power-trac v. CUT

[jfdlaw]

I need some input.

I've been looking at tractors for about a year. We have 13 acres of hills and trees surrounding our house. We have a 400 foot level driveway and an old dirt road leading to the recreational portion of our property. The road goes down a hill that covers about 130 feet of elevation over 650 feet of length. I have a Polaris ranger that will handle all but the few steep parts in two wheel drive.

I want something to do:
- FEL work, loading & spreading mulch, probably a grapple bucket to pick up the limbs, brush etc.
- snowblower. It snows alot around here.
- some grading with either a blade and/or a backblade. There are some high spots on the dirt road I would like to knock down and ruts I would like to fill.
- Once or twice a year I rent a chipper to get rid of the brush and limbs, and thought about buying a PTO unit, but its not that hard visiting the local rental yard.
- I leave the lawn cutting to others, so that is not a priority.

My concern is that there are projects I want to do down the hill, off the level ground. I don't anticipate doing work on hillsides but I will have to get the machine up and down the dirt road and will do some work while on the slope.

I came very close to buying a Case DX40 (NH TC40D twin) last month. (Some last minute pressure from the dealer turned me off) I was also seriously considering a Deere 4410, but got distracted by the Case. I now think that given my hills, and the fact that I won't be using the rear pto/3pt hitch much, a power-trac might be a better answer.

One of the neat things the Case featured was a "quick attach" on the FEL that mates to skid steer type attachments. The ability to run standard skid steer implements was a big part of the attraction to the Case. The power trac offers similar ability to change front implements, but they are all proprietary, you can't use standard skid steer attachments. I'd rather be able to use standard attachments.

One part of me likes a CUT like the Deere or the NH/Case with big comfortable operating areas, standard connections and local dealer support.

The other thinks the Power-trac is better on the hills and probably better suited for the tasks I want to perform.

I'm thinking about a PT-1430. I think I'm going to visit the factory in a few weeks

Let me know what you think. Thanks.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I don't own a PT, I own a couple CUTs and I recently bought a new small tractor for mowing and specifically to be able to mow steep spots and work on hill sides. I looked at PT and decided against it, mostly because of my desire to buy the best mower I could find.

From what I can see, PT makes a better machine for doing most of the tasks that a CUT does, especially on uneven ground or slopes. The PT is not specifically designed for slopes but it has a lower center of gravity than a CUT and the frame oscillates and articulates so that it keeps all 4 wheels on the ground even when the ground is very bumpy, rutted or sloped.

A PT machine does loader work better than any CUT. I don't know that first hand, but I have used articulated loaders and lifts and they can outwork any tractor I have ever driven. Implement changes with PT are measured in seconds and many can be made without leaving the seat.

There are some downsides to PT equipment. No dealer support, proprietary implements, limited implement choices. I don't think a chipper is available at all. And they are pretty much butt ugly.

 

[pajoube]

I have been a proud owner of a PowerTrac for about 9 months now and have over 200 hours on it (425). For the tasks you have layed out the PowerTrac 1430 would be a great choice. Having the attachments up front of you is a real plus. The quick attachment of each one allows the opertor to do double the work from the conventional CUT.
You mentioned going to the factory (I also did this) which I recommend if at all possible. Test all the equipment and types of tractors, this will give you the best answer.
PJ

 

[Soundguy]

Well from experience here on the forum.. I guess it could be said /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif that a power track greatly exceeds anything that any class of tractor could ever accomplish.. and they it will make every task in your life easier.. and simply, is the best piece of machinery for any and every job /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Ok.. ya got me.. I'm poking a bit of good humor'ed fun at the PT.

Think of the PT as a consumer grade piece of heavy equipment ( light equipment? ) Perhaps a step removed from a skidsteer.

There are pros' a nd cons for the PT and a farm tractor.. both have widely overlapping areas of use.. with each being better at certain tasks. For instance.. if all you wanted was a front end loader and nothing else mattered.. I don't see a tractor with a FEL being able to out compete a PT. On the other hand.. if you are strictly doing ag work.. I see a tractor as being a more 'all around jack of all trades' machine. Especially some of the ones with specail attatchments for specific work.. etc.

In any case.. it will be your money.. get something you are happy and comfterable with.. no matter what it is.

I see you fitting into a CUT easilly with what you mentioned.. however that does not preclude other options as well..

Soundguy

 

[Moon]

Because of my hills, and never haven driven a CUT on the hills I considered the Power Trac when I was shopping for a tractor. I went to the factory and tried em out, as well as trying green, blue and orange CUTs.
I ended up buying a Kubota Grand L3010. Biggest advantages of it over the PT were the bucket size, FEL max height (9ft), and the weight of the CUT. The weight makes it so much more stable on my hills. The PT435 was fun to drive, but reminded me of my simplicity garden tractor as far as weight went. I have lots of sticks n stones that I wanted to move / clear and the CUT does a dandy job of that, and handles the hills just fine. I have some muddy trails that when wet, my R4's fill with mud and I have to take another route, or stay off of em until they dry (which is a good idea anyway, but sometimes it can't be helped).
The articulating and the front implements on the PT are very handy. It sure is easy to see your work. But lack of dealer support is a major disadvantage in my eyes. I guess I just like a dealer a little closer by, for parts and whatnot. A big advantage of the PT is its mowing capabilities. Since it articulates it can easily mow around trees and landscaping, much like a ZTR, Steiner or Ventrac. The biggest surprise to me was that the PT folks did not have a hill to try it out on. They are located in the mountains, hills all around, but the test drive area is flat as can be. I would have thought they would use some of their own equiptment to create a hill to get the feel of the PT's on, but they hadn't done that two years ago when I visited.
One other CUT advantage, from my viewpoint, is that you can use your FEL and have a back blade or box blade or bush hog on the 3ph. so you have two implements you can work while your doing your clearing. For me this comes in very handy.
No easy answer for you, and all this is just my humble opinion.
Hope this helps,
Moon of Ohio

 

[TBrown]

I agonized over the same decision this spring. I really wanted the Power-Trac, went so far as having Kristy fax me a copy of a purchase order all filled out with the attachments I wanted. But I couldn't do it. The deal-breaker for me was the snowblower. I live on the shoulder of Tug Hill, we get around 300 inches of snow a year, and its normal to have to snowblow twice a day for weeks on end in the dead of winter. I couldn't risk buying a machine that might not be able to effectively handle that kind of snow-removal. Nobody on this forum has any experience with the Power-Trac snowblower, and it being proprietary, you're pretty much stuck with their design. Its no secret that it takes alot of hp to run a snowblower with hydraulics. I was afraid that it might not be up to the task. The folks a PT said they work great, but then again, they work at PT, and I don't think Tazewell gets enough snow to really tax the things, maybe a few times a season, but bank management is probably not a factor.

If you go to Tazewell, maybe they could give you some names of people up north who have the snowblower, and maybe you could get a few customer opinions. If folks with real world experience give it positive reviews, then I'd go with the PT.

I ended up going with a CUT, I know alot of people with 3pt mounted snowblowers, and they work great. For me, this was too big a purchase to take chance.

 

[IrTxRx]

I am in the same boat you are and have gotten lots of input from the TBN board. I have also been secretly /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif compiling a list of PT owners who have the "more bigger" machines (can't bring myself to call the 425, 422 or even 180 "small: /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). If you want, PM me and I will let you know who owns the 1430 and above size machines. I have essentially decides sight unseen that I am going to purchase a PT instead of a traditional CUT. Believe me, this is a huge deal because I have never seen one of these in Texas. it is also a huge deal because they are a helluva lot more expensive than CUT package deals we can get here, right now, today, with dealer support /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif (e.g. about %50 more $$$ for similar HP, lift capacity and implements).

So what this means to me is that I have to wait longer to buy a tractor.

I may change my mind come money time, but I doubt it. Let me tell you what made the decision for me (listed in no specific order):

1) I do not have any ground engaging Ag work to do
2) I am a little wierd and like the idea of doing things a little differently
3) The FEL design compared to a CUT seems really sound
4) The mechanics seem really sound (i