Mark:
Over the weekend, I posted a note to Glenn's old "designed all wrong" thread about my visit Friday to Power Trac. My focus was on the 1430, and I came away as impressed as you have been. I am interested primarily in mowing, and would love to have the 1850 with the widest mower, but it will be a stretch to get the 1430 in the relatively near future. I plan to get the grapple bucket, 72" deck, tiller and posthole auger, if I can swing it. I have minimal need for a backhoe, and do enough slope mowing that the low cg of the turf machines is a requirement. I hope, however, to cobble up a junior varsity digger from a Cadplans and Metco kit, that will be carried around on the adapter plate, and powered by the Power Trac hydraulics.
Since I have no desire to do anything with a rear 3-point hitch, I don't have your interest in correcting the design and mounting one. I did, however, perceive what to me is a major problem with the Deutz diesel. Although it started and ran perfectly, and had ample power for my tests, it was so loud that it destroyed any chance of a conversation with the young man who was demonstrating it for me. It certainly would require ear muffs as a minimum if you spend any time at all on it.
I didn't test the 2400 machines. Did you notice the same with them? If I get the 1430, I will immediately cut and paste another muffler in series, which will no doubt be ugly, and with my luck interfere with something and have to be revised. It will reduce power slightly, but I hope increase comfort immeasurably. Although anything air cooled is necessarily louder than liquid cooled, my impression was that the noise is almost entirely exhaust borne, and the muffler simply inadequate.
Any progress in sale of your Kubota?
Charlie Iliff