PT's for the mechanically challenged (again)

[SnowRidge]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( So basically, I am now thinking that a PT 425 with a 48" mower, brush hog, snow blade and a bucket (I'm leaning towards the light material, but willing to listen to arguments) would fit my needs. It works financially, should fit into my garage and hopefully solves all my needs with one machine instead of two. But will I be able to keep the darned thing running? Any and all feedback will be appreciated.)</font>

Dakar, I just reread the thread and realized I missed the above part of your original post, so here goes:

I agree with all your choices except the 48" mower. Unless you have a specific reason to get the 48", don't do it. Get the 60" instead.

We bought the 48" because of the spacing between the trees on our Xmas tree plantation, but if we hadn't been constrained that way, we would have bought the 60 incher. Besides the obvious advantage of a foot wider cut, there is a not so obvious problem with the 48" mower.

The 48 incher is only slightly wider than the wheels on the PT-425. This makes maneuvering the mower along a curving edge somewhat difficult, as the wheels can easily contact or climb the edge. The 60 incher wouldn't have this problem.

We also have the light material bucket and like it a lot. Normally we use the big tractor for moving gravel, but one day I decided to grab a bucket full with the PT. To my surprise, I had no trouble picking up and moving a full bucket of 3/4" limestone gravel.

I don't see forks on your list. We almost didn't get them, but I'm real glad we did. They are extremely handy. I just wish they were wider.

Hope this helps and good luck.

SnowRidge

 

[Dakar]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

Is there very much difference between the 48" and the 60" mowers ability to handle fairly uneven surfaces? Right now my 'lawn' is quite an obstacle course of roots, stumps and rocks. (I am slowly changing that, and of course, I am hoping to fix that completely with a little help from a new tractor.)

BTW, I have really brutalized the old lawn mower that I bought last year prior to starting the house. Saw an old MTD sitting in a yard and bought it for $250. It was well-worn and puffed a litle smoke when started, but I didn't want anything too good for what I was going to do to it. By the end of the summer, it was sporting a new spindle housing on one side, and as of this spring, two new tires. The pre-mowing chores were: fill three of the four tires with air, add oil to the now very smokey engine, and fill with gas, since all that was left from the last use had leaked out through the carburetor. I was laughing at an earlier post about some one asking about mowing waist-high grass. It can be done with a broken-down 13 HP lawn tractor if you are patient enough! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SnowRidge]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is there very much difference between the 48" and the 60" mowers ability to handle fairly uneven surfaces? )</font>

I wouldn't think so, but I don't have a 60 incher to compare with. You could always use the brush cutter set low (I'm assuming it is adjustable--it must be) until you get the lawn whipped into finish mower condition.

SnowRidge

 

[smartguyz]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I agree with all your choices except the 48" mower. Unless you have a specific reason to get the 48", don't do it. Get the 60" instead.

We bought the 48" because of the spacing between the trees on our Xmas tree plantation, but if we hadn't been constrained that way, we would have bought the 60 incher. Besides the obvious advantage of a foot wider cut, there is a not so obvious problem with the 48" mower.

The 48 incher is only slightly wider than the wheels on the PT-425. This makes maneuvering the mower along a curving edge somewhat difficult, as the wheels can easily contact or climb the edge. The 60 incher wouldn't have this problem.

I don't see forks on your list. We almost didn't get them, but I'm real glad we did. They are extremely handy. I just wish they were wider.


SnowRidge
)</font>

Dakar,

I have the 48" mower. The reasons why I bought it were simple:

1) I don't have a huge lawn.
2) I wanted to park everything down in my basement, which has a double door that is a total of 60" wide.
3) It was less expensive.

I agree with the other comments in general. For my case, it was a perfect solution. It cuts well (yes, you do have to be careful when trimming), fits into the basement without drama (the power sweeper takes a lot more maneuvering, since it has a large motor off one side, and so I need to angle it and gingerly get it through the door of the basement... easy-does-it! - YES I have nuked the door frame a couple of times) and fits my needs.

I agree completely on the forks - they are really really handy. Look back at my 'ultimate PT tank sprayer' thread for a look at cool things that can be accomplished with the forks!

Sincerely,

Rob /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[FOURTEEN]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

Mower: The Brush Mower cuts grass, and almost anything else, very well, with SHARP blades!! However, because of the slow blade speed, it will not mulch the grass! It just cuts the grass blade off and leaves it lying there full length like a sythe would!!

Warranty: I very, very, very seldom ever have warranty work done on anything!! Buy quality and you shouldn't even need one!!!
I know a guy who loves silver cars, but won't buy one because he says that silver paint is hard to match if he has an accident!!! If he has an accident, paint matching may be far down the list of problems he has!!! Don't let the tail wag the dog!!
Buy the tractor for what the tractor can do, not for what a warranty may "promise" to do!! In the 1960's GM had nice long warranties. Only problem was that just about any problem you had was either "normal wear" or "abuse", and therefore not covered!!

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MuncyBob]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

I have only had my 422 for a few days...got the 48" mower(partly due to cost but mostly due to door way width being exactly 60"). When it arrived my first impression was regret that I didn't go with the 60"(my Farmall has a 60" belly mower). I have apprx. 3 acres of mowing that I like to do with a finish mower(part of the reason for the PT purchase) and I thought it would take a long time...wrong! I can do almost the whole area(save for the really tight spots that still require me to finish with the push mower) in just over an hour and I'm still getting used to the PT so I imagine that time will reduce as I become more comfortable with the machine. I am very satisfied with the finish cut...seems to mulch up the grass well. The forks and the light material bucket (got the 5cu ft bucket w/teeth)will be the next purchases sometime down the road.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

Glad to here you like the quality off the cut on the mower. I really like mine, too. It looks really nice when done.

 

[Dakar]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

Since that last price increase, the difference in price is a big factor between the 48" and 60" decks. I had promised the wife that it would absolutely stay under $13,000. Now I am wondering how to fit everything I want under that cap. Hard to keep going back asking for more, since I initially told her we could get a tractor for around $4000! Wives.....we complain about 'em, but they do put up with a lot.

 

[MuncyBob]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

Get as much as you can afford(or are allowed!) now and put the rest on your wish list. The delivery driver said he's in our general area many times through the year and I can always check with them when I'm getting ready to purchase another attachment..that way if they are scheduling anything near me I can piggy-back on somebody else's delivery and save some shipping cost. I debated on purchasing since the start of spring...now that I have it I wish I would have ordered it way back in March!

 

[SnowRidge]

Re: PT\'s for the mechanically challenged (again)

<font color="red">(Since that last price increase, the difference in price is a big factor between the 48" and 60" decks.) </font>

Food for thought:

48" $1100
60" $1320

Price per inch:

48" $22.92
60" $22.00

Price per inch of grass cut:

Assume 3" overlap --

48" cuts 45" @ $24.44
60" cuts 57" @ $23.16

Amount of grass cut per pass:

Again, assume 3" overlap--

57/45 = 1.27

60" mower cuts 27% more grass (or 27% faster) than 48" mower. There is a corresponding increase in the amount of grass cut per PT running hour, resulting in less frequent and <font color="green"> lower cost </font> servicing. It should also mean longer time between engine rebuilds, if a significant percentage of the hours are from mowing.

If the overlaps expands to 6" (not unreasonable), the 60" advantage climbs to 29%, The price per cut inch differential increases too.

Of course, these amounts will vary depending on an individual's ability to obtain a smaller (or larger) overlap. Close mowing near shrubs and such will make a difference too, as will degree of slope. The steeper the slope, the lower the benefit of the 60" mower.

And that, in a nutshell, is why I wish we could fit a 60" mower between our trees, but we can't. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

SnowRidge