Buying Advice 422 advice

[markpin]

Looking for a little advice...
I have a 2acre property with a 1 acre pond. I have been looking for a used 422 /425 to do some landscape projects such as a little regrading, tree planting, moving landscape boulders etc..and figured a machine like the pt would be perfect. Since I haven't found a used one, (please advise if someone knows of a decent one for sale). I may have to bite the bullet and buy a new one knowing it will not get the use that it deserves. I do not believe that in my limited use I would need anything more than a 422 with a few attachments such as stump grinder, minihoe (for tree planting) and a bucket . First question is advice on buckets ; thoughts on a 4 in one? I would like the occasional use as a grapple for brach pick up etc... But do no know if I can grade with it. Are ther teeth available with it? would also think a lightweight bucket would be useful for mulch, but perhaps the 4 in one would be ok as well for this.
Second question is if there are ROPS available for the 422?
Any advice is greatly appreciated
Thanks for the help.

 

[flattopp9]

I was fortunate enough to find a used 1430 and it has a 4in one bucket. I have a campground and use the bucket every day, it is so versitle and can't think of anything that could replace it. I buried a 8''culvert today with both the bucket and the minny hoe and couldn't have been happier.first time i used the hoe, a little tricky but real nice sub for a shovel. Happy hunting and the pt is really a great machine. Dale in wi.

 

[flattopp9]

Oh yea,i think there is a ropes on used stuff at pt factory site. Dale

 

[Marks481]

4n1 doesn't work well for grading. Doesn't work well for plowing. Works ok as a grapple.

I have one, probably would buy a grapple instead, and a LMB (light material bucket). 4n1 and grapple both have a small bucket.

Next recommendation (after all, it isn't my money): get a 425. The PT422 has a single steering ram, which creates a potential weakness in the design (two individuals on this forum have ripped the attachment point off the frame). Extra 6" of lift always would be nice; I always seem to be a bit short of headroom when emptying the bucket into a pickup or into my trailer. Consider that the rollover protection system (ROPS) represents an option $500 that you should buy if you get a PT422, so the price difference isn't as large as it seems at first. Ok, so it is still a lot, which is why I ended up with a 422. Like you, I couldn't justify it.

There is a used PT425 for sale on power-trac's homepage; keep your eye on their list, sometimes they have 2-3 for sale.

 

[KentT]

Unless you need the grapple capabilities to clamp onto something, you may want to forego both the 4-in-1 and the grapple bucket. Both are small, as stated above -- in fact they're the same size as the rock bucket.

The most bang for the buck, IMO, would be to get the light material bucket (LMB) then put an AFTERMARKET 48" toothbar on it. It would give you a bucket that's twice the size as the smaller buckets described abive, and the aftermarket toolbar would give you digging capabilitiy when needed, then quickly removed if you don't need it...

Power-Trac uses bolt on, individual teeth, for their buckets -- the aftermarket toothbar approach still allows replacing an individual tooth (make sure the design has that capability) yet you can remove or install the entire bar as one piece with only a couple bolts, rather than a couple dozen bolts used for the individual teeth...

I also "ditto" the comments about looking for a used 425 vs a 422. The newer 425s that have the additional lift height also came with stronger wheel motors, in addition to two steering rams and a ROPS already mentioned. IMO, the 425 has much more value when you consider all the differences...

 

[Clumber]

I think that the PT-425 is the sweet-spot in the PT series in terms of price vs performance. The Utility Grapple (not the grapple bucket) is the attachment that I used the most.
NEW
You will not regret having the Forks around either. The box blade is adequate for grading a gravel drive way -- has drop down scarifier teeth. The LMT and the snow blade round-out the basic utensils.

The 4n1 is very poor as a grapple, does not open wide enough. It is the least used attachment I have. You may want to consider the planter auger head with a wide auger vs the minihoe for planting trees.

Patrick

 

[BobRip]

I agree that the 425 is much better. The 422 really needs that extra wheel motor torque. I have the 4 in1, the grapple bucket, and the LMT. I rarely use the LMT. The 4 in 1 will load much fuller easily. It is used a lot. The grapple will handle a lot of brush. You can push down on a 6 foot pile and pick up 90% in one bite.

 

[markpin]

I think that the PT-425 is the sweet-spot in the PT series in terms of price vs performance. The Utility Grapple (not the grapple bucket) is the attachment that I used the most.
NEW
You will not regret having the Forks around either. The box blade is adequate for grading a gravel drive way -- has drop down scarifier teeth. The LMT and the snow blade round-out the basic utensils.

