10 Hours later . . . an update

[Digger 258]

Working 14 hour days has been limiting my time at home, but I finally managed to cross the 10 hour threshold on my PT-425. I got my used machine with 650 hours, and after a crisis involving a stuck float bowl and crankcase filled with fuel, I have managed to do the following:

Dug about 20 post holes for a friend - easy chore with little complexity

Used the power rake to attempt smoothing out another friend's plot for grass seeding - I am really bad at using the rake, so I think I made the ground worse - I kept riding up on the rake, even though I was in float.

Took the machete to a long stretch of thorn brambles, and tried to use the 4 n 1 bucket to pick it up and move it to a burn pile, but my skill with the 4 n 1 is pretty weak, so I could have moved it by hand faster, but I had fun.

Moved scrap steel for my elderly neighbor. this involved building a bridge across a creek to get the PT across, and loading up about 400 lbs of steel.

(Wait - I am noticing a trend - I am all of the sudden popular with the neighbors, who all own traditional tractors.)

I still smell the funky gas/oil smell probably from the crank case breather when I start, which I suspect means I need to flush the engine oil once again to ensure all of the gas is out of it, and check to ensure more gas is not leaking in. I need to get off my butt and put in a fuel petcock like you all recommended.

I haven't had any real problems starting, other than sluggish starts, needing some warm up time before I can open the throttle past idle, and occasional choke is needed. It's not been cold at all here and I keep it in a covered but open pole barn. We'll see how she does in the colder temps.

The pics show moving the steel across my home-made creek bridge. I've got some big plans in the works for spring that involve the trencher and mini-hoe, and I am begging for boat loads of snow, so I'll be sure to keep everyone entertained.

Anyone ever make their own rubber lip kit for the snow blade?

Glad this forum exists!
Regards,
Dan

 

[Marks481]

Used the power rake to attempt smoothing out another friend's plot for grass seeding - I am really bad at using the rake, so I think I made the ground worse - I kept riding up on the rake, even though I was in float.

This is probably one of the attachments where it works better to drive backwards, although PT does have a youtube video of it, and they drive it both directions (final smoothing pass is backwards)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHUJUtarbg

That LMB you have in the pictures looks like about twice the size of mine. That would be nice.

 

[Digger 258]

It probably didn't help that I was working in a draw with slopes on either side, and the ground was loamy, covered with a thin coat of rotting leaves. I didn't want to take the tiller to it though, because as a novice, I thought I ran the risk of causing much more damage with those tines.

I'm sure I'll get the feelings of things as I use it more, and it sure is fun. I get more done in a weekend than I planned over months before I had the PT, of course I now plan bigger projects . . .

 

[BobRip]

Nothing makes you more friendly neighbors than a Power Trac.

 

[ponytug]

With the tiller, you can roll back the tines until they aren't penetrating the soil. I often till, roll it back, apply a little down force, or just pop it into float, and then drag the loosened soil to level the area. You can also use the tiller to throw the soil forward kind of like a snowblower... perhaps more fun, but not as precise.

All the best,

Peter

 

[joshlee]

Its good to hear the PT is working well for ya, Digger 258 :thumbsup: I'm enjoying mine as well.

 

[Frank Sorbello]

Nice bridge Dan. Glad to see you are having fun with your 425.

 

[jfh28]

yep you sure get popular with the neighbors fast....lol!

for the snow blade I buy a 48 x 72 3/4" piece of horse mat at tractor supply.......think it is around $30........and cut it into 6" wide strips.......I've tried all different ways to cut it with power tools but ultimately the fastest way has been by hand with a utility knife.....then I drill holes into it to match the hole pattern on the blade and sandwich the rubber mat between the blade and the steel cutter bar with bolts........I let the rubber extend about 1" - 1 1/2" below the blade so it gives a little when I plow.......otherwise I was regrading the stone driveway every time I plowed snow not to mention the fun I'd feel when I'd hit a frozen rock........I run through about two or three of these strips each winter so each mat lasts me a couple of years.......Jack

 

[Digger 258]

Ponytug - I'll play around with your tiller technique, I guess that's a huge benefit, having the ease of tilt. Certainly want to get good at it before I start the project I have in mind moving half of a hill and leveling it out.

jfh, I think you solved my problem of a steel blade on a brand new driveway! I'll pick up some horse mat this weekend and try it out. I'll post pics.

My 6' blade is the kind that has a 3 point connection, not the QA plate, so I have to weld a plate on the blade, but I am hesitant because I am not sure how to connect the plate and at what angle. Anybody have any tips before I approach that problem?

