Buying Advice getting ready to buy

[dc53]

hello,
been following the pt forum for a while so i feel like i know some of you.

getting ready to buy a 422 or 425.

also would like to know if I can put the machine with one attachment connected on an 8 ft bed.
I have ram 1500 and will get a 2500 w/8ft bed or 3500 ram w/9 or 10 ft flat bed.

any input will be appreciated,

thanks,
Dan

 

[MossRoad]

Welcome to TBN! :thumbsup:

I have a 2001 model year PT425. I do not know if it is the same length as the current models. I also purchased the metal ramps from Power Track at the time of purchase.

I frequently carried my PT425 with an attachment in the back of my 8' bed on my old Chevy pickup truck. HOWEVER... I removed the tailgate and put a mounting system for the ramps on the truck bumper to make it secure. I welded a piece of steel tubing to the bottom of each ramp and welded another piece of steel tubing to the steel truck bumper. Then I could secure it by sliding a piece of rebar through the pipes and it acted like a giant hinge. Worked great, but not very attractive. Whatever you do, just be sure the ramps are secured to the truck so there is no chance of them slipping off the rear bumper and dropping you to the ground.

I did not trust those little straps that hold the tailgate with my multi-thousand dollar investment, that's why I removed the tailgate. It is easy to do and requires no tools (at least on mine).

I then backed the PT up the ramps and into the bed of the truck. By backing it in, you can keep an attament on the FEL arms. I've hauled the 60" finish mower OR the 48" brush hog, OR the large light material bucket with the small rock bucket with teeth nested in the large bucket and put the pallet forks inside of that. No matter what attachment I had on, I could rest it on the rear of the truck bed and back bumper.

 

[MossRoad]

Eventually we retired the pickup due to rust and bought a car hauler trailer for the PT and all attachments. We towed it easily with a van and now a Suburban. :thumbsup:

 

[woodlandfarms]

What implements will you be carrying? I am sure a 425 and bucket will fit but don't think a 425 and mower will. Plus if you air taking multiple implements I would go for a low trailer. Get a 425 btw. And if youth do go w itch a truck and ramps be careful...

 

[MossRoad]

What implements will you be carrying? I am sure a 425 and bucket will fit but don't think a 425 and mower will. Plus if you air taking multiple implements I would go for a low trailer. Get a 425 btw. And if youth do go w itch a truck and ramps be careful...

Read my previous post. A PT425 will back right up into a full sized pickup truck bed with a 60" mower deck attached even with no tailgate on the pickup truck. I did it frequently until I bought our trailer.

 

[MossRoad]

And I will caution once more the importance of not using the tailgate and securing the ramps to the truck so they can't slip off.

 

[cqaigy2]

Welcome aboard!

I'd for sure get the 425 if the budget allows. I have a 422 that i love but....:laughing:

 

[Phils]

And I will caution once more the importance of not using the tailgate and securing the ramps to the truck so they can't slip off.

On my Chevy 2500 I carry my 422 with the brush hog, or the bucket, or the mini-hoe with no problem. I can even carry the mini-hoe in the bucket and load that on the pickup, backed in like MossRoad suggests. If I need to have more implements I insist that whoever I'm doing the work for come with their truck to carry implements.

I leave the tailgate on and position the front tires so that they straddle the crack between the tailgate and bed to keep the tailgate from bouncing. That also gives a good clearance in the front of the bed. I have a fifth-wheel hitch rail that I tie the PT to.

Mine's a '91 and has metal straps for the tailgate. I have a newer F250 that has the crimped cables to hold the tailgate and I would be reluctant to put a lot of weight on it for fear the crimps would fail. But I don't use it to carry the PT since I have the Chevy for that.

I use the cargo straps that hold the PT in place to also hold the ramps in place when I'm loading or unloading.

ONE TIME I tried not using the straps to hold the ramps while unloading the PT. When the weight of the tractor was off the pickup, it rose up and the ramps were within 1/4" of slipping off of the tailgate edge. I DID have a friend standing there, so at least someone would have been able to dial 911. It was an experiment that failed, and now I NEVER load/unload without strapping the ramps.

Phil

 

[woodlandfarms]

I am so sorry. I just read my most recent post and it is clear I have to give up the Ipad. I cannot type on that thing for.....

 

[BobRip]

I am so sorry. I just read my most recent post and it is clear I have to give up the Ipad. I cannot type on that thing for.....

I will take if you need to get rid of it. You have to pay the shippiing and it's free, right?
Sent from my IPad.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I dropped my ipad. smack on the corner. screen is all cracked. couldn't beleive it. But no, I lay in bed late at night and stream movies to it from my server... wife is happy asleep, I am happy being entertained. What more could you get from a marriage I ask you.

Don't know why I can't type on the Ipad but I just can't...

 

[MossRoad]

I had steel straps on my Cheby, too. And a rusty taligate! Didn't want to push my luck.

I cannot type on iPads very well either. I need some resistance feedback from keys that I don't get on a touchscreen.

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

For anyone else getting ready to buy, if you're in Washington State, I'm getting ready to sell my PT425 and its included attachments. Purchased at the end of 2005 (I think that makes it a 2006 model), its been kept in a garage, is rust free, and only 140hrs on the clock. We're working on downsizing. Photos are available here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/1129...ms/5790047910775855585?authkey=CJ2Dx7mD0c-OBA

I'm only looking at selling it all together right now. Haven't posted to Craiglist yet. If interested, ping me for more details.

 

[gr8hypothesis]

Is this still for sale?

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

Just wanted to update everyone: Yup, I sold my tractor and all attachments this morning to a super nice gentleman that was located in-state and contacted me earlier this week in response to a Craigslist posting. I've got to say I'm impressed with the demand for these incredible machines. I was contacted by several interested parties from all across the country just because of the mention I made in this thread. At the end of the day, it was shipping to far fetched places that bogged down the process. So I decided to post to Craigslist.

We posted exactly twice to Craigslist and the second posting wasn't even necessary: we were contacted within one day of the original posting (by the buyer) and had only reposted as a backup. And the funny thing is we thought it would be tough to sell what is largely an unknown brand. Clearly, there are enough people that know about PowerTrac, or do their research and find out about PowerTrac. Which is probably how I found out about it in the first place so many years ago...thanks in large part to the fantastic people in this forum. Heck, even a landscaper that visited our house a week ago said: "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've seen these in trade magazines but I've never actually "seen" one." He was impressed. Who wouldn't be? The folks that picked up the tractor were surprised at how quickly I could load everything onto their truck and trailer....they're coming to PowerTrac after having owned a much larger tractor with a backhoe because they need more flexibility to maintain a combined 15 acres and the whole quick attach mechanism is just crazy awesome. It doesn't hurt to have access to over 40 attachments.

I want to thank everyone in this forum for just being so genuine and helpful. I may not have participated in this forum much during my ownership but I always felt that if I ever needed help this would have been the first place I'd look for it. And I emphasized to the new owners that they too should come here and join the family.

Keep doing what you're doing everyone. Thanks 1000 times.

-mark

 

[pajoube]

Good luck with your new life. I would think you will miss your PowerTrac but life goes on.
If you are still in contact with the buyer please tell them about Tractor by Net and our forum. Also have them contact me so I can update the owners by state.
PJ

 

[MossRoad]

Glad you sold it so fast. :thumbsup: