New PT, New Problems

[duane]

Marrt,

Measure the voltage at the battery with engine off. It should be between 12 and 13 volts. With the engine on, it should read higher, upto to 14 - 14.5 volts. Kohler gives a range in their manual.

The battery caps are vented, so a little leakage over rough terrain is possible. As the battery heats up, the electrolyte expands, and if too full cold, it would overflow. Probably a good idea for PT owners to install battery trays to catch any leakage.

Keep us informed and good luck.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I feel your pain.....Although not related to your Power-Trac woes,I have found that quality control in manufacturing seems to be at an all time low.Warrenty is parts,not labor,so that replacement is almost not a cost for most manufacturers.I am in the service industry,and have had more "new right out of the box" parts and equipment failure(including defective parts to replace the defective part) in the last year,to just about destroy my faith in "buy new,or you'll just be buying someone else's headache.
Manufacturers have discovered that it is more cost effective to replace "errors" in the field than to test their product before shipment....
Only a minor reflection onto Power-Trac,as I do admire their product.They ,however,do function in a "lowest bidder,best bang for the buck"enviorment in respect to their component suppliers,and and get hosed with to"so sorry,will send you a replacement part"(you'll have to wait a day or so for the replacement,sorry for the inconvience)
The ony way this sort of aggrevation is ever going to cease for the end user is if all components are manufactured in house,and all finished products are throughly tested before shipment......

 

[pajoube]

On the other hand, PT and other sellers of quality products must take a stand with their suppliers. A defective part on a tractor reflects back on PT just as much as the manufacture of the part. PT and others are going to have to demand quality from their suppliers or their image will go down as well.
PJ

 

[marrt]

I finally found time this weekend to put everything back together. Two coats of Rustolium primer and two coats of Rusolium “John Deere Green.” For those interested, this color matches the PT Green almost perfectly. I really can’t tell the difference. That’s good because I was not able to locate the actual color from Sherwin Williams and I didn’t want to wait for PT to send me some.

I chose an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery from Sears to replace to Interstate battery. The AGM battery should be absolutely maintenance free and should not leak under normal conditions. This battery is marketed as a wheel chair battery and is almost a perfect fit (model 27131). I paid $67 for the battery. However, there was some confusion as to the correct price (it may cost about $20 more as Sears could not determine the correct price). I tested the battery voltage before installation and it registered 11.3 volts. Obviously, the battery needed charging but I installed it anyway as I don’t have a charger and didn’t want to wait. It cranked the PT just fine. At full throttle, I registered 12.3 volts. I think the earlier comments about the Kohler charger being basically a “trickle charger” are correct.

So, what caused the battery to overflow? I’m not entirely sure but I now think the muffler is partially to blame. After running the tractor for an hour, I checked the voltage again and it was same as before. However, the positive terminal, which, on this battery, is directly under the muffler, was too hot to touch. It had to be 150 degrees or better. The air flow coming around the right cylinder (from the rear) “reflects” off the muffler down onto the battery. This, in turn, heats the battery. The original equipment muffler is round and probably does not have this problem. I intend to call PT tomorrow and ask them how long they have used this muffler on the 425. Not long I suspect. I may see how much a “round” muffler costs and replace mine. In the brochure for the 2425, this muffler is used with an insulating cover and the same engine. This could be another option. The battery was so hot that, when I put water on it to cool it off, I could see steam rising. Given that the life expectancy of any battery degreases by 50% for every 15 degrees above 77 degrees, this will definitely cause the battery to fail in no time flat. Stay tuned.

With regard to the fan, I jumped the relay and the fan ran fine. I then put a 15 amp fuse in, replacing the 10 amp fuse, and it did not fail in 1.5 hours mowing. Scott, you may want to swap the 20 amp fuse PT recommended with a 15 amp fuse. No reason to go all the way to 20 amps if it’s not needed.

Otherwise, the tractor performed like a dream. I really like the rear discharge mower. There is a small 4 inch wide windrow on the right side of the mower. However, I overlap each row about 6-8 inches and that solves the problem. I wish the steering wheel was more responsive however. I installed a spinner knob and it helps a lot. When I get time, I will take some pictures of my “great earth moving project.” It’s really impressive what this machine can do with a little patience. Later.

 

[MossRoad]

Glad you found a good battery choice for replacement.

The muffler problem is disturbing. It shouldn't have been released from the factory in that configuration. Is power trac taking any responsibility for this problem? In my opinion, they should.

My engine compartment gets hot with the round muffler as well. The next time I mow, I'll check the area around the battery just to make sure. If I remember, I'll use the meat thermometer.

The paint choice is also good to know. I'll try it instead of what power trac sent me when I do my 50 hour service, which is coming up soon. I plan on giving the machine a thorough cleaning and documentation of what's right and wrong at this interval.

My mower leaves a small windrow on the right side if the grass is long as well. I might try some different blades next year just for fun. Someone mentioned universal blades. Maybe they make some with higher lift. I raised the cutting height to the second to last holes on the rear wheels and one spacer ring on the front wheels on the 60" deck today. I noticed a small to almost none windrow. And I want to keep the grass longer this year so I don't have to water as much.

Looking forward to the pictures of the earth moving project.

Thanks for the updates.

 

[PTRich]

I was the one who got the universal blades, I bought them at Home Depot, they are high lift and I now have little or no hedge rows. On another note: a friend of mine uses mixed gas in his regular 4 cycle Honda motor with little problem. I ran very low on gas and used mixed gas. After a while my spark plugs fowled, I also think my fuel filter is not runinng properly. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[deadstick]

Next time I'm heavily using the PT I'll check the temp around the battery to see if it too hot for the touch... I have the same muffler configuration as you and have run 3hrs in 92+ degree heat with no battery problems.

 

[bryce]

Moss Road. Does the grass from the rear of your mower throw any grass into, or onto, the front of the machine? Does the 25hp Kohler have enough power to mow heavy wet grass going up a hill? Robert

 

[Scott_F]

<font color=red>Scott, you may want to swap the 20 amp fuse PT recommended with a 15 amp fuse</font color=red>
I was thinking that too, but after I tested the fan with a 10 amp fuse, cleaned the battery and put it all back together it ran fine for an hour+ with the 10 amp. I don't get it, but at least everything seems to be working fine. I'll try and remember to check how hot the battery is next time I use it. Glad you're back up and running too.

Scott

 

[MossRoad]

There is a little grass on the very front "shelf" where the loader arms attach. It is not much at all. I have a very flat yard, so there are no hills to mow. I try not to mow when it is wet, so I have no experience with that. I have heard that the 60" mower does not do so well up hill in wet heavy stuff. As recall from other posts, the engine starts to bog down and traction becomes an issue.

Anyone else want to speak up on the issue of the PT425 mowing wet grass up hill?

I do have some experience with the 48" brush mower. It has plenty of power in wet heavy stuff. I was mowing in light snow. The only reason I stopped was due to me being cold and wet. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif