broken frame on PT 422

[scarg]

Hmm. New PT 422 with just over 100 hours on it. Mowing today and the front mount of the steering cylinder where it is welded to the frame completely broke off. This is what I believe to be a tractor that has seen on marginal use.

??????

 

[scarg]

this time with attachment.

 

[scarg]

attachment 2

 

[Gravy]

That is a really strange looking failure. The weld didn't fail. The steel plate did.

It's hard to picture what could rip out a hunk of steel like that. It doesn't seem like the steering cylinder should have that kind of power.

Even if it does, I can't think of a realistic way for it to put an excessive load on that attachment point (drive between two concrete walls with tires scrubbing on both sides, and try to turn hard...repeatedly???)

I'll be really interested to see what PT has to say. Good luck.

Dave

 

[SnowRidge]

I can't recall anybody else having a failure of that nature. I'd like to hear what PT says too.

 

[scarg]

Here is an image of where it torn out taken from the ground looking up.

This happened while mowing 4" high grass down to 3"?

It should be noted that there is what appears to be a 1" diameter drain hole and a bolted connection exactly on the outline of the tear out.

The unit is still under warranty so it will be interesting to see what happens.

This and next attachement are hard to see well. However it appears that there is an orange rust along a portion of the hole. Maybe there was a crack that finally weakened to the point of failure.

Steve

 

[scarg]

another almost the same view but slightly different.

 

[beenthere]

In your previous posts this spring, you were designing and fabricating attachments for the PT. Did that materialize, and possibly did the FEL attachments (4:1) and grab forks over-stress an under-designed frame/cylinder connection point? Do the larger PT's have two steering cylinders instead of one?

I'd suspect PT will make it right with you, although re-welding with a gusset to bolster the frame steel should work too.

 

[SnowRidge]

The PT-425 has two, one on each side.

 

[scarg]

Greetings beenthere,

We did calculate a cost but never went forward in building any of the assembly. Not as much interest once the price was calculated. Another halt was the fact (understandably) that the forum should not be used for selling items so that also pretty much put a stop to the project. So in a nutshell I really have not done much other than move some dirt, plow, spread salt (and hose off all components) a few short trenches with the backhoe and some grading with the box blade. Anything heavy duty (or that doesn't look to be fun or economical) with the PT is usually "subcontracted" to my neighbor who has an excavtor/bucketloader that can carry about 4 PT 422's in it's front end loader. What would take me a weekend and a few tank fulls of gas the monster unit can do for about the same price and what i would spent on gas and i can be mowing my lawn while the real work gets done. In other words any "real tractor" work is usually done with the large equipment and the PT is for the light duty stuff.

I do use the 4:1 bucket to clean horse stalls (by pitching debris into the bucket and then dumping) but this gets hosed down too - so I really don't see where it has been used as anything other that what you might expect a $1,500 Lowe's Cub Cadet to do without failing.

I have always been aware of the potential for problems by using the PT beyond it's design range so it is quite a surprise to see this occur especially since it is treated like a extremely light duty tractor.

Thanks,

Steve