Buying Advice Newbie Questons

[MossRoad]

Virginia...

 

[PTBill]

Thanks once again for all the input. Went to Tazewell this morning and met with Chris.

Really great showroom - very organized. Saw one slope mower that automatically adjusts the seat tilt when on steep slopes - nice. Also, saw the PT that is used in mining applications - what a beast. Looks like a monster PT or a military Hummer with a FEL. Mentioned to Chris that the website had been down the last few weeks and he said the problem has been fixed. Website is now working again as of yesterday. Got a CD with video of the different tractors and attachments - well done. Also, had a quick tour of the warehouse with all the inventory - also very organized. I'm satisfied that Power Trac will be around and will stand by their products for many years. Also, like the fact that the price sheets are openly provided unlike other Tractor dealers I have visited. No pressure to buy from Chris.

I was able to demo the PT425 with the 60" mower, 48" tiller, and Mini Hoe. It is great to be able to demo both the attachments and tractor together.

First impressions of the PT - take into consideration that I have never owned or operated a tractor.

It was longer than I thought, more rectangular than square. What a hunk of metal - solid. Looks like the body/frame will last 2-3 life times. Low tech in that there is no LCD panel for the instruments. Simple and sturdy. Not much of a platform for your feet. Steering wheel and seat does not fit the sturdiness of the rest of the tractor. Steering wheel a little upright for me - no adjustment. Quick attach was great. I did notice that the attachments seemed to shake somewhat. Chris said that was the nature of the quick attach. Although the attachment is locked secure it is not real tight so it wiggles.

The 60" mower seems solid but it discharges grass to the rear and I could see the clippings. I have a mulching deck on my zero turn and the clippings are really fine. Not sure the Power Trac deck would be sufficient, would be interested in other comments. Chris said the mower was one attachment that you wanted to have the revs all the way up for proper blade speed so that was not the problem with the clippings.

The tiller performed well. Chris even tilled up a gravel and sand driveway - impressive.

The mini hoe did a great job. Looks like a very good value to me.

Chris confirmed that the larger motor option is no longer available on the PT425 - I had read this in the forum. Asked about heat issues with current motor. He did not think it was a problem. Also, asked about the problems I had read about starting in the cold. He showed me the heat pad in the PT425 demo that he thought worked well. Asked about some sort or clutch to isolate the hydraulics from the motor for easier starting. He said it would add length and cost way too much (around 5 grand if I remember correctly).

I work on my own car and lawn mower so doing my own maintenance with Power Trac assistance fits me. I really dislike playing the "stealer" to fix my equipment. All in all I like the PT425. I like its looks, it's different. I'm currently stuck in SCUT versus PT425 purgatory.

Bill

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks once again for all the input. Went to Tazewell this morning and met with Chris.

Really great showroom - very organized. Saw one slope mower that automatically adjusts the seat tilt when on steep slopes - nice. Also, saw the PT that is used in mining applications - what a beast. Looks like a monster PT or a military Hummer with a FEL. Mentioned to Chris that the website had been down the last few weeks and he said the problem has been fixed. Website is now working again as of yesterday. Got a CD with video of the different tractors and attachments - well done. Also, had a quick tour of the warehouse with all the inventory - also very organized. I'm satisfied that Power Trac will be around and will stand by their products for many years. Also, like the fact that the price sheets are openly provided unlike other Tractor dealers I have visited. No pressure to buy from Chris.

I was able to demo the PT425 with the 60" mower, 48" tiller, and Mini Hoe. It is great to be able to demo both the attachments and tractor together.

First impressions of the PT - take into consideration that I have never owned or operated a tractor.

It was longer than I thought, more rectangular than square. What a hunk of metal - solid. Looks like the body/frame will last 2-3 life times. Low tech in that there is no LCD panel for the instruments. Simple and sturdy. Not much of a platform for your feet. Steering wheel and seat does not fit the sturdiness of the rest of the tractor. Steering wheel a little upright for me - no adjustment. Quick attach was great. I did notice that the attachments seemed to shake somewhat. Chris said that was the nature of the quick attach. Although the attachment is locked secure it is not real tight so it wiggles.

The 60" mower seems solid but it discharges grass to the rear and I could see the clippings. I have a mulching deck on my zero turn and the clippings are really fine. Not sure the Power Trac deck would be sufficient, would be interested in other comments. Chris said the mower was one attachment that you wanted to have the revs all the way up for proper blade speed so that was not the problem with the clippings.

The tiller performed well. Chris even tilled up a gravel and sand driveway - impressive.

The mini hoe did a great job. Looks like a very good value to me.

Chris confirmed that the larger motor option is no longer available on the PT425 - I had read this in the forum. Asked about heat issues with current motor. He did not think it was a problem. Also, asked about the problems I had read about starting in the cold. He showed me the heat pad in the PT425 demo that he thought worked well. Asked about some sort or clutch to isolate the hydraulics from the motor for easier starting. He said it would add length and cost way too much (around 5 grand if I remember correctly).

I work on my own car and lawn mower so doing my own maintenance with Power Trac assistance fits me. I really dislike playing the "stealer" to fix my equipment. All in all I like the PT425. I like its looks, it's different. I'm currently stuck in SCUT versus PT425 purgatory.

Bill

Well, if you decide to go the Power Trac route, the first thing you'll want to do is get a spinner knob for the steering wheel. It makes all the difference in the world. $10 at Tractor Supply. :thumbsup:

I have the 60" mower on my 2001 model year PT425. It works fine for my lawn and it worked fine for the Little League ball diamonds. It is not, however, the best mower for what I would call a 'show lawn'. If you keep the blades sharp, it gives a nice cut, but it tends to windrow on the right rear of the deck if you let your lawn go long. You can resolve this by mowing in a clockwise fashion from outside the lawn to the center, or counter-clockwise from the center out. But if you are into nice stripe patterns on your perfect lawn, you're going to have to cut more frequently or there will be windrows on every other pass. Also, its a pretty wide single piece deck, so if you have any sharp undulations in your lawn, you may scalp. The front casters are easily adjusted for height with just a pin and spacer rings, but the rear wheels require wrenches. Not a problem if, like me, you never change your cutting height. But if you do, its a 5 minute job with two wrenches.

Funny that you mention it was longer than you thought. I think its just the opposite! :laughing: Find me another 25HP tractor that can lift 800 pounds that can fit in the bed of a standard pickup truck with an attachment attached. Yes, with the front mounted mower, it is long compared to a lawn tractor with a belly mower, or a zero turn unit. But compared to a tractor with front end loader, its a very compact unit.

Yes, the attachments shake on the quick attach. Mine do, to. But 14 years later, none have ever fallen off!

As for cold weather starting, I'm sure he wouldn't think it was a problem. He lives in southern VA. Get that sucker up into a more northern climate and see how it goes. I hope the heat pad works.

And finally, a clutch between the hydraulics and the motor.... yep, it might lengthen the unit. But $5K.... I doubt that. I've seen some electric clutches for small off-road vehicles for about $1k.

Anyhow, welcome to Purgatory... we've all been there at one time. :dance1:

 

[woodlandfarms]

I think you said it was out of your budget but did you try the 1430?

 

[johara1]

Do not leave without the big bucket!!!! that is the best attachment of them all… 9 cubic feet filled with modified stone and just runs off with it. Try that with any other machine the size of a 425. they don't come close…….. jim

 

[PTBill]

I think you said it was out of your budget but did you try the 1430?

Yes the 1430 would be more than I would spend.

 

[PTBill]

Well, if you decide to go the Power Trac route, the first thing you'll want to do is get a spinner knob for the steering wheel. It makes all the difference in the world. $10 at Tractor Supply. :thumbsup:

I have the 60" mower on my 2001 model year PT425. It works fine for my lawn and it worked fine for the Little League ball diamonds. It is not, however, the best mower for what I would call a 'show lawn'. If you keep the blades sharp, it gives a nice cut, but it tends to windrow on the right rear of the deck if you let your lawn go long. You can resolve this by mowing in a clockwise fashion from outside the lawn to the center, or counter-clockwise from the center out. But if you are into nice stripe patterns on your perfect lawn, you're going to have to cut more frequently or there will be windrows on every other pass. Also, its a pretty wide single piece deck, so if you have any sharp undulations in your lawn, you may scalp. The front casters are easily adjusted for height with just a pin and spacer rings, but the rear wheels require wrenches. Not a problem if, like me, you never change your cutting height. But if you do, its a 5 minute job with two wrenches.

Funny that you mention it was longer than you thought. I think its just the opposite! :laughing: Find me another 25HP tractor that can lift 800 pounds that can fit in the bed of a standard pickup truck with an attachment attached. Yes, with the front mounted mower, it is long compared to a lawn tractor with a belly mower, or a zero turn unit. But compared to a tractor with front end loader, its a very compact unit.

Yes, the attachments shake on the quick attach. Mine do, to. But 14 years later, none have ever fallen off!

As for cold weather starting, I'm sure he wouldn't think it was a problem. He lives in southern VA. Get that sucker up into a more northern climate and see how it goes. I hope the heat pad works.

And finally, a clutch between the hydraulics and the motor.... yep, it might lengthen the unit. But $5K.... I doubt that. I've seen some electric clutches for small off-road vehicles for about $1k.

Anyhow, welcome to Purgatory... we've all been there at one time. :dance1:

Is there any good leaf solutions for the PT. I believe I read that someone (perhaps you) had tried towing a lawn sweeper while mowing for leaves.

Also, from what I have read there is no ballast required for the PT which would be a big plus for the PT. Attaching front or rear ballast seems expensive as well as a real pain.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[MossRoad]

Is there any good leaf solutions for the PT. I believe I read that someone (perhaps you) had tried towing a lawn sweeper while mowing for leaves.

Also, from what I have read there is no ballast required for the PT which would be a big plus for the PT. Attaching front or rear ballast seems expensive as well as a real pain.

Thanks,
Bill

Yes, I have a Brinley 42" lawn sweeper that I tow behind the PT425. It does a great job of picking up WHOLE leaves, but fills up very fast. It does NOT do a good job of picking up chopped leaves after passing over them with the PT425 60" mower. They get chopped up too fine and drop down into the grass too far for the sweeper to pick them up. I put a long rope on it so that I can dump it from the seat of the PT425. That is handy. However, its almost too lightweight of a unit to be used with the PT. It more of a garden tractor type attachment. I have damaged it on several occasions. The PT doesn't even know its back there and I don't feel any resistance when pulling it and have hit some items, or jammed a large stick into it and just dragged it all over the place. One time I even managed to tip the sweeper over and not notice it. The neighbor waved to me, I said "WHAT?" He pointed behind me.... I bent the bajeebers out of it! :laughing:

So, I end up not chopping up the leaves and just towing it with the PT, pick up the whole leaves, and make a bazillion passes. If I chop up the leaves, there are just too many and they suffocate the lawn. I'd like to find a turbine blower some day, but don't really need it. Leaf pickup only takes me maybe 2 hours, three times a fall.

There is no ballast required on the PT. However, many people have added weight to the rear just to be able to pick up more without the rears coming off the ground. Some have added liquid ballast to the rear tires as well. Personally, I think that may end up stressing the center articulating joints, so I won't do it. I'll find another way to deal with heavy items.

 

[PTBill]

Sorry for more questions....

I have been told that the front axle on a SCUT pivots - does the PT have any advantage with its 12 degrees oscillation over the SCUT?
Turning radius of a SCUT is 90" - turning radius of the PT425 is 95" even though it has articulated steering of +/- 45 degrees? Is this correct?

Does the PT425 have an advantage over the SCUT in handling?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[MossRoad]

Speaking only for the PT425 that I have and not any other Power Trac models...

The PT bends left/right in the middle 45 degrees in either direction. In addition to that, the front half can be leaning to either side up to a 12 degree different slope than the rear half (I can't remember if its 12 degrees total, or 12 degrees for each end, that would be 25 degrees total. I'll have to check that out). And it can do that in full turn in either direction, or going forward or backward. So when traversing uneven terrain or obstacles, there's a better chance of all four wheels being in contact with the ground at all times than there is on a conventional tractor.

Also, take into consideration turning. The way the PT works, the left front and right rear wheel motors are connected in series. So they always rotate in the same direction. Likewise, the right front and left rear are in series, so they always rotate in the same direction. Now imagine you are sitting on the tractor, not moving forward or backwards. If you crank the steering wheel all the way towards the right, both the front and rear right tires will roll towards each other while both the front and rear left tires roll away from each other. When you turn to the left, again, without moving forward or backward, the left tires roll towards each other and the right tires roll away from each other. Very little turf scuffing occurs with these machines.

If you try turning the wheel on a conventional tractor lock to lock without moving forward or backward, you'll tear the grass under the front tires. Kinda like squishing out a cigarette with the balls of your feet. Also, many conventional tractors, when in four wheel drive (or front wheel assist) will have problems scuffing the turf in tight turns. The differentials don't allow for it at tight angles and the front tires may plow instead of roll.

Another thing to remember is the very low center of gravity on a PT compared to a conventional tractor. Don't let the small ground clearance number of a PT discourage you. I take mine through the woods, over logs and debris, etc... it has a full plate steel underside that is pretty much a continuous skid plate. It is hard to damage these things. If I can get a tire onto it, I can probably go over it, without worrying about tipping over. I've only been hung up once. I went over a log on a downhill slope too slow and there was no earth on the other side and I got all 4 wheels in the air... think of a setting a turtle on a post. :laughing: Had to chainsaw a 2-3' section off the log, set that section of the log under the brush hog, and used the FEL to lift the front end of the unit up so I could pull out the section of log from under the tractor. Longest part of that ordeal was the walk of shame to the truck and back to retrieve the chainsaw. :cool2:

Anyhow, pound-for-pound, the PT is better at FEL tasks such as moving mulch, rocks, material, from point A to point B than a similar sized SCUT. Its better at snow removal. Its better at brush cutting. It lifts more than most SCUTs of similar weight. The Quick Attach let's you use it like a Swiss army knife. You can change non-powered implements in 15 seconds without getting off the tractor. Powered implements take about 30 seconds longer and requires you to get off the seat and hook up hydraulic hoses. It handles better than most SCUTs. Its a decent mower, but there are much better mowers. Trenchers? Post Hole Diggers? I don't have them, but from what I've seen, its no comparison, the PT wins hands down. It lacks the pulling power of a conventional tractor, but I have to wonder if a 1500# SCUT would have enough traction to pull stumps either.

Anyhow, have you seen any of the videos of my PT in action?