425 started itself

[smilindave]

My wife wanted to help bring some firewood from the woods. She has not been on the 425 for about 8 years but said she remembered how to run it. We went through the preliminaries of running it and headed off into the woods. The wood was on a hillside and she needed to go up. I kept trying to get her to turn up the rpms but she couldn't get the concept. Low and behold the tractor shut off. Her first inclination was to press the "brake pedal" to stop it from going backwards down the hill. Big Mistake! The tractor started drifting back at a very fast pace. How she missed running into a tree or rolling it over is beyond me. She finally realized she needed to put her foot on the forward pedal which she did. The 425 not only stopped moving, it also started up. Has anyone ever had this happen?

 

[ponytug]

On a 1445, yes. The wheel motors generate enough pressure to turn the engine over via the main pump. Mostly, I reach for the 1445 specific brake switch.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

About 5 times today! Mine was on a Cub 1250 with a cart getting compost. I almost lost control going downhill, then parked it wouldn't restart (bad connection at switch)...started with lever full forward , end of day idling on a hillside, brake on...all was well as I shoveled out compost then it's like a Gremlin shoved lever in reverse! It climbed a stump almost tipped over except it jack-knifed on the cart tongue which stopped it as I quickly turned key off.
Some days are like that!
I just marked June 6th on my calendar...6-6...(more like 6,6,6!!!!!).

 

[MossRoad]

My wife wanted to help bring some firewood from the woods. She has not been on the 425 for about 8 years but said she remembered how to run it. We went through the preliminaries of running it and headed off into the woods. The wood was on a hillside and she needed to go up. I kept trying to get her to turn up the rpms but she couldn't get the concept. Lo and behold the tractor shut off. Her first inclination was to press the "brake pedal" to stop it from going backwards down the hill. Big Mistake! The tractor started drifting back at a very fast pace. How she missed running into a tree or rolling it over is beyond me. She finally realized she needed to put her foot on the forward pedal which she did. The 425 not only stopped moving, it also started up. Has anyone ever had this happen?

First, glad she wasn't injured and no equipment damage.


I didn't realize you could bump start it. Interesting. Makes sense, though. It's not like an automatic transmission. It's a pump. Odd, though, that it wouldn't have started while rolling in reverse with the reverse pedal pushed down, as that just affects the swash plate angle in the pump, and it would still turn the pump over in the same direction as when it's running forward. Hmmm... just something to ponder on.

 

[m5040]

I always want to put some kind of emergency brake release (apply) switch or button. Since the handle on my tractors is not for a quick draw and with no brake pedal, I think it would be great to have. Especially if you rupture a drive hose and loose all braking, like on your described hill, or for me on a back and forth brush cutting mission on the waters edge. Any PT owners do something like that?

 

[ponytug]

Yup. I bought a 1445. The "brakes are always on until hydraulically powered off" auto brake was a huge factor in that decision.

I once almost dumped a tractor (no ROPS) over the bank into a ravine by missing a gear shift. The memory kind of sticks with me for some reason. I've been a big fan of safety features for a long time...

All the best, Peter

 

[m5040]

Unfortunately my PT1430 has the pin/cog park brake and the handle, for me, is hard to reach especially if you need an emergency stop. I was thinking to someday try linear actuators, either to pull the brake off, or to hold a spring applied in the release position. Then to have a easy to reach brake button switch. Someday...

 

[MossRoad]

I've got the pin parking brakes on the 425. I've often wondered if they'd engage if the wheels were turning fast? Too chicken to test it. I'd either get whiplash or eat the steering wheel.

I suppose I could test it on an open hill with no trees and a long runout. But those areas don't exist on our property.

You could swap out wheel motors for ones with internal brakes.

 

[m5040]

swap out wheel motors for ones with internal brakes.

Too expensive for me to replace the wheel motors. I was hoping someone here might have experimented with electric controls.

 

[MossRoad]

Too expensive for me to replace the wheel motors. I was hoping someone here might have experimented with electric controls.

Yeah. I wonder if one could put a solenoid valve on each wheel motor circuit and a big red panic button on the underside of the canopy?