Adding quick hitch and 3rd/4th function to mini

[MCmini]

Hi Lads, Been sleuthing this site for a while now and thought of it when I had this come up.
I have a little Yanmar vio17 mini that I got used for a great deal but it isn't piped for a quick hitch and has foot controls which have been fine but the more work I do on it the more I wish I had it setup a bit better so I started looking at getting a quick hitch for it and possibly a grab but as I'm just starting my business money is tight and the installation fee at the dealer makes my eyes water.
So I wanted to asked the experts how difficult it is to go about setting up the piping and hydraulics for a quick hitch and maybe down the line a 3rd/4th functions with some hand controls is on these little machines, I consider myself fairly able with things like simple electronics and welding etc but I haven't ever messed around with hydraulics and videos of installations are fairly hard to find. Appreciate any advise

 

[doobin]

Sell it and buy a brand with proportional joystick rollers.

 

[JD450A]

As said above

 

[Steve Blackdog]

HI MC Mini,

My gut reaction was the same as those above. However, that probably wasn't the advice you were looking for. I'm not an expert, or even an apprentice to an expert. However, I love my hydraulic hitch, so I get where you are coming from.

Looking at this video - not your model obviously - I think that it would be doable. Harfords, who sell UniLock Hydraulic hitches (I know nothing about them!), have a service - tell them your machine and they tell you what you need. https://www.harfordattachments.co.uk/uni-lok/

Might give you a better idea.

 

[doobin]

HI MC Mini,

My gut reaction was the same as those above. However, that probably wasn't the advice you were looking for. I'm not an expert, or even an apprentice to an expert. However, I love my hydraulic hitch, so I get where you are coming from.

Looking at this video - not your model obviously - I think that it would be doable. Harfords, who sell UniLock Hydraulic hitches (I know nothing about them!), have a service - tell them your machine and they tell you what you need. https://www.harfordattachments.co.uk/uni-lok/

Might give you a better idea.

The hitch is relatively easy. The twin proportional auxiliary, not nearly so.

 

[MCmini]

Sell it and buy a brand with proportional joystick rollers.

This has been one of my thoughts so something to consider, Thanks for the reply.

 

[MCmini]

HI MC Mini,

My gut reaction was the same as those above. However, that probably wasn't the advice you were looking for. I'm not an expert, or even an apprentice to an expert. However, I love my hydraulic hitch, so I get where you are coming from.

Looking at this video - not your model obviously - I think that it would be doable. Harfords, who sell UniLock Hydraulic hitches (I know nothing about them!), have a service - tell them your machine and they tell you what you need.

Might give you a better idea.

Thanks mate, I have seen this video and thought at least the quick hitch would be doable but as the other guys have said that selling and getting another machine is also probably a good option to get the setup I'm looking for, I Appreciate the advice thanks mate.

 

[MCmini]

The hitch is relatively easy. The twin proportional auxiliary, not nearly so.

Hmm this is what I was finding with my research but just wanted to get first hand opinions on it, Thanks for the reply mate.

 

[Spurry]

Not sure if this helps, but my SV19VT is fitted with the Uni Loc and has the Harford buckets too. Unfortunately I did not see the hitch being fitted to the machine, as they took it back to the dealers for that to be done.

 

[CPS]

The Quick hitch is the easy bit, a kit is around £400 or so and you could fit it yourself if your mechanically minded.

The foot controls are the problem, they are probably (but not definitely) linkage control to the main valve block.

If this is the case then forget trying to convert them.
If they are servo then you have options. A proportional kit to convert a foot control ro hand control is £1200 and you need 2 if you want to do rotation/offset as well.