Fritz Maurer
Well-known Member
The Fast-Hitch was the ultimate in ease of implement hookup. It was so easy that there were "tractor square dances" held at county fairs across the country. Yet, introduced in 1954, it failed to go ten years. There is no wrong answer here, I'm interested in your opinions. One complaint I have is that in later years, people tried to convert them to 3-point systems, then bad-mouthed the Fast-Hitch when it balled up into a knot. Well, what they failed to realize was that all that had to be done was to insert 2 pins in the proper places, and the hitch pockets were locked rigid to the wishbone. Man, that hitch will do anything! It is adjustable in several directions, can be made to swing, float, or be locked in all directions for use with trailing implements. If you use a swinging drawbar with trailing implements, it'll do that too. When fully locked in place, the hitch is the precise SAE Standard height for PTO operation. With the exception of the leveling crank, all these adjustments were accomplished by changing two pins. It could also be used to jack up the back of the tractor to service the tires or change tread widths. With all these features, how could 3-point prevail? There was a rumor in Red Power Magazine a few years back, that John Deere wanted to build the Fast-Hitch, for their tractors, under license. I.H. was said to have refused, due to the Red VS. Green mentality. I personally hope this is false, because it would have been an extreme exhibition of stupidity. With John Deere building the Fast-Hitch, we could have put the 3-point where it belongs... in China. Fritz