As the new guy to the neighborhood, the PT has made me very popular. I found out that the very elderly neighbor was stuck at home last winter because he couldn't get out of his one mile drive in the snow to get to the doctor. That was the genesis for building the bridge to his property before any snow comes. I hope to be able to take care of that for him with the 6 foot blade this year.

Thanks for everybody's ideas.

 

[KentT]

Unless I'm mistaken the top of the QA plate tilts out about 23 degrees from vertical at the top. It doesn't have to be precise but it must be tilted, or you limit how far you can curl the attachment up.

 

[jfh28]

just don't curse me as you are cutting it.......lol....it's a real pita!

I've only got a 5' blade and I can tell you that in the wet heavy snow I have trouble pushing deep amounts........will crab all over the place and stall out.....it's like trying to plow wet concrete........normal weight snow I can do 12" easy.....wet snow 6" max.......I have chains on my back wheels but can't put chains on the front because of clearance problems........a 6' blade is going to make that tougher as you will be pushing more snow and weight........if you have the clearance I would definitely suggest looking into chains........Jack

 

[Digger 258]

Well, I guess that begs another question. The guy I got the PT from threw in the bigger blade (maybe it's 5', I better measure it . . .) with 3 pin connection because he had it laying around for a future project. He said "if you can move it, you can have it." I have the shorter (48" I'm pretty sure) blade already, but of course I naturally tended towards bigger is better, especially when free, which prompted my plan to weld on a QA plate. So maybe it's not even worth doing anything with the bigger blade if I will have a hard time pushing it? I have a hard time walking past it without thinking I should do something with it though. I think it's a contagious sickness I got from reading this forum . . . maybe it will make a nice kid's slide.

jfh, what cutting would I curse you over? Would I have to cut the old 3 pin mounts off, or do I just weld the plate straight to them?

What chains for the tires would you suggest?

 

[MossRoad]

If you take a couple of 2 x 6,8,10, etc and clamp them to both sides of a rubber mat to make a wood, rubber, wood sandwich, you can use a saw to cut the mat pretty well. It keeps the rubber from bouncing around with the blade. Use a jigsaw, sawsall, circular saw, etc... Hope that helps someone.

 

[joshlee]

I'm just curious, whats the advantage of being able to tilt the snow blade back past 90 degrees? I can understand how tilting it forward can be to one's advantage.

Unless I'm mistaken the top of the QA plate tilts out about 23 degrees from vertical at the top. It doesn't have to be precise but it must be tilted, or you limit how far you can curl the attachment up.

 

[Frank Sorbello]

Dan,

I saw the bigger blade at the auction. It is a Power-Trac blade, but I think it is for one of the bigger diesel Power-Tracs. I bet you could sell in on here.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm just curious, whats the advantage of being able to tilt the snow blade back past 90 degrees? I can understand how tilting it forward can be to one's advantage.

Sometimes its helpful when pushing snow up and over the top of a pile that you can't climb up or drive through.

 

[jfh28]

jfh, what cutting would I curse you over?

the cursing will start once you begin cutting the horse mat.....haha.......I have tried everything......circular saw blades gum up to quickly......sawzall very difficult to control and also bind up.......jig saw works ok but takes freaking forever.......I've used the clamping method but once the rubber strip is started it takes on a mind of it's own......of course this make all be due to lack of operator skill.......lol.......the chains will have more to do with the clearances that you have for the wheels.....I think the low boys have more problem with inside of tire to tractor body whereas the tall boys have the problem with top of tire to underside of steel fender........Jack

 

[jfh28]

I'm just curious, whats the advantage of being able to tilt the snow blade back past 90 degrees? I can understand how tilting it forward can be to one's advantage.

it's also helpful when you have the blade turned fully to one side or the other.......when you do this one side of the blade will lift up off the ground while the other side is touching the ground........I need to tweak the tilt to get the bottom of the blade to be level with the ground......Jack

 

[J_J]

the cursing will start once you begin cutting the horse mat.....haha.......I have tried everything......circular saw blades gum up to quickly......sawzall very difficult to control and also bind up.......jig saw works ok but takes freaking forever.......I've used the clamping method but once the rubber strip is started it takes on a mind of it's own......of course this make all be due to lack of operator skill.......lol.......the chains will have more to do with the clearances that you have for the wheels.....I think the low boys have more problem with inside of tire to tractor body whereas the tall boys have the problem with top of tire to underside of steel fender........Jack

If you want to cut rubber, use a 7 in blade with the teeth ground off and then sharpen the blade and then wet the rubber.

Wet rubber cuts better when wet.

 

[MuncyBob]

Wet rubber cuts better when wet.

Did Yogi once say that?