PT-425's new home and new configuration...

[KentT]

Since my long-range plans have taken a 180 due to a divorce, I'm selling off my planned building tract in TN, and have just closed on a foreclosed "farm" of 15 overgrown acres on steep TN hillsides. The current plan is to be moved in by the end of June, and telecommute for the last couple of years as I fade off into retirement...

There's a few pics of the place in this thread, where I'm asking for input on brush cutters:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/2-wheeled-tractors/243689-brush-mowing-steep-slopes.html

I've attached a few more pics of the property below. So, in prepping my PT-425 for even steeper slopes, and more extensive use, I'm in the midst of round two of major mods.

1. I've replaced the worn-out 23x10.50x12 lugs with a larger set of 26x12x12s. They're really not much wider, but they're about 3" taller, and the curved contact area really makes them bite.

2. I'm taking advantage of great prices from Surplus Center on even larger, heavier duty wheel motors and just ordered a set of four.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=9-8092&catname=hydraulic

These 28.3 ci ones are truly designed as wheel motors, have a 1.5 shaft, and two sets of roller bearings. This increase in displacement should offset the larger tires, while also adding the strength to where I need not be concerned with reversing the wheels, or could even go to duals if I wanted to. Only problem there is I don't have sufficient PTO power to run a mower wide enough to mow out my wheeltrack - I can't do that today with the 48" brushcutter and reversed wheels, but at least I can mow out my tracks with the finish mower.

After talking to Terry at PT, and having Keith take some measurements, I ordered a set of 4 PT-430 wheel motor boxes that should fit these larger-flanged wheel motors, but they will have to be modifed to allow the motor to stick through the back, into the tub slightly. Current plan is to cut off the factory ones (old 425s had welded on boxes, not bolt-on), modify the PT-430 boxes and bolt them on.

Space to mount the front ones will be very limited, so the first priority is to get them mounted, then figure out the parking brake issue. Consequently, I ordered 4 rear 430 wheel-motor boxes, and will not be using the PT pin-style parking brakes. Temporarily, I will lose the front parking brake, but since these motors have brake drums on them, perhaps I can figure out how to shade-tree engineer cable-operated drum brakes for a parking brake later, once I get these mounted.

More pics to follow, as my friend who did the Charlynn S series conversions does this once again. Overall the experiment with the S series motors showed the advantage of larger displacement, but they simply aren't designed to be used as wheelmotors, having only thrust bearings and not roller bearings. Plus, the 1" tapered shafts did not match the 1" taper of the PT's hubs well, and the soft metal of the hubs is wallowing out running reversed wheels.

These new wheel motors, with matching 1.5" hubs, should solve that issue while giving me the strength to run whatever wheel configuration I want or need. More pictures to follow, as this latest mod takes place...

BTW, in talking to Terry, he acknowledged that at one time they did make a PT-425 based slope mower that came with dual 23x8.50x12s and I think he said 24ci wheel motors, but I'm not sure of that on the displacement... they could've been 18ci.

On that note, if anyone with the later-style PT-425 wheelmotors is looking for more torque, Surplus Center also has some great prices on larger White CEs that would bolt right on...

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=9-7741&catname=hydraulic

 

[woodlandfarms]

I bought and use that exact wheel motor for my post hole digger. Only note is that it takes some weird input like a British ( not metric) adapter. My major hydraulics store had it but we were stumped for a while on how to attach a hose. Oh no case drain to worry about.

As for the brake drumb. I bet a run to an auto salvage will yield a good donor. Your tires are what is on the 1850.

What are you doing with you current setup?

Sorry on the divorce, been there, done that. Wish I had made out as well as you.

 

[KentT]

I bought and use that exact wheel motor for my post hole digger. Only note is that it takes some weird input like a British ( not metric) adapter. My major hydraulics store had it but we were stumped for a while on how to attach a hose. Oh no case drain to worry about.

As for the brake drumb. I bet a run to an auto salvage will yield a good donor. Your tires are what is on the 1850.

What are you doing with you current setup?

Sorry on the divorce, been there, done that. Wish I had made out as well as you.

Good to know on the fittings -- thanks! I was actually thinking of using one of the current wheelmotors to power a post hole digger at some point.

 

[KentT]

Meanwhile, here'a an aerial view of the property, from the tax site, showing the approximate boundaries. It is essentially an enclosed "bowl" running ridgetop to ridgetop, with one valley outlet at the lower right. I'll get to use the full set of PT implements that I have, since:

1. I have a long gravel driveway to maintain, as it goes across a small creek near the paved road (upper right corner) and climbs the ridge, then cuts back and runs down the ridgetop to the house, which is sited on the end of the ridge.

2. There's two potential garden areas, one in the "creek bottoms" down near the road, and the other in the head of the hollow in the center of the screen.

3. Plenty of woodlot to provide firewood...

4. A good site for a potential future pond in that hollow. Though there's no year-round water flow, there is a "wet-weather spring" in the hollow that flows out, and currently feeds a pond on the neighbor's adjoining property... Hopefully when the original TN tract sells, I've have the cash to both build a garage and have a pond dug/built down there.

The downer is that neither the current metal barn nor the two storage sheds have electricity to them so there's no good garage and tinkering spot... So, the new garage is the highest priority.

 

[MossRoad]

Sorry to hear of your divorce, but life does keep moving on.

Sounds like your building a mountain goat. :laughing:

As for parking brake.... worse comes to worse you could plumb shut-off valves in both lines to one of the wheel motors and that would be that. Crude but effective.

 

[KentT]

Sounds like your building a mountain goat. :laughing:

As for parking brake.... worse comes to worse you could plumb shut-off valves in both lines to one of the wheel motors and that would be that. Crude but effective.

That's the plan -- I need to be able to climb back out of that hollow!

Following up on woodlandfarms idea, I want to see if I can find a junk yard donor that has 8" rear brakes and see if I could steal backing plate, shoes and mechanism from that.

The idea of a real "emergency brake" rather than a "parking brake" is very appealing on these hills. That's the real negative of the original PT design -- there's no way they'll likely engage when rolling, and if they did, something would likely break with the abrupt stop. A lever/cable actuated brake system would be a real plus...

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah. The PT425 is a parking brake only. No such thing as an emergency brake on that thing.

 

[3238dpw]

As far as brakes go, since you are doing a complete redisign, what about the hub off of a zero turn. I know my zero turns have hydraulic motors driving the wheels and have breaks. they are band breaks but hold really well when adjusted correctly.

 

[KentT]

As far as brakes go, since you are doing a complete redisign, what about the hub off of a zero turn. I know my zero turns have hydraulic motors driving the wheels and have breaks. they are band breaks but hold really well when adjusted correctly.

I'll check that out -- thanks! As far as I can tell, these use 6.25" inch (160mm) brakes -- I want to check golf carts also. They might have something this small..