New PT-180 owner

[MossRoad]

I know that Power Tracs are supposed to be better than any CUT ever made, but it sure seems that owners have to work on them more than a little.

I get that they are unique, convenient, productive, etc., but robust? I'm not so sure.

Yep, it does get disappointing to have something break like that. Especially at low hours. Normal wear items I can see, like hoses, tires, etc... getting caught on stuff, that kind of thing. But things like the cold starting issues on the Robin engines, tram pumps, wheel motor seals, are frustrating.

Issues on my own machine have been exhaust port stud snapping off (have to remove muffler to replace batter on mine, which is downright goofy), two valve rocker bolts have backed out in about a month's time on different cylinders, two valve cover bolts have snapped off during removal to repair that, and the throttle cable has frozen up and needed to be replaced. Starter motor went out at about 10-12 years. Those have all been Kohler engine issues. PT issues haven't come up for me yet, but are inevitable. I do have some hose fittings starting to leak, so maybe time to go through those. I have about 1000 hours on the machine.

I had a crack in the brush cutter deck. This is most likely stress related, as others have had the same cracks. The area should be beefed up from the factory. I did it myself, but it's a design issue for sure.

The sensor that detects hydraulic temp and turns on the cooling fan is also a weak choice. It died about 5 years into it. I could replace it for about $30, but I just hard wired it in. Don't see a reason to not run the cooler fan all the time.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else major on my machine off the top of my head. I still enjoy it and would purchase again today if I needed a machine.

Last week I used it to shuttle 4 yards of concrete from the truck in front of the garage to the new slab behind the garage for an addition we're putting in. Truck couldn't go to the back due to abandoned septic tank and drywell. Went really fast.

 

[agjones]

I share your dream.

If they ever all run at the same time, you'll get the pic.

I'm not easy to work for claims the internal combustion crowd. :thumbsup:

 

[woodlandfarms]

So on my machine i bought it used and while i would jump at a moments notice to defend and aid the previous owner i had the initial fear of buying a lemon as i did not know him. So anyway the machine shows up on the back of a flatbed and is unloaded with all its implements. I start driving each one up the mile long driveway while my buddy stands guard over the remainder. It drives ok but it is weird at first. Anyway on my third trip i turn to grab the next implements but i go straight. No matter how i turn the machine won’t turn. I freak out. Busted hose. Steering valve failed. I honestly loose my ****. My biggest fear comes true as i feel i have been totally ripped off. My buddy comes up to see the drama. Asks me to get off the seat. He drives it a foot unable to make it turn (wheel spins - nothing happens). He looks around at the steering wheel. Then goes to his truck. Digging around in the bed he comes back with a rusty nail and jams it through the hole between the steering wheel and the steering valve. The cotter key had vibrated out . I think my pt has been with me for over 12 years and i will tell you that nail is there still to remind me of a whole bunch if things.

 

[MossRoad]

So on my machine i bought it used and while i would jump at a moments notice to defend and aid the previous owner i had the initial fear of buying a lemon as i did not know him. So anyway the machine shows up on the back of a flatbed and is unloaded with all its implements. I start driving each one up the mile long driveway while my buddy stands guard over the remainder. It drives ok but it is weird at first. Anyway on my third trip i turn to grab the next implements but i go straight. No matter how i turn the machine won’t turn. I freak out. Busted hose. Steering valve failed. I honestly loose my ****. My biggest fear comes true as i feel i have been totally ripped off. My buddy comes up to see the drama. Asks me to get off the seat. He drives it a foot unable to make it turn (wheel spins - nothing happens). He looks around at the steering wheel. Then goes to his truck. Digging around in the bed he comes back with a rusty nail and jams it through the hole between the steering wheel and the steering valve. The cotter key had vibrated out . I think my pt has been with me for over 12 years and i will tell you that nail is there still to remind me of a whole bunch if things.

NICE!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[curtjeep]

So on my machine i bought it used and while i would jump at a moments notice to defend and aid the previous owner i had the initial fear of buying a lemon as i did not know him. So anyway the machine shows up on the back of a flatbed and is unloaded with all its implements. I start driving each one up the mile long driveway while my buddy stands guard over the remainder. It drives ok but it is weird at first. Anyway on my third trip i turn to grab the next implements but i go straight. No matter how i turn the machine won’t turn. I freak out. Busted hose. Steering valve failed. I honestly loose my ****. My biggest fear comes true as i feel i have been totally ripped off. My buddy comes up to see the drama. Asks me to get off the seat. He drives it a foot unable to make it turn (wheel spins - nothing happens). He looks around at the steering wheel. Then goes to his truck. Digging around in the bed he comes back with a rusty nail and jams it through the hole between the steering wheel and the steering valve. The cotter key had vibrated out . I think my pt has been with me for over 12 years and i will tell you that nail is there still to remind me of a whole bunch if things.

Thanks for the story. I'm not gonna lie I have felt like i got a lemon... However, Mr. Terry is there to help me out with parts. I just hate that I have had so much downtime. It has less than 30 hours on it and I just spent all day swapping the tram pump, haha. Plus my brush cutter broke after maybe 3 hours of use over a week. On the bright side. I have a functioning tractor again and maybe I can test it tomorrow if weather permits.

 

[ponytug]

Well, if it is any consolation, I blew a wheel motor seal at five hours, and a second motor at ninety or so hours, (getting my rebuilt first motor back as a replacement), and I had thoughts of lemons, but my PT is at almost 1100 hours, and it has been a champ ever since.

So...hang in there, and hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on out. I had a JIC fitting (hydraulic line end piece) crack early on, but again it was a one off and I have not had any issues since then with hoses. I chalked that up to s**t happens, the same with second motor, and the first motor to operator error.

All the best,

Peter

Thanks for the story. I'm not gonna lie I have felt like i got a lemon... However, Mr. Terry is there to help me out with parts. I just hate that I have had so much downtime. It has less than 30 hours on it and I just spent all day swapping the tram pump, haha. Plus my brush cutter broke after maybe 3 hours of use over a week. On the bright side. I have a functioning tractor again and maybe I can test it tomorrow if weather permits.

 

[m5040]

When you think about it, the components are not made by Power Trac, they are off-the-self commercially available parts. If a Kohler engine blows up, it is not the fault of PT or whatever it is installed in, it is only Kohler's fault. However the machine gets the bad rap. (Your mower deck is a different story)

Well at least you are the tram pump changing expert on the site...

 

[curtjeep]

When you think about it, the components are not made by Power Trac, they are off-the-self commercially available parts. If a Kohler engine blows up, it is not the fault of PT or whatever it is installed in, it is only Kohler's fault. However the machine gets the bad rap. (Your mower deck is a different story)

Well at least you are the tram pump changing expert on the site...

Really, tram pump changing expert, huh??? Well,. Few pointers:

Go ahead a drain your hydraulic fluid into a container (or containers) where it can be reused.
I tried to only drain about 2 gallons and I still ended up making a mess... I left a hydraulic line in the bottom that steadily oozed fluid out all over the floor of the tractor and my garage while I was working on getting all of the fittings off my old tram pump. Then when I realized it I rushed over to move the hose so it wouldn't dribble all over the place and slipped in the fluid and busted my @55 and knocked over the hydraulic fluid I was attempting to save... I had to replace it with roughly 3 gallons to get the fluid level back up.

Disconnect and REMOVE the battery at least you will want to on the 180. I was on a zoom call with my reserve unit for training classes when I accidentally touched my wrench to the positive end of the battery while tightening the bolt to the new pump... The light show was noticed and ironically a COL in my unit was just discussing the types and signs of shock...

You can change it without disconnecting the PTO pump... I did this... However, it would have been much faster to just remove the PTO pump and get it outta the way.

Dry sweep or cat litter, keep some on hand.

 

[curtjeep]

When you think about it, the components are not made by Power Trac, they are off-the-self commercially available parts. If a Kohler engine blows up, it is not the fault of PT or whatever it is installed in, it is only Kohler's fault. However the machine gets the bad rap. (Your mower deck is a different story)

Well at least you are the tram pump changing expert on the site...

Also,

I have terrible luck when I buy anything. I always get the lemon, haha. I had a brand new Stihl chainsaw break the first time I tried to use it. My last jeep had the rear diff rebuilt with new gears and everything before I hit 10k miles on it because water got into the diff because there wasn't a breather hose attached to the rear axle. And numerous other things. It has made me a pretty decent shade tree mechanic, though.

 

[MossRoad]

Also,

I have terrible luck when I buy anything. I always get the lemon, haha. I had a brand new Stihl chainsaw break the first time I tried to use it. My last jeep had the rear diff rebuilt with new gears and everything before I hit 10k miles on it because water got into the diff because there wasn't a breather hose attached to the rear axle. And numerous other things. It has made me a pretty decent shade tree mechanic, though.

When life hands you lemons...

make grape juice.

Then sit back and watch as what world wonders how you did that.