New PT-425's; have the bugs been worked out?

[cstamm81]

I have been reading about Power Tracs, mainly the PT-425's for quite a few hours the past few days. I ran into them while researching Steiners and Ventracs. The versatility and somewhat cheap attachments are what have me leaning towards the PT-425 heavily.
I have about 3 acres of mostly flat meadows and a few steep sections. Two streams on the property and various underground springs make for some very very marshy areas to contend with. I have some drainage lines I would like to put in and numerous jobs where I could see a FEL, mini-hoe,forks, grappler, etc. coming in very, very handy. All in all, it seems like the machine for me.
However, having read through the forums it seems there are a lot of QC control problems at PT, resulting in some very bad things happening to new machines. Stories of vapor lock and engine fires due to poor gas tank / fuel line designs really make me wonder how great the rest of the machine could be. I would have a hard time accepting a new $11k machine not running or catching on fire when only a few days old. I do know most people only post their negative experiences so it can be a bit biased.
That said, how many of the bugs have been worked out with the new PT-425's? Looks like they now have Subaru engines? The only negative I can find is they dont like to operate at severe angles for long. Do these engines suffer from the vapor lock, poor muffler design etc that comes up in the forums? It seems like the new ones have better wheel motors, so that has to be a good thing.
Sorry for the long post, I am just trying to avoid buyer's remorse here. Any indicators as to the quality of the new model 425's would be great to hear, and I thank you all in advance.

 

[MossRoad]

Welcome to TBN!

I believe the current engine in the PT425 is the same Robbin engine made by Subaru that they have been using for the last few years. A call to Power Trac would confirm this.

I don't recall anyone's PT425 catching on fire. I do recall conversations regarding gas in the oil crankcase and vapor lock.

It sounds like you are doing your best to research this machine before purchase. Good job on that. A few things to remember....

Since you are buying factory direct and there are no dealerships anywhere but that one office in Virginia, you are pretty much on your own for all service/repair. If you enjoy working on machinery and are comfortable working on lawn mower engines, and understand the importance of cleanliness around hydraulics, you should be fine.

 

[cstamm81]

Thanks for the reply MossRoad.
Perhaps my catching on fire was overstated, I believe I did read there were some very close calls with engine oil shooting out on the muffler in one case and something with gas and a muffler in the other.
I am very comfortable with working on all things mechanical, been keeping some old Power Kings and Wheel Horses up to snuff for awhile. That said, I don't mind small fixes and maintenance, it's the catastrophic failures on here that scare me. Although, they normally seem to be QC issues when the units are new, so at least that would still be under warranty.
As far as purchasing... I see on PT's site they are running a 10% off sale on the 425's right now. That's $1100 off! I am about 8 hours from the factory, so I could pick up in person. But, is there any advantage cost wise to picking it up in person vs. having it shipped? As far as taxes or % off and freight costs? In a lot of ways it would be nice to see and drive the actual unit I would be purchasing vs. having it shipped to me.

 

[J_J]

cstamm81 ,

If you would fill in your profile and tell us where you live, there might be someone close by, that you could talk to and perhaps visit.

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks for the reply MossRoad.
Perhaps my catching on fire was overstated, I believe I did read there were some very close calls with engine oil shooting out on the muffler in one case and something with gas and a muffler in the other.
I am very comfortable with working on all things mechanical, been keeping some old Power Kings and Wheel Horses up to snuff for awhile. That said, I don't mind small fixes and maintenance, it's the catastrophic failures on here that scare me. Although, they normally seem to be QC issues when the units are new, so at least that would still be under warranty.
As far as purchasing... I see on PT's site they are running a 10% off sale on the 425's right now. That's $1100 off! I am about 8 hours from the factory, so I could pick up in person. But, is there any advantage cost wise to picking it up in person vs. having it shipped? As far as taxes or % off and freight costs? In a lot of ways it would be nice to see and drive the actual unit I would be purchasing vs. having it shipped to me.

Here goes...

As far as items covered under warranty... you have to replace them yourself or get the unit back to Tazewell, VA. for the stuff that Power Trac covers.

The engine is covered by the engine manufacturer's warranty, not Power Trac (I believe, but could be wrong).

Does the sales tax in VA cost more or less than shipping to your location and/or is it a wash and what happens if you have to pay local sales tax anyway, etc.... applies here. You be the judge and jury on that one.

Finally, do not buy one unless you drive one around and operate it and see it operated doing chores. I had the chance circumstance of seeing a local landscaper operating these units and got to sit on it to see how it felt. You really need to do that as well as sit on some other machines as well.

 

[cstamm81]

Thanks again gents. As for my location, I'm in Leesport, PA... closest known city being Reading, PA. If anyone has one local and is willing to let me check it out please let me know. I may be better served by starting a separate thread on that subject.

 

[Bob999]

Thanks again gents. As for my location, I'm in Leesport, PA... closest known city being Reading, PA. If anyone has one local and is willing to let me check it out please let me know. I may be better served by starting a separate thread on that subject.

I am located about 20 miles from you but I have an 1845--not a 425.

 

[hogi]

There are definitely some quality control issues with PT's. Ultimately there isn't another option with the versatility for anywhere near the price. If I had it to do all over again, I'd make the same decision to buy, I lurked on this forum for years, so I knew what I was getting in to. Be prepared to add a fuel shut-off, the single most important mod. needed at this point on the gas PT's. Also, if you store over the winter add fuel stabilizer and let it run through the fuel system for 10-15 min., not doing that is costing me a carb rebuild. I think the poor exhaust design is the other problem on the 425's, it keeps too much heat near the engine, boils the gas in the lines. On mine the plastic air filter cover melted at the edges, I'm going to have to do something about this soon. I like the idea of going to dual exhaust, that way you don't have the pipe going all the was across the engine. Now about shipping, if I lived a close as you do, it would have been a no brainer to go test it and pick it up there. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[Marks481]

PT Owners by state:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/137323-powertrac-owners-state-13-dated.html

Pennsylvania

425 PEQUEAJIM
422 FARMALL140
422 ERNEMATS
1845 BOB999
425 BUBENBERG
422 JOHARA1
422 BULLITT
425 TSF
422 LEIGHDAVIS
425 CLARKE
425 425TRAILER
422 PABENZ
2425 JFH28
422 TOOLNUT
425 TRACTORGOLF
422 NORMPT422
425 SMILINDAVE
1445 BEK
425 GOTAGO
425 CENTRAL PA CHRIS
425 PT-425
422 VACUOUS ONE

maybe one of these guys can hook you up.

 

[BobRip]

I would test drive the machine that you are going to buy. Drive it around for a least one hour. Look for oil leaks and anything else that you can think of. This will get around the worst of the early problems. You should not have to pay VA sales tax since you are out of state. I have had more fun and use with my PT422 than anything I have ever owned.