I'm appalled at the so called locking arrangement for the removeable pin on our Kubota excavator quick hitch. Its a bolt with a nyloc nut...sorry don't have a pic......but whats quick about that. I have been looking around for a suitable lynch pin/drop nose pin etc or the like but most are too light duty and last about 5 minutes...maybe the nut and bolt aren't such a bad idea... or are they just keeping us in the dark down here :spaz So what do you northern hemisphere guys use on your excavator hitches??. There has to be something a bit....quicker :eek2
Our Q/C is a pin grabber, essentially. It's hard to explain how it works, but there's 2 big pins on the bucket, all you gotta do is get the top one notched into the slot on the Q/C and curl the bucket in and snap, she's on. Taking it off is pretty quick, you have to muscle it a little bit though. To take it off, set bucket flat, pull a spring loaded pin on the back of Q/C and lift up on the front of the bucket and she pops right out. I'm really a fan of hydraulic Q/C's, Cat has a nice one that all of their rental machines up here are equipped with. It's a wedge-lock hydraulic coupler, so it doesn't rob any breakout force and it's really quick. Switching from a bucket to a breaker is pretty fast, I can almost do it in the time that it would take me to change attachments on the skid steer, that is if the hydraulic lines don't give me any hassle.
Ours has the two pins, probably about 2" in diameter. You curl the hitch into the front pin then, when aligned, you push the second pin in by hand and install the locking clip/pin/bolt. Takes about 5 mins to change to the breaker on your own and if everything is clean. I just think the locking arrangement is half arsed. I take a pic today and post it.
i think the only thing that would be as durable as the bolt would be a cotter pin. you could machine a groove for a snap ring.
Here's the pic
Too much excess pin sticking out IMO...especially if that's a narrow bucket...the pin would be digging into the trench sidewall. I'd machine a snap ring groove - like Case uses - and cut off exess pin. I've also welded a snap ring protector on narrow buckets...just a 1/4" long piece of 2 1/2 - 3" pipe.
Yes that is the 12" trenching bucket and yes there is too much pin. That pin is for our demolition bucket which has a boss welded to the cheek plate and is drilled for the pin to align so it is protected. However, I am looking for something quicker than the bolt and nut. Not sure what the Case has, will keep an eye out. Do you have any pic's...anybody?
What you need is a lynch pin it is a pin with a snaping circle that what I have on my hammer mount and never had a problem.
Here is a pic.
here's the snap ring...least amount of pin sticking out
the lynch pin is ok if it's not actually in contact with the dirt
cotter pins are better than bolt/nuts IMO
Thanks for the pic's. Yes I have tried the lynch pins and they just don't last long. The cotter pin is OK but I'm looking for something that is inherently locked. Anyway, I'll keep looking. Thanks again, much appreciated.
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lynch pin i use jcb lynch pins as they snap onto their selfs with a groove and do not come apart easily i will take a pic tomorrow if i remember
lynch pins here are some pictures of the locking lynch pin ,these do not come apart easily unlike other types
Great pics D4c, I solved my problem by getting a Hydraulic Quick Hitch
good thats even better :thumbsup
Take a look at www.minimiller.com . They have mechanical pin grabber couplers for mini-ex's. They have a new hydraulic one as well. Their buckets look pretty smart.
Just updating a dead link: http://www.millerdirect.com/compact-download.aspx