Buying Advice What you should have ordered from PT

[woodlandfarms]

PT Wanna

Basically what has been echoed here but more specific to what I did.

In regards to your list. I am VERY doubtful you will have any of your requests filled outside of the spare tire and filters. I would get the spare tire for sure (or two) but would forgo the spare filters as they are cheaper locally.

I guess I should say you could get PT to do all those things on your list but it will take money and as you have said you are tight financially, those requests you have could be done a lot cheaper on your own.

Two things I would suggest to you, first is get all the implements you think you are going to need upfront. It is fun to say next year I will buy this, but once you take PT's price, which is generally fair, and add shipping, it tends not to be a good deal, or at least one that is harder to swallow.

I would suggest to you a stack of quick attach plates that you can weld onto 3rd party implements.

I bought my PT from Ken Simolo (Spring Hollow), he did way more to get my machine running than he needed to (and yes, those bucket hooks on the frame of the PT have been invaluable and I never asked for those - thank you Ken). I purchased only a new mower from PT and it and my tractor and spare tires were put on a flatbed to Iowa. In Iowa, again thanks to ken, I added a back hoe with boom pole attachment, Fork Lift, a bucket and teeth, a grapple on the bucket, and some miscelaneous items (3 point adapter and quick attach plates) from Lackender fabrication to the truck and it then meandered to Washington state.

In WA I have purchased a box blade (new) a used york rake and a used potato plow. I have built a grapple bucket bottom, a post hole digger, a stump grinder, and a tow bar for my trailer. I am currently debating restoring a sickle mower I found in my ravine so I can mow the edges of the road better.

All of those things you have on your list you can do and should do on your own to save money. LED lights from China work great and are cheap, Casters can be adjusted on your own. I would buy a welder if you do not have one. Talk to Mark at Everlast. Those are solid welders at a good price. Connectors you should buy locally. The ones PT sells are hard to match in my hood so I moved over to Parker brand which seems more available. Ken went to Flat Faced ($$) but loves them.

I replaced my seatbelt and so did Ken. We went retractable which has worked out well so far. I cut a hole in my hood so my wife could fuel the tractor without lifting it (on the 1850 it is super duper heavy).

 

[Marks481]

Perhaps you guys don't remember this guy.

JJ, I believe you confused him with ToolCatWonka, who was a 16 yo kid who's dad ran a landscaping business, and was full of plans on buying new toys to get into the biz.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/members/toolcatwonka5610.html

 

[Marks481]

first is get all the implements you think you are going to need upfront. It is fun to say next year I will buy this, but once you take PT's price, which is generally fair, and add shipping, it tends not to be a good deal, or at least one that is harder to swallow.

Good advice. Initial cost for shipping of PT plus 4 implements VA->CT wasn't too bad, but when 6 years later, I inquired about shipping just TWO implements VA->MD, the cost of shipping was almost more than the cost of the implements themselves. Fortunately, Clumber was buying his stuff at the same time, and I got my stuff thrown into his truck.

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah, I think my PT425, 60" finish mower, 48" brush hog, large light material bucket, small bucket with teeth, pallet forks and loading ramps got shipped from Tazewell to South Bend, IN for about $500.00 in 2001. Can't imaging what shipping on one or two heavy items would be now. Ordered it on a Friday and it was here on Monday, as I recall.

 

[Marks481]

My original bill for shipping VA->CT (11 hours) was $780 in 2005, including 4n1, Minihoe, 9" auger, 48" deck.

In 2010, I wanted to buy a LMB and Plow, and the shipping quoted was $486 (VA->MD 6.5 hours). For $950 worth of attachments. As I said above, Clumber lived a couple of hours away, so I got my attachments with his shipment.

In 2013, I bought a box blade and brush cutter, and shipping was $286 (VA->VA 5 hours)., which was relatively reasonable. (price to just ship the brush cutter was $270.... not so reasonable). I had no time for a side trip to pick up the implements myself, as I was in the middle of self-moving 30k of household goods from VA->WA (two u-hauls trips), ferrying cars, buying a house...

 

[BobRip]

When I bought my PT, my attachment cost about equaled the machine cost. I figured I paid a lot for the machine and I wanted to be able to use it fully. Consider forks, they are cheap and more useful than you might think.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I used U Ship and I think it set me back $1400 for the whole deal. This was 2006 I think.

 

[ponytug]

Good luck with your soon to have new tractor! Welcome to the PT forum.

Here are a few thoughts on your list;

• replace casters of brush hog with ones from landscape rake.
  
  Run with what they have and fix it if it breaks​
• change hydraulic couplers to another brand/style (I plan to have a couple skidsteer implements)
  
  Make the adapters; PT won't change and it isn't worth the cost to change everything.​
• not same-sex couplers on implement or machine (drawback: cannot reverse the flow/direction on the implement)
  
  Most PT motors are not reversible. This is a special order, and even then they won't always do it. I asked for a tiller with a reversible motor and they admitted making it once, but wouldn't do it for me. i.e. don't get your hopes up.​
• spare hydraulic & engine oil filters & spare wheel
  
  Great idea, although I'd skip the wheel.​
• rear bar tires
  
  Run with all four the same; I would use their industrial skid steer tires that seem pretty tough.​
• fill engine & hydraulics with synthetic Rotella T6 5W40
  
  Run with what they have and swap it out in a few years.​
• Deutz cold-weather pak (if such a thing exists)
  
  I'd just order the parts myself; it is pretty easy to screw in and wire a relay into the power.​
• LED lighting
  
  Do it yourself from Amazon; it will be much cheaper.​

The Deutz cold weather is an air preheater. The upside is great ignition, the downside is that it doesn't do much for 15 gallons of cold oil. You may be better off with a hydraulic tank heater.

Just my $0.02, and it is free advice, so remember what you paid for it...

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I second the forks. They are cheap, cheezy, simple, but.... they lift a bunch of stuff and I'm 100% glad I purchased them. :thumbsup:

 

[ponytug]

On the reversible motors; in actual use, I have never found that I needed to reverse anything. Tiller/brush cutter/trencher.
Forks are a funny one. I would not have bought one, but for the folks here, and I am 100% glad that I did. Yes, I use them for pallet loads, but I also make working platforms on a pallet and haul it around (e.g. generator, air compressor, hoses, fuel, nail gun, saws...), as well as removing problem brush, stumps, brush piles, pipes, gates...but, YMMV.

I think that the YMMV is the tough part. You have to figure out what you want to do with your tractor and go from there. Personally, I would use a grapple about twice a year, and I can get by without it. I use my brush cutter three times a year, and I could not get by without it. A snow plow or sweeper would be fun, but unnecessary...

All the best,

Peter