Backhoe Best option for digging 6+ft with PT425

[PTWannaHave]

Thanks for the feedback SpringHollow & WoodlandFarms.

I have an update about dealing with SSS for PT purposes: They were great to communicate with over email, and have explained that due to past negative experience(s) (involving lawyers), they will no longer accommodate PT owners. Buy their product if you want to, but then you're on your own.

They also reccommend only using their mini-skidsteer implements on a PT1430.

Other than forum user IrTxRx (which has been inactive for awhile), has anyone else put a Lackender-type minihoe on a 1430 specifically?

This is going to heavily influence my purchasing decision between a 1430 & 425... If the performance of a 1430 with a Lackender-type minihoe is just so-so, then that removes one big plus factor in the 1430 column...

Thank-you in advance,

 

[woodlandfarms]

The 1430 and 1850 have the same lifting capability (and I believe the same arms).

IMO.

If you are capable at digging with a PT, you will notice a huge difference between the 1430 and 425. The ability to lift so much more means a longer / heavier duty/ bigger scoop. Bigger scoops equate to less time. Heavier duty is important as there has been some discussion of the PT hoe not being all it could be.

I believe I have broken my roll over a couple of times due to the torque that the Lackender puts on my system and my inexperience with the system Roll Over is an easy item to repair but breaking anything sucks.

The lackender is a medium/heavy duty arm. The PT 1430 / 1850 is a medium /lightweight lift arm.

In the end, I would always go for a 1430 if I could afford it. The 425 is brilliant, but more HP is more HP. You will use it. I always wish for more out of my 1850 and it is 65HP.

Carl

On a side note, I wonder how PT owners could get letigious. What grounds could they have? You got any more info on that issue?

 

[PTWannaHave]

Thanks.

On the side note, here is what I was told by email:

"I am really sorry, but we no longer get involved in any of these types of mods. There have been so many issues with people trying to do what you are trying to do that it became a lost cause for us. It culminated with a fellow buying one of these machines, having us modify everything, then not liking how it worked out, so he returned the items to us, back-charged his card and returned the machine to the company and got a lawyer to coerce them into taking it back as well."

I didn't dig any deeper (no pun intended); I can understand their position.

I will have to consider buying a 1430 with a PT minihoe, and take a wait'n'see approach to buying a Lackender-type minihoe. It won't cost anything either to ask Lackender if they would consider building a slightly more lighter duty Baby Boomer...

Happy New Year,

 

[SpringHollow]

The mini hoe's that Carl and I have are a lighter duty version that they made. I bet Lackender would make a lighter duty version of their baby boomer. But i would ask before getting one from PT.

Ken

 

[PTWannaHave]

Well... I contacted Lackender by email with a few questions about their product line, including their hoe, stump grapple and forks. I informed them of their good reputation amongst PT owners, which is why I was also interested as a future PT owner.

This is the reply I received:

"We no longer make attachments for the power trac, our line is exclusively for skid steer loaders."

So... That was not encouraging, after a similar reply from SSS. It appears the skidsteer market is too large and lucrative for anyone to be interested in PTs, and that making stuff for PTs is not worth the additional hassle. (I am not entirely surprised, from a strictly business point of view.)

Purchasing a PT-425 with a PT minihoe is looking more likely for me now... I'll just have to continue contracting out some of the work I'd prefer to do myself on our property...

I may consider taking a PT minihoe, taking it to a good local welding shop, and customizing it to beef it up and extend its reach by another 2ft.

 

[SpringHollow]

You just buy their skidsteer equipment and weld on (or bolt on if applicable) the appropriate PT attachment plate.

In our case, we were having so many things and plates made, they made the plates for us also.

Ken

 

[PTWannaHave]

At 280lbs with a 16in bucket and a 72in reach, this minihoe sounds great for the PT-425: http://www.conterraindustries.com/PDF%20Pages/Mini%20Hoe%20-%20PDF.pdf.

It is unfortunately significantly more expensive ($3.2K) than competing products from SSS and Lackender. But, it's roughly 1/2 the weight! (I'm quite surprised at that, actually...)

Something to keep on my radar...

 

[Gravy]

At 280lbs with a 16in bucket and a 72in reach, this minihoe sounds great for the PT-425: http://www.conterraindustries.com/PDF%20Pages/Mini%20Hoe%20-%20PDF.pdf.

It is unfortunately significantly more expensive ($3.2K) than competing products from SSS and Lackender. But, it's roughly 1/2 the weight! (I'm quite surprised at that, actually...)

Something to keep on my radar...

Unless you are digging sand, a 425 is going to have a tough time with that bucket width, and 6 feet of reach past the QA plate is a heck of a leverage disadvantage.

 

[MossRoad]

Unless you are digging sand, a 425 is going to have a tough time with that bucket width, and 6 feet of reach past the QA plate is a heck of a leverage disadvantage.

I have to agree. That is too long of a reach and, my guess is, you could easily damage the FEL components with that much leverage potential.

 

[Clumber]

At 280lbs with a 16in bucket and a 72in reach, this minihoe sounds great for the PT-425: http://www.conterraindustries.com/PDF%20Pages/Mini%20Hoe%20-%20PDF.pdf.

It is unfortunately significantly more expensive ($3.2K) than competing products from SSS and Lackender. But, it's roughly 1/2 the weight! (I'm quite surprised at that, actually...)

Something to keep on my radar...

Have you determined the GPM flow required to operate that hoe. My recent research concluded that most skidsteer PTOs operate at much higher GPMs than the PT425 is capable of providing. You would have to look at attachments for mini-skidsteers to find compatible GPMs.