Info on 1430

Highridge · Feb 16, 2005

Well, I wouldn't be lifting really heavy stuff. I would use them for light tasks like moving the garbage cans and pallets, stuff like that. For really heavy stuff, I would use the bucket. I do plan to have someone weld some hooks on one of the buckets too.
I also plan on buying one of the 3-point woodsplitters from Northern Tools and weld the Quick attach plate on.

Thanks
P.S. I may be buying soon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I have a few potential buyers for my Craftsman.

rivulet · Feb 16, 2005

lifting really heavy stuff?

Just so you are clear - the 1430 is a T12 machine - as in 1200 lbs. This is the same as a Kubota BX23.

Those who like to really lift get a T24, 2400#, machine (1460). It can lift more if it has to. This is the class that can handle pallets of sod and pavers.

MossRoad · Feb 16, 2005

Well, I wouldn't be lifting really heavy stuff. I would use them for light tasks like... 

Oh Highridge, Highridge, Highridge...

I thought similar things before I purchased, too. My forks were just going to be for lifting stuff. I bent them once when I wedged them crooked into an old brush hog that I was attempting to muscle around the back yard. The rear of the tractor came off the ground as the tip of the fork bent down. Sledge hammer took care of that one.

Second time I was prying concrete post anchors out of hard ground on a playground. I like to point the forks almost straight down while applying down pressure to the FEL arms. As I push down and the front wheels come off the ground I then wiggle the joystick left and right to vibrate the forks into the ground about 2 feet. Then as I rock the tractor back and forth with the treadle and wiggle the joystick all over the place, one of three things will happen. The huge chunk of concrete will slowly emerge from the soil. The rear of the tractor will come off the ground, OR... the forks will bend many inches out of line, usually bending just one of them. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

The forks have many uses besides lifting stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'd do like JJ said and check out fork lift shops for some adjustable forks of heavier design and have a quick hitch plate welded onto them. Be sure to do the slight anlge on the hitch so you get the proper travel as has been discussed in another thread.

Highridge · Feb 16, 2005

Maybe it would be more worthwhile to buy the attachment plate and find a small, sturdy set of forks to weld the plate to.
I won't be carrying pallets with sod or pavers.
If I do get the PT, I'm definetly getting the mini-hoe. The list of uses I have for it just keeps adding up!

Clarke · Feb 16, 2005

According to Kubota a BX23 w/210 loader will lift 460# to full height at the pivot point.. The three point hitch may be able to lift 1200#.

sg

rivulet · Feb 17, 2005

( According to Kubota a BX23 w/210 loader will lift 460# to full height at the pivot point.. )

Yep, my mistake.
The 1430 will out lift the Kubota BX and B series.
You would need the LA513 on a L3130 to match it.

Personally, I am considering the 1460. More versatility than the Kubotas.

Robert259 · Feb 17, 2005

Mossroad is right! The forks are great for removing fence posts and I particularly like them for removing shubbery. Adjust the forks close together, insert them beneath the root ball, tilt the forks up, move them left-to-right to cut the remaining roots and tap root and pop the shrub out of the ground.

They are also usefule for removing asphalt and concrete slabs. They are great for pulling up roots when clearing. In a pinch, I have used them to lift the rear of my car to put jack stands under it. I still have an old lawn tractor that I have to work on frequently. It is great for lifting the tractor up to a comfortable height to work underneath it. If you do this, make sure that you add support underneath the forks. The hydraulics will slowly creep down with time.

There is also a clamp-on trailor hitch available that will clamp directly to the forks. This allows you to push a trailor and place it where you want it.

After felling a tree, I use the forks to lift the trunk up so that I can safely remove branches and cut the trunk.

As with any piece of equipment, you have to think about how you are going to use and be aware of potential things that can happen. For example, you don't want to use a chain saw too close to the forks.

Highridge · Feb 19, 2005

How are these machines for traction?
I know you get better traction with bar tires and I'm getting turfs, but what happens if you really get yourself in a mess?
Also, if one wheel starts spinning, does all the power go to that wheel? That's what I dislike about my Craftsman.

Charlie_Iliff · Feb 19, 2005

With turfs on my 1845, on level deep mud - my wife's garden that I was tilling in early spring - I got so deep that it was literally floating on the belly pan. I wiggled my way out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
To get much more traction, you'll need a crawler tracked skid steer. Of course, I'll bet I can get one of those stuck, too.
At least two wheels pull, and generally all do, even when they are spinning.

MossRoad · Feb 19, 2005

Our turf tires provide excellent traction on grass and dirt and in the woods on the forest floor. In snow on pavement, pushing our snow plow, they work great. However, on side slopes in snow, the machine will crab downslope very easily. Never had it in deep mud. Overall, I am very satisfied with the turfs. If you are disappointed with them afer a year or so, I have seen bar tread for the PT425 at TSC for about $60.00 a poke.