Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)
I've got a 14-year old PT-1418, and it's still running strong. With this age, the problems I've had to address have been 1) hoses needing to be replaced (not difficult, but they are hard to get a wrench on sometimes), 2) leaks in the hydraulic motors or cylinders...I had to replace one of the wheel motors, and 3) electrical short with the engine (which I pretty much caused myself)....that one required a trip to a local hydraulic equipment repair shop.
Do you have anywhere locally that sells, rents, and/or repairs Toro Dingo's (or Kanga Loaders or any of the other work-alikes, or even smaller skid steer loaders)? If so, that kind of shop should be able to easily handle any repairs to a Power-trac. PT's are much more mechanically similar to a skid-steer or a Toro Dingo than they are to a conventional CUT. Conceptually, they are very simple...an engine turns two hydraulic pumps, which pump fluid through an open circuit back to the tank. When you move a valve or the treadle, that essentially diverts the pressurized hydraulic oil into/out of a cylinder or wheel motor to actually do work.
One thing mentioned above that I'd like to second...even though you may have a Robin engine repair shop local, don't assume that they 1) know enough about hydraulics that they're willing to work on something that they're unfamiliar with, and 2) they are equiped to be able to pull the engine out if necessary. Ask them about these two things...my old machine has a Briggs and Stratton 18hp engine and there's plenty of B&S service centers in my area, but most of them only work on the smaller lawnmower engines, etc. One shop had a person who was certifed on the larger twin cylinder engines, but they didn't have room in their shop for a PT. One of the other shops said "Hydraulics? We ain't go nobody that knows how to work on no hydraulics." Alrighty then...a local shop that rents and sells Toro Dingo's did an engine repair on mine (which required pulling the engine out), and I found a big equipment seller and repairer who is actually more economically priced than this smaller shop (they had the best price on rebuilding or replacing the wheel motor that I had to replace...and that even includes Internet sources of this particular wheel motor...I was quite pleasantly surprised...they work on some huge equipment and I just expected that they would be ridiculously expensive. I took the wheel motor out myself and took it to them).
When I got this machine, I knew absolutely nothing about hydraulics (and still don't know nearly enough about small engines). But, like I said above, it's conceptually pretty simple (although looking at the tangle of hoses in the engine compartment can be quite intimidating!). That said, with a new machine, the most challenging thing that I'd expect you to have to do for several years (barring some mfg problem like the Robin ignition coil from earlier posts) is to change the hydraulic oil filter. You have to bleed the hydrostatic drive pump, but it's a pretty simple process (put the new filter on, unplug spark plug wires, hook a hose to a bleed port on the pump and put the free end in the hydraulic tank, crank the engine until you don't see any air bubbles, then take the hose off, and hook the spark plug wires back up...done!)
Just as an observation, I think the smaller Power-tracs are going to REALLY introduce some competition to some of the lawn tractor manufacturer's as they become more well-known and popular. I think Power-trac has found a pretty substantial niche...
HTH,
Dave
