DIGBITS - Quality wear parts for earthmovers
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Excavator & Mini Digger Quick Hitches

Bucket Dimensions

IMPORTANT: Note On Quick Hitch Safety

There have been a number of high-profile, fatal incidents relating to misuse of quick hitches. See the reports on 26th March 2008 and 8th August 2008, and this report on theconstructionindex. Whilst none of these relate specifically to our products, we have nonetheless been invloved along with other manufacturers with recent moves by the HSE to develop new guidelines to prevent future deaths.

We can assure our customers that:
  1. Provided our safety instructions are followed, all quick hitches previously supplied by DIGBITS should remain safe to use.
  2. All future quick hitches supplied by DIGBITS will comply with the newly formulated legislation.
Full details on the latest HSE Guidance for quick hitches can be found here.
Guidance from the Construction Plant hire Association here.

Information On Quick Hitch Construction

We make all the pin pick-up hooks on our quick hitches from 400-450 HB steel. This is more expensive than conventional mild steel but gives far higher yield strength and, critically, much greater surface hardness. 

​Since it is not possible to 'bush' the interface between the bucket pins and the quick hitch hooks themselves, we believe only a high-wear steel can give acceptable durability. 

There are cheaper hitches than ours, but equally we know from feedback from customers that some of these will not last longer than 12 or 18 months - is that economic life? We don't think so, which is why we use 400-450 HB material.
​

Semi-QH

Picture
Semi Quick Hitch
Our Semi-QH, or the "Semi Pin Quick Hitch" to give it it's full name, is a basic, lightweight manual hitch, suitable for all smaller machines from just 0.75 tonnes upwards.
​
The Semi-QH is a compact, extremely simple and inexpensive to buy and is manufactured to order, with a wide variety of models available to suit micro, mini and midi excavators from 0.75, to 8.0 tonnes operating weight.
​
The Semi_QH picks up standard (i.e. normal pin fitting) buckets.

Connect a bucket or attachment in three easy steps:
  1. Hooking the QH onto the front bucket/attachment pin.
  2. Crowding bucket ram until the rear pin can be fitted.
  3. Securing the rear pin in place - as per a normal bucket/attachment.
In this way, the Semi-QH needs only one dummy pin (front) per bucket/attachment, plus a 'floating' pin (rear), to go with the hitch.

IMPORTANT! - All buckets and attachments must have correct pivot bracket measurements, with the same pin centres. Check with our sales team for more details, or request our 'bucket fit details' sheet when ordering. Not recommended for use with hydraulic breakers/hammers.

Springlock Q-Hitch

Springlock Q-hitch
Using the SPRINGLOCK:
The pictures, below, show the simple actuation of the SPRINGLOCK Quick Hitch
The SPRINGLOCK is a compact, mechanical Quick Hitch (QH), suitable for use on all micro, mini and midi excavators from 0.75, to 8.0 tonnes operating weight.

Simple operation, and extremely competitive pricing make this our most popular QH for compact excavators.

Easily fitted to the machine, this QH requires no pipe work or welding and is supplied ready for immediate use.

This QH picks up standard buckets via captive, 'dummy' bucket pins (extra), using spring pressure to counter backlash and assist in coupling. Springs are pressure tested up to a million cycles for durability.

A simple, sturdy Safety Pin holds the rear hook fast, ensuring the QH and bucket remain coupled. This Safety Pin is held captive in the QH to help avoid loss and discourage unsafe operation.
​
IMPORTANT! - All buckets must have correct pivot bracket measurements. Check with our sales team for more details, or request our 'bucket fit details' sheet when ordering. Not recommended for use with hydraulic breakers/hammers.

Features:

  • Strong, lightweight construction, in durable materials
  • Captive Safety Pin
  • Spring assisted rear pin hook

Benefits:

  • Fits standard buckets and attachments
  • Simple to fit - supplied ready to use, and requires no hydraulics
  • Fast, easy bucket changes - see opposite page
  • Reduces wear and abuse on bucket pins & bushes, and dipper end
  • Ensures excavator is always fitted with the correct attachment!

Fully Automatic Hydraulic Q-Hitches

For excavators from 10 to 80 tonnes operating weight. Supplied with or without hydraulic fitting kit.

Working alongside other major manufacturers of quick hitches, we have been involved with recent moves by the HSE to improve site safety.

European manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to cease supply of semi-automatic quick hitches into the UK. The agreement comes after discussions between HSE and industry and will be effective as of 1 October 2008.
​
After four fatal incidents in the twelve month period between December 2006 and November 2007, all involving semi automatic quick hitches, HSE began talks with quick hitch manufacturers, excavator manufacturers and others to highlight the problem with semi-automatic quick hitches and look for potential solutions.

What This Means For Users Of Quick Hitches

  • The agreement will mean that in the future when buying a quick hitch only manual or automatic quick hitches will be available.
  • This does not mean that all semi automatic hitches will be illegal as of 1 October 2008. When used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions our semi automatic quick hitches can still be used safely.
  • Owners and users of our earlier hydraulic hitches can still order spare parts.
We now only supply newly designed Fully Automatic Hydraulic Quick Hitch (FAHQH), which comply with all current regualtions of both the HSE and major construction companies.
​

How it works:

There is a failsafe to stop the rear hook disengaging from the rear bucket pin in the event of hydraulic failure, which also helps prevent accidental unlocks. The rear ‘crocodile clip’ which holds the back hook in place and stops accidental disengagement of the back pin. You can only disengage the rear hook once the buckets is curled under and hence fully held by the front pin even in event of all other systems failing – at this point the latch hits the bucket link and opens the crocodile clip. This is standard on all FAHQHs above 6t. For smaller machines there is simply a gravity catch.
​
At the front of the hitch is an additional latch which stops buckets droppping free from the hitch when the rear hook is disengaged or improperly located. The front latch only disengages on the final part of the ram’s travel, after the rear hook has released. This also acts as a visible safety feature, which the operator can clearly see.
​

Wedge type Q-Hitch

Wedge type Q-Hitch
A cost effective, mechanical alternative to the hydraulic MultiLock system, the Wedge type quick hitch (QH) offers the benefits of fast, easy bucket and attachment changes, without the complication of hydraulics.
​
This type of QH can be fitted to any 360° excavators from 10 to 50 tonnes operating weight, and picks up standard buckets, via captive, or 'dummy' bucket pins (extra) in each bucket or attachment.

How it works

The simple, effective mechanism uses a swinging rear hook, which once engaged on the rear bucket pin, is secured by a serrated wedge. A small key fits into the serrations, preventing the wedge from moving, and the whole assembly is locked in place by the main Safety Pin, which runs through the body of the QH, from one side to the other.

Features:

  • Strong, lightweight construction,
  • Manual Safety Pin
  • Swinging rear pin hook, with wedge adjuster
  • Fitted with tested & certified llifting eye

Benefits:

  • Fits standard buckets and attachments
  • Simple to fit - supplied ready to use
  • Requires no hydraulics
  • Fast, easy bucket changes
  • Reduces wear and abuse on bucket pins, bushes and dipper end
  • Ensures excavator is always fitted with the correct attachment for the job, minimising wear and tear
Buy Now

​Telephone: 01889 503020 or contact us  

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​
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Spare parts
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​
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​

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Engineering
TECHNICAL RESOURCE
- Operating
 - Maintenance & Servicing
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 - Buckets - Buying & Using
 - Buckets - Changing & Attaching
 - Buckets - Repairs
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​ - Rubber Tracks - Ground Conditions & Use
 - Rubber Tracks - Sizes
 - Rubber Tracks - Changing a Track
​ - Rubber Tracks - Tensioning
 - Undercarriage Components 
 - Boom Pins, Bushes, Seals & Shims
 - Transportation
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  - Hydraulic Hoses
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 - Buying your excavator
 - Contacting your excavator manufacturer or dealer
Picture
Digbits Ltd
​Power Park
Towers Business Park
Rugeley
Staffordshire
​WS15 1UZ
United Kingdom 

​Tel: 01889 503020   
Fax: 01889 503021   

Email: 
sales@digbits.co.uk
Website by Treble3
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Products
    • Buy Now
    • Excavator Buckets >
      • Digging & Trenching Buckets
      • Ditching & Grading Buckets
      • XHD Buckets
      • V Ditchers
      • Riddle Buckets
      • Clayspades
      • Taper Tile Buckets
      • Micro Trench Buckets
      • Concrete Pouring Buckets
      • Tilt Rotator Buckets
      • Bucket Teeth
    • Excavator Attachments >
      • Heavy Duty Ripper Teeth
      • Tilt Ditchers
      • Rakes
      • General Purpose Rakes
      • Grapples
      • Grip Talon
      • Rotating Grabs
      • Augers & Trenchers
      • Hedge Cutters
      • Hydraulic Hammers
      • Boom Broom
      • Block Grabs
      • Grading Beam
      • Tree Shears
      • Mulchers
      • Mechanical Pulverisors
      • Compaction Wheels
    • Crushers
    • Quick Hitches
    • Rubber Tracks >
      • Camoplast Rubber Tracks
    • Spare Parts >
      • Undercarriage Parts
      • Pins, Bushes, Seals, Shims
      • Bucket & Tipping Linkages
      • Bucket Teeth
      • Cutting Edges
      • General Spares
    • Construction Tyres
  • Technical
    • Operating
    • Maintenance & Servicing
    • Know your machine
    • Buckets - Buying and using
    • Buckets - Changing buckets & attachments
    • Buckets - Repairs
    • Buckets - Teeth
    • Rubber Tracks - Ground Conditions & Use
    • Rubber Tracks - Sizes
    • Rubber Tracks - Changing a rubber track
    • Rubber Tracks - Tensioning
    • Undercarriage Components
    • Boom Pins, Bushes, Seals & Shims
    • Transportation
    • Lifting
    • Hydraulic Ram Repairs
    • Hydraulic Hoses
    • Slew Ring & Pinion Problems
    • Buying your excavator
    • Contacting your excavator manufacturer or dealer
  • Engineering
    • Plant List
  • Used
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
    • Careers