Buying Advice Need to find a PT owner in Minnesota

[Badback]

Hi,

I am reposting my initial message in this forum hoping for answers, should have done so in the first pace.

I am a retired engineer living on a 10 acre hobby farm in Prior Lake, MN. The hobby farm part is really Julie's horse hobby (two Icelandics). But, naturally, I have to help out.

There is pasture and other rough mowing in addition to the lawn, snow clearing, manure spreading, wood cutting and other cleanup chores. Julie has a very nice Kubota L4610 that mows the pastures with a 6' flail mower. The tractor also pulls the spreader (New Holland 513). There is an XMark HP ZT for the lawn.

I was using the ZT for trimming around the outside of the fencing (~3000 feet of fencing) and around our 1/3 acre nature pond. But, that is kind of rough on the ZT and me. So, last year, we traded our aging Bobcat skidsteer for a used New Holland CM274.

The Hew Holland is a 4wd, rear steer commercial mower with a 72" out front deck and a 48" snow blower. After a year with the New Holland I am unhappy with it. It feels very tippy, especially near the pond. This forces me to come at the pond edge at right angles and makes for a lot of work. It has a cab, which often makes it hard to get under trees but does keep you warm in the winter.

The snowblower is the biggest problem. It clogs too often, especially in heavy wet snow. There is a lip at the bottom of the chute which gets in the way.

We also miss the Bobcat for manure loading. I was using the Bobcat for snow plowing with a 7' blade. But, in the middle of a Minnesota winter you start to run out of places to push snow. A snowblower is much better for us. At my age (67) and with a bad back, it is hard for me to get in and out of a skidsteer.

So, we went looking for a better machine that would do everything. There is a Ventrac dealer in Minneapolis. We looked at a 4226D. Nice stable machine, great for mowing and snow blowing. But you have to take the cab off to connect the loader. And WOW, what a price!!! North of $40K with attachments and cab.

So, we are considering a PowerTrac. But we have concerns about buying one sight unseen. And, their snowblower looks wimpy, especially the exposed auger drive chain. A third party snowblower is a possible solution and I could use some help on sources. I did find FFC who makes a 48" model that will run on 8gpm, but it is pricey.

I tried to search the member list for a PowerTrac owner near me, but no luck. The member lists posted in the PT forum do list a member in Minnesota (DML), but when you look at the member profile, he is in KY. A trip to VA is not possible, but IA or WI would be doable.

We are considering a PT425 or possibly a PT1430.

So, I joined this forum hopping that I could find someone near me who would let us look at his machine.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Ron

 

[ernemats]

If I were you I would call Power Trac's office and talk to sales. Ask them if there are any power trac owners in your area, there are a lot of power trac owners that are not on the forum but the office has addresses and are willing to help you out.

 

[MossRoad]

Welcome to the PT forum! :thumbsup:

I have a PT425, but do not have a snow blower, only the plow. Your concerns about a plow VS blower are very correct. In heavy winters here in Indiana, I have to be careful or I can box myself in when piling snow up. A blower makes much more sense for you.

I know of no commercial cabs for the PT tractors. I saw a picture of one, once, about 10 years ago,and that was it. Several people have made their own, too.

 

[ponytug]

I think Mike O'Connor is in Western Wisconsin; I think he has an 1850 that he was using to restore prairie around his place. I don't recall his ID, and I don't know how often he checks in these days.

I had the same concerns before buying my 1445, but I was able to get to Tazewell.

For being out on a slopes occassionally and as a general purpose implement, PTs are great- but you have to be able to fix things on them yourself, or have a tractor mechanic down the road. The machines themselves are very simple. The user community here is invaluable.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Badback]

As I mentioned in another thread, I've been having trouble getting anybody at the factory.

Who do you tak to, is there a direct number?

I really want to find a PT 425 owner, hoping that he will let me look at his machine. The "woman" objects to buying anything sight unseen.

Martin Cab (martincab.com) looks like it might have a solution for a PT425, don't know the cost.

FFC has a blower that should work on the PT425 (LAF6748A)but it is pricey($5200 delivered from Iowa), It has seperate motors for auger and impeller and is heavy at 480lbs. It is rated to run on 8gpm@2000-3000psi. The factory guy says that it should be OK at 8gpm. I don't like the looks of the PT blower, that exposed chain bothers me and the auger looks wimpey.

I wanted to ask PT if they had any other suggestions. The snowblower is the biggest sticking point for buying a PT425.

I am very mechanically oriented(most electrical engineers are) and can fix anything. I have CNC machine tools in my basement(mill and lathe) and can make fittings and such. I have plenty of tools and compressed air in a new comfortable barn with lots of room and light. I just need to get a welder.

The only thing that gets in my way is my seriously bad back. All of my discs are crumbling like crushed pecan sandies. a PT would sure help me with a lot of stuff around here.

 

[RegL]

Hey! I like the yellow PT on that Martin Cab site. Looks like an 1860. Gotta see how much they would charge for a cab for the 1430.

http://martincab.com/uploads/galleryimages/Mcab3a.jpg

 

[Clumber]

Hey! I like the yellow PT on that Martin Cab site. Looks like an 1860. Gotta see how much they would charge for a cab for the 1430.

http://martincab.com/uploads/galleryimages/Mcab3a.jpg

Is that a hydraulic line going to the AC unit? The PT would be too tall to enter my garage with that AC unit on top.

 

[Badback]

I plan to ask for a price for a PT425. Soft rear curtain, soft doors but glass front with wiper (but NO A/C). I would just remove the doors in the summer. I will post it when I have it.

 

[Clumber]

Also, it is not clear how they still achieved articulation. The cab appears to be attached to both the front and rear tub. I guess the cab is really only attached to the front part.

The entire cab must tilt forward to allow raising the engine/tub cover??? Nice fire extinguisher mount on the cover. The front glass seems to be close to the joystick. I hope putting the joystick in float mode is not restricted.

I don't see a windshield wiper. I would also hope that the cab affords the same rollover protection as the standard ROPS.

 

[Badback]

Clumber,

My plan is to attach the front glass section to the existing ROPS bar, what holds up the canopy. I would get soft side doors hinged at the front, also attached to the ROPS.

In the back, a piece of U shaped square channel steel can be attached to the the underside of the canopy and hang down, maybe attached to the back of the seat bracket at the bottom, maybe not. This part would be easy to make with stuff from the hardware store. This would hold a soft rear curtain and the door latches. Everythind would be attached to the front section.

The Martin stuff is all modular and you can buy just what you want. They now come with a wiper. Everything is custom sized, so the doors can be cut to clear the articulation and the rear curtain can be made to clear the engine cover.

In the summer I would remove only the doors.

This would not make for a perfectly sealed cab but would be better than none.

For heat, I'm thinking that a PT similar hydraulic oil cooler could be placed under the seat, attached to the rear section and plumbed in parallel with the existing oil cooler, with a valve. The valve would allow for heat adjustment and seasonal shutoff. A 12V fan would blow heat forward into the cab.

Work lights can be attached to the top corners of the front, with mabe a rear facing one attached at the back. Inside the cab, a fan aimed at the windsheild would help keep it clear of condensation.

Most of what comes at you from a snowblower is in the front. So, some openess in the back is probably not a big concern.

In rough mowing and with other attachments, the windsheild would keep branches and debris out of your face. The rear curtain would cut down on the horse flys.

What do you think?