Deere Front Blades, Snowblowers and Quick Tach Hitches and your machine.

Before shopping for used Blades, Blowers, Front Quick Tach Hitches, etc. for your tractor, Please read this first.

This page provides answers to 1 series and Gen 2, 2025r machine owners who are adding a front Quick Tach Hitch to their machines. This is for those owners who desire to add either the 54” or 60” Deere Front-Mounted Snowplow or the 47” or 54” Deere Front-Mounted Snowblower.

Please note that all parts prices quoted are NEW Parts Prices. It’s important to note the new costs, as they help establish the used parts price.

Also, the new parts should be labeled and quickly confirmed using the Deere Parts Book for proper application. Used parts are not stamped with part numbers in most cases, and used parts are identified by their size and shape and the correct identity of the new parts. Knowing what the new parts look like and their features is key to identifying the proper I.D. of Used parts.

Many machine owners purchase a Pre-Owned front plow or blower and the Quick Tach Hitch, which is used to mount these on their tractor. In many cases, these used component kits are incomplete and prevent the new owner from being able to install them on their tractors. This begins a very complicated, confusing, frustrating, and often costly experience that we hope to prevent from happening with this information. If you are adding a front Quick Tach Hitch to your tractor to use one of these front implements, PLEASE carefully review this information to avoid delays and costly errors often made when these implements are purchased.

Question 1. -Why is this such a frequent problem when tractor owners purchase pre-owned front plows and blowers and then can’t use them on their machines?

Answer- First, the Good News. The actual plows and blowers are widely used across the smaller Deere model machines, so the 54” plow for the garden tractor will often fit on the Subcompact (SCUT) or Compact Utility Tractor (CUT). This means if you locate a Pre-Owned 54” plow, or 60” plow or the 47” or 54” shaft driven front mounted snowblower, chances are this can also be used on YOUR Deere machine. Not always, but in many cases, these plows and blowers can be used on Green machines if the proper attachment parts are included or you can obtain them. In this case, the HITCH and brackets are usually the problem.

Question 2.- Why are so many of these Pre-Owned plows, blowers, and front hitch kits missing key mounting brackets and parts when they are sold by their owners?

Answer—Part of the problem is the sellers' misunderstanding of what’s really part of the total kit they purchased when they bought their tractors new. Often, when a new tractor customer buys their tractor, they also buy a number of implements and accessories for their new tractor. As part of the “Set Up” of the plow, blower, etc., the dealer's service department installs the under-tractor frame brackets and other components.

When the customer takes delivery of their new machine, the blower or blade and all parts are on their tractor and functional. They use the tractor in the winter, and in the spring, they remove the blower or blade, the front hitch, and usually the PTO shaft under the tractor and the large bracket, which has the bearings in it to support the drive shaft. When fall comes around, the tractor owner puts back on the tractor the items they removed in the spring. This often goes on season after season.

When the time arrives the plow, blower, or hitch is being sold, it never occurs to the tractor owner to also unbolt all of the brackets and mounts which the dealer initially installed. Instead, these items often remain on their tractor. The owners of the plow, blower, hitch, etc, sell the parts on Facebook, and the new buyer sees the price is much less than new, so they quickly snap up the kit. Most have no idea the pieces and parts required to install these items on their machines properly. But they soon find out.

Unfortunately, some sellers of these used implements are simply “flipping them” to make a quick buck and know, don’t care or both, about what the items fit or they don’t. It’s not until the new owner of the blower or blade gets it home and tries to put it on their tractor, that they learn they are missing a bunch of parts. Also, this is when many find out that while the blower or plow will work on their tractor, all of the mounts, shafts, hoses brackets and the actual hitch are wrong and won’t fit on their machine. Now, what do they do?

Question 3.- Is it true the hitch, the mounts, and the brackets actually can cost as much or more than the plow blade or snow blower costs on its own?

Yes, machine owners are very surprised to learn that the parts to mount and use the blade and/or blower are far more costly than they expect. In fact, the parts to mount and use the plow are nearly double the cost of the actual plow itself. The cost to mount and use the snow blower for the hitch and PTO parts is close to the price of the snowblower itself.

The front quick tach hitch and mounting kit for the Deere 1 series and Gen 2, 2025r machine to use a front Quick Tach Hitch plow, is $1,700 to $1,900 with the hitch angling cylinder. To add the front PTO operation and the Implement shaft to operate the blower, easily add between $600 to $1,000 MORE to the cost of the hitch kit. It’s common for these new parts to cost $2,200 to $2,900 depending upon the parts and pieces needed.

Question 4.- Should I consider a Deere Front 3-POINT hitch for my 1 series of Gen 2, 2025r to mount the front plow or snowblower?

The front 3-point hitch for the one series and Gen 2, 2025r is for the Heavy Duty Snow Blowers mounting ONLY. At the same time, the front 3ph is an excellent hitch for the Heavy Duty Snow Blower, but it’s not designed to work with the front plows at this time. Also, the front 3ph lacks the hitch-angling cylinder needed for plowing operation. The Heavy Duty Blowers are rare compared to the Standard Duty Blowers. The front 3ph is also about double the price of the front Quick Tach Hitch. All factors considered, I would not suggest considering the front 3ph for most applications now.

If you find a Heavy Duty Deere front-mounted blower with the 3-point hitch, remember that the 3ph is very tractor model specific. Unless the front 3ph was on the same model machine as you own and its of the same generation and serial number range, it may not fit your tractor.

It's important to remember that the 3ph can’t be used with front snow plows, and the front PTO kit for the 3ph uses different components than the front Quick Tach Hitch for the same blower. Generally, unless the tractor the 3ph is on is identical to your tractor and you plan to use the blower and have no use for the front plow, you may want to pass on the purchase of the front 3-point hitch. Also, the front 3-point hitch is very costly and new, as much as double the cost of the front Quick Tach hitch.

The front 3ph is ideal for commercial use of the Heavy-Duty blower as it's a very well-made implement mount. However, be aware of its limitations and its limited application to other implements and tractor models.

Question 5. How do I know which hitch or mounting mechanisms are needed to install a snow plow, snow blower on my tractor?

Research is key. It’s best to take the time and research your tractor in the John Deere Parts catalog online. Here are some very important and helpful points to make sure you get the information you need and will find helpful.

1. Make sure to always have a photo of your tractor’s serial number on your phone for easy access. Make sure to have a photo of the entire bar coded machine number tag. You should always use the tractor or implements machine number (serial number, production numbers, etc) when you are purchasing parts accessories for your machine. There is an input for the machine number and it makes sure you land in the correct catalog for your machine.

2. Once you have input the machine number and the search begins within the proper catalog, use the search function to focus your search on the proper hitch, mount, etc. The best way to start is by selecting the snow clearing implement from the menus, whether its a front plow, front snowblower etc.

3. Make sure to select the proper snowblower or plow unit. In the Deere front mounted plows, there are the 54'“ and 60” plows, select the proper one. In the snow blower category, its crucial you understand the difference between the “Quick Hitch” snowblowers and the “Heavy Duty” snowblowers. The mounts and attachment parts are specific to the blower type.

4. Pay close attention to the parts shown in the parts catalog and I also suggest your print images of the parts page drawings and illustrations, to help you recognize the parts and differences.

5. Make sure you understand which components are kits and what is included in the kit. Often, its these kits where missing components are when buying used blowers, blades and mounts, hitches. etc.

6. You can use the Parts catalog to determine the cross fit and application of these parts. Search by “Part Number” instead of “Model Number” and note the specific other models listed using the same part numbers. Make sure to look into each other machine model so you understand the extent of the cross application or if there are different parts needed to use on these other model machines, because often there is.

Question 6.- Which parts or pieces are missing or often the wrong items to use the Preowned implement on YOUR machine? What’s the average cost to get these parts and complete the installation so you can use the implement?

• Front Quick Tach Hitch is wrong. The average cost is $950

• Front Quick Tach Hitch Mounting Kit is incomplete or wrong. The average cost is $500

• Missing Front Hitch Mounting Brackets (left on the original tractor). Average cost is $160 to $350

• Hitch Angle Cylinder is missing for plow use. The average cost is $350

• Wrong front PTO Shaft on tractor. The average cost is $400 to $700

• Missing or Wrong Implement Shaft (short PTO shaft on Implement) Average cost is $350 to $550

• Wrong PTO shaft carrier bracket under tractor. The average cost is $400 to $780.

• No hardware for the mounting kit or brackets. The average cost is $75 to 150

• No Steel Long Pins with retention clips for securing Hitch to brackets. The average cost $80 per pin

• Wrong Hydraulic Hoses for tractor. The average cost is $170 to $260

• Missing Blower Adapter kit with up stop and hose extensions. Average cost $230 to $290

• Missing Hose extensions for hydraulic lines or wrong fittings. Average cost $120 to $150

• This excludes damaged or worn parts on the blade, blower, etc.

Question 7. - When the new owner learns the plow or blower might fit their machine, but none of the other parts are correct, what can they do?

Answer- Many things often happen at this point. Some new owners try to piece the parts together and locate what they need to get their new plow or blower installed and functional. This is very time-consuming and can also be very costly. It’s also often very frustrating as this is when many new owners of the items learn the seller may have been less than honest with them. It’s certainly possible to piece together the parts needed to get these installed and operating. It can be done, but it requires the assistance of someone who knows these items and what fits on which machine and what doesn’t. This is often when many turn to the Online Tractor Forums and seek assistance. As is always the case, some information is excellent and helpful, but much is not.

