Doin' the PT Pucker

[Sedgewood]

Re: Doin\' the PT Pucker

Charlie <font color=red>I think the hydraulics will lift the back end, even straight on, although not very fast or high.</font color=red>

The hydraulics won't pick up the back end of mine. Did you get the top gun special maybe?

<font color=red> As you demonstrated, however, when you turn while lifting there is no problem whatsoever in tilting the back end, as opposed to picking it up.</font color=red>

Ah.. let the light shine in... I didn't lift the rear, I only TIPPED it! It is in general taking me some time getting used to intuiting what the outta sight back end is doing. Especially while box blading. In fact I'm thinking some mirrors might be a good thing.

One thing about sitting on the part that moves is the sitter gets way more motion feedback than on a conventional tractor but way less visual feedback from being so far forward. Do they make a slingshot version for top gunners? Its taking a while to retrain myself but I'm getting there and loving every minute of it. When I started playing with big boys toys REAL tractors had THREE wheels. It took a long while to get used to the reduced maneuverability of the fourth wheel - now I'm tickled pink to have it back - in spades!!

 

[Sedgewood]

Re: Doin\' the PT Pucker

MossRoad <font color=green>Personally, I want to keep my machine as light as possible for lawn work.</font color=green>

Yeah for a while I thought more weight/more traction would be better but the more I run this thing the more I realize I have no traction problem. If I get in any deeper I'll be hung on the belly pan anyway and weight ain't gonna help!

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

John: You wrote <font color=red>"It is in general taking me some time getting used to intuiting what the outta sight back end is doing."</font color=red>
When I was growing up, we had hotly contested tractor driving contests at the County Fair. They included towing four-wheel hay wagons, and backing them around corners and into tight doorways -- all timed, of course, with penalties for hitting things.
Try to visualize a four wheel trailer behind a Power Trac, backing up. We could have a contest that no top gun in the country could complete.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

I'd take that challenge. I used to work at an airport. One of my duties was "stacking" hangars. That means putting in as many planes as possible to maximize overnight hangar rental space. And the penalty for bumping into things with an airplane is a visit from the FAA /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. By the way, did you see that Power Trac offers an airplane package for just this purpose? In my opinion, it would make an excellent aircraft tug.

 

[bubenberg]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

charlie,

when, where how ... never thought of participating in a demolition derby .. oh i see, the goal is to not hit anything.

 

[Sedgewood]

Re: Doin\' the PT Pucker

Charlie <font color=red>Sunday, with the hoe on the front to stir a compost pile, I looked around and found I'd driven all four wheels into a PT 1845 sized hole. Turned out it was no serious problem to get out, but I spent a little time at odd angles and wondering if the belly pan would clear the lip. This time, no external help needed.</font color=red>

The ability of these things to scrabble out of seemingly impossible spots just continues to amaze me.... which surely means that when I do finally stick mine it will be big time, embarrassingly, call for help STUCK!

BTW how goes the hoe? I still want to do something along those lines, perhaps with a thumb but I'm having trouble convincing myself the tractor is heavy enough in front to dig well and that it has enough lift.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Doin\' the PT Pucker

Have you guys looked at the Magnatrac site lately? They've introduced a new "front end" hoe for their machines that might be perfect on the PT's. (By design anyway, maybe not fit and price)

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

David:
Hooking the wagon to the front and pushing it backward would be no problem. That would be the same as hangar work with a towbar. I think the airplane tug attachment is essentially the same as the adapter we put together with a 2" receiver. I use that a lot to push a two wheel trailer backward, and could figure out an airplane or four wheel wagon.
The contest, however, would be to hook the 4 wheel wagon to the back of a Power Trac, as it is done with conventional tractors, and then try to back it up. No fair practicing first, and Hans can't enter, because he probably already has tried it.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: Doin\' the PT Pucker

<font color=red>"BTW how goes the hoe? I still want to do something along those lines, perhaps with a thumb but I'm having trouble convincing myself the tractor is heavy enough in front to dig well and that it has enough lift."</font color=red>
John:
I doubt I'll ever be a good information source for how the hoe compares to a real backhoe. I don't have any experience on one. I only have used mine a little, and have found that it seems to dig easily, particularly with the thumb. When I can position it so the thumb is stuck in the ground, the bucket curls back through the dirt to the thumb, so the weight of the machine and ultimate lift capability aren't as important. I still have to back against it a bit to hold, but it seems to go through even firm ground fairly easily. Our place is easy digging, however, with high sand content and few sizeable rocks.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

I understand hooking it on the back. I still think it would be a piece of cake.

To make it a bigger challenge, put a wide bucket on the front so that it can swing into things as your watching the rear push the trailer /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif