IH Fast Hitch on a John Deere

[CRS982]

I have a John Deere 730. It is the only non IH tractor I own. This tractor has the factory rockshaft but not the three point arms. To put a factory hitch on will be at least $1,000. A friend of mine is scrapping a 706 with a fast hitch and will give me all of the hitch parts. I have several fast hitch imp and no 3pt imp. I have heard that Deere put 2pts of a couple 730's for testing. Has anybody seen a picture of these? I would like to build this with out any permanant mods to the tractor. Any ideas? This is not a tractor that gets used for any work it is just a toy.
 

[Bill Lisbon]

I doubt that John Deere ever put an IH fasthitch on any of there tractors. Sounds like a project that would work, anything is possible with a torch and a welder.
 

[wolfman]

I once read where Deere installed Fast Hitches on
(I think) six 730s and was trying to deal with IH
for rights to use the FH system. IH wouldn't deal.
Talk about two fools meeting and parting!
 

[farmallboy15]

I don't know what kind of style fast hitch a 706 has but if it is similar to a 560 with just the rockshaft and the front hinge on the belly of the tractor it should be pretty easy. Mount the front and utilize your original rockshaft. might have to fabricate your own mounts to get them to match the JD.
 

[MisterT]

[oldtanker]

I smell so BS here.

1. The Fast Hitch was first offered in 1953, same year that JD offered a tractor with 3 point so where did the "dealing" come in? I bet IH didn't let anyone know they were making the Fast Hitch until they had it ready to go and a patten on it. JD may have tried talking to IH later but if they did it was to convert to the Fast Hitch from the 3 point.

2. The 3 point would have won in the long run as tractors and implements got bigger. To make the Fast Hitch strong enough to handle the bigger tractors and implemets would make it so massive that it couldn't be used on a row crop.

3. Ford did not own that rights to the 3 point, Ferguson did until 1960.

4. Both IH and AC messed themselves over by not allowing anyone any rights to the respective hitch systems. Had they allowed stand alone implement companies to make implements for those system they may have lasted longer. That ws a major blunder that was decided by IH management in the 50's, carried through to the end of the Fast Hitch in the 60's. So IH management was making dumb decisions long before the final years.

As far aas the original question.....if you have the time and know how you should be able to do it. I agree tht you should use the JD rockshaft and fab arms and links.

Rick
 

[Al in Mn]

I put a fast hitch on an M, had machine shop make some brakets to which the fast hitch bolts on.