Made a trip to Power Trac

[MossRoad]

That's true! :laughing:

 

[m5040]

When I went down I let them know what tractors and implements I wanted to test and told them I would be there when they opened at 8am. I showed up at 715am and everything was lined up waiting for me. Very quick. I wish I could have been invited to walk through their warehouse.

 

[joshlee]

I might go down sometime in October when the leaves will change. That mountain to the south of Tazewell is amazing. To me, that winding mountain road on 16 is a beautiful drive. All of the rolling pasture fields with those high mounds are unique to see too. The last time I was down I got to the PT plant before they were open, and there were many coyotes howling to the south in that woods / pasture field.

 

[m5040]

My trip was for the PT180. Not yet on the 1430, talking to someone about a 2007 used one. It would be nice to have a chart to reference when the factory made improvements, ie 3 pin, larger wheel motors, updated engine model, filter, pump arrangement and whatever else for the history.

 

[joshlee]

I think the guy that offered you to come down and try out his 1430, has had a couple different ones from different years. He could probably fill you in on some of those questions.

 

[joshlee]

The next attachment I will get is going to be one of those utility grapples, mainly for picking up downed tree limbs that fall in the field/yard.

 

[m5040]

I think I am going with the grapple bucket. I asked for them to send me the sales info on the 1430 and they don't even show a picture of the utility grapple. I found some pics on the net and it looks like it is really only intended for moving brush and logs, which it looks like it would be the best implement made for that (flat and able to slide under piles). But I would be afraid of using the tips of the jaws to pinch objects to lift. Looks like you could bend it if not careful.

 

[joshlee]

Wow, that utility grapple for the 1430 is larger than I thought they were! From that picture, the one for the 1430 looks allot chintzier than I thought.

Your right. Terry told told me himself that a person bought one and tried using it for more that it was intended for, and bent it up pretty good. Yeah, it's definitely not as robust as the grapple bucket. On a different subject, it amazes me how much abuse that pallet forks take. A local farmer near me has the same forks for his 50hp skid loader that I have for my 1430, and one of the things he does with them is breaks trees by binding them in-between the forks and pushing it down with the FEL. Another farmer with the same type of forks, same size skid loader, uses them for getting down under tree stumps and bangs, pushes, and pulls at the stump to get it out. Neither one of the guys bent the forks either; I don't see how they didn't. One thing about forks is that they almost have to be made out of a premium high carbon steel, unlike the PT utility grapple which is probably your common mild plate steel.

 

[MossRoad]

I had bent my forks for the 425 numerous times by prying with them. Just an FYI.

 

[joshlee]

Your forks for the 425, I believe, are made by power trac. The forks for the 1430 are not; I forget what the stamp on them is, but I see that same stamp on nearly every set of forks I see for skid loaders. They are very robust.