Any 180 owners out there?

[JohnSinVA]

Hello fourm -

I'm moving to a new home on 3 acres in the next few months and had originally been looking at the 422/425 class machines to take care of the new place (mowing, snow removal, upkeep on gravel road, landscape duty). However, unforseen costs have hit the tractor budget and it looks like the 180 will be my only feasible option for a PT unit. My lot is flat so hill climbing won't be an issue except around the house itself, which will have a fairly steep grade around it after backfilling.

Most of what I see myself doing landsacpe wise is material transport, but possibly some scraping/grading for a patio, levelling out an area for an outbuilding, and to take care of any drainage issues that may arise. Is the 180 a stout enough machine to handle scraping and digging down several inches with the dirt bucket, like for cutting a drainage swale or digging out for a gravel bed?

 

[BillCroasmun]

Hi John,
I've had a PT180 since May and have put about 35 hours on it so far. I have about 3 1/4 acres with 1 acre being house and yard, another acre of woods and the 3rd acre being unused farm field. I use it to mow the 1 acre on a regular basis and to mow mine and a neighbors field about every three weeks or so.

I recently had 15 tons of fill dirt and 10 tons of slag delivered to the house. I used the light material bucket (LMB) to move the 15 tons of fill in about 35 minutes to level an area next to my garage! Not "finish" leveled but good enough to start putting down a base of gravel to extend the drive next to the garage.

I then used the LMB to cut in a sidewalk from the drive to the front porch (about 4" deep) and then used it to fill in the walk with slag (HEAVY material). It cut the top soil OK but will definitely benefit from a toothbar if your ground is hard or your going deeper.

That same day I also leveled a 9' by 17' area for a portable garage from Harbor Freight (the PT's new home!), then put about a 6" base of slag down there as well.

All in all I am very pleased with my purchase. There are things I could do with a 422 or 425 that I can't do with the PT180 (or could do them quicker) but so far while I am out there working I have never said "I should have got a 422". The few times I have reached it's limits in one way (for example trying to move a boulder bigger than what the 180 will lift) I just think of alternative ways to accomplish the same task (rolling the rock onto a "sled" and pulling the sled along).

I have the tiller, LMB and the mower. If you don't need to use it for mowing I'd suggest the LMB, after market toothbar, box blade, and maybe the tiller for what you are talking about. The tiller helps in digging if you need to break up the soil first. Although I don't have one, I think the boxblade would help in the leveling that you've mentioned. And I'd forego the Rock bucket and just get the LMB with teeth. I have not found the LMB to be too light for anything that the tractor can handle there are just times that you may not be able to fill it to capacity when working with heavier material like the slag I've mentioned.

Good luck with your purchase and decision making!

 

[BillCroasmun]

By the way the package I suggested would probably be around $7.000 to $7,500 pre-shipping and/or tax. I'm not looking at a price sheet right now but I think that's about what it would be. Now for a green apple to oranges comparison /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif a Kubota BX1800 with loader would run about $13,500 but there is one on eBay right now for only $8000 with 97 hrs (no box blade or tiller)... (BX1800)

I still prefer the new PT but thought I'd give you the heads up! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="blue"> (I have not found the LMB to be too light for anything that the tractor can handle there are just times that you may not be able to fill it to capacity when working with heavier material like the slag I've mentioned.) </font>

We got the LMB for our PT-425, and I really like it. IIRC, ours has a capacity of 10 cu ft. I have picked up a bucket full of limestone gravel several times without a bit of trouble, although one of those occasions included the one and only time I experienced the "PT Pucker." /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I'm not sure about a toothbar on the LMB, though. I'd have to think about that.

 

[BillCroasmun]

I figured I was putting more stress on the bucket "working" the front lip into piles of dirt by wiggling the front end and tilting the bucket back and forth but maybe I'm wrong.

Is the pressure on the front lip still spread equally accross the bucket when using a toothbar? I'd have to look at another picture of one to think about this more myself. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[SnowRidge]

As far as I know, it is lightly constructed compared to the other buckets, none of which I have, so I can't really judge. I really don't know if a toothbar is a good idea on the LMB, or not. I expect others who have both buckets will weigh in soon. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I do need to buy or build a toothbar for my Branson, though. My neighbor has one on his MF that looks like it could rip a person in half, and I'm jealous. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[pajoube]

I show HRDS with a 180 and lives in VA. You may want to click on his name (TBN) and email him to see location. You could both get together.
PJ

 

[tracdoc]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( As far as I know, it is lightly constructed compared to the other buckets.... )</font>

When I was at Tazewell, I asked both Scott and Terry about the construction of the "LMB." It is constructed of the exact same materials as the smaller rock bucket. They call it "light" to emphasize the fact that if the LMB and the rock bucket are each filled to capacity with heavy materials, the LMB would show show the stress over time that the rock bucket will not. In that sense, one could consider it to be lightly constructed. PT justs wants the operator to be aware of this and not abuse the LMB with heavy materials.

I would suggest a toothbar as a better alternative to the factory installed individual teeth. Toothbars add a heavy strip of metal at the leading edge of the bucket and this takes the brunt of forces, thus protecting the actual edge of the bucket itself. A toothbar is easier to remove and install than individual teeth, too (2 bolts total). Also, individual teeth can still be replaced on a toothbar of necessary. IMHO, Markham {HERE} makes one of the best and most economical toothbars in the business. They are also good people to deal with and shipping is reasonable.

 

[dturnmire]

"As far as I know, it is lightly constructed compared to the other buckets, none of which I have, so I can't really judge. I really don't know if a toothbar is a good idea on the LMB, or not. I expect others who have both buckets will weigh in soon." <font color="blue"> </font>

When I picked up my PT-180 last year I was told that the Dirt Bucket and Light Material Bucket were made of the same material. The only difference was the capacity and the toothbar option wasn't available for the larger one.

 

[SnowRidge]

Good info, guys. Interesting how PT goes about things, sometimes. Build it bigger out of the same material, but call it light because it's not built heavier. That makes the LMB a best buy in my opinion, considering the relative sizes and prices.