Does anyone own a SA425?

[EOD Retired]

Yander, this is my first owned tractor but I've operated others that we had on the homestead years ago. They were larger and quite old so not a good comparison. I use my 425 mostly for a small firewood business so I do some logging with various size pine trees. I load 10' log sections up to about 33" diameter onto a trailer to haul to my place for processing. These are green and quite heavy. Often they're right at my loader limit so I'd rather have a 35 HP or so but didn't want to spend that much. I have to use chains from the bucket to lift, hence the grapple is needed. I use my side by side to plow snow but recently had a huge snow fall which required the FEL in order to open up our long driveway. Worked very well.

 

[Yander]

Nice pic of the deer, they are unphased by your presence it would seem.

 

[EOD Retired]

The area where I live is called Deer Meadows for a reason. I've found them sleeping on my porch in the shade when its hot. Here's a question: I'm trying to decide if a rake for my 3 point is worth buying. Do you know if that would help keep my gravel in the parking area and drive smoothed out? My house is on a hill and I have a circular drive that enters from uphill and goes out on the downhill side after about 175 yards with some ups and downs. That's a lot of gravel that gets pretty uneven. I can use a rake on the level acre where I do the firewood and I hate to also have to buy a landscape box blade for the circular drive. Thoughts?

 

[Yander]

I have a rake I bought last year to do a job this coming spring, haven't used it yet but I hear guys say they are great on driveways. I also hear a lot of guys saying that a landplane is really good for smoothing out existing drive way.

A rake has more uses though which is why I wanted one. I don't know all of your plans for your tractor but a rake is a relatively cheap investment and I know guys use them on gravel driveways, I just never have.

 

[EOD Retired]

Just a quick update regarding my frustration with Yanmar not being able to get a 3rd function valve kit since it was ordered months ago after I paid for it. I'm not trying to be negative about Yanmar just trying to help someone else avoid months of unnecessary waiting. I discovered they have the grapples but cannot get the hyd kit for them from whoever they've been using historically. I finally lost it waiting on my dealership who was being very sluggish about my order and went on line where I found W.R.Long who makes these hyd kits for various tractors (as well as other products). Since they only sell to dealers I found a nearby dealer and long story short got an order in. They tell me it will ship in about 2 days. Very different that waiting on my dealershop since last summer when I wasn't told they can no longer get them! Well, lesson learned. From now on I plan on avoiding my tractor dealership when I need something. I'll find it on my own.

One last comment for anyone who is inexperience with 3rd function vs diverter valves and how they work. That's where I started and I'm no expert but I just got caught up in this language challenge and thought I'd share. A true or live 3rd function allows opening or closing the jaws of a grapple at the same time you are curling or dumping if you choose to do that. A diverter valve (who many call 3rd function valve) diverts hydraulic fluid from one function to another - One function has to stop to allow the other to work. So when someone quotes a price for a 3rd function valve kit ask if its a live or true 3rd function that allows multiple functions at the same time. A diverter valve is not a bad thing, the important thing is to have no surprises and so you get what you want. Sorry for rambling on I hope it helps someone - good tractoring!!

 

[Yander]

Glad you were able to find what you needed. My tractor dealer is usually not the first place I look for aftermarket things. I needed them for the tractor and I was happy with their sale/shipping/etc. but that's where it ends with me. Unless I absolutely have to go to a dealer, I'm looking elsewhere. That is true of cars also.

Thanks for the advice on the third function because I will be looking into a grapple at some point and I'm pretty ignorant about the topic.

 

[Jeepsforlife]

I purchased my 325 in late Sept 2022, ordered the 3rd function immediately, then Ordered the grapple a couple weeks later. Both got pushed back a couple times and finally arrived in mid Dec. So you're not alone, and to be honest I think the WR Long kit may be better than the factory. I am not impressed with the button for the factory 3rd function, as it hijacks the dump and curl function disabling the rapid dump as well. So you can't perform grapple close, loader curl/dump and raise/lower simultaneously which is a bit of a bummer to me. But I still love my tractor, and can't wait for summer to play, 'er I mean do projects with it.

The perk for the factory 3rd function is also clever because you don't have to mess with the power beyond and it is all attached to the FEL and retains only 4 hose connections and 1 wire connection needed.