HowTo & Review: Pat's Easy Change quick hitch system for 3 point hitches.

BLUF: Every time I swap implements I'm reminded how great these are, and installation was easy.

If you're ready to install, and are looking for a few tips, start here. If you're still trying to decide between Pat's and one of the other quick hitch systems, scroll down to the bottom to learn why I made this choice. 

Click on any photo to see an enlarged view.

Parts/Tools

I installed the category 1 version of the Easy Change, but you can get category 2, and the installation doesn't appear to be any different. (If your lower arm pins are 7/8", you need category 1. If they are 1-1/8", you need category 2.)

For installation, you'll need grease or anti-rust coating, a hammer and a 9/16" wrench. Later, you might want to add four 3/8"-16 nyloc nuts.

This will take you about an hour.

Installation

This is a simple install, and if you can't figure it out from the instructions they send, you probably shouldn't be operating a tractor. However, I do have some hints and potential gotchas to add to the manufacturer's instructions...

I put grease in the parts list because you're about to cover up your swivel balls on the lower links for a long time, so you should start by gooping them up to make sure they're protected from rust. I actually sprayed fluid film on mine, because it's my preferred rust prevention goop, but there's no reason some axle grease wouldn't do the job, and you  probably already have grease.

Step one is to test-fit one of the Easy Change units on your lower arm to see what size shim you need to make the hitch parallel with the lower arm.. 1/4" (0.25) and 3/8" (0.375) shims come with the kit. For my 2007 New Holland TC30, the 3/8 shim was the correct one. 

After you locate the correct shim and drive the pin into it, you'll see that there are two ways to put the shim in. I suggest orienting it so the shim is flush with the back of the hitch, because that gives the hitch better support. (Leverage)

It's easiest if you put the set screws and u-bolt in while you've got the hitch on the bench, because the paint makes it hard to get the set screws started in the threads. remember to put the locknuts on first.

It should look like this before
you install it.

There's no "right" or "left" hitch. They're identical and can go on either side. HOWEVER, when you put the pins in, orient them so the extension with the big vertical hole is on the inside and the cotter pin on the outside. The reason is that the vertical hole is where your stabilizer (spreader) bar goes:

Orient the pins this way, because...

The holes are for the stabilizer bar.

The set screws allow you to adjust the angle of the hitches. It makes sense to just screw them in an equal amount on all sides to start with & only change them if there's a problem. You've still got plenty of movement from the swivel balls on the tractor end of the arms, so it's unlikely you'll need to adjust these. (I haven't had to adjust them so far.)

I mentioned in the parts area that you might want to buy four 3/8"-16 nyloc nuts. Those are to go on the bottom of the u-bolts. Several people warned me that even with the lock nuts, these vibrate loose. I ignored them, but they were right. Don't be like me.

The stabilizer bar is to set the distance between the arms when you're hooking on an implement. Between all of my implements, I have two distances I need, so I used a file to mark each one with a notch on the bar so it's easy to preset.

You might have to get a longer toplink, because these hitches add 4 inches to your control arms. Similarly, check all of your PTO shafts to make sure the extra 4 inches doesn't extend them to far to be safe. (In my case, my existing parts had enough margin that I didn't need to buy these.)

I decide to move my lift arms to the rear hole on the lower arms in order to provide better leverage to make up for the extra 4 inches. I'm not sure it was necessary, and it does decrease my full up-down range slightly. So far, this appears to have been the right thing to do.

From this...

 

To this.

Your kit will also include some bent washers to go on your implements to protect the lynchpins and guide the hitches into place when you hook up. It's fairly obvious how these go on, but just in case, here's what it should look like:

Why not use one of the other quick-hitch systems?

Here's why I ended up buying this system instead of other quick hitch systems that essentially consist of a rigid frame that picks up your toplink connection along with the two lower arms. 

At first glance, those rigid frames seemed like the more durable & easy to use approach.

The problem with the other quick hitch systems is that they won't adjust for different distances between the attachment pins on your implements, and if you have an implement such as a post-hole digger or lifting boom that attaches directly to the tractor instead of with a toplink, you'd have to remove the quick-hitch to use it.

The only time I can imagine a rigid frame quick-hitch being the best approach is if you know exactly what implements you'll be using so you can get a hitch to fit them and also know you'll never want to add an implement with different dimensions to your collection. They're probably the right way to go if you're rich and going down to the dealer to buy a new tractor with a matching set of implements.

But in the real world, few of us get to be Tractor Barbie with matching accessories. I'd guess that if you're reading this, you have acquired most of your implements used, and they have a variety of spacings, and you never know what cool implement is going to jump onto your trailer at the next auction. The Pat's Easy Change is what you need for that situation.