Buying Advice thanx & advice

[dc53]

thanks for the input, took the plunge.
ordered my 422 yesterday.
tazwell told me i need a 12 ft flatbed for tractor & snow blower (140" oal hooked up),
can i get away with a shorter bed if load the blower on the side of the truck & then
drive the tractor on and articulate the front end of the tractor next to the snowblower.
trying to save a few bucks on the truck I'll be buying.

thanks, any and all input is appreciated.

dan

pt-422
snow blower
10 cu ft bucket
forks
ramps

[SpringHollow]

Is there a reason you do not want to use a trailer?

Ken

[dc53]

Is there a reason you do not want to use a trailer?

Ken

Ken,
You can understand when I say lake effect snow, 2 older sisters live north of me in Oswego county.

sometimes I blow them out before the plows get to the secondary roads

Dan

[SpringHollow]

Is this going to be a conventional flat bed with ramps or a rolloff flat bed? Ramps would be a little scary especially in winter. If ramps, I would make them long, wide with sides, and have sleeves mounted to the truck and ramps to pin them on. But then I always get nervous using ramps going up high.

Ken

[cqaigy2]

Ken,
You can understand when I say lake effect snow, 2 older sisters live north of me in Oswego county.

sometimes I blow them out before the plows get to the secondary roads

Dan

So the truck is for after you have received your pt to haul it around. Hmmm i hauled my 422 w/bucket in a 5' x 9' trailer. It was a very well built u-hall trailer with ramp and sides. Dropped the ramp, backed the pt into the trailer all the way to the front of the trailer up against the pallet i slipped in between the pt and front. Chained both sides from the rops support down to the hooks in front on the bed. Unhooked the bucket, slid it into the trailer right in front of the pt under the lift arms. Put the ramp up on the trailer then let the pressure off of the lift so that the quick attach plate rested against the ramp.

Don't know about the snow blower but if i had to put something next to the tractor it would have been sitting on top of the tires. Anyway maybe that give an idea of the foot print.

[MossRoad]

My 2001 model PT425 is a few inches shorter than yours I believe. When backed into the bed of an 8' pickup truck bed the rear tires are well within the bed, but any attachment is hanging off the rear almost completely. That's with no tailgate on. So 12' will give you just enough room.

When I load my PT425 in a pickup truck I have about an inch clearance between the inside of each wheel well, so the width pf the tractor is truly less than 48". I drive through a 4' gate several times a year with a couple inches clearance on each side. Gotta be careful with the articulation.

I would say if you want to load the blower from the side of a flat bed and then cock the tractor next to it, you could probably do it on an 8' bed, but the weight distribution of your load may be a bit off.

Also, even though they say the tractor can lift X inches high, that may not be enough to put an attachment like a blower up on a higher flat bed, so be aware of that. Even if it is "just close enough" to work on flat ground, you may encounter a loading area that is not level and those few inches could make a difference.

One more thing.... loading a tractor up and down steep ramps in winter is precarious, as it is very slippery. I know my steel ramps on my car hauler trailer have expanded steel covering and grip is pretty good in winter, but the diamond plate steel deck is still slippery as snot with a little snow on it.

[MossRoad]

So the truck is for after you have received your pt to haul it around. Hmmm i hauled my 422 w/bucket in a 5' x 9' trailer. It was a very well built u-hall trailer with ramp and sides. Dropped the ramp, backed the pt into the trailer all the way to the front of the trailer up against the pallet i slipped in between the pt and front. Chained both sides from the rops support down to the hooks in front on the bed. Unhooked the bucket, slid it into the trailer right in front of the pt under the lift arms. Put the ramp up on the trailer then let the pressure off of the lift so that the quick attach plate rested against the ramp.

Don't know about the snow blower but if i had to put something next to the tractor it would have been sitting on top of the tires. Anyway maybe that give an idea of the foot print.

That's a pretty good description. Perhaps a look at the PT website and their trailer setups could give him an idea how to arrange things on a trailer.

[SpringHollow]

I believe Dan is worried about pulling a trailer on unplowed roads. My trailer has brakes on both axles. I have driven it in winter with no problems but I have taken it easy and if I have a heavy load, I try my best to avoid bad weather because I live in the hills. Going down one in icy conditions could get one into trouble. In his situation, he is having to drive in bad weather. Looks like it is time for Dan to buy a PT for each house

Ken

[MossRoad]

12' bed or 12' trailer... either way, he needs 12 feet. I agree about towing a trailer on snow covered roads, especially after heavy lake affect snows as much of those areas get. What he needs is some kind of front wheel drive low boy flat bed straight truck that he can load from the back or either side.

[cqaigy2]

12' bed or 12' trailer... either way, he needs 12 feet. I agree about towing a trailer on snow covered roads, especially after heavy lake affect snows as much of those areas get. What he needs is some kind of front wheel drive low boy flat bed straight truck that he can load from the back or either side.

LOL like a low rider flat bed truck. There's gotta be one around there someplace.

I agree, driving dually s or pulling a trailer can be dicey in winter weather.