Buying Advice Considering Power Trac: Slopes and other questions

[JonFields]

Good point on the availability of European tractors in the US. It makes sense that in Europe they are much more constrained by available land (especially Italy) so are forced to deal with slopes and smaller spaces. Here we have so much land we have more options.

As for the BCS with Mattracks, it does seem that there isn't much room to articulate. Maybe they like driving it in straight lines It looks like its located in the US considering the homes in the photos. But then there is this monstrosity: http://www.antoniocarraro.it/en/products/MACH_4~4970

As for the boom mower, I was thinking more of long term maintenance after the honeysuckle had been cut down to the ground. Cutting the honeysuckle on the slopes would probably be manual work.

I'm not aware of an articulating pole saw. I have the Stihl setup, and like the Shindaiwa, the hedge trimmer attachment (sickle) is adjustable, but the pole saws are not. I use one of the larger Stihl "handle bar" brush cutters with a Forester brush blade (has chainsaw teeth). It works well but it is a lot of work, especially if you are painting the stumps immediately afterwards.

An interesting thought would be to fit a hydraulic chainsaw onto the PT boom. I don't know if the mower head detaches, but this company sells hydraulic chainsaws: 6K Products - The Simple Saw. I wonder with a little shade tree engineering, if one of these could be fitted to the PT boom?

 

[ponytug]

Have a look at Northern tool and the Limbinator. It can be sued at ground level (think fence row brush) or up in trees. I don't think it is what you are looking for, but go for it, if you like it. Not cheap.

For small stuff, the PT brush cutter will get it. I use my Stihl string/brush cutter for the 45degree slopes next to the house. (Tip: get the non-Stihl Airecut triangular blade and sharpen it. It cuts tough thistle and mustard and has enough air lift to slice grass like a razor.)

If you can get to the top and bottom of the slope, I think that you will be happier with the brush cutter. The boom mower assumes that the slope and the mower relationship is constant. I.e. Works great on previously graded drainage ditches from a flat road. If you are trying to mow a variable slope from another variable slope, I don't think you will be happy, as you will need to be constantly adjusting the mower height/angle.

You can go to the factory and try them out.

All the best,

Peter

 

[JonFields]

The Limbinator and its cousin the LSC circular saw are very interesting. Thanks for pointing those out. The PT 1430 hydraulics is sufficient for them both. The circular saw is actually quite close to what I was originally thinking about. It would cut the honeysuckle close to the ground. I would envision using the articulating motion of the PT to make back and forth arcs (kind of the same as you would a stump grinder attachment), and slowly working inward to cut a swath. Do this for a while, switch to the grapple, and make the burn pile. Weld one of PT's custom attachment plates to the attachment and it is quick attach. This could be interesting.....

Thanks!

 

[MossRoad]

The only concern I would have with a hydraulic chainsaw would be pinching the blade, which would be very easy to do in the undergrowth. If you fashioned some kind of bull-bar to put pressure away from the blade before the blade contacts the stems, it would probably work pretty well. But, with anything like that, you have to be aware of the stored spring energy in a stem under pressure and once you start cutting it, is it going to pop away from you or towards you?

 

[SpringHollow]

I have 2 hydraulic chainsaws that I purchased used cheap. At some point I will attach them to an adjustable boom for trimming the trails. But that does not help for the off trail work. And it definitely is not worth putting long hoses on them to drag into the woods.

I was looking for a pole saw that let you change the angle of the bar relative to the pole. The only one I saw that was that way was electric. It would not be easy for a normal pole saw to have that angle change given how the power from the engine is transmitted.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

OK, gotcha. Thanks.

 

[KentT]

Regarding PT-425s and slopes, keep in mind that the Kohler Command on MossRoad's (and mine) had a lubrication system rated for 25 degree slopes, while the newer Subaru Robin engines are rated for only 20 degree slopes. Second, wheel motor torque to operate on these types of slopes, especially with hot hydraulic oil, is a factor. I've upgraded my Kohler-powered PT425 to MUCH larger displacement wheel motors and operate it on 30 degree slopes - though the engine (now with 1300+ hours) is starting to both leak and burn some oil. If you can afford it, I'd recommend a 1430 for slopes over today's 425s and even then, I'd talk to Tazewell about possibly putting larger wheel motors on it. Though they may be reluctant and least one PT425 owner here has successfully gotten them to put larger wheel motors and tires on theirs when they bought it, in order to work in loose beach sand.

Here's a couple of pics, before and after, of some of the slopes I use my 425 and brush cutter on...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...229602-brush-mowing-steep-slopes-dsc05683-jpg

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...4_10203809061536234_2332205663420887589_n-jpg

 

[SpringHollow]

Today, a friend happened to give me a really old DR trimmer mower (2 wheeled, manual push) with a beaver blade on it. I tested it on a couple of bushes and it worked really well, much better than a beaver blade on a trimmer. I suspect it gets pretty tiring pushing it through the woods and access to the stumps of large bushes may be difficult but I will give it a better trial when I get a chance. If nothing else, it is another tool in the arsenal.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah, I remember the beach guy had Power Trac put 1430 wheel motors on his PT425. The reason was he wanted a 425 with bigger tires to float better in the beach sand, but the stock 425 wheel motors would have been geared up too much with taller tires to provide any kind of torque. So the larger displacement motors from the 1430 geared it back down to near normal, as I recall.

 

[MossRoad]

So getting back to honeysuckle.... here's a crummy quality video of me eating an 8' honeysuckle with my PT425 48" brush cutter two weeks ago. The stems at the bottom were 2" at the largest.