PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!!

   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!! #11  
Wow, I cant imagine how long it would have taken by shovel alone!

I wish my lawn was as nice as your!

It sounds like your PT save you lots of time and effort as well as many advils!

KCook
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!! #12  
Now that you filled in your make shift drywell, what's the washer going to drain into?
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!! #13  
Swear now that you didn't bury that trough last week just so you could show off.

Our horse troughs, where we don't use auto waterers, are old bathtubs. I doubt you'd have collapsed one of them if anyone had been so misguided as to bury it.
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!!
  • Thread Starter
#14  
You know what? The lawn isn't all that nice, but for some reason, those pictures and the evening light just made it look spectacular, didn't it? I had to go out there again tonight just to see what you folks were talking about. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!!
  • Thread Starter
#15  
It was previously diverted into a normal system before we bought the house. That tank is concrete and I know exactly where everything else is; septic tanks, drywells and field systems. Thank goodness!! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!!
  • Thread Starter
#16  
The PT425 is tough, but I don't think it will collapse a cast iron tub, although I bet we could probably toss an old bathtub around pretty good with the pallet forks and crack it on some concrete.
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!! #17  
One great thing about the PT units is that the weight is lower than most Compact tractors but with the motor in back it makes for a great counter balance for the loader!

KCook
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!!
  • Thread Starter
#18  
Yep, although I have lifted the rear off the ground several times. One was the BIG LOG test with the pallet forks(couldn't figure out why I wasn't turning till I turned around and saw the rear end sitting next to me several inches off of the ground). The other was when I was miving all of that granulated limestone(moondust) at the ball park. That stuff is pretty dense, so you could probably compare it to solid concrete. I was using the large 10 cubic foot bucket, which is slightly more than 1/3 of a yard. If I'd heap it, it would get tippy.

One thing that I found was that is if you have a really heavy load, it is much easier to drive backwards. If you tip while driving forward, that usually means a sudden stop. If you tip while driving backwards, the bucket just drags the ground a little and the momentem brings you back to all four wheels. Of course, you should always keep the load as low to the ground as possible.

Back to the subject of mowing( I promised Muhammad I'd keep on subject in future threads /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif ).

I lowered my mower height by one notch, to the third setting. It was very easy, I raised the mower and set a concrete block under each side for safety. Needed two 3/4 inch wrenches for the rear wheels. No tools for the front. Took about 5 minutes. Made for a very nice cut.
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!! #19  
Moss, when I drove the 422 mower at the factory, I noticed a strange “chattering” noise. It sounded almost as if a blade was hitting the deck over rough ground (although I doubt this was the cause). It was quite loud. Have you heard any “strange” noises coming from the mower?

Before testing the mower, the gentleman demonstrating the mower ran it back into the shop and worked on it for a minute. Don’t know what he did but there was a small bolt on one of the vertical arms connecting the mower to the quick attach plate that caught his attention. He removed this bolt, which may have affected the mower in some way.

Also, I see you have the 60” mower. Are you satisfied with the cut? Do the blades spin fast enough to create good vacuum and lift the grass for an even cut? Also, have you tried the mower in tall grass? Grass grows like crazy here in the spring and sometimes gets 6 inches or better before I can cut it. Do you think the PT could handle grass this tall at a reasonable mowing speed?
 
   / PT425, Lawnmowing, Small Hole, Big Hole!!
  • Thread Starter
#20  
Yesterday morning I hit my sidewalk(sticks up funny, my fault) with the mower and it gouged the concrete slightly. After that, I heard a noise similar to what you describe. Something just didn't sound right, like metal against metal. I shut off the PTO and waited for the blades to stop spinning, then lifted the deck. Inspection revealed that the center blade bolt (the one that hit the concrete) had come loose. I braced the deck up high with some 4X4s and tightened the bolt. Checked the other bolts as well. Noise is gone.

As far as long grass, I haven't had the chance. Now that I have the PT425, I mow about 3 times a week. It only takes me about 18 minutes to mow my one acre without doing any precise trimming. I did a good job yesterday and got real close to everything(fences, trees, etc). and it took about 30 minutes.

As far as the quality of the cut, it is very nice. I had to lower the deck 1/2 inch to get the look I want. I now have an inch down and about 2 inches up left of adjustment.

I used to mow with a late 60s simplicity with a 26" deck. It was small, but gave the best cut of any mower that I have ever seen. Nice stripe pattern on the lawn like the ball parks. The only problem was that it would not cut high enough for my taste. The PT 60" finish mower cuts much higher. It leaves a nice pattern on the lawn. It rained right after I mowed yesterday. The next time I mow, I'll take some pictures and post them.
 
 
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