I've got a PT425 that is about 4 months shy of it's 2nd birthday. I have a little over 250 hours on it. For me, I originally started looking at the Ventrac. I was specifically looking for something where all the work happens out in front of me due to a 4 disc fusion that doesn't let me turn around easy. I didn't want to take any chances with any accidents because I couldn't see.
Then I found this forum and started asking questions (username was impulse) and I purchased the 425 and had never actually seen a PT in person until I showed up in Tazewell. These things are built like tanks and I was pretty amazed at just how beefy these things are. I have not regretted the decision even for a second. I can run circles around my buddy and his Kubota.
I can say, the 425 will lift and move more than 800lbs, but you need to throw a 275lb buddy on the engine cover. The only real issue I've had with my machine was straight from the factory and was a bad o-ring in the carburetor, but that was on Subaru, not PT.
Terry at PT was interested to hear about it but ultimately pointed the finger over at Subaru and helped me with info on how to deal with them. I ended up pulling the carb myself, replacing with a fuel-resistant ring from Autozone and haven't had a problem since.
I do experience a bit of difficulty of cold-weather starting, and you will find plenty of posts about that here, but I keep it in the barn or the garage and no issues.
I have used this machine in everything from cutting the grass to hauling a massive amount of dropped timber to clearing a few acres at different properties. As far as working on slopes, I find that my internal gyroscope makes me chicken out before the machine does. It's like riding around on a mountain goat, which also leads to why I've got probably 2 dozen plugs in the tires. Why go around when you can just go over.
I would say these machines do look like a reject from the golf car assembly line, but good lord can you get some work done with them. Our last snowfall, I did 17 driveways just for the enjoyment and helping the neighbors out.
I've got a lot of attachments for it, the only issue I've had with these is that I've bowed a part of the utility grapple a bit (I use it a ton and it was totally my fault for how I was using it) and then I've also knocked 3 of the 4 teeth off the mini-hoe. That I think was a shoddy welding job by PT but overall not to worried about it as those can be welded back on without too much effort. I do not have any attachments I am disappointed in. I even love the spring rake that others tried to steer me away from.
My tractor's name is Pedro. Everybody knows him as Pedro. He just might be my best friend.
I'd say go give those regular tractors a test run. The make the run to go test ride that PT as offered in another thread. Meanwhile, think of what you are going to name your PT after you get it
I would also like to add that the PT Pucker is real. I would follow Moss's advice about loading it up until it tips and then also taking some weight out and turning. Better to know what you'll be dealing with before it happens out in the yard.
