Questions about the PowerTrac 425

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Will be going to Tazewell Monday to see for myself, but in the meantime, a few questions. Mainly, I'm having trouble imagining how to do things without a tilt/angle/offset-capable rear blade.

1. I understand the attachments go on the front of a PT, but the 425 does have some rear hydraulics, right? Is that only for a backhoe, or can you either buy or mod some pull-behind attachments and if so, can you angle/tilt/offset them?

2. Can you tilt or angle the front PT attachments using the hydraulics? Any ability to offset for ditching? I need to do quite a bit of ditching. And speaking of ditching, how do you guys do it with a PT?

3. In terms of grading/maintaining all of our roads--long gravel driveway, rougher steep dirt road, and all the trails through the woods--what's the best way to create/maintain these with the PT?

4. Am planning on the stock bucket with tooth bar, box blade of course, maybe a brush cutter, and not sure what else. Anyone have the post hole digger, and how well does it work?

Thanks!

 

[ponytug]

Welcome! Have fun at Tazewell.
1) There are no rear hydraulics. That means that for box blading, you are mostly going backwards.
2) Some attachments have some ability to angle. No offsets that I am aware of, but ask when you are there.
3) There are non-PT tools, but the box blade and the 4N1 are both pretty good at maintaining. Creating...I'd read the forum on that one. Because you are going forward, you have to do it differently. The versions that come with a backhoe can do that, but you give up quite a bit of slope stability. Many folks have the mini-hoe which is similar to a backhoe, but not quite.
4) The brush cutter is a work horse. The post hole digger works, but try it at Tazewell to see if you like it. I tried it and didn't like, so I bought the post driver instead. It is fantastic for what it does, but not the easiest of tools on slopes.

Say "Hi" to Terry Estep from all of us.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Marks481]

Post Hole Digger works pretty good... it is handy because you can do a good job of controlling the list/tilt of the drill by the articulation motion of the tractor. The auger bits aren't much to write home about; probably something like this would work better:

Lowe Auger Bits, Extensions and Replacement Teeth : Lowe 6" Auger Bit SQ6

If you don't hit a rock, you can clear a 8", 30" deep hole in a minute or so. In VA, you should probably be okay.

My first use of it (in CT) I hit big rocks in half of my post holes... and most of the rocks were in the 100-200# range. In those type of conditions, the PHD didn't work well... most of those holes ended up being excavated with the mini-hoe... the rock below came out of a hole that started as a post hole.... and as a post that was supporting a size foot gate was critical.

And the mini-hoe should definitely should be on your shopping list. Good for digging ditches. Works on the PT-422/425/1425/1430, etc. It is simple in design, but the articulating nature of the vehicles gives you the ability to move from side to side to dump dirt. Power-tac has a lot of youtube videos; check them out to see how their attachments work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBrG_keMUTc&spfreload=10

Also should be on your list: fork attachment.

Speaking of rear hydraulics... only the PT-2425/2430/2460 have "rear hydraulics", and they are dedicated to the (full) backhoe. No other attachments designed there.

Every other attachment is designed for the front lift arms, which have two hydraulic circuits routed for attachments: PTO (for spinning things) and a control circuit (for opening/shutting 4N1, angling the plow blade, etc). Just a note: some of the attachments that you would typically find on the rear of a tractor work better when driving in reverse: box blade, tiller, trencher, etc.

 

[jfischer]

To me it sounds like she is looking for a machine with a 3 point hitch that will drag things.

I have the 425 and live on a 1/4 mile gravel road and know that my machine would sure not handle much more then doing the snow on it. The box blade is great for dirt, and looser gravel, but I wouldn't want to be trying to maintain a road, as it sounds like she is wanting it to tilt to be able to cut a crown.

She could cut some small ditches, but I wouldn't try anything wide. I know that my ditches are wider then the machine and the ones that are 2 or 3 feet deep I end up dragging the dirt out, and then moving it.

Maybe one of the bigger machines would do better for her, but don't think a 425 is going to keep up with all the work she is going to want to put it through, but go down to Tazwell and try some out, I was just there this last week picking a few things up.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

To me it sounds like she is looking for a machine with a 3 point hitch that will drag things.

I have the 425 and live on a 1/4 mile gravel road and know that my machine would sure not handle much more then doing the snow on it. The box blade is great for dirt, and looser gravel, but I wouldn't want to be trying to maintain a road, as it sounds like she is wanting it to tilt to be able to cut a crown.

She could cut some small ditches, but I wouldn't try anything wide. I know that my ditches are wider then the machine and the ones that are 2 or 3 feet deep I end up dragging the dirt out, and then moving it.