Question 8- How can those seeking to purchase Pre-Owned snow plows, blades, blowers, Quick Tach hitches, etc. protect themselves from the nightmare these situations often turn into?

Answer - This is not a simple answer, but there are many key steps that one can take that can help protect themselves against many of the headaches and financial heartaches these deals often turn into. I have helped dozens of tractor owners solve these problems. I have tried to protect people from making the same mistakes, often leading to very expensive consequences. If those seeking to buy a front plow blade, blower, etc, for their machine follow these steps, they will likely have a much better outcome.

• Spend the time and learn precisely what YOUR TRACTOR needs to allow a front blade or blower to be installed. This means researching the John Deere parts books for YOUR TRACTOR and finding out all of the items you need to install and operate any implement you are considering buying.

• Know what the parts look like, what they cost new, and which ones YOUR machine needs to install and use the items you want to add.

• Carefully research the common problems and issues owners have with these implements and adding them to their machine online in tractor forums and on tractor brand websites.

• Take the time to get the photos of the various parts so you can recognize them and identify them. There are thousands of free images of these parts online for you to see and copy.

• Get detailed photos of the Pre-Owned items you are considering so you can see exactly what’s included and what’s not in them. Knowledge is power, and it can make the difference between a great deal and a nightmare.

• Know exactly what it would cost you to buy the parts needed brand new from the dealer to install the blade or blower on your machine. Get an itemized list of EVERYTHING needed so you know what you need, what these parts cost new, and what the labor would be to have the dealer install the parts for you. You need to know this as a benchmark of the value of the items used.

• If you know someone with the same machine as you have and who already has the blade or blower on their machine, take detailed pictures of the items on their machine so you know what the parts look like and how they attach and connect. If possible, ask the owner to help you consider the pre-owned equipment you are considering so you have some experienced insight into the entire matter.

• Accuracy is critical; “close enough” won’t work. It would be best if you had details and specifics to make informed decisions. In order to save the money, you need to invest the time and effort into the project. If you can’t or don’t want to spend the time learning and understanding what you need, you can simply call the Deere dealer and have them pick up your tractor and install what you need to get what you want. Just have your checkbook or charge card ready…….

Question 9.- What should you make sure to ask those selling used plows, blowers, hitches, etc. when you are considering what they are offering for sale?

Answer- Here is where you need to be less concerned about offending the seller and more about getting the information you need to make an informed decision. I am polite and respectful, and I always give people the benefit of the doubt. However, I also ask tough questions and demand complete answers and information. Here is what you need to obtain from the sellers: Ask them about the items they have for sale. I strongly encourage you to copy these questions and make sure to get this information. If you do, chances are you will have far fewer issues and problems. Information to obtain from the sellers includes the following

1. Did you own and use this (plow, blower, etc) on YOUR tractor? If yes, what year and model tractor was this used on? If no, how did you come into possession of this equipment, and have YOU actually used it yourself?

2. How long have you owned these items? If their answer is short, you MUST ask these questions: (a) Are there any Loans or Liens on this equipment? (b.) If Yes, to whom and in what amount? (c.) How will the lien be released so you can pass clear title on these items to me?

3. Please send me photos of all the items included in the transaction that will accompany the blower (e.g., plow blade, etc.). Have these forwarded to you BEFORE you make an effort to see the parts in person so you know exactly if what the seller has is what you need and are looking for?

4. Is the tractor you used these on still in your ownership and available to mount the items and try them before buying them? If yes, use this opportunity to test the items and see how they function. Also, ensure all mounting brackets and items needed to install are included.

5. Why are you selling these items? This is a legitimate question, and it deserves an answer. If the answer makes sense, great. If it doesn’t, it's a red flag you need to consider.

6. Did you buy the (plow, blower, hitch, etc) with your tractor, or was it purchased later? This is very important to check the consistency of the other answers and also to flush out the “flippers” who are trying to pose as actual owners and operators of the equipment. Do the timelines match the prior answers? Do you need to be concerned that perhaps the seller owes Deere or another lender for these items and is trying to cash out, which could be a real hornet's nest of trouble, both legal and financial?

A note about those who buy and sell these items: it’s important to be fair and objective on this topic. There are legitimate “resellers” of used implements and equipment who are reputable, honest, and up front about the process. Then there are those who try to present themselves as having owned and used the items when some have never owned or operated such a tractor or implement. It’s those trying to hide the truth that concern me.

