425 vs 1430 on lawns

[BillCroasmun]

The other thread on the capabilities of a PT as a fork lift made me wonder how much difference there is between the 425 vs the 1430 on the lawns (imprinting, rutting, etc).

By spec the PT website says the 425 weighs in at 1387 lbs and the 1420 at 2560 lbs. I'm guessing those are dry weights and the 425 holds 5 gal of gas and 10 gal of hydraulic oil whereas the 1430 holds 8 gal of gas and 15 gal of hydraulic oil. That probably adds a bit more weight also.

The 1430 has bigger tires to spread that extra weight out but I'm just curious if anyone has got to see both a soft or wet ground to see if there are big differences in the impact on the ground.

The 1430's are used by professional landscapers so I'm sure they don't tear up a yard but there still has to be a big difference between the two.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[flattopp9]

Hi bill, i have a 1430 and use it on soft sand in my campground. I even go down on the edge of the lake in sugar sand and i can't see how anything could do any better. I believe the machine fitting the work is more important than worrying about the weight of pt in most cases. I like a little larger pt myself. Have a great pt day. Dale

 

[MossRoad]

I was wondering if anyone uses a 1430 for lawn mowing, too. Just wondering how it would work. Not that I'd want a larger more capable machine than my 425 of course. :laughing:

 

[woodlandfarms]

You are shopping and we know it. Your wife doesn't but...

1850 on single wheels mowing does no damage to the lawn... Unless wet or going over the same place twice... But it doesn't give a nice haircut like the wifes riding mower... cut quality is marginal.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes. I have found the PT 60" mower on the PT425 gives a good cut, but not a great cut. If the blades are sharp it does a nice, even job, but the rear discharge doesn't spread the clippings out enough and I get a windrow out the right rear side of the deck that the tires then run over and I also get the inside of the left front wheel motor packed with clippings. If you mow in a round-about manner you can catch the windrow from the last past with the left edge of the deck and it usually sucks it up and disperses it. However, if you mow in a back-and-forth manner to get a nice striped pattern in your lawn, the windrow will usually remain. I think since they committed to a rear discharge with no bagging system available, they should just go all out and make it a true mulching deck with baffles and high-lift blades and be done with it.

 

[PTWannaHave]

I believe the 60in mowing decks for the 425 and 1430 are different... I.e. the 425 is for residential use, and the 1430's mowing deck is much sturdier for commercial use.

It would be interesting to know if the quality of cut between the two decks differs or not...

Cheers,

 

[MossRoad]

The PT425 is the only 400 series rated for commercial use by warranty by Power Trac.

My guess is the mower design is essentially the same, that being a flat deck underneath with no air baffles to control suction, lift, etc...

Also, a really wide, flat deck is only good on flat ground. They are not so good on rolling terrain and tend to scalp the high spots and leave tall grass in the valleys between high spots.

That being said, I still love my 60" finish mower and give it a score of 8.5 out of 10.

 

[BillCroasmun]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I have mainly switched to a garden tractor for my mowing now. Not that the cut from the 180 and the 45" finish mower wasn't good enough for me but because I just wanted to put less hours on the PT. Plus having a dedicated mowing machine with all the safety features for those times my wife wants to help makes me feel more comfortable. My wife and I couldn't be on further sides of the "self awareness" spectrum. For me many of those standard safety features drive me nuts but knowing they will probably be tested when she's on board makes them worth every penny.

As for the PT, I'd love to have a bigger one with the added circuit for using a grapple / mini-hoe but since that is really my only complaint I'll probably just swap the 2 spool valve for a 3 spool like Beechwood did some years past and make up my own attachments but that will be years to come given my current to do list and priorities.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I love those safety features, my wife has a little riding mower now and her duties are the front yard (1/2 acre or so) and I take care of the other 20... Yes, I would not disable any of those safety features but I do spend a fair amount of time going to the mower with "It isn't running" to find that one of the safety systems has been activated..

I guess that i what love is all about.

 

[American Bulldog]

The PT425 is the only 400 series rated for commercial use by warranty by Power Trac.

My guess is the mower design is essentially the same, that being a flat deck underneath with no air baffles to control suction, lift, etc...

Also, a really wide, flat deck is only good on flat ground. They are not so good on rolling terrain and tend to scalp the high spots and leave tall grass in the valleys between high spots.

That being said, I still love my 60" finish mower and give it a score of 8.5 out of 10.

I couldn't agree more. A flat deck bigger than 60" will not work well where I live. The big PT deck I have on my 1460 is only good for rough cut jobs.