Decision Time

[TractorGolf]

After lurking on the Power Trac Forum for about 2 years and vascillating between a CUT and the PT, I am finally coming down to making a decision. I want to thank all the folks on the PT forum for their honest input and opinions on the equipment.
I have contacted Power Trac for a quote on the folowling set up with shipping:
PT 425
60" Mower
48" Brush Mower
Snow Blade
Steel Cutter Bar for grading
Caster wheel kit
Mini Hoe
Loading Ramps
Possibly the Grapple Bucket for clearing brush.
Big dollars but what the heck.

My main function will be mowing grass and snow plowing when necessary.
I also have some landscaping jobs and other various projects for the PT.
My first question is concerning the Cutter Bar for Grading.
Does anyone have any experience with this Bar for grading?
Would a box blade be better for grading?
Second, the boss is ok with my decision but would like to see one locally if possible.
Does anyone in the Harrisburg, PA area have a PT that I could take a look at and get your opinion. I am convinced on the machine but the boss would like to see one in person before we make the big money decision.
Any suggestions to help with my final decision would be great.

Thanks,
Tractorgolf

 

[Bob_Skurka]

First, I am not a PT owner.

Second, I do have experience grading so I will only answer that. I have both a box blade and a regular blade. My regular blade has angle, offset and tilt features. It is great for scraping, but it is not suited for grading. The box blade will shave the high spots and fill the low spots.

By the way, PT is probably the most under rated tractor on the market, you will probably love it and your neighbors will probably wonder what the heck it is.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

There are some PTs in your area - or within an hour or so.

Be sure to get a bucket - preferably the grapple. MossRoad has both large and small, and will probably advise getting both. You'll find new uses for those all the time. If you haven't yet, look at all the videos on MossRoad's site. The link is in his sig.

Don't know about grading. On my 1845 I have a 4 n 1 bucket and a rake, but no skill. I therefore can't advise re blade or box, either.

 

[PTRich]

My personal experience with the plow (I have a steel wear bar on mine I made myself) is it is great for pushing snow but the tractor is not heavy enough for grading. You can grade better with the small bucket and some fancy joy stick work. I would still recomend hiring out, I usualy wait until I have at least a half days work.

 

[BrianP]

HI Golftractor, I live in Rocheter I know its not real close , but I have a 425 with 35 hours on it. I have 2 buckets - stump cutter- brush hog- forks. You are more then welcome to play for a few hours, if you make he drive. Good luck.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Bubenberg's in Plumsteadville.

 

[ernemats]

I live about 3 hours west of you near Johnstown, Pa. or Ligonier. I have a pt422 with about 560 hours on it and you are more than welcome to take a look and test spin on my hills. I have the 48 inch mower , small bucket and roto tiller. It is one nice and fun machine to operate. My wife just loves it also , she does most of the mowing of our 5 acre lawn.

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

I'm not a current PT owner but hope to be one day.

I would add something to your list. The grapple bucket is a maybe. So I find it odd that you don't have a definite for at least one bucket. Why? Because of the snow plowing activities you intend to undertake. If you get a lot of snow you may end up running out of a place to put the snow. A bucket can help you clear more room when needed. Plus, the regular non-grapple, non-4 in 1 buckets run pretty darn cheap. You'll be sorry if you don't get one for that one time that you do need it. If only getting one I would go for the smaller since the larger is only meant to be used for light materials (I imagine this is a limitation in the PT 425's lift capacity, not the strength of the bucket itself).

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> If only getting one I would go for the smaller since the larger is only meant to be used for light materials (I imagine this is a limitation in the PT 425's lift capacity, not the strength of the bucket itself). </font>

Kinda both. The smaller bucket is a little heavier duty than the larger bucket. With that said, I've had the large bucket heaping with really heavy stuff and it lifted it. And I've had the small bucket heaped with really heavy stuff and it picked up the rear end. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif It really depends on the stuff you are lifting, how dense it is, etc... The prices of the buckets are very cheap. The large bucket is my most used tool. Even more than the mower. It is my powered wheelbarrow. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[RegL]

I have to agree with MR about the light material bucket. Unless I have a job for one of the other attachments, that big bucket is attached and ready to go. Use it all the time. Leaves, mulch, compost, firewood, top soil, road sweepings, stump grindings, wood chips,etc.. And the number one reason to have the big bucket--- SNOW REMOVAL. I plow six drives on my street and after using the big bucket, I put the thought of buying a snow blade right out of my mind. Don,t need it. I just got a grapple bucket in yesterday. I think it's about the same size as the small bucket and except for the grapples, I can't see myself using it anywhere near as much as the big bucket.

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( And the number one reason to have the big bucket--- SNOW REMOVAL. )</font>

Actually for snow wouldn't it be easier to use the big bucket than the blade? With my lawn tractor I just have to set the blade left/right/center and then let it down. Pretty easy, no fiddling around necessary. With the PT, though, you would have to set the vertical angle every time you set the blade down, right?

 

[MossRoad]

You can plow snow with the large bucket and do it pretty well, but the plow works better. I have the snowblade. It works great for plowing our paved driveway. You set left right angle with the little lever under your knee. You use the left/right action of the joystick to tilt the blade forward and backwards and the forward/backward action of the joystick to lift it up and down. With the plow you just push the snow right up the pile and over the top. I've piled snow about 8' high with the plow and it only lifts 54" up in the air. It is also about a foot wider than the big bucket. The power angle combined with the lift arms and the ability to angle the blade back like a scoop when pushing the snow up and over are an almost unbeatable combination for the $450 that is cost me.

However, if it came down to a choice between the large bucket and the plow, and I could only afford one of them, I'd definately choose the large bucket just because of it's versatility.