Those who are regular resellers of these items are usually very well informed and understand what works on what machine and what items you need to make the implement work on your machine. In many ways, those “resellers” are beneficial part of the equipment sales process. I do a fair amount of the legitimate reselling myself. I have dealers who contact me when they have equipment coming in on trade with implements, and the dealers don’t want the used implements on their lots as it competes against new sales, and the dealers can’t finance much of the used equipment. Dealers usually don’t want their customers financing their purchase to have a mixture of new and used implements, as the dealer can’t finance used implements when financing a new tractor. Plus, the dealer is involved in various warranty issues. Usually, dealers prefer to sell all new machinery they can package together, and used machines are often sold off to “resellers” who specialize in such equipment. It’s a very legitimate business need if everyone is honest and upfront with one another.

It's the person who knows little or nothing about the implement that they found on Facebook or at an estate or garage sale where you need to know the truth. If the person who bought the item at an estate sale and knows nothing about the proper kits required to install the item tells you so, you can plan accordingly. Unfortunately, many will tell you what you want to hear, and only later will you learn that the items won’t fit your machine. In some cases, you can’t use them at all.

Question 10- When considering used parts, such as hitches, brackets, mounts, etc. how do you suggest someone new to the process make sure they are getting the correct used parts?

Its a learning process. It starts with knowing what the correct new parts look like and their unique features. Many new parts have pictures attached to the parts listings on the Deere Parts website. If the parts you are seeking have the photos of the parts on the website, carefully study the parts, but also print out screen shots of the actual pictures and compare those parts to the listed parts for other Deere models. It’s beneficial to have access to someone with experience in these parts to share pictures with them and ask their opinions. Also, compare the images to stock photos of other parts and see how they compare.

This hitch, brackets, and hardware issue for various Deere implements is much more complex than it needs to be. Also, while the parts books and website may show that two parts are not going to fit the same machine, often the differences between the parts are cosmetic and don’t impact their function or use. These details are learned solely with experience, and there really isn’t a shortcut to this knowledge.

Question 11.- How do you learn what fits what, what doesn’t which parts can work together and which parts are not compatible with the machine model or snow blower or plow?

Answer- I like to use the “old Deere” parts book, which is still active online. While it's not linked to the actual new parts pricing, the way the old parts site is constructed is very logical and, in my experience, easier to use than the “new Deere” parts website. Some “tricks” for helping to learn much of this information include the following.

Make sure to search the actual part numbers to learn about the cross-application of the specific part. Using the drop-down menu in the old parts site, instead of searching “model,” the next drop-down choice is “part number.” When you select the part number and search for the part number, it is on all model machines. Then, you can open each listing and confirm if the part fits the machines listed or why it's on that particular site. It's a manual process, but it does help establish a base for what fits what and why.

Follow these steps.

• Use the Deere parts book and look up the model machine in the correct serial number range.

• Check the prior and subsequent serial number ranges for the same part number to see if they have changed. If they have, determine when. If they have not, determine the full range of the same part's application.

• Make sure to understand how to decode the machine's serial number to understand each digit's significance.

• Understand the difference between a machine’s “Build Year” and its actual “Model Year”.

• Always remember that tractors are more serial number dependent and less “model year” dependent.

• Make the effort to understand the changes in your machine's various generations so you know what's different and what's the same across the model numbers.

• Be patient, as this is a tedious process and much like doing audits if you have ever been involved in that process.

• Also, carefully examine the listings for each item to ensure they haven’t been superseded or replaced.

• If a new part number is listed, search its history and see what else it is used for.

• Often, part numbers and applications are consolidated to make parts inventory easier going forward.

• Also, understand just because parts have different part numbers doesn’t mean they won’t fit other objects. For example, at least three different PTO carrier bracket numbers are listed for the 1025r and Gen 2, 2025r, and while each part number has its own application, in reality, the different part numbers all fit the same model. They are just used with other parts that you may or may not need.

• Remember, it takes patience. Also, as you start to develop your own knowledge of which parts fit which models and machines, I suggest you create your own spreadsheets and listings, as you will often develop quite an understanding of how these parts are used. If you don’t create your own reference, over time, you will lose track of the cross-applications you might discover in the process.

In many ways, it’s an investigation and takes patience.

Read about your machine model and understand its evolution over time. This will help you ensure that the parts you purchase are most likely to fit your machine and work as you intend. Also, always check the machines and implement serial numbers when purchasing parts, as changes to parts are tied to serial numbers, and the only way to get the correct parts is to check the machine and implement machine numbers carefully.

It takes time and patience but can avoid expensive and frustrating problems. And if you do end up buying a part that isn’t what you were told it was and doesn’t fit your machine, PLEASE make sure not to kick the problem down the line by passing it along to the next trusting tractor owner. Instead, spend some time and learn what part fits so it can end up in a happy home. The problems for new owners don’t grow but, hopefully, diminish as owners learn more about their machines.

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