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3 Point Quick Hitch Compatibility Issues

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JParker
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 152 Richmond, VA
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2012-02-14          182410

I purchased a quick hitch a few years ago, and it works well with my 5' Bush Hog, Rake & subsoiler. But I'm finding that the lower arm attachment points on a few of my other implements are too far apart for the quick hitch. It's arms are about 27.5" clear inside. A used 4' King Kutter I just purchased is 28" out-out of steel frame, add for the "sholders" of the lower pins and I need about 29.5". It looks like many new impliments are Quick Hitch compatible with narrower attachment points, but what about the old impliments.

What are other people doing?

I had some lower arm hooks "Pat's Easy Change" or similar that helped with hookup, but keeping lower arms spread was a pain so I bought a quick hitch thinking it was better.

Would it make sense to have the quick hitch cut & welded about 2 inches wider instead of modifying multiple impliments?


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greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky
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2012-02-14          182412

I too started with that QH, had the same issue with it not wanting to pick up all implements. Given that not all implement manufacturer's are in compliance with the ASAE three point spec relative to spacing, it's not technically the fault of the QH. But that's the reason, not the solution.

Rather than sell many of my implements, I just sold the QH. Installed Pat's Easy Hitch system on both tractors, never looked back. Yes, with PEC you have to get off the tractor to connect the toplink. But I had to do that most of the time with the QH anyway.

Nowadays I've got the extendable link option on this new John Deere - I think they call it FlexLink or some such thing - and consider that to be the best system of the three.

Don't know how the lift pins are mounted on the KK, but most fact away from each other. Sometimes you can turn them around to face each other to make it easier to pick them up with the QH.

//greg// ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2012-02-14          182413

I have JD's iMatch hitch. Of course the green implements fit but I've had three others that didn't. The chipper and carry all were modified to fit with various degrees of drilling, cutting and welding. The pallet forks were returned for a refund and replaced with some green ones. I can't say it was worth the money and effort but it is sure nice when everything works together. Now if I could just get the backhoe to work without removing the QH...
....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-02-14          182423

Not knowing your hitch could you make one adapter to use between the QH and those implements that would pin on the normal way? ....

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JParker
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 152 Richmond, VA
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2012-02-15          182425

I actually went the other way. I had the Pat's Easy Change, then bought a QH unaware of the width issue.

I gave away the Pat's Easy Change, but can buy another if needed.

Biggest issue I had with it was the lower arms keep swinging together while I'm trying to hitch up. Their adjustable spreader bar clamp system didn't work that well IMHO. I found myself violating saftey rules by inching the tracor from the ground, while standing beside it and reaching between the tractor and impliment trtying to line up teh lower arms. Not a very safe practice. On the impliments that fit, the QH is much easier and safer.

Any thoughts on stretching the QH to 30" clear inside? Thats just 2.5" wider than original. My Grader Box which I believe stresses the connection the most would be a perfect fit then. I have some bushings that I can use to stop free play in the impliments that are narrower. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2012-02-15          182430

I don't think there are any hard and fast rules other than common sense. Everyone's situation is different. The common sense would be make it strong enough, the further to the rear you push the implement the more leverage there is on the whole hitch assembly so more damage can be done, and the pto shaft may have to be replaced with a longer one depending on implement. It would be best to rig any adapters so they are all in the roughly the same vertical plane as the hitch and are strong enough. On the implement sometimes the pins can be flipped around from outside to inside or vice versa. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2012-02-16          182431

I think things are getting better in the hitch world making interchangability much easier. In the past in an attempt to keep you buying their brand of impliments International Harvester and Allis Chalmers come to mind as having their own design of hitch on the tractor that only their brand of impliments would fit. Also some of the short line builders of three point equipment didn't comply with standard dimensions of the catregory one like most of us little guys have or on up thru the bigger tractors and impliments of category 2, Cat. 3, Cat3W, and Cat. four for the really big ones. Finally I think now all major builders are using the SAE standard three point hitch.
I have a Land Pride Category one quick hitch with the adjustable top hook. So far everything has fit the lower pins but i have had to adjust the top hook to accomidate some iof the impliments. I did modify a couple older impliments to fit the quick coupler rather than modify the quick coupler, I'm glad I did it that way because those old machines have long since bit the dust and been replaced with ones that fit the quick coupler.

Frank. ....

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Cyrus55
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 58 W TN
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2012-02-21          182496

Have you tried moving the lower mount of the vertical hitch of the King Kutter to the inside instead of the outside? That should gain you 3/4 inch or more. That might just do it. that's what I've done to my King Kutter and it works for my quick hitch, which is also 27.5 inches.
By all means, modify your equipment, not the quick hitch. The quick hitch is for the ASAE standard.

In the '60's we had a Case tractor with Eagle Hitch, Case's version of 3 point, and it was basically a quick hitch and the arms did NOT sway. We bought a new John Deere implement and it would not fit. We moved the hitch pins to the inside and the Case arms would not clear the hitch frame. The dealer ended up putting an older hitch off a used piece of equipment to make it work. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2012-02-21          182504


Just my thoughts, the best was the old two point hitch from IH but! That also drove up prices as it wasn't but one of about ten or so different styles.

Three point was the one that everyone stuck with after about twenty years of industry wars. The bad part is that has enough definitions of what catagory or modification of that catagory!

There is a pure cat O as well as cat 1, cat 2, cat 3 and so on up and wait another year or so and we might hit double digits.

The problem is the catagories that are in between as far as hitches go. We have all heard of the sub-compacts which I call a cat o-1, it uses the catagory o width the best as it also has height requirements between the pins and they added cat 1 pins. They can spread to the full one width but try and put a full cat 1 post hole digger on one! Just in case you haven't been there yet the auger gear box is so low you'd be about right with a 2' long auger.

We have had the pleasure of adapting for years! Some times the pins have to turned towards the inside when they can be but we hae found many variations of the hitches.

My favorite after playing wih a lot of systems is extendable lift arms and a pinned stabilizer. Some implements will need different pin holes but even they can't get it as tight as a turnbuckle! With the turnbuckles you should put quick pins in at least one end to make spreading the arms faster for hook-ups it does work! Then with a simple twist or two your snug!

There are also many PTO shafts to be cut as well! ....

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