Maybe one of the bigger machines would do better for her, but don't think a 425 is going to keep up with all the work she is going to want to put it through, but go down to Tazwell and try some out, I was just there this last week picking a few things up.

My ditches are only about a foot wide at most, and the same depth at most. The new road snaking down the mountain to the ravine/ponds/stream was cut by a huge excavator, but still needs a crown and a shallow ditch down one side for runoff. The other side is a steep drop-off.

The Mahindra Max I'm also considering would excel at the road maintenance, but would be far less handy on the trails, hills, etc. Guess what I really need is a little of both!

 

[SpringHollow]

If you get something larger like the 1430, then you have the lift capacity to buy a a 3pt adapter for a skid steer and weld on a PT attachment plate. Then you can buy standard 3pt box blades etc. Mine is made by Lackender and has some simple tilt capability. I have not looked at the other manufacturers. If you or someone you know likes to weld, you can have your own custom attachments made.

I had a bunch of road ditches put in by a guy with a dozer. For a couple of hundred bucks, he did in a few hours what would have taken me days. Sometimes it pays to hire stuff out. For cleaning out ditches, I have a blade that bolts on to the mini hoe bucket which is fine for a few hundred feet of ditch. Not what I would do if i had a mile of ditch to do.

PT's excel as loaders, decent mowers, very nice for mini hoes/grapples, stump grinders and pallet forks, marginal for box blade and rear blade type work. The toothed buckets do a have way decent job of digging. Mini hoe or the root tiller can do a good job of loosening soil.

Using my mini hoes, I have dug over 500' of trenches 4' deep or more, a fair number of post holes. Mostly in heavy clay with layers of thick shale. I was impressed. But I do have one of the larger PT's.

Ken

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Post Hole Digger works pretty good... it is handy because you can do a good job of controlling the list/tilt of the drill by the articulation motion of the tractor. The auger bits aren't much to write home about; probably something like this would work better:

Lowe Auger Bits, Extensions and Replacement Teeth : Lowe 6" Auger Bit SQ6

If you don't hit a rock, you can clear a 8", 30" deep hole in a minute or so. In VA, you should probably be okay.

Also should be on your list: fork attachment.

Speaking of rear hydraulics... only the PT-2425/2430/2460 have "rear hydraulics", and they are dedicated to the (full) backhoe. No other attachments designed there.

Every other attachment is designed for the front lift arms, which have two hydraulic circuits routed for attachments: PTO (for spinning things) and a control circuit (for opening/shutting 4N1, angling the plow blade, etc). Just a note: some of the attachments that you would typically find on the rear of a tractor work better when driving in reverse: box blade, tiller, trencher, etc.

You don't know Virginia....we always hit a rock! from fist-sized to huge boulders to plain old bedrock. Ya never know what you're going to hit but it's always something.

Yes, the fork is on the list too.

Thanks for clearing that up about the rear hydraulics. As for the front hydraulics, angle but no tilt. And no offset. That does limit things a bit.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

If you get something larger like the 1430, then you have the lift capacity to buy a a 3pt adapter for a skid steer and weld on a PT attachment plate. Then you can buy standard 3pt box blades etc. Mine is made by Lackender and has some simple tilt capability. I have not looked at the other manufacturers. If you or someone you know likes to weld, you can have your own custom attachments made.

I had a bunch of road ditches put in by a guy with a dozer. For a couple of hundred bucks, he did in a few hours what would have taken me days. Sometimes it pays to hire stuff out. For cleaning out ditches, I have a blade that bolts on to the mini hoe bucket which is fine for a few hundred feet of ditch. Not what I would do if i had a mile of ditch to do.

PT's excel as loaders, decent mowers, very nice for mini hoes/grapples, stump grinders and pallet forks, marginal for box blade and rear blade type work. The toothed buckets do a have way decent job of digging. Mini hoe or the root tiller can do a good job of loosening soil.

Using my mini hoes, I have dug over 500' of trenches 4' deep or more, a fair number of post holes. Mostly in heavy clay with layers of thick shale. I was impressed. But I do have one of the larger PT's.

Ken

I don't weld and don't plan to learn.... As for hiring stuff out, sure. I've spent a few thousands having the big stuff done--new road put in, large ponds dug, huge poplars knocked down and taken away, etc. Big excavators suck at fine grading/ditching though. The guy with a skid steer I hired afterwards was only a bit better.

Geez, guess I want a Mahindra Max 24 but crouched down low, with a wider stance, stable on hills. Or a PowerTrac with a rear 3-point w/ full hydraulics. Is that too much to ask?

 

[SpringHollow]

One tractor is never enough.

Ken

 

[woodlandfarms]

Ken said it best. You get two tractors and a dozer and track hoe. Tnen you are set. Its just money, can't take it with you when you are dead.