Going to Tazewell tomorrow to buy.....

[tommott77]

...Kubota bx 1880, lol. Found a smoking deal on a used machine. I’m doing this though to sell some other tractors and free up some cash flow for a potential 2430 purchase.

I will be stopping by Power Trac to check out the 2430s Thursday morning though. Pretty sure I’ll be picking one up in the coming months. The biggest question I have it’s pulling ability for grunt work. It’ll see 80% loader work but would need to be able to pull (I guess actually push) a box blade up my driveway. The issue with my driveway is it’s about 500’ of constant 15+ degree grade. Want to make sure the 1 speed transmission and the wheel motors will be up the task. The tractor’s entire life will literally be going up and down our mountain side.

Anything specific I should try to test with the 2430 to see it’ll work for my application? I’m not sure if they’ll have any steep, constant grade to test the tractor out at their facility.

 

[RegL]

...Kubota bx 1880, lol. Found a smoking deal on a used machine. I’m doing this though to sell some other tractors and free up some cash flow for a potential 2430 purchase.

I will be stopping by Power Trac to check out the 2430s Thursday morning though. Pretty sure I’ll be picking one up in the coming months. The biggest question I have it’s pulling ability for grunt work. It’ll see 80% loader work but would need to be able to pull (I guess actually push) a box blade up my driveway. The issue with my driveway is it’s about 500’ of constant 15+ degree grade. Want to make sure the 1 speed transmission and the wheel motors will be up the task. The tractor’s entire life will literally be going up and down our mountain side.

Anything specific I should try to test with the 2430 to see it’ll work for my application? I’m not sure if they’ll have any steep, constant grade to test the tractor out at their facility.

The 2430 is kind of under powered for hills. Same engine as the 1430 and weighs about 1000lbs more. I like mine for loader work and light digging with back hoe. For just about everything else the 1430 is better.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

I'd be inclined to take one of those remote heat sensors, and take readings of various components - you mentioned wheel motors. It's electric ? Transmission fluid, engine oil. Make note of your readings. As I remember, both temps should not exceed 230 F by much. After your test drive, you can research operating temperatures of what you measured.
At the end of your test run, but the front end against a tree, and see if the engine will stall out, or if something slips in the drive line. Don't know what that will mean, but if it slips (motor doesn't stall), you can research later.
I have rarely needed to lift my FEL higher than 3 feet. That said, I use the FEL all the time.
A friend paid the extra for a galvanized trailer. It looks nice after years, whereas mine is all chipped.
I've found that sole source products (think automobile parts) are very expensive. All of your implements will be sole source. Maybe you can negotiate a clause that any implements purchase within 5 years of sale date, will be at current listed price.
And finally, my 30 hp hydrostatic tractor has a 3 range rear axle. I mostly use "medium", but I'm glad to have the other two - for road driving and for heavy duty grunt work.

 

[tommott77]

The 2430 is kind of under powered for hills. Same engine as the 1430 and weighs about 1000lbs more. I like mine for loader work and light digging with back hoe. For just about everything else the 1430 is better.

I won’t be getting the backhoe though which looks like it’s shaves 800-900# off the tractor

 

[SpringHollow]

The filters are standard items.

The PT's are not the best at ground contact. I use a box blade with mine and as long as I am not too aggressive. I certainly plow uphill on driveways steeper than that and 500' is not very long. It would likely work best to repair the driveway while driving downhill.

I can not picture PT putting in clauses to hold prices for 5 years. Many of their implements are quite reasonably priced. Plus it is very easy to adapt traditional attachments to the PT. I have 2 kinds of mini hoes, 3 snow plows, a bucket, forks, box blade, rear blade, and lifting boom that are all conventional implements adapted for the PT in one way or another.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

I'd be inclined to take one of those remote heat sensors, and take readings of various components - you mentioned wheel motors. It's electric ? Transmission fluid, engine oil. Make note of your readings. As I remember, both temps should not exceed 230 F by much. After your test drive, you can research operating temperatures of what you measured.
At the end of your test run, but the front end against a tree, and see if the engine will stall out, or if something slips in the drive line. Don't know what that will mean, but if it slips (motor doesn't stall), you can research later.
I have rarely needed to lift my FEL higher than 3 feet. That said, I use the FEL all the time.
A friend paid the extra for a galvanized trailer. It looks nice after years, whereas mine is all chipped.
I've found that sole source products (think automobile parts) are very expensive. All of your implements will be sole source. Maybe you can negotiate a clause that any implements purchase within 5 years of sale date, will be at current listed price.
And finally, my 30 hp hydrostatic tractor has a 3 range rear axle. I mostly use "medium", but I'm glad to have the other two - for road driving and for heavy duty grunt work.

No. The PowerTracs are all hydraulic. They have hydraulic wheel motors, one at each wheel. They also don't have a transmission. Just a variable volume hydraulic pump that drives the 4 hydraulic wheel motors.

 

[Have tractor did travel]

Mossroad, thanks for education on Power Trac. Hydraulic is the way Ingersoll, and prior, Case garden tractors, motivated their tractors. I'm going to look further into this equipment.

 

[tommott77]

The filters are standard items.

The PT's are not the best at ground contact. I use a box blade with mine and as long as I am not too aggressive. I certainly plow uphill on driveways steeper than that and 500' is not very long. It would likely work best to repair the driveway while driving downhill.

I can not picture PT putting in clauses to hold prices for 5 years. Many of their implements are quite reasonably priced. Plus it is very easy to adapt traditional attachments to the PT. I have 2 kinds of mini hoes, 3 snow plows, a bucket, forks, box blade, rear blade, and lifting boom that are all conventional implements adapted for the PT in one way or another.

Ken

It’s steep! Literally on the side of a cliff of a mountain. 15 degrees or probably close to 25+% grade in spots. And that’s just the finished first half. Steep to the point where I’m having to drag up more than down.

A 2430 will weigh a bit more and have a couple more HP than the tractor currently doing the task (I’ve been wondering what the actual displacement on that Duetz engine is though). The one thing the current tractor has on the 2430 is the low range gear. The current tractor up there is literally never in high gear, even up going up and down unloaded. Hydraulics in high gear won’t hold the tractor going downhill and aren’t enough to get it up.

 

[Goose1776]

I literally just got my 1430 off the trailer, as in 30 minutes ago. So not a lot of experience with it. LoL.
But I will say, if you think you like the 2430, and are dead set on having a diesel, I would buy it ASAP.
I know they are expecting price increases across the board, just like most every other manufacturer…
Also, whatever 2430s with the Diesel engines are left, will be the last ones with the current engine in them.
All that, and will also say, that unless you absolutely have to have diesel, and lift over 800lbs, I would highly advise at least looking at the 425. It would be immensely more capable than the little BX.

 

[m5040]

I have a 1430 and a 1460. If the 1460 is in your range, try it out. It can tackle hills and roll over rocks without a grunt. The 1430 feels the hills and rocks, but I don't run mine at full throttle either, but same as the 1460.