The best way to fix a category 1 3 point Quick hitch! Harbor Freight and others. 

I just put CAT1 to CAT2 adapter sleeves over my implement's pins. Worked fine. They're cheap at Tractor Supply.

Another thought - I use 1" galvanized pipe to slip over the cat 1 pins and drill holes in the pipe for bolts through the existing pin holes. These stay on the implement. For the top link, I install one very large swivel on the implement top link pin. The swivel fits over the top link hook .

I welded 3 center slipper equalizer hangers (for hanging axles) to the front face of my non quick attach comparable implements. They are very heavy u shaped & a large grade 8 bolt can be ran through their holes. It took 10 minutes & less than $30, my quick hitch hooks up perfectly & it is tough,

Paint those adapter caps orange so they don't get lost. It's a great idea what you have come up with. Your quick hitch is singing "Don't Let Me Down".

Here are some helpful tips for your HFQH. Keep in mind that it's made in China and also keep in mind that the CAT 1, 2, 3 etc. "standards" allow for a wide variation in implement pin width and centerline height of the third pin. So here is my story with the HFQH. First, the top hook is too close the the QH frame and needs to be extended by 1" to 1-1/4" which is accomplished by welding a block to the back of the hook and redrilling the holes. There are aftermarket ones available for purchase for around $30 if you aren't handy in the fabrication department. Second, the supplied pins that hook the QH to the draft arms are grossly undersized...by 0.100" to be exact. This will cause excessive wear on the swivelly balls of the draft arms and provide a lot of unnecessary slop to the assembly. I bought a set of CAT 1 lower link pins at Farm & Fleet and re-made the lower pins using the purchased ones as a starting point. A little lathe work and fabrication/welding will do the trick. You will also have to drill out the holes in the QH to 57/64" to accommodate the new pins. Third, you need to use bushings on the lower pins of your implement to bring the O.D. of the pins from 7/8" to around 1-7/16" so they fit snugly in the lower hooks of the QH. You have to do this with ANY QH you use, Land Pride, iMatch, SpeeCo, Lee Agra, etc.. I made such modifications to my HFQH and it has served me well for over 3 years with no other issues. Also, in order to keep the "quick" in the QH, you need to adjust your implements to match one setting on the QH...this is only a concern if you use (usually) older implements from a variety of manufacturers as I stated before, the "standards" for 3PH's are very loose at best and allowed manufacturers MUCH leeway in their designs.

I bought the extended top hook and Cat 1 to Cat 2 and Cat 2 to Cat 3 bushings from AgCrazy and Harbor Freight reimbursed me $20 for the top hook. I found the top hook still needed to be ground down 1/4" in the bottom of the hook so my QH compatible Land Pride rotary cutter would completely seat into the bottom hooks. Worked great after that.

For everyone saying all he had to do is add bushings to all his implements.... That top hook is still to long to hook into a lot of implements. It's too much hassle to have to change the top hook and convert all your implements to cat3 size just to adapt to a hitch that wasn't designed right.

You buy sleeves/ adaptor for you pin size. You don't have to go through all that trouble. Work smarter not harder.

The bottom bolt with the bushing on it is the one your supposed to use anyway. And you need bushings for the bottom.

You can buy quick hitch lower adapter bushings at tsc or similar to take up slop.

Way more work than it needs to be. The Cat2 bushings are at Tractor Supply and under 20 bucks

Keep in mind the Harbor Freight Quick Hitch is only Category 0 compliant due to the undersized lift pins. It is suitable for tractors up to 20 horsepower. It's unfortunate that HF hasn't updated the design to Category 1 compliance.

nice job, looks like it will work well. mine is a harbor freight also. I leave the top pin out on some implements until the hook seats then simply install the top pin. the little slop up top dont bother me enough to worry over it. i doubt you would need to remove the spacer like the way mine is done. your may rub on the sides on some implements either inside or outside at the lower lift connection since it fits over the bottom hooks making the bottom hooks wider. its a shame they did not drill those top hooks a little more accurate. I appreciate you letting me know about your mod. its a great idea for sure! subscribed!

Helpful if you have access to a torch and steel plate.

Giving me a idea thank you

Looks like you got it going your way. I like the caps easy to change out.

Build 2 plates that bolt in top link hole and the hole below it that will mobe top link hole forward and above lower hitch pins. Now factory upper hook on tractor hitch will have clearenbe and work the way it was intended.

Assuming the average Compact tractor owner has metal working equipment and the necessary skill level, which more and more Small tractor owners do not.

Just bought hf quick attach but the the two slots at bottom arent wide enough for lift arms to fit in to put pins in...ANY IDEAS

So, you needed to make Quicker adapters for your Quick Hitch, you’d think these folks making this stuff would get that there are well known standards. Good ideas.

I believe your implement is made so HF hook in the correct position would hook the sleeve on the bolt below where your hooked now.

I thought the whole idea was to make it simpler, OMG😂

thanks for the info. My harbor freight useless POS might be used after four years of sitting in my shed.

Very nice looks great i dont know why they just dont make one for cat 1so you dont need spacers ! have a great week !! :-)

Excellent. I appreciate this idea

Yoyu should market the modified hook. It seems like everyone has the same problem!

These are points to consider if you have different brand implements

JimeRig: I came over from Dave Knows How channel to see your fab work. I really like this fab work. It definitely takes out a tremendous amount of slop out of the QH and implement. Nicely done. When I get a QH, I will combine your idea...and...Dave's idea as examples to resolve the slop in QH and implement. Did you ever do a video on how you fab'ed the top hook? It looks like the caps on the lower hooks are removable or are they tacked? Thanks much and thumbs up. I going over to your rototiller video next. New subscriber.

I added sleeves over the bottom pins and took of all things a Harbor Freight grinder and ground the top hook so it would hook up.. you are right that the hook holes are not drilled in the right place.

Im guessing you could sell those as fast as you could make them. i know id damn sure buy a set from you.

It's definitely worth it. The $120 quick hitch from Harbor Freight does the job good. I have 1000 lbs of counterweight on it. Don't use the $30 bushings, use the $3 sleeves. Remove the bolts from the top hook and put in quick easy to move pins instead. Now when I buy implements I just make sure that they will match up to it. Get an adapter plate with spaced-out pinholes for the top for some of the implements .

Great thanks

I bought one but I realize this after the fact. I tried but ended up returning it. I shouldn’t have to modify the part to make it work. I spend more and buy a used imatch next time I see one

They make and sell pin adapters for a lot less hassle and they are inexpensive.

Great job, looks like you got it going your way. Thanks for the video.

Nice job. Very neat.

Nice

Where did U get that nice swing down leg stand for easy pick up of an implement. that's sweet. like the fold up feature.

Damned ingenuous.

Where did you get that implement stand that rotates that's very nice

It's not just the HF hitch, it's all quick hitches. I have the HF hitch but all my implements are quick hitch compatible. Some 3 dollar bushings from TSC and it works fine. Had an expensive quick hitch 20 years ago and it was exactly the same. They didn't go to all the trouble to manufacture bushings just to make HF hitch owners happy.

Jay Bud, why not weld a 1 or 2" extension on the original hook, to bring it back.

Not ever used one of these but am looking in to getting one. One question I have is, what keeps the top/center link connection from disengaging from the quick attach. Nothing there to hold it in place. For instance, pushing dirt or rocks with a blade turned backwards. Looks to me like that top/center connection would jump out?

I keep seeing people do all these mods like you cant change pins or just use adapter sleeves.

bjr sir and is it possible to send to belgium please answer

Hfqh is a pain butt !

Can't you just buy a thinner hook from Tractor Supply?

Brrrrrrruuuuce!

Would you be willing to make a set of spacers for me and if so what would you charge?

Jim, anyway to get a tracing of that bracket you made for making one myself please?

Why make things so difficult... All you had to do is get the sleeves that go over the bottom pins than make a Cat1 into a 2 (and/or a Cat2 into a 3) so it fits tight, and for the top get an extender bracket that allows you to raise the hitch and come up from underneath to hook the top pin instead of inserting the hook through the bracket on your attachment and then raising the hitch. Can get all that at Tractor Supply. Any new attachments you buy, make sure the top has the 90 degree elbow that extends out so you don't have to buy anything. This is what I did for my landscape rake from ABI. Scoop it right up to attach and drop it just as easy...

Is it NOT really a cat 1 hitch?

Good mods..

Here is the quick fix to your quick hitch. . agcrazy.com/873-hf141137-top-hook-cat-1-quick-hitch-2

Agi supply has all you need $15 bucks a pair.

if this is a cat1 hitch like the title says everything is made around 7/8" pins, you have a Cat2 quick hitch

The HF is a Cat III.. I had to mod mine too... I made it fit good and tight, but welded it that way.. I cut the hook down.. My Kodiak HD Box blade has the same problem.. The bolt just below where the top pin is, won't let you have something long and goudy like the HF hook... I show it at the very start of the video.. Also did a quick vid on the mods I did to the Kodiak Box blade.. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sC-hHkzZfhM.html Cheers.. Like your mods,.

Why not just put category 2 pins and everything you got

The best way is to not buy one. Get a pats quick hitch. It fits every single implement I have without modification. Installs in about 15 minutes.

just cut the top hook and put in a filler

I fixed my category 1 Harbor Freight quick hitch by measuring the hooks, while it was still in the box, realizing the hooks were sized larger than category 3, and the taking it back to Harbor Freight for a full refund. Problem solved. Maybe I'll get a SpeeCo.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍

I promise you the money and time you have tied up in these j brackets I could have given you the bushings for the same money.

All you have to do is replace the pins.

No offence, but I wish to point out "der Hitler moustache"

Your doing a lot of mumbling, and talking all over the place, nobody can keep up with it.

looked.like.it worked.good to me. but fcourse you abuse.it it's.not a.professional one ..but use.it with common sense .