The 4n1 is very poor as a grapple, does not open wide enough. It is the least used attachment I have. You may want to consider the planter auger head with a wide auger vs the minihoe for planting trees.

Patrick

Thanks to all for the advice... I will keep looking for a used 425 in lieu of the 422 based upon the above recommendatIons. I saw one a couple of weeks ago, but I was a few days too late and it was sold by the time I saw it. I think the idea of the light bucket with a aftermarket bar sounds great. Is there any reason for the smaller bucket? Will the light bucket not handle a load of soil or other material? The mini hoe with a set of forks sounds like what I need to plant a few 6-8 foot spruces as well.
The problem I anticipate is not finding a decent machine...
Thank you all again for your time and advice.
Mark

 

[markpin]

Bob,
My thinking on the 4 in one is that when I drop an occasional tree, cut it up, etc... That I could use the 4 in 1 as a grapple to pick up the limbs and move them. I do not have a lot of this work to do so I didn't think I would use a grapple bucket and thought perhaps for the few times, the 4 in 1 would do...
Mark

 

[markpin]

4n1 doesn't work well for grading. Doesn't work well for plowing. Works ok as a grapple.

I have one, probably would buy a grapple instead, and a LMB (light material bucket). 4n1 and grapple both have a small bucket.

Next recommendation (after all, it isn't my money): get a 425. The PT422 has a single steering ram, which creates a potential weakness in the design (two individuals on this forum have ripped the attachment point off the frame). Extra 6" of lift always would be nice; I always seem to be a bit short of headroom when emptying the bucket into a pickup or into my trailer. Consider that the rollover protection system (ROPS) represents an option $500 that you should buy if you get a PT422, so the price difference isn't as large as it seems at first. Ok, so it is still a lot, which is why I ended up with a 422. Like you, I couldn't justify it.

There is a used PT425 for sale on power-trac's homepage; keep your eye on their list, sometimes they have 2-3 for sale.

Tim,
425 sounds like the way to go.. I will keep looking
Mark

 

[KentT]

I like the idea of the light bucket with a aftermarket bar sounds great. Is there any reason for the smaller bucket? Will the light bucket not handle a load of soil or other material? The mini hoe with a set of forks sounds like what I need to plant a few 6-8 foot spruces as well.
The problem I anticipate is not finding a decent machine...
Thank you all again for your time and advice.
Mark

Without a toothbar on it, to make it easier to penetrate the soil or a pile of dirt, it is hard to fill the LMB. A toothbar changes that whole equation, and you should be able to fill the bucket almost as easily as filling the smaller bucket. It is made of the same materials as the smaller buckets but has essentially twice the capacilty. It's also 48" wide instead of 42" wide...

I have a rock bucket that I never use, and the grapple bucket is used mostly for brush, though it is handy for moving other things.

I agree with the idea of the mini-hoe with one caveat -- make sure you put a thumb on it. I have an aftermarket thumb welded onto mine, and PT now offers a bolt-on one. They didn't offer a thumb when I bought mine... I THINK I still like the idea of a welded on thumb, with adjustable pin positions, better than a bolt-on. It just seems stronger. With a thumb on the mini-hoe, you can use it as a grapple to pick up and move brush or other things. I used mine to build a set of stone stairs, where some of the rocks weighed well over 200 lbs -- perhaps 300 or more. You can place things much more precisely with the mini-hoe/thumb, in comparison to the grapple bucket, which is more of a dump and let it drop kinda thing...

 

[markpin]

Without a toothbar on it, to make it easier to penetrate the soil or a pile of dirt, it is hard to fill the LMB. A toothbar changes that whole equation, and you should be able to fill the bucket almost as easily as filling the smaller bucket. It is made of the same materials as the smaller buckets but has essentially twice the capacilty. It's also 48" wide instead of 42" wide...

I have a rock bucket that I never use, and the grapple bucket is used mostly for brush, though it is handy for moving other things.

I agree with the idea of the mini-hoe with one caveat -- make sure you put a thumb on it. I have an aftermarket thumb welded onto mine, and PT now offers a bolt-on one. They didn't offer a thumb when I bought mine... I THINK I still like the idea of a welded on thumb, with adjustable pin positions, better than a bolt-on. It just seems stronger. With a thumb on the mini-hoe, you can use it as a grapple to pick up and move brush or other things. I used mine to build a set of stone stairs, where some of the rocks weighed well over 200 lbs -- perhaps 300 or more. You can place things much more precisely with the mini-hoe/thumb, in comparison to the grapple bucket, which is more of a dump and let it drop kinda thing...

Thanks again for the input Kent... Thumbs up on the thumb , I can see how that would be helpful.
Again, I think the hard part willbe locating a decent Machine.
Mark

 

[KMA]

If buying used, I will echo the sentiments here on getting the 425 over a similar condition 422, assuming the price difference isn't huge. Buying new... well the price is quite a bit higher for the 425 (or at least it was 6 years ago), which makes the decision tougher. I was able to get the 422 and several attachments for the price of the 425 and it worked out fairly well for me. The single steering ram on the 422 is an issue. I had cracking around the front mount and needed to weld some 1/4" plating under it to strengthen it before failing completely. The other advantages of the 425 are nice (wheel motors, lift height, etc), but their significance depends on how you will use the machine. If you are the kind of guy that pushes equipment to the limit, the beefier 425 parts are probably worth it. If you think there is any chance at all you'll need the ROPS, get it. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to fit my 422 into my shed with one. Luckily, I don't use it on terribly steep slopes or in the woods where something may drop on to my head. When I replace the shed with a proper barn, I may still order one.

For attachments:
- forks (default purchase, cheap and useful)
- LMB (add tooth bar if needed)
- 2" receiver hitch plate (It's cheap enough and makes moving trailers, boats around easy, plus you can add other homemade attachments. I use it with a snowblower I converted to use a hydraulic motor.)
- brush mower (if useful... it does a pretty decent job)
- ROPS (on 422)
- mini hoe (if digging, can add a thumb later if desired)
- grapple (not bucket, if you are moving brush, limbs, logs, small boulders, etc)

Click on the thread in my signature below for the mods I've done (and undone) to my PT. Hope this helps, and best of luck!

 

[Phils]

... another member that has had the single steering cylinder rip out of the footwell. It happened when I was at a friend's helping with some earthmoving projects. My friend is also a good welder and repaired it satisfactorily. This was a couple of years ago and it's been holding fine since. Since I was somewhat expecting that problem to happen, it was no surprise and we were back working in 1/2 hour.

Phil

 

[smilindave]

i have the LMB and the 4 in one. The LMB is nice that it lets you move a large amount of material in a short time. I have to say however, that I use the 4 in 1 90% of the time. It is so much more versatile. I absolutely love using that bucket!

 

[ponytug]

I would comment that while I use the LMB most often, the 4N1 has been very useful to me for earthmoving operations. It took me a little while to figure out how to use it well, but once I did, I find it fast and efficient.

In the end, I think it comes down to what you plan to do with the PT. I find it much more useful than other tractors that I have owned/used, but YMMV.

All the best,

Peter

 

[markpin]

I would comment that while I use the LMB most often, the 4N1 has been very useful to me for earthmoving operations. It took me a little while to figure out how to use it well, but once I did, I find it fast and efficient.

In the end, I think it comes down to what you plan to do with the PT. I find it much more useful than other tractors that I have owned/used, but YMMV.

All the best,

Peter

Peter,
Thanks for the reply...
Though I don't have as large of a property as some of the others on the forum, I do enjoy doing a lot of the work around my home myself. In this regard, I need to do some changing of the grade, cut/ fill work, seeding, tree planting etc... I could hire a landscaper but what fun would that be?
Ideally a used machine would suit my needs, but I can't find one. I may need to buy one new then sell it if I get to the point where it isn't being used and a few of my projects are done.
Mark

 

[KMA]

I bought my PT new when building my house. The money saved by not having to higher contractors definitely offset the price of the tractor... actually, I'm almost certainly ahead of the game by now. You could argue that I wouldn't have done all the same projects if I had to pay someone else to do it which is probably true, but they got done and the homestead is better off for it. (at least that's the argument I'm sticking with... )

 

[MossRoad]

I have both the large material bucket and the smaller rock bucket with teeth.
The large material bucket is by far my most used implement after the finish mower. I use it as a power wheel barrow. It moves large amounts of materials very fast. However, it does not dig worth a hoot. The smaller rock bucket with teeth is much better for excavating harder packed material. With that said, the factory teeth are blunt. Until I sharpened the teeth, they were not worth a hoot, either. Now that they are sharp, it is a good implement to have in the arsenal.

Knowing what I know today, I would have sprung for the grapple bucket with teeth instead of just the rock bucket with teeth, as it is basically the same rock bucket with teeth, plus a grapple. Both would nest nicely inside the large material bucket for storage/transport.

As it currently stands, I can nicely attach my large material bucket with the smaller rock bucket with teeth nested inside it with my pallet forks nested inside that with my chainsaw, gas can and lunch box, too. A powerful set of tools in one convenient package! :thumbsup: