Upgraded to Pat's

[johnjk]

I have been thinking about this for quite a while and seeing the box at Rural King got me to finally do it. Off with the Harbor Freight Quick Hitch and on with the Pat's Quick Hitch.

Extremely easy installation took all of maybe 20 minutes to complete. I would have marked the stabilizer bar for the brush hog and box blade but it started raining..... again. Hopefully most of the rain in the forecast for this week does not materialize.

Anyone in need of a cheap slightly used HF quick hitch?

 

[Jblac197]

I've had pats for a couple years. Not quite as easy as a quick hitch but at least you know any implement will fit on it

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[SRG]

I made the same switch Chinese box QH, to Pats. Couldn't agree more.
Contact member Hodge, and see if he makes telescoping stabilizers for your machine. It makes Pat's system, even easier to use.

 

[mendonsy]

I never went the QH route because the four 3 point attachments that I have are all different widths. I installed my Pat's hitch 3 years ago. I did have to purchase a longer top link from TSC to make my york rake work with the extra 4" length of the Pat's hitch.
I also made a linkage to equalize the lift arms so that they are always centered not matter what width the implement is. The concept was borrowed from an IH 686 3 point hitch. A picture is attached.

 

[SRG]

One of the biggest pros to Pats system over a box frame QH, in my opinion, comes when hooking up implements with PTO shafts. It's wide open access. We all know hooking up (sometimes wrestling) a PTO shaft on, can be a pain in the arse at times.

I too upgraded to a Cat2 top link with the use of Pat's. I had plenty of top link left on the OEM unit to be usable, but it didn't leave as much meat threaded in the turn buckle as I liked. Plus the Cat2 top link is just beefier all around.

mendonsy; do you have better pics of what you did? I see a couple heim joints.
Edit; Oh, so both linkages rotate with the orange piece that's installed on the lift arm plain? That allows the lower arms to be able to change widths for each implement, while simultaneously being rigid in position by those links, and the implement pins that the arms are pinned on? As the arms are widened, the linkage swings up and back, and as they are narrowed, it swings down and forward? Pretty slick, if i'm seeing that right!