wasabi
Platinum Member
We took delivery of a used PT 1850 last Friday morning. The driver arrived on property at 7:15 am, so I had a full day of good weather ahead. After unloading and scooting around the lawn a bit to make sure the basics were ok, I paid the driver and let him go.
Man am I impressed! For some reason, despite many discussions about wheel sizes, torque and such, I was expecting the unit to be bigger, taller and with wheels comparable to my 2445....not! The wheels are closer in size to our 4x mule than the 2445. The machine hugs the ground like a glove. There is no question that this is one serious machine, but much lower than I thought it would be. I'm six foot and the top of the canopy is about level with me. I'm going to have to remember carefully that the rops is a major head banger. Perhaps stickers of ducks will help remind me....
Between the articulation, oscillation and draft control, it beautifully straddles uneven ground and after getting used to the ride, fairly comfortable. Of course I could not resist a little slope mowing test, so I tackled a lower field of brambles and small locust to see what she would do.
As Carl, Ken and others pointed out, driving takes a bit of mental adjustment. With the double wheels and tendancy to crab crawl and drift, it reminds me more of navigating a power boat than a tractor. It is a bit disconcerting to be positioned so close to the ground and near the wheels, probably just because I'm used to the opposite. Another adjustment was to learn to trust that I could cut close to an object and (assuming reasonably level ground) and the back wheels will follow the track. Though I have many hours on the 2445, the articulation feels quite different and takes some getting used to, especially backing up.
The tilt seat is not exactly smooth, but definately helps. Funny thing was I was on a fairly steep slope sideways and suddenly the seat did not seem to be functioning right. In fact it was trying to pitch me down hill while I "self leveled it" I looked down thinking "what the f$%^, only to discover the bolt that held the seat leveling cylinder had come loose! Glad it was me and not someone else. Easy fix.
Power wise we were most impressed that there is barely a change in the sound of the engine even on steep hills. There is an awesome amount of reserve power to spare and she will climb anywhere I want to go. Figure eights on the hillside were a great way to get the feel of things. This is definately the cat's meow.
Although slightly dirty, the machine is otherwise is fine, but I frankly don't think it had been touched since it left the factory. The dealer I bought it from knew very little about it and I bought it sight unseen. What I thought was a finish mower turned out to be the rough cut which is exactly what we need. Also great news is there are only 112 hours on it! Not so good news included very dull blades (no biggie, but an indication of lack of maintenance), six gallons low on hydraulic oil!, dark oil in the engine (my guess is the oil and filter have not been changed) and need of lubricants. Otherwise, all appears to be well. Mechanically I'm impressed how tight everything is. The hydraulics are ultra responsive, again different for my 2445. Getting the touch just right will take some getting used to.
Started raining the next day....just as well. Before doing anything further I'll go over her with a fine tooth comb...sharpen the blades, change the oil and filters, tighten bolts, grease all zerts, etc....then out to the upper fields to tackle eight acres. Of course it also needs a cup holder and tool box...
All in all I seriously couldn't be more pleased. She will do everything we need her to. Many thanks for all the insights and encouragement that led to this decision.
Man am I impressed! For some reason, despite many discussions about wheel sizes, torque and such, I was expecting the unit to be bigger, taller and with wheels comparable to my 2445....not! The wheels are closer in size to our 4x mule than the 2445. The machine hugs the ground like a glove. There is no question that this is one serious machine, but much lower than I thought it would be. I'm six foot and the top of the canopy is about level with me. I'm going to have to remember carefully that the rops is a major head banger. Perhaps stickers of ducks will help remind me....
Between the articulation, oscillation and draft control, it beautifully straddles uneven ground and after getting used to the ride, fairly comfortable. Of course I could not resist a little slope mowing test, so I tackled a lower field of brambles and small locust to see what she would do.
As Carl, Ken and others pointed out, driving takes a bit of mental adjustment. With the double wheels and tendancy to crab crawl and drift, it reminds me more of navigating a power boat than a tractor. It is a bit disconcerting to be positioned so close to the ground and near the wheels, probably just because I'm used to the opposite. Another adjustment was to learn to trust that I could cut close to an object and (assuming reasonably level ground) and the back wheels will follow the track. Though I have many hours on the 2445, the articulation feels quite different and takes some getting used to, especially backing up.
The tilt seat is not exactly smooth, but definately helps. Funny thing was I was on a fairly steep slope sideways and suddenly the seat did not seem to be functioning right. In fact it was trying to pitch me down hill while I "self leveled it" I looked down thinking "what the f$%^, only to discover the bolt that held the seat leveling cylinder had come loose! Glad it was me and not someone else. Easy fix.
Power wise we were most impressed that there is barely a change in the sound of the engine even on steep hills. There is an awesome amount of reserve power to spare and she will climb anywhere I want to go. Figure eights on the hillside were a great way to get the feel of things. This is definately the cat's meow.
Although slightly dirty, the machine is otherwise is fine, but I frankly don't think it had been touched since it left the factory. The dealer I bought it from knew very little about it and I bought it sight unseen. What I thought was a finish mower turned out to be the rough cut which is exactly what we need. Also great news is there are only 112 hours on it! Not so good news included very dull blades (no biggie, but an indication of lack of maintenance), six gallons low on hydraulic oil!, dark oil in the engine (my guess is the oil and filter have not been changed) and need of lubricants. Otherwise, all appears to be well. Mechanically I'm impressed how tight everything is. The hydraulics are ultra responsive, again different for my 2445. Getting the touch just right will take some getting used to.
Started raining the next day....just as well. Before doing anything further I'll go over her with a fine tooth comb...sharpen the blades, change the oil and filters, tighten bolts, grease all zerts, etc....then out to the upper fields to tackle eight acres. Of course it also needs a cup holder and tool box...
All in all I seriously couldn't be more pleased. She will do everything we need her to. Many thanks for all the insights and encouragement that led to this decision.
