Weight distribution
Andersen friction cone or a chain-style hitch: which weight distribution mechanism fits you?
Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 4 inch drop or rise
$789.98 Published ratingsGreased urethane cones and tension chains replace steel spring bars entirely, cutting the head weight enough for one person to lift and fit alone.
Check before buying: The urethane cones are a wear item and need re-greasing on a schedule. Skipping that is the source of most of the noise complaints about this hitch.
Best for: Somebody who has to hitch alone, or who has struggled to lift a 60 lb conventional head onto the shank.
Check price on Amazon
Fastway Connect Weight Distribution Hitch
$199.00 Published ratingsConventional spring bar hardware with hardened chains adjusted by moving to a different link, at the lowest price point in the category.
Check before buying: Chain adjustment is in whole links, so the tension you can actually set is the nearest link rather than the exact figure the setup procedure asks for.
Best for: A first weight distribution hitch, or a trailer that is towed a few times a year.
Check price on AmazonAndersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 4 inch drop or rise is a genuinely different mechanism from almost every other weight distribution hitch on the market. Instead of steel spring bars flexing under load, it uses greased urethane cones seated under the ball housing and a pair of tension chains, which is why the whole head weighs a fraction of a conventional kit and one person can lift and fit it without help. Fastway Connect Weight Distribution Hitch takes the opposite path: conventional spring bar geometry, adjusted simply, with hardened chains running from the hitch arms to the trailer frame brackets and tension set by choosing which link to hook.
Both are legitimate, low-cost-of-ownership answers to the same job. The choice mostly comes down to whether the reader values less weight to lift at every hitch-up, or the lower price and simpler mental model of a conventional chain-adjusted bar.
Published specifications side by side
Both are published at 10,000 lb of trailer weight, with the Andersen listing a 4 inch drop or rise and the Fastway Connect listing a 3 inch drop and 7 inch rise.
Published standard A published, traceable figure: a standards body, a federal regulation or a manufacturer specification states it.
| Andersen (2 inch shank, 4 inch drop or rise) | Fastway Connect | |
|---|---|---|
| Trailer weight rating as listed | 10,000 lb GTWR | 10,000 lb GTW |
| Tongue weight rating | Not listed in the same figure, sized to the drop kit | 1,000 lb |
| Drop or rise | 4 inch drop or rise | 3 inch drop, 7 inch rise |
| Sway control mechanism | Friction cone, integrated | None built in, chains only |
| Ball included | Sold separately by shank configuration | 2-5/16 inch ball pre-installed |
Figures are as published in each maker's own listing. A dash means the maker did not publish that figure for this exact configuration.
Why does the Andersen weigh so much less?
Steel spring bars are the heaviest single component of a conventional weight distribution hitch, and they have to be, since they are doing the actual flexing under load. Andersen's cone and chain design does the same job, transferring tongue load through tension, without a pair of solid steel bars, which is the direct reason the whole head is light enough for one person to lift onto the shank without help. Buyers who have struggled to hoist a 60 lb conventional head are the audience this design was built for.
Fastway Connect Weight Distribution Hitch keeps a conventional bar-and-chain layout, which is heavier to lift but familiar to set up: hook the chain to the bracket at roughly the right link, and the tension follows from where you hooked it.
Which is easier to set up alone?
The Andersen's weight advantage matters most at the exact moment of lifting the head onto the shank, which is the step that defeats a lot of people trying to hitch solo. Once seated, both designs are adjusted by a similarly simple action: Andersen's tension chains attach and adjust with no grease required on the chain side, and Fastway's chains adjust by selecting a different link.
Where Fastway Connect Weight Distribution Hitch loses precision is exactly there: chain adjustment happens in whole links, so the tension actually achievable is the nearest link rather than the exact figure a setup procedure calls for. Andersen's own wear item is different, since the urethane cones need re-greasing on a schedule, and skipping that is the source of most noise complaints about the design.
Cost and what you give up at the lower price
Fastway Connect Weight Distribution Hitch sits at the bottom of the price range in this whole category from a maker with a real service and parts path, and it includes a pre-installed ball and shank in the box, which is unusual at this price. What it does not include is sway control of any kind, so a reader choosing it for a trailer that needs sway resistance should budget for an add-on bar such as CURT 17200 Trailer Sway Control Kit for Weight Distribution Hitches separately.
Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, 2 inch shank, 4 inch drop or rise costs more but folds sway control into the same purchase through its friction cone design, so there is no second part to buy or fit for that function. Neither hitch raises payload, GVWR, GCWR or any axle rating regardless of price or mechanism.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Andersen hitch as strong as a conventional chain-style hitch?
Strength is set by the published rating on the specific kit, not by whether the mechanism is cones and chains or conventional spring bars. The Andersen configuration compared here and the Fastway Connect are both listed at 10,000 lb of trailer weight. Compare the exact rating on the configuration you need rather than assuming either mechanism is inherently stronger.
Does the Andersen hitch really need no grease at all?
The chain side needs no grease, which the maker markets as a maintenance advantage over spring bars that require periodic lubrication at the mounts. The urethane cones under the ball housing are a different story: they are a wear item that needs re-greasing on a schedule, and skipping that greasing is the most common source of noise complaints about this hitch.
Why is chain adjustment on the Fastway Connect less precise?
Tension is set by which link of the chain hooks to the trailer frame bracket, so the achievable settings are whole links apart rather than a continuous range. If the setup procedure calls for a tension between two links, the closest available link is what you actually get, which is a small but real compromise compared to a hitch with finer adjustment.
Does either hitch include sway control?
The Andersen design folds sway control into the same friction cone that does the weight distribution, so no separate part is needed. The Fastway Connect ships with chains only and no sway control mechanism, so a reader who needs it should plan to add a separate friction bar such as CURT 17200 Trailer Sway Control Kit for Weight Distribution Hitches on top of the base hitch.
Which hitch is better for someone who hitches alone often?
The Andersen's main selling point is weight: a much lighter head that one person can lift onto the shank without help, which matters most at the exact moment of hitching alone. A chain-style hitch like the Fastway Connect is heavier to lift but has fewer moving parts to learn, so the better fit depends on whether lifting weight or mechanical simplicity is the bigger obstacle for you.
Can I add sway control to a chain-style hitch later?
Yes, a chain-style hitch with no sway control of its own is exactly the kind of hitch an add-on friction bar is designed for. Bolt on a kit such as CURT 17200 Trailer Sway Control Kit for Weight Distribution Hitches once you decide sway control is needed, rather than replacing the whole hitch. The Andersen's friction cone sway control, by contrast, cannot be added after the fact since it is built into the head casting.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published standards, manufacturer towing guides and product specifications, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are towing convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Nothing here overrides your own ratings. Work your payload sum before your tow rating, because payload is the limit that actually binds on most half ton trucks and nearly every SUV. Load a conventional trailer to 10 to 15 percent tongue weight and a fifth wheel to 15 to 25 percent pin weight, and never lighter: a tail heavy trailer is what starts sway. Weigh the rig loaded rather than trusting a brochure dry weight. A weight distribution hitch and a set of air bags both restore ride height and control, and neither one raises a single rating. Trailer brakes are required by state law above a threshold that varies by state, and a breakaway battery that has quietly gone flat is the normal condition of most trailers on the road.