modifying equipment that won't fit and unless you have a hyd adjustable top link it is very rare that the alignment of the hitch for one machine lines up with the next machine, so 99% of the time have to get off the tractor any way to hook up the PTO, close the hitch latches, or to check that everything is hooked up properly. Enjoy your day, Frank. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-05-20          86440

Frank, don't get me wrong, if I were to buy again I'd probably opt for the adjustable top hook. The point I was making is that if everything is compatible you never have to get off the tractor to change implements (except for the pto shaft on some equipment).

Pat's easy change system has a quick-connect on each lower link arm that will connect to about anything. You still have to get off to hook up the top link.

FWIW, I've had two incompatible implements and an adjustable top hook wouldn't have solved the problem on either one. I'm sure there are many implements where an adjustment would help though. ....

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jbs
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 25 Issaquah, WA
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2004-05-21          86517

Having an ajustable top hook is an advantage if you don't want to modify older implements. Granted it does'nt fix all but gives you a few more options. Getting off the tractor to change one hookup is still alot better than unhooking all the linkage. ....

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RidgeRunner
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 8 Dunlap Tennessee
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2004-05-22          86576

Wha is Pat's easy change system?
thanks ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-05-22          86578

Here's a link. ....


Link:   Pats easy change

 
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grassgod
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 566 ct
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2004-05-22          86607

Ken - that link for pats easy change system isnt working for me. Whats the web address? Also, what size grapple do you have & how much did ya pay for it? ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2004-05-22          86611

It's www dot greenwellmfg dot com. I have a 5 foot grapple and it cost around $2300 as part of my package IIRC. ....

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grassgod
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 566 ct
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2004-05-23          86637

Thanks for that info Ken! ....

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