Re: Power Trac PT425 4\' Brush Hog Works Great
I think PTRich said it pretty well.
I only have about 14 hours on it so far. About 2 hours of small tooth bucket loader work, 2 hours of brush hogging, 6 hours of snow plowing, 15 minutes of awsome forklift time and the rest is goofing around time and warm ups on really cold days. I still occasionally move the joystick in the wrong direction, but it is becoming second nature as I spend more time on it.
I have only used the small bucket with teeth so far. It digs into the sod very well, even with the turf tires(did you see the videos on my web site?). The large bucket hold twice as much, and I plan on using that for moving mulch, compost and other light materials if we ever move out to our property(probably in a few years). If I ever had to do a larger excavation, I would probably use the small bucket to tear everything up and stockpile it to the side, then switch to the large bucket to haul it away. It only takes 20 seconds to change buckets (did you see the video on my website?). I am also thinking of fabricating a graple for the smaller bucket for grabbing branches and other large awkward items.
I haven't used the finish mower yet, but to adjust the cutting height, you pull a lynch pin and change some spacers on the front wheel support. I'll try to take some pictures in the next few weeks, as the finish mower is burried in the garage right now. I've seen more conveneint methods for changing mowing heights, but really, how often do you change mowing height? I haven't changed it on my Simplicity for 6 years! And it does float. Since it is attached to the loader arms by the quick attach, all you have to do is put the joystick in the float position and off you go. Another owner that I talked to said that sometimes it does not float up fast enough when approaching very steep hills, so all he does is bump the loader arms up a little until he starts up the hill, then puts it back in the float position.
The picture of the trail that the brush hog cut is going with the grain in an old field. When I went across the grain, the brush hog just went up and over the ridges with ease. Its height is controlled the exact same way as the finish mower, so I don't think it would be a problem, although I would have the lot leveled by a pro with the proper equipment. It would be worth it in the long run.
I have not had to change the filters yet, and I keep eying them up and awaiting that day. I'll be sure to post my opinion as soon as it happens. Other owners say it is not that bad, so I'll defer to them for now.
As far as the price per horse power ratio, here is a link to a much earlier thread where I did a the math <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=other&Number=95809&Search=true&Forum=All_Forums&Words=pt425%20pt422&Match=And&Searchpage=0&Limit=50&Old=allposts&Main=91187> how much bang for your buck </A> These were based on the prices that I had at the time.
Hope this answers some questions. Feel free to ask more as you think of them.