How are they on hills

[thingy]

Kinda interested,,,their place is maybe 2 hours or less from me is one reason,,another reason is they seem affordable,another reason is they are totally different,,,went on their price page,believe a 425?,,25 hp gas motor was 10,000,that sound right?
ain't read much yet,but figured this would be a quick way to find out,,how are they on steeper hills?,,understand they got hydro 4 wd? how does that work,good or not so good,,one wheel on front spin and one on back or what when its stuck? how about going down hills,heard some hydro drives wanta run away and won't hold you back?,,how are they balanced,,not front end light? THINGY

 

[thingy]

ok,an hour or so later and read a little. Yes,seems like a 425 would be about right size and cost for me.Still concerned about hills and how well 4wd works and if it might runaway on longer steep hill. Read about motors on each wheel,and read several saying that the power thing might be an issue on hills after hydro oil warmed,,,that didn't sound good.

The hills I'm talking about I now mow with a 254 jinma tractor,,,use 4wd mainly for the going down part but leave it in up as well,,have also went up them in toyota pickup in 4 wheel low when its dry,if that tells you anything,,but they are steep...steep enough you don't want to be spinning or sliding going up or down. Heard they go better backwards,,but don't want to be mowing up a hill backwards for any length of time anyways,hard on the neck and all.
The 425 does have a parking brake it said,,does it have just a plain ole brake as well?
Looks like it might fit in an 8 ft truck bed,is this right?,,,now that would be a selling point for sure,,no trailer needed,[can't backup good],,,
I'm pretty serious here,,not planning this year probably,,but maybe next,,,like I said,price,location,,and strangeness factor,,,,
How fast does it go,,same foreward and reverse?
Would want a hog and blade for front and probably tiller,,,heard they don't push good forward,,,will they push 12-18 inches of snow forward? Which way does the tiller turn,forward or reverse? Will it push that hog up those hills I was talking about,[don't have alot thats that steep,maybe an hour or hour and a half with my jinma and 5 ft hog of steeper hills,going pretty slow,,but not creeping either],,,thingy

 

[MuncyBob]

If you have an hours worth up steep uphill cutting that requires the PTO to be engaged all the time then I think you need to look elsewhere or at least a different model than the 422/425. I have a few steep grades that after the fluid is hot I need to back up or get creative with my travel route. yes, it will fit in a full size truck bed but I don't think you'll do it with the mower or brush hog attached unless you leave the truck gate down. Since you are that close to Tazewell(wiash I was!!!) make the trip and put them to the test!

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

I hope you get a number of replies from people with the new version 425. I have an 1845, so my 425 experience is limited. I'd venture to bet, however, that anything you can do with your Jinma, you can do more comfortably with a 425. I've never heard of a PT running away, although we have speculated on here about what might happen if there were a catastrophic hose failure. The full time 4wd gives good control, and minimal sliding compared to conventional tractors. PTs are very hard to turn over.
Nothing better than a trip to Tazewell and running machines around their test-demo area to get a feel for them.

 

[BobRip]

It would be a good idea to measure the slope angle. It is difficult to judge a slope by eye. You don't want to buy a $40K tractor when a $10K will work. I have gotten my 4 X 4 Tundra stuck on a slope (ground was wet) where the PT 422 had no problems. If one wheel slips that power is transfered to the opposite corner wheel.

The wheel motors can be used as a brake just by pushing the other direction pedal down. The other brake is only a parking brake and it puts a pin in a slot on each front wheel and locks the two front wheels solid.

Top speed is 8 MPH. Plenty of speed for a vehicle with no suspension. Speed is the same backwards and forwards. I think the 425 is the sweet spot considering price/wheel torque/manueverability. If you have a real steep slope the PT425 with big wheels and wheel motors (same as 1430) might be your best bet. This is not advertised, but JDBeach (I think that's his name) got one and it will do some slope and is good on sand and mud.
Keep looking at the post here. Lot's of good information.

 

[thingy]

Thanks,yeah,I'd go to the place and look and ask and test drive before I bought one for sure. But its just that I doubt they got the same test trac as I would be using here,a couple little hills and 20 min running it won't tell me what I need to know.

Thats why I asked on here. And so far one says yea and one says neah!

Here would be what I might be doing with it,,,85 degree day,,,cut for maybe 2-3 hours on slopes[up slope and down] and flat areas in between,,,,than might wanta do those hills I was talking about,,maybe an hours worth there,[with jinma and 5ft hog] of pretty steep and maybe 200 yards long,up and down,,,no brush but might be tall grass,,2ft and thick in spots,,very light in other spots,[depending on time of year]. Than break time,,probably can't do that at their place can I?

Next I might want to till a 1/2 acre garden,,old garden area,not many rocks or roots.

That winter might want to clear snow off my drive way,,about 1/4 mile, gravel,,,not much of a hill on it,,just slope,,,might be 1 ft on it,,will it do that forward?,,probably need to get bar treads.

Now,I'm not here trying to cut down on the pt,,or praise the jinma,so don't think that,,I am serious,I live in southern w.va.,,,and if you want to know something about them jinmas,will answer you honestly on site,,so,,if some of you think I'm doing something here,I'm not,,,seriously thinking about buying a pt in a year or so,,woulda looked at them 4 1/2 years ago before I bought the jinma but didn't know about them. Just don't wanta buy one if it won't do what I want it to do. I need more than a lawn mower. So,,you people who have a 425 and maybe a hill or two,,let me know. I would buy new one.
Don't want to buy a bigger one at 16,000,,,at that price my choices would get much wider,plus thats more than I want to spend on any tractor now or in near future at least.,,one of the reasons I'm thinking of buying is the price,,[what 10,000 for 425?],,thats in my range. thanks thingy

 

[thingy]

Bob,thanks,,,slope degree,,,hard to say ain't it?[for me anyways!],,lets see if I can at least make sense of that,,if straight up was 0 or 360 degrees,[like a circle],,,than flat would be 90 degrees?,,[on that circle],,,course we all know what 45 degrees would be than,[very steep],,I would say maybe 50 degrees in a spot or two,,[that would be less than 45 degrees,but not by much],,most of the steeper spots would be maybe55-60 degrees,,,,,[less than 45 degrees].

Now pretty sure that ain't how they do that,,but thats how I can figure it,,circle,,,so to sum it up,,some spots about 45 degrees,,most less,,,and not much of it that steep,,have went up it in tacoma in 4 wheel low,when it was dry,,jinma will pull hog up it in two wheel drive when dry but I use 4wd mainly for down hill and sometimes it ain't dry.
Course,its hard to say,,probably the steepest is less than 45 by 5 degrees or so,,but its steep enough,you don't want to stop and start or turn around or start spining,much and going sideways if you know what I mean.,,now the grass there don't get very thick mostly broom sage,,so the mower/hog wouldn't be working that hard there.
Also,some of the ground I cut is a tad rough,,nothing to bad,,but it ain't real smooth in spots can drive a truck over all I cut,,,basicly,,,wouldn't be cutting any brush,,just grass and weeds,,,,thingy edit here,,,,probably got about 8-9 acres that I would cut with it,,about 4-5 times a year,,most of it ain't steep,,its just I got some that is pretty steep,like I said,,,,also,,they got bigger motors to put on them 425's?,,well thats a thought,,by motors what are they,pumps on each wheel?,,wonder how much more that would add to cost? thingy again

 

[BobRip]

If it's 45 degrees there is no way a 425 should be used. The oil pump will not pickup oil and the engine would be ruined, even if the wheels and wheel motors could drive it which I doubt.

However, you need to measure the slope. Guessing is no good. Estimating is no good. Zero degrees is flat. 90 degrees is straight up. 45 degrees is very very steep. You can get an inclinometer for $10 or maybe 20. It would be well worth it. Lay it on a straight board and measure several places. I think it will not be as steep as you think.
I have a 25 degree slope and it is hard to walk on. I doubt if my truck would go up it. The PT 422 will barely make it with cold oil. If you steer left and right you can walk the PT up it when hot.

 

[Phils]

I don't know what the size differences are between a 422 and 425 (if any) but as far as your "fit into a pickup" question, I carry my 422 with the brushhog attached in my shortbed extended cab '91 Chevy with no problems. I did put a slight bow into one of the stock PT ramps loading it with the brushhog attached. I've also carried it with the LMB attached, the mini-hoe, and the stumpgrinder too. With the brushhog on it extends a couple of feet past the lowered tailgate but nothing I consider dangerous.

I consider one of the best features of the smaller PTs the fact that it CAN be carried easily in a pickup bed.

Phil

 

[MossRoad]

Thingy,
The angle that the PT425 can be run on is also limited by the lubrication system of the engine. At steep angles, the oil pickup could be out of the oil and starve. That is a bad thing. I am not sure what that angle is on the Robin 25HP engine that is currently being used in the PT425, but you should find out. I think it is limited to 20 or 25 degrees at most. And if you have to mow for an hour at that angle, the engine will suffer. 45 degrees is a crazy-steep slope and only the PT slope mower is rated at 45 degrees, which is one foot up for every one foot forward. You would have great difficulty climbing that on foot.

As someone else mentioned, you should measure the actual slope to see what is truly is.