Expectant PT1430 daddy

iono · Jul 25, 2003

Howdy,

First I gotta say just how great this TBN power trac group has been for me. I stumbled on this group via my random (maybe drunken) walk through the internet while researching compact tractors. I never dreamed I would wind up ordering a machine I never heard of, made in East Nowhere Virginia, for use in the Texas hill country. But thanks to this group, after spending days devouring the archives, thats exactly what I'm about to do. Say hello to the newest expectant daddy of a PT1430. To quote my neighbor in Dripping Springs, who so kindly demoed his 425 for me last evening (hi deadstick), "I wouldn't have bought this thing if not for the TBN group".

Anyway, so it's my turn to post my list of questions to this esteemed group of real users before placing my order. Hopefully the order goes in Monday and delivery is later in the same week.

First of all, my application will be using the 1430 to assist in clearing about 50 acres of juniper on very rocky and hilly terrain. I will probably rent a bobcat with a tree shearer for the major cutting and use the PT for stacking, cleanup, and chipper loading. That's the initial big work -- the rest will be typical ranch work like bush hogging, cutting trails, and general "movin-stuff-around".

My attachment choices are:

- 60" brush hog
- 4 in 1 bucket + teeth
- large bucket + teeth
- mini hoe

So.... help me spend my money /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ...my questions are:

- can the PT 60" brush hog really handle a steady diet of small saplings (up to 2" diameter)? Mine is going to see a lot of those. And how well does it survive when you hit a stump or rock?

- does the 4in1 have any weaknesses? For example, can you grab something with the jaws (like a post) and have the bucket withstand the full force of the 1430 (both up/down/curl and back/forth with wheels)? Can it handle bumping into rocks ofen?

- anyone know a good source for a small tree shearer that would work on this machine? Something similar to the Hy-Reach at http://www.precisionmfg.com/index.html

- i'd rather have a grapple fork than a grapple bucket, but PT only makes the latter. can anyone recommend particular grapple forks that work well on this machine?

- it would be very convenient to have a metal box that attaches to the rear using the trailer hitch for holding tools or a chainsaw. any recommendations or sources? or even building plans or photos?

- any general recommendations for operating in 100+ degree heat? (other than "stay under the canopy as much as possible!") /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Many thanks for your time and participation in this group. Before long I hope to be a contributing member!

duane · Jul 25, 2003

Iono,

How about the stump grinder and forks. Sounds like you could use them as well.

With the bushhog, if you can knock it down, the bushhog will cut it!

Duane

Sedgewood · Jul 25, 2003

Welcome iono,

 - i'd rather have a grapple fork than a grapple bucket, but PT only makes the latter. can anyone recommend particular grapple forks that work well on this machine?


Check out my "extreme minihoe" postings to davesisk's "Grapple designs?" thread back in April. I cobbled up a thumb for my minihoe and turned it into a real monster. And quickly bent the minihoe boom! With a reinforced boom this thing'll rip those junipers right out by the roots, haul 'em, stack 'em and you'll be done by noon!

What a hoot. I don't know how you'll wipe that stupid grin off your face - I'm still trying to get mine off

)

Have fun,
Sedgewood

Schultz · Jul 25, 2003

Regarding the stuff box on the back of the tractor. You could weld a 2" receiver like Charlie has and then buy a cargo hauler for it. Make some sides and your all set.

Here’s a link to the cargo hauler I was thinking of, it might be a little big but they have smaller ones too:
cargo hauler

Charlie_Iliff · Jul 25, 2003

You could weld a 2" receiver like Charlie has and then buy a cargo hauler for it. 

My wife gave me a cargo hauler for Christmas. I'll try to remember to post a picture. It sticks out back pretty far, and is easy to run into things while turning, but it carries chain saw, fuel, fencing tools, etc. Northern has several choices. It does need higher sides unless you are skilled with bungees and straps. I can still open the engine cover enough to check the oil, but it does interfere.

iono · Jul 25, 2003

Sedgewood,

 Check out my "extreme minihoe" postings 

I saw that thread and that "thumb" you made is just awsome. I do plan to try a design like that, though I don't know if it will have enough force to uproot whole trees (but of course I will find out! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

From that previous thread, I never understood what caused the hoe damage.... was it the hydraulic pressure of the bucket against the thumb? Or was it the lifting of a very heavy object?

I'm sure we'd all be interested if/when you come up with a design for reinforcement of the hoe for use with a thumb.

- Iono

Sedgewood · Jul 26, 2003

From that previous thread, I never understood what caused the hoe damage.... was it the hydraulic pressure of the bucket against the thumb? Or was it the lifting of a very heavy object?


The minihoe was never intended to have a thumb and is not designed to withstand the forces one can apply with one. The boom is only made of 1/8 inch wall square tubing, and not well braced where it attaches to the quick attach plate. Without the thumb you generally are only lifting whatever will fit in the bucket (though I can see one using the minihoe as a mini lift boom

or perhaps on occassion the rear of the tractor if you hook under a root. With the thumb you can grab an immovable object and lift, twist, turn, push, pull (or as a friend would say "grab it and growl"

As I quickly discovered, this is it's most useful feature, and puts the minihoe in a whole new catagory. But one it wasn't designed for. In my case, the thing that really did it in was pushing over an 8 inch popple and then grabbing the root ball from the side and by lifting, pushing, and pulling all at once the boom folded where it attaches to the plate.

 I'm sure we'd all be interested if/when you come up with a design for reinforcement of the hoe for use with a thumb.


So would I

But alas, fixing the minihoe is the least of my problems. I'm just now getting underway with rebuilding the salvage from my "Fire in the Engine Room" disaster back in April. Follow the fire related links at my PT wiki for some details.

Only 38 hoses to go,
Sedgewood

MossRoad · Jul 26, 2003

Follow the fire related links at my PT wiki for some details. 

Great details, John. Nice website, too /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

iono · Jul 26, 2003

OMG sedge! I only glanced at the "fire in the engine room" thread previously, but touring your site gave me a full grasp of the horror and tragedy. My extreme condolences (and the same goes for your insurance ordeal).

I got an answer from Scott at PT to the question:
 - does the 4in1 have any weaknesses? For example, can you grab something with the jaws (like a post) and have the bucket withstand the full force of the 1430 (both up/down/curl and back/forth with wheels)? Can it handle bumping into rocks often? 

His answer was that the 4 in 1 can handle any force the machine is capable of delivering, even in the "post grappling" scenario I posed. Of course he's assuming normal operating scenarios -- ramming the bucket full speed into a cement wall is probably excluded. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

So that's comforting, but I'd still be interested in hearing from any "real world" users of the 4in1.

Sedgewood · Jul 28, 2003

OMG sedge! I only glanced at the "fire in the engine room" thread previously, but touring your site gave me a full grasp of the horror and tragedy. My extreme condolences (and the same goes for your insurance ordeal).


Thanx iono, it's been quite an ordeal. Someone said a while back (sorry I forget who it was) "I can't imagine a summer without a PT". I don't need to imagine it - I'm living it! And it ain't nearly as much fun as imagining it might be :-( One small consolation is that when I get finished emptying the engine tub and filling it back up again with new parts I'll have an intimate knowledge of the 1845 and a much better idea how these things go together.

Sedgewood