Home at last!!

PowerTrom425 · Sep 5, 2004

Good labor day weekend everyone...I've been a lurker for six months or so and have learned so much from all of the posters that frequent TBN. I can buy a truck on a moments notice and without a whole lot more thought than that!, but deciding on a tractor was more difficult than I ever imagined it would! My wife, Cindi, would walk by the office and look at me on the computer and say....'You doing tractor stuff again?' I'd nod, and she'd come in and pat me on the head, kiss me good night, and then go do bed, and to sleep! Now that I'm through that process, hopefully the late nights will end!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I got home last night with a brand spankin' new PT425 and several toys,,,,I mean tools.!!!, and the experience was great. I'll write more after the weekend, and I'll post pictures when I figure out how to use my digital camera!

But I do want to say an extra, and special, thank you to Dave Williams at Bradford Industrial, and to Neil Messick at Messick Farm Equipment. While I didn't end up with either of their tractors, both gentlemen were incredibly helpful and patient as I sorted through the process. I would highly recommend that anyone interested in a conventional CUT at least speak with them as part of their decision making process. Thanks guys....very much.

So I'm off to the beach for the rest of the weekend. I put the 425 through its paces this morning, and now the work begins. I am excavating underneath my house prior to jacking it up to put a full foundation under it. I'll keep you all posted... Have a great rest of the labor day weekend, Tom

Clarke · Sep 5, 2004

Welcome, I'm sure you will love your new PT.

sg

MossRoad · Sep 5, 2004

Welcome to TBN! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

FOURTEEN · Sep 5, 2004

The fun is just beginning!!

I'll bet you will spend more time talking about and learning about your PT now than ever before!! (I certainly do!!)
Questions, opinions, or even answers are always welcome!!

A PT is like a wife. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not. But you'll soon learn that you can't live without it!!!!

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

pajoube · Sep 5, 2004

Thanks for sharing this great news. Keep us updated on how you are doing with lots of pictures.
PJ

PowerTrom425 · Nov 7, 2004

My my my.......I've been trying to log into this site since I brought my 425 home....and I think I finally figured out what I was doing wrong.....

anywho......

What an incredible machine the pt425 is. In addition to numerous 'favors' for several neighbors, so far I have excavated more than 300 yards of material from under my house, filled in some low area in front of the house, created a sandy beach next to the dock, built two retaining walls, ground several stumps dug several post holes, made/mixed/and dumped cement to fill the holes, picked up and moved a 5x14 deck with the boom pole, graded my driveway, and generally made a mess around the place!!!

But the house is finally 4 feet up in the air, and I formed the footings yesterday. They'll be poured Monday or Tuesday, and then the block walls will go up.

The modifications I've made to the 425 so far are: moving the aux. hydraulics to the left side of the control panel, adding a spin knob, adding a fixed tooth/finger to the mini-hoe arm, getting a toothbar for the 4in1 bucket, and getting a 12" bucket for the mini-hoe.

Sorry guys, but I am not digital picture proficient yet, so no pictures.

To move the aux. hydraulics I started by clamping a screw-eye to the oem arm so that the round eye extends just beyone the end of the arm. Then I went to the lumber store and got a series of 1/8" galvanized pipe sections and fittings and came up on the right side of the control panel, across the front of it, and then attached a knob that I got at an auto parts store. To secure the pipe to the tractor, I used two pieces of garage door channels that I found at the lumber store. They have holes in them that the pipe nicely fits through, and I attached them at the top corners of the the oem cover plate on the front of the tractor. It is a very neat setup that works beautifully. Everyone thinks the tractor came that way! And I must add that being able to control the mini-hoe bucket and arm at the same time not only feels right, but saves a lot of time.

The spin knob is, in my humble opinion, the first addition anyone should make to these wonderful beasts,,,inexpensive, easy to do, and dramatically improves the ease of control. I put mine on so that the knob is on the outside of the wheel, but I may move it to the inside sometime. Occasionally my left hand bumps my right hand when I'm using the hydaulic lever. But if anyone doesn't have a spin knob, you really should get one...........

I've made the backhoe much more versatile by adding an extra finger that extends down and angles toward the bucket. I don't have a welder, so all of my in-house alterations are done with store-bought parts. In this case, I used two galvanized U channels that fit snugly around the arm of the backhoe. Before I tightened the four bolts that hold the channels on the arm, I placed a 6" galv. L bracket between the lower channel and the backhoe arm so that it extends down. Then I verrillized the L bracket with a piece of straight channel to create triangle that gives the setup its strength. If you picture a lower case 'y' with the top two points connected, the top piece and the left-hand leg are the L bracket, and the longer right-hand leg is the straight channel. This setup has allowed me to pick up and place individual stones in a stone wall, pick up and move several mature plants around the house, and makes the mini-hoe a little less mini!!!

The other thing I've done to the backhoe to make it almost a maxi-hoe!, is getting a 12" bucket for it. Terry talked me out of it when I was picking up the tractor, but I glad I have it now. The extra width really makes it work better and faster. I've come up against nothing that I haven't been able to do with it, but if I run into real thick/heavy clay or whatever, I still have the 9" bucket that would provide less resistence. If I was getting the tractor again, I would just get the 12" bucket I think.........

And the other thing I've done is get an after market toothbar for the 4in1 bucket from Markham Welding in Denton, NC. I asked them to add a couple of extra teeth, so now there is just 2 1/2"± between them. I have used this setup much like you might use a box blade to grade my neighbors driveway, and it worked well.....I'm not sure if its the tool, or the operator!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif If I was doing it again, I would probably get the tooth bar for the 48" bucket instead of the 4in1 bucket. The 4in1 bucket starts out over a hundred pounds heavier than the large bucket, and the tooth bar adds around 85-90 pounds. That extra weight, if not compensated for, can create the occasional PTpucker.

Well, it has become way past my bedtime, so that's all for now..........

Tom

pequeajim · Nov 7, 2004

Congrats!!

I'm right behind you!

Jim!

stray · Nov 7, 2004

The other thing I've done to the backhoe to make it almost a maxi-hoe!, is getting a 12" bucket for it. Terry talked me out of it when I was picking up the tractor, but I glad I have it now. The extra width really makes it work better and faster. I've come up against nothing that I haven't been able to do with it, but if I run into real thick/heavy clay or whatever, I still have the 9" bucket that would provide less resistence. If I was getting the tractor again, I would just get the 12" bucket I think.........

Does power-trac now sale a 12" bucket for the 422/425? I have often thoulght i wanted one and that the machine would handle it.

PowerTrom425 · Nov 7, 2004

Hey stray....the 12" bucket is the same one that they offer for the larger machines....Terry advised against it when I was down there thinking the 425 wasn't enough to handle it, but having used it extensively, there has been no problem. I ordered it...$300± delivered, and it was simply a matter of taking off the 9" and putting on the 12"....It fits like a glove..