Mini Modification

[Clarke]

Clarke,

What is the highest hydraulic temperature you have seen. What was the outdoor ambient temperature at the time.

Duane

Duane,

Mowing causes the highest tank temperatures. I have never mowed long enough to reach equilibrium (been close). Temperature of my machine runs close to 100 to 105 F above ambient. I think the muffler below the hydraulic cooler is helping cause the high temperatures. Next mod. will be dual exhaust with Super Trapp mufflers out side the machine exhausting to the rear. The highest ambient I have mowed in with the gauge was 82 F. The gauge was reading 185 F.

sg

 

[FOURTEEN]

""Mowing causes the highest tank temperatures.""

Right! When you think 'heavy duty use' of a PT, you kinda naturally think of digging, lifting, or moving. But those activities tax the engine, wheels, and hydraulics for only minutes. When you mow grass, the engine, wheels, and hydraulics are being nearly continuously stressed for maybe an hour or more for each cutting! My tank runs 170 to 200 even with the fan running continuously and with synthetic hydraulic fluid!
My PT is too expensive and valuable for mowing! I use a lawnmower to cut my grass, and the PT-425 for all the important high skill jobs!




""Next mod. will be dual exhaust""

Sounds like you have a Kohler?? I've wanted to put external dual exhaust on my Kohler for a couple of years now, but haven't gotten to it yet!! Keep us posted.

 

[BobRip]

Yes. I'll be posting on http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/34740-pt-425-pros-cons.html?highlight=PROS+cons as soon as the spirit moves me!! Stay tuned!!

I look forward to that. Thanks

 

[Barryh]

""Mowing causes the highest tank temperatures.""

Right! When you think 'heavy duty use' of a PT, you kinda naturally think of digging, lifting, or moving. But those activities tax the engine, wheels, and hydraulics for only minutes. When you mow grass, the engine, wheels, and hydraulics are being nearly continuously stressed for maybe an hour or more for each cutting! My tank runs 170 to 200 even with the fan running continuously and with synthetic hydraulic fluid!
My PT is too expensive and valuable for mowing! I use a lawnmower to cut my grass, and the PT-425 for all the important high skill jobs!



""Next mod. will be dual exhaust""

Sounds like you have a Kohler?? I've wanted to put external dual exhaust on my Kohler for a couple of years now, but haven't gotten to it yet!! Keep us posted.

I couldn’t agree with you more on the mowing. I would rather burn out a 2000 dollar Craftsman rider every 6 to 10 years, rather then rack up precious hours on my PT for mowing grass. Although I would guess some can afford it, and have a special need or reason to use it that way.

 

[FOURTEEN]

Although I would guess some can afford it, and have a special need or reason to use it that way.

Maybe just the opposite! Some folks want to get their money's worth out of one unit, or don't have storage for more than one, or have small lawns, or have a large lawn but also have a need for other attachments occasionally, or they figure that the PT is the 'Swiss Army Knife' of lawn tractors or CUT, etc, etc, etc.

Personally, I have an antique Power King tractor that mows nicely, but I am more interested in preserving it for tractor shows than wearing it out mowing. It's 4' dozer blade is great for snow (which I don't need), but little else. The main work that it does now is pulling several trailer loads of 3000# of mulch around to the various gardens.

The Honda 3810 lawn tractor ran great (Honda!) for over 20 years, but it's mowing deck fell apart, and Honda wanted a fortune to replace it!

The PT Brush Cutter would mow OK, similar to a PT mower deck, but I didn't like using it. I really bought the PT-425 for the multitude of other jobs that it can do. I currently use the PT daily, but never to mow.

Last year I got a Hustler FasTrak ZTR. I love it! 52" cut. Smooth 20 HP Honda engine. So fast! So easy! So maneuverable! So comfortable! It mows beautifully, pulverizes leaves on the lawn and the trails, tows the aerator effortlessly, and it’s FUN!


So each of us makes decisions based upon our individual wants and needs.
You may think that I am crazy to have about $25,000 worth of landscape equipment around just to maintain an acre of lawn and 9 acres of woods, but for me it’s just right! I have the money, the storage space, the desire, and I don’t know how much more time to enjoy them, so if not now, when!??! (I don’t fit in sports cars any more!!)

 

[Barryh]

Maybe just the opposite! Some folks want to get their money's worth out of one unit, or don't have storage for more than one, or have small lawns, or have a large lawn but also have a need for other attachments occasionally, or they figure that the PT is the 'Swiss Army Knife' of lawn tractors or CUT, etc, etc, etc.

Personally, I have an antique Power King tractor that mows nicely, but I am more interested in preserving it for tractor shows than wearing it out mowing. It's 4' dozer blade is great for snow (which I don't need), but little else. The main work that it does now is pulling several trailer loads of 3000# of mulch around to the various gardens.

The Honda 3810 lawn tractor ran great (Honda!) for over 20 years, but it's mowing deck fell apart, and Honda wanted a fortune to replace it!

The PT Brush Cutter would mow OK, similar to a PT mower deck, but I didn't like using it. I really bought the PT-425 for the multitude of other jobs that it can do. I currently use the PT daily, but never to mow.

Last year I got a Hustler FasTrak ZTR. I love it! 52" cut. Smooth 20 HP Honda engine. So fast! So easy! So maneuverable! So comfortable! It mows beautifully, pulverizes leaves on the lawn and the trails, tows the aerator effortlessly, and it’s FUN!


So each of us makes decisions based upon our individual wants and needs.
You may think that I am crazy to have about $25,000 worth of landscape equipment around just to maintain an acre of lawn and 9 acres of woods, but for me it’s just right! I have the money, the storage space, the desire, and I don’t know how much more time to enjoy them, so if not now, when!??! (I don’t fit in sports cars any more!!)

Crazy? Nah I don't think so, with all of that land / woods I would think you have the perfect equipment for the job. I plan to buy more land when I retire. About 5 acres would do it for me as long as most of it were woods.

I have just over an acre now, and around 10,000 in equipment. I use every bit of it. As for the Z they do look like a lot of fun. I enjoy my rider though; even though it’s slow I like to causally cruise around the property pulling my cart doing things outside.

As for my Hot Rod days, I still want one more. I’ve had a 99 Trans AM convertible, (four) 70 Cuba’s, one was also a convertible. After my F-150 is paid off. I’m going after a new 08 Challenger with a 6.1 Semi/Hemi 6-speed. Even though it’s really a different horse, it’s still very close to the old 70 Cuda / Challenger body styles.

 

[MuncyBob]

NOT having the $$ and the storage for more equipment is the main reason half my 200 hours on the 422 have been spent mowing(2+ acres). I only hope that regular maintenance(and mowing barely 1 acre at a shot) will help prolong the life of the PT until the day comes that I too can have all the right stuff!

 

[Barryh]

NOT having the $$ and the storage for more equipment is the main reason half my 200 hours on the 422 have been spent mowing(2+ acres). I only hope that regular maintenance(and mowing barely 1 acre at a shot) will help prolong the life of the PT until the day comes that I too can have all the right stuff!

Hey I hear ya, I really didn't need to buy a PT. I just wanted one, now that I have it I am glad I bought it. I'm finding a million use's for it, but I really didn’t have the money either. Credit is a wonderful thing until you have to make those payments every month..

 

[BobRip]

My light modification to brighter halogens, placed at the top of the ROP’s angled down ward.

I just replaced the standard 25 watt tungsten head lamps with 55 watt halogens (Northern Number 18814). They were less than $10 for two. I am amazed at the difference.
I had cleared out a ditch a couple of weeks ago at night and was disappointed in the amout of light from the head lights. I changed to these and what a difference. They have roughly 4 times the light output of the standard bulbs. I had previously moved them to underneath the ROPs and these two changes combined give me as much light as automotive headlights (as least from the numbers). The automotive may have better reflectors.

 

[Barryh]

Mine are also 55 watt halogens. I'm sure they put a drain on the battery, but to me it's worth it. I go back into the woods at night every once in a while. It's nice to see everything bright and lit up.