1445 vs 1845 on Hill Climbing

[ToolcatWonka5610]

IMO, the 1845 should not be on your list. with 1K difference between the two, it, IMO, is a no brainer...

That's true Carl. Thats for the tractor. The issue with us is once you start adding cost of attachments (and were going need expensive ones, Post Driver, etc) it shouldn't be a problem. And after hearing the 1845 uses ALL it's power going SLOWLY up a 30+ DEGREE SLOPE the 1850, 1445 or 1460
But like I've said going to Taz will....yeah.
But Carl, have you ever used your 1850 to it's maximum slope rating? What's the steepest you have used it on if not? Climbing power? Stability?

 

[SpringHollow]

Do you really have slopes that steep to mow? I have found since installing slope indicators on my tractor, that slopes look more steep than they feel (well, since i got my PT - with traditional CUTs doing loader work, what i would have considered nearly flat ground would have me putting a wheel in the air). For the 45ï½° slopes my mower can do, i think i would need new underwear.

My brother has slopes that steep but we have just never gotten around to trying it - seems like it is either too early in the year and animals are nesting in it or too late and getting close to deer season. The slopes that i have that are that steep are in ravines and are covered in shale so I would never try it there.

Ken

 

[woodlandfarms]

I second Kens comments. My steepest slope I work is a little beyond 30. It is maybe 10 feet of 30 degrees by 50 feet wide. I have a series of 45's and beyond but as they are heavily mired in brush, I have not figured out how to work on them yet. Got enough on flatter spots.

I know the tractor will not go over, but it scares the heck out of me. Anything beyond 30 is a real Depends moment. If you have to get off the tractor, getting back on is a severe challenge.

I have another section that is near our driveway.. about 100 feet up and 22 or 23 high. Going up the hill the PT gets a bit boggy when mowing, just at the very top as I loose momentum... But all I have to do is back off on the treddle and things are good.

Also, I have an issue keeping my RPM's up. My throttle cable is a bit of a challenge, but I have not worked it out yet.

Also, to do slopes beyond 30 you have to reduce your tire pressure down to around 4 to 6 lbs. Upside is you stick to the hill, downside is you make you tires very vulnerable to air leaks.. So, because I do not run at 40 degrees yet, I keep my tires around 12 to 16...

Finally, I don't know how guys own multiple tractors and own a PT. Last fall I climbed off my PT and onto my buddies Kubota. Went trundling off, hit one of my 15 degree slopes sideways and nearly lost my lunch...

 

[SpringHollow]

Finally, I don't know how guys own multiple tractors and own a PT. Last fall I climbed off my PT and onto my buddies Kubota. Went trundling off, hit one of my 15 degree slopes sideways and nearly lost my lunch...

So true!!! I go scooting around on 20 degree slopes with things in my bucket fairly high without thinking twice. When driving one of the CUTs, 5 degrees and you have to be extra careful.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

45 degrees is a scary thing to contemplate.

45 degrees is for every 1 foot you go forward, you go up 1 foot.

Go into an average house with 8' ceilings and step back from a wall 8'. Now think about climbing up a set of stairs from that point to the top of the wall. Now think about driving up that slope.

 

[ToolcatWonka5610]

So true!!! I go scooting around on 20 degree slopes with things in my bucket fairly high without thinking twice. When driving one of the CUTs, 5 degrees and you have to be extra careful.

Ken

I was mowing on a hill side once with the 5310 and the 709 Heavy Duty Bush Hog. We had taken the FEL off for service and repairs so there was some suitcase weights on the front but they didn't really do much. The hill was about 25-30 degrees. But I had to turn left before I got to the top to avoid something so I was kinda diagonal on the hill now. But I get to the top so I lift up the Bush Hog and start to turn downhill. The way I was on the hill and from the Bush Hog being up when I turned it was like swinging the Bush Hog so then I feel the 5310 start to tip. 1). The 5310 is a Cab tractor so it's pretty top heavy. 2). So the loader was off the counterweights on the front didn't do much so there was more weight on the back 3). The JD 709 Bush Hog is really heavy because it's a Heavy Duty Bush Hog designed for heavy Bush Hogging and Brush cutting so it's really thick steel. So I guess the first thing that came to mind was put the 709 back down and I guess that solved it.When I got to the bottom of the hill I got out and told my Dad, "You do it for a while"

 

[ToolcatWonka5610]

I know the tractor will not go over, but it scares the heck out of me. Anything beyond 30 is a real Depends moment. If you have to get off the tractor, getting back on is a severe challenge.

45 degrees is a scary thing to contemplate.

45 degrees is for every 1 foot you go forward, you go up 1 foot.

Go into an average house with 8' ceilings and step back from a wall 8'. Now think about climbing up a set of stairs from that point to the top of the wall. Now think about driving up that slope.

How do you guys think I feel, I've had to work on 40 Degrees before!
At the top of a 40 Degree hill it's up pretty high.
And I'm afraid of Heights!

 

[MossRoad]

And I'm afraid of Heights!

That's your brain saving your life.

 

[ToolcatWonka5610]

Yeah. Gets annoying after a while.
But Slope Mowing is part of my job so I gotta do it.

So lately I've been trying find a Lastec or other contour mower that will work on an 1850 but not really any luck yet. It has to wide enough to cover the tread width of the 1850 but it has to be a size and weight where the 1850 can run it.
Also been trying to find a used 1850, (other than the one on PT's site) also no luck

 

[ponytug]

Carl- why not just replace the throttle cable? They are pretty standard items...I had trouble with mine not staying at WOT until I tightened the fitting at the dashboard.

Terry at PT has been of the opinion that the turf tires provide better traction in all but deep mud.

His major caveat is brush mowing for which he recommends bar tires, where the increased ply number of the bar tires makes them far more reliable.

For general purpose use, I am not sure that you want a 1460 on lawns. It has a lot of additional weight that is going to be harder on lawns.

Finally, it is worth doing the math on tire circumfrence. For the same motor, trading down from a 16" tire to a 12" tire gets you a 30% increase in torque. It is my guess that the 1850s have improved hill performance in part because the tires are smaller.

All the best,

Peter