Just got back from Tazeville

[American Bulldog]

Good trip!!!

Beautiful part of the country to say the least.

Showroom was a lot nicer than I expected. They were really helpful and took plenty of time to show me everything. We went out and I was able to beat up several attachments. My initial thoughts were the 1460, and that is still what I want. I must say I am really torn as to what buckets to get. I think that getting them all is a little bit of overkill, lol.

I like the setup of the Deutz motor, the hydraulics, the controls, etc.

I like the turf tires as opposed to the bar tires, but I am a little disappointed at the tires they use. They use this one, which is only rated for 1710 pounds of load:

Titan® Tire catalog

In my opinion, this is the tire they should be using, which is rated for 2760 pounds:

Titan® Tire catalog

They said that if I wanted a different tire, I would have to get it on my own. Everyone let me know your thoughts. Is this something I should worry about?

I am kinda tired, so I will post more tomorrow as I think of it.

 

[thatguy]

did you go eat a Cuz's restaurant?

Brian

 

[American Bulldog]

did you go eat a Cuz's restaurant?

Brian

Actually no I didn't. Was only in town for like 3 hours.


Back to the tire question. The four turf tires combined have a max load of 6840 pounds, and the tractor has a GVW of 8000 pounds.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[J_J]

Did you get their attention about the weight of the tires, or was this an after thought. What did they say as to the difference between the max tire weight, and the gross weight of the PT.

 

[American Bulldog]

Did you get their attention about the weight of the tires, or was this an after thought. What did they say as to the difference between the max tire weight, and the gross weight of the PT.

They said that they have never had a problem..... Good thing that Good Year / Titan underrates their tires.

The correct tires to use are only $100 difference at list price. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[BobRip]

They said that they have never had a problem..... Good thing that Good Year / Titan underrates their tires.

The correct tires to use are only $100 difference at list price. Seems like a no brainer to me.

When you pickup something heavy, most if not all of the weight can be transferred to the front tires. This does not sound good to me, but what do I know. It's only temporary.

 

[MossRoad]

When you pickup something heavy, most if not all of the weight can be transferred to the front tires. This does not sound good to me, but what do I know. It's only temporary.

That's a very good point. You could get the entire weight of the tractor and whatever is on the FEL arms on the two front tires very easily on any of the PT models.

I lost one front tire when I spun it off the rim but that was due to it being low from thorn punctures. I have had many punctures, but no failures that I can determine.

How many of us with turf tires have had front tire failure due to excessive weight?

 

[Bob999]

I think your concerns are valid. Four ply tires just aren't up to heavy duty work and much more prone to punctures than heavier construction.

When I purchased my 1845 it came with 2 ply tires and they were very unsatisfactory. I ended up replacing all 8 with heavier construction tires and it has been a much more satisfactory experience.

 

[ponytug]

I'd ask them to put the other tires on. It won't cost much extra, and you will feel 100% better about it. I haven't found tires to be a weak link, but I went for the skid steer tires on my 1445 because Terry said the turf tires would be less puncture resistant for brush cutting. YMMV.

You might ask them to weld on chain hooks; several users have them and I regret not asking PT to weld them on.

While on the subject, PT is very amenable to customizing tractors, so if you have a wish list, go for it! They make lots of minor custom versions and some truly unique ones. My favorite was a PT water tanker that they had tucked away in a corner.

Toys: I mean buckets... It is hard to have too many... Well, maybe, but you have to think about what you are going to use it for and how often. For me, it is a simple cost/benefit ratio. I live so far from Tazewell, that I bought more implements than I thought I needed, and I have used all of them often, except the post driver, but it was bought for a refencing project that I haven't done. The few posts that I have driven with have been an absolute delight. I replace a bad section of three rail fence, four posts, in less than half an hour. It took perhaps a minute a post to put them in. There is a good reason why the highway crews drive guardrail posts, and don't dig holes with concrete, and it isn't that it is cheaper...

I have the 4N1, and the LMB, and I can often use a grapple. YMMV The 4N1 paid for itself in the first earthmoving job, while the LMB earns its keep weekly. The grapple would get used a couple weekends a year, every year, trimming trees.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

A comment on buckets... (applies to the 400 series).
I have the 10 cubic foot light material bucket and the 5 cubic foot rock bucket with teeth. I use the larger one 99% of the time. However, I have a section of yard with a 4' gate. The rock bucket is narrower than the light material bucket (it nests inside the large bucket when stored) and will fit through the gate while on the tractor, while the larger light material bucket will not fit through the gate. Also, the teeth really make a difference in hard soil, tough sod and large rocks.

Knowing what I know now... I would have gotten the grapple bucket instead of the rock bucket. It was the same size with more function. I still would have gotten the larger light material bucket, and even wish they made a larger one for light stuff like mulch.

Also, get the forks no matter what. They are infinitely useful. If you don't get PT made forks, get some other kind of forks, but get forks! :thumbsup: