Sedgewood
Platinum Member
My new 1845 has been here a week and I'm starting this thread to offer up my customization thoughts on this so far impressively capable machine.
Power Trac 1845 customizations
- Thread starter Sedgewood
- Start date
- Views: 1797
Box Blade
I decided after looking at the PT box blade that I needed something heavier to handle my long driveway maintenance needs. I looked at a couple of brands at local implement dealers and decided on a Bush Hog SBX series. The dealer had an SBX720 6ft in stock and my first impression was that it was just too big and intimidating for the 1845. So I ordered up a 5ft and later in the day as I was working with the 6ft rake I got thinking it was going to be important to have the blade wider than the 5ft wheel track so I decided to cancel the order & take the 6ft model. I have no experience with a box blade so its been tough trying to get to the right decision. This turned to be the right one. I then had the dealer weld on a quick attach plate which I'll have to photograph. I turns out the Bush Hog 3ph "tower" for the top link rises from the lower links at nearly the same slope as the beveled upper sides as the PT quick attach plate and the width is just right. It's a nearly perfect fit and a simple weld up. If anyone is looking for a box blade this series is worth checking out for this reason alone.
Wow, I should have had a box blade years ago - I've been struggling with grading with the FEL on my 484 all these years. What a pleasure it is to grade with this thing - especially with it up front where I can see what's going on. This model weighs about 550 lbs and I think I've already decided a couple of hundred extra lbs would make it grade more smoothly in float.
I decided after looking at the PT box blade that I needed something heavier to handle my long driveway maintenance needs. I looked at a couple of brands at local implement dealers and decided on a Bush Hog SBX series. The dealer had an SBX720 6ft in stock and my first impression was that it was just too big and intimidating for the 1845. So I ordered up a 5ft and later in the day as I was working with the 6ft rake I got thinking it was going to be important to have the blade wider than the 5ft wheel track so I decided to cancel the order & take the 6ft model. I have no experience with a box blade so its been tough trying to get to the right decision. This turned to be the right one. I then had the dealer weld on a quick attach plate which I'll have to photograph. I turns out the Bush Hog 3ph "tower" for the top link rises from the lower links at nearly the same slope as the beveled upper sides as the PT quick attach plate and the width is just right. It's a nearly perfect fit and a simple weld up. If anyone is looking for a box blade this series is worth checking out for this reason alone.
Wow, I should have had a box blade years ago - I've been struggling with grading with the FEL on my 484 all these years. What a pleasure it is to grade with this thing - especially with it up front where I can see what's going on. This model weighs about 550 lbs and I think I've already decided a couple of hundred extra lbs would make it grade more smoothly in float.
6ft Rake
When I ordered the rake with my 1845 it was the one attachment I was most unsure of for its usefulness. My first project with it has been to drag debris, branches out of the ditches along my driveway. It works great. But for one major problem. With my low-on-the-learning curve skill set I've managed more than once to jamb the tines down on a rock rather than float it down and quickly bent a few. A trip to the local implement dealer turned up some much heavier tines (for a hay rake I think) with 3/8 dia wire instead of 1/4 and about 18 inches long instead of 9. I replaced the 20 original tines with 10 of these giving me 4 inch tine spacing instead of 2 inch. Some limited testing makes me think I'll add the other 10 to get better control over the finer debris but in general it works much much better with the longer tines and I have yet to bend one. I do have yet to perfect the mounting arrangement to keep them from rotating about the bolts and loosing their alignment - more on that later when I get it worked out.
Anybody want some spare 9 inch tines for the cost of postage?
When I ordered the rake with my 1845 it was the one attachment I was most unsure of for its usefulness. My first project with it has been to drag debris, branches out of the ditches along my driveway. It works great. But for one major problem. With my low-on-the-learning curve skill set I've managed more than once to jamb the tines down on a rock rather than float it down and quickly bent a few. A trip to the local implement dealer turned up some much heavier tines (for a hay rake I think) with 3/8 dia wire instead of 1/4 and about 18 inches long instead of 9. I replaced the 20 original tines with 10 of these giving me 4 inch tine spacing instead of 2 inch. Some limited testing makes me think I'll add the other 10 to get better control over the finer debris but in general it works much much better with the longer tines and I have yet to bend one. I do have yet to perfect the mounting arrangement to keep them from rotating about the bolts and loosing their alignment - more on that later when I get it worked out.
Anybody want some spare 9 inch tines for the cost of postage?
pajoube
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2001
- Messages
- 2,225
- Location
- Montana (Near Bozeman)
- Tractor
- Former Owner PowerTrac 425 (September 2003)
Re: Box Blade
Congratulations on your new PT1845. Will be interested in seeing your pictures, be sure to take many. Also after you get more seat time please keep us updated.
PJ
Congratulations on your new PT1845. Will be interested in seeing your pictures, be sure to take many. Also after you get more seat time please keep us updated.
PJ
Lift & Curl fine adjustment
Or rather the lack thereof. As with my old 484 FEL, I find I'm having a hard time making fine adjustments to the FEL or other attachment positioning on the fly. If I stop the tractor and get focused I can feather it ok, but if I'm moving I just can't get it tweaked just right on-the-fly as it were. What about some kind of a parallel circuit for the hydraulic feed to the valve body that would restrict flow giving a sort of micro adjustment feature? Controlled by a stick mounted momentary thumb switch to a solenoid? Has anyone tried this? Are there better valve bodies that are easier to micro control? This is one improvement that would make quite an impact on my efficiency I think.
Or rather the lack thereof. As with my old 484 FEL, I find I'm having a hard time making fine adjustments to the FEL or other attachment positioning on the fly. If I stop the tractor and get focused I can feather it ok, but if I'm moving I just can't get it tweaked just right on-the-fly as it were. What about some kind of a parallel circuit for the hydraulic feed to the valve body that would restrict flow giving a sort of micro adjustment feature? Controlled by a stick mounted momentary thumb switch to a solenoid? Has anyone tried this? Are there better valve bodies that are easier to micro control? This is one improvement that would make quite an impact on my efficiency I think.
gerard
Veteran Member
Re: Lift & Curl fine adjustment
I've got a simpler idea that MIGHT work. My loader control has a metal cutout "flap" that you can flip down. It limits the motion of the joystick so it can't move. It's basically a lockout device that is just a flat piece of metal with a slit cut in it big enough for the joystick to slip into but not big enough to allow extra movement. If you made that slit a little bigger to allow SOME movement, you would accomplish what you described. It bascially would physically limit the range of motion of the joystick to permit SOME flow but not full flow. walla - micro control!!!
I've got a simpler idea that MIGHT work. My loader control has a metal cutout "flap" that you can flip down. It limits the motion of the joystick so it can't move. It's basically a lockout device that is just a flat piece of metal with a slit cut in it big enough for the joystick to slip into but not big enough to allow extra movement. If you made that slit a little bigger to allow SOME movement, you would accomplish what you described. It bascially would physically limit the range of motion of the joystick to permit SOME flow but not full flow. walla - micro control!!!
