Tractor catagory 1 quick hitch

[Country Metals]

I'm looking for a quality cat 1 quick hitch for my Ford. I dont wsnt to buy the cheap tractor supply stuff, which has a lot of bad reviews. So I'm asking who makes a good unit?

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[Lis2323]

I'm looking for a quality cat 1 quick hitch for my Ford. I dont wsnt to buy the cheap tractor supply stuff, which has a lot of bad reviews. So I'm asking who makes a good unit?

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I had half a dozen Category 2 John Deere and they worked perfectly.

We ran all Ford / NewHolland tractors.

I spent a LOT of hours rebuilding implement hitches for quick hitch conversion. LOL.


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[SweetMK]

Depending on the attachments that you have, you may be better off with Pat's Quick Hitch

I have been using it for several years, and I really prefer it to the quick hitch.



Pat's is more forgiving to attachments that may not have been designed for "QUICK HITCH" use.
I have a "normal" quick hitch on my JD 650,, it is kind of a novelty to me,, hardly anything I own fits it.



There are a LOT of old attachments around that do not fit the normal quick hitch, but, work perfectly with PAT'S,,,

[Lis2323]

Depending on the attachments that you have, you may be better off with Pat's Quick Hitch

I have been using it for several years, and I really prefer it to the quick hitch.



Pat's is more forgiving to attachments that may not have been designed for "QUICK HITCH" use.
I have a "normal" quick hitch on my JD 650,, it is kind of a novelty to me,, hardly anything I own fits it.



There are a LOT of old attachments around that do not fit the normal quick hitch, but, work perfectly with PAT'S,,,

I'm not familiar with "Pats" but that sounds like the best option.

I farmed at a time where 90% of our implements were NOT "quick hitch" friendly and needed to be modified.


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[Country Metals]

Depending on the attachments that you have, you may be better off with Pat's Quick Hitch

I have been using it for several years, and I really prefer it to the quick hitch.



Pat's is more forgiving to attachments that may not have been designed for "QUICK HITCH" use.
I have a "normal" quick hitch on my JD 650,, it is kind of a novelty to me,, hardly anything I own fits it.



There are a LOT of old attachments around that do not fit the normal quick hitch, but, work perfectly with PAT'S,,,

I've heard of the Pat's and seen them on amazon and places, but I honestly thought they were a cheap Chinese item.

Does the Pat's still use the balls or do they just connect to the pin?

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[SweetMK]

I've heard of the Pat's and seen them on amazon and places, but I honestly thought they were a cheap Chinese item.

Does the Pat's still use the balls or do they just connect to the pin?

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Pat's is a high quality system, IMHO,,

Usually, the hitch is used with a special washer,,



The washer is not needed if the attachment has dual plates on each side, like my DIY landplane,,



I use the Pat's with both of my mowers, also,,

[whtbaron]

I was thinking I'd like to make a quick attach for the front of my CAT loader. Maybe I could incorporate a couple heavy pintle hitches for semis like the Pat's hitch did.

[Munkul]

I look at a lot of north american tractor videos/pics and wonder about the obsession for quick hitches... we don't use quick hitch frames over here hardly at all, unless it's an A frame for certain jobs.
We all use hook ends similar to the Pats adapters shown above... cat 2/cat3/cat4, all the tractors over here these days have hook ends specced by default.

It barely takes any longer to hook up with them vs a quick hitch. Generally you're hooking up to an implement that will be used for several hours... so the extra 2 minutes to hook up isn't really a time saver.

quick hitches on the loader, though... that's invaluable... we wouldn't be without it... swapping between forks, bucket and spikes etc without even getting out of the cab... you wouldn't go backwards there.

[Country Metals]

I'm not looking to find some quickie device so I never get off the tractor, I'm just looking for something that will stop the 1/2" arguement I have at times with attachments.

I already work 6 days a week for the business and mostly 7 days now. I still have to get things done, and it looks like the Pat's system is the way to go.

For now, I just plan on getting a lot of the washers and that will probably work just fine for me.

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[SweetMK]

I still have to get things done, and it looks like the Pat's system is the way to go.

For now, I just plan on getting a lot of the washers and that will probably work just fine for me.

One hint on updating the Pat's, after it arrives.

Install the adapters on the tractor, it will include a bunch of bolts to "clamp" the adapters to the tractor arms.

THEN,, rather than using those bolts, determine what the EXACT length of the bolt should be (shortest possible)
(The bolts supplied with the Pat's system are WAY over length)

Go to Tractor Supply (or somewhere like that) and select the correct length bolts IN GRADE 8.

The Grade 8 bolts are harder, and stay in place much better.

If you look at my pics, you can see the gold color Grade 8 bolts.

Grade 9 bolts would even be better, but, that bolt store was too far of a ride the day I got my new bolts,, so I just bought the Grade 8.

[G-ManBart]

Another vote for the Pat's system.

I bought one of the early sets when he was still fabricating them in his shop...so cut and welded sections. The new versions appear to be a solid, one-piece casting. They also offer weld-on style rather than the clamp-on versions. I actually need to order a set of those for my Massey because the lift arms are nearly Cat 2 size, but Cat 1 balls so the Cat 1 clamp-on won't fit the arms.

[bead-boy]

It's just shocking that tractors today are still being manufactured with hitch technology invented during the 1930's.

I assume they are forced to because of all the implements out there would have to be modified, or parked in the weeds and forgotten.

[Country Metals]

Well my Ford is a 1971? So its reliable, not new.

So a couple weeks ago I fixed the issue of flat tires on the finish mower, woods makes great solid tires compared to the junk sold on Amazon. For basically the same price. So that's why my new PITA is aligning the hitch itself.

Would a roto-tiller be ok with putting it on the Pat's system if I get the grade 8 bolts? I currently have a finish mower, brush hog, roto-tiller, spreader, rake, and cut hate that I put on the cat 1 Ford. Everything else goes on the cat 2 tractor

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[Munkul]

It's just shocking that tractors today are still being manufactured with hitch technology invented during the 1930's.

I assume they are forced to because of all the implements out there would have to be modified, or parked in the weeds and forgotten.

What's wrong with it? if it's not heavy duty enough, you go to the next category up. The system works well.

[Willie B]

Always a wrestling match to hook up. I find I mostly leave an implement on a tractor year round. 1961 B275 has had the wood splitter attached for years now. 1985 IH 385 has loader. The scraper comes off only to bush hog.

[John Bartley]

I also remember wrestling with the 3-pt hookup on my Dad's tractors. My Kioti came with something that was new to me (I'm not a farmer), a set of loose arm ends. I always leave my equipment sitting in the position that they were on the tractor, whether by using jacks or blocks or .... so with the loose ends all I have to do is back in within an inch or two and I'm good to go in a minute or so. My difficulty seems more to be getting the PTO shafts to slide on. I've taken to overgreasing the splines and locking pins ... it's just easier.

This is NOT my tractor ... just a screen grab of part of another image .... same loose arms. (I have no idea what the correct term is)

[bead-boy]

I have the slide out arm ends of both my tractors. Saves some work, yes. But the front to back is easier to line up by moving the tractor forward or back and turning the steering wheel.

The biggest difficulty is heavier implements on uneven ground, where raising and lowering doesn't seem to align anything (one arm too high or low). That is the case with my 3 point disc mower. I have a stash of pry bars and high lift jacks to help persuade it into position.

I believe that very large tractors have all moved to quick attach because there is no easy way to persuade the alignment of a 20,000 pound implement. So why can't they make that the standard on all new tractors???

[Lis2323]

Here's a JD Cat 2 quick hitch at my neighbors. It may even be one of mine that he bought from me. He uses all Cat 2 and 3.



I purchased three used JD Q-A clones from a Washington State equipment dealer for $100 each. Unsure of the make. They might have even been "shop built".

They worked flawlessly for me for 30 years at which point I SOLD them for a profit.


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[SweetMK]

This is NOT my tractor ... just a screen grab of part of another image .... same loose arms. (I have no idea what the correct term is)

I have the extendable lower arms on my 60+HP IH tractor,, I have about 5 inches of travel that the arms can extend,,



I do not know the correct term, either, but, they sure work perfectly,,

[Lis2323]

I have the extendable lower arms on my 60+HP IH tractor,, I have about 5 inches of travel that the arms can extend,,



I do not know the correct term, either, but, they sure work perfectly,,

I had to weld mine up (closed) on one of the Fords. They would release occasionally


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[SweetMK]

I had to weld mine up (closed) on one of the Fords. They would release occasionally


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When I first got the tractor, I thought for sure they were going to release on occasion,,

Well,, I have had the tractor since the mid 1990's, and I have never had an arm self release!!

I have lost several top link pins,, for whatever reason,,,

I even purchase the black phosphate coated lynch pins that are ~4X stronger than the plated regular lynch pins.
The top link even manages to shed those,, somehow.

[Fast Leroy]

I got one of those cheap Chinese hitches from Harbor Freight. Best tractor add on I ever bought. I never have to leave the seat to hook up or drop off, except to hook up the PTO. I think it was $90 at HF.

[Munkul]

All our newer tractors have these types of hook ends



Balls go on the implement, and you just drive up to the implement, wiggle a bit and lift... then put the top link on seperately.

[Lis2323]

All our newer tractors have these types of hook ends



Balls go on the implement, and you just drive up to the implement, wiggle a bit and lift... then put the top link on seperately.

I like that! As usual I’m late to the party!


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[SweetMK]

I like that! As usual I’m late to the party!


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Na, not late,, just early for the next design to come along,,

After having the Pat's, I can not imagine being able to hook up anything to that European "ball hitch" without two people,,
How do you guide those hooks onto a ball,, TWICE! (once for each side)
At least the Pat's has the bar sticking up to "catch" the implement.
and,, the Pat's comes with an adjustable link, so that you can space the arms apart, as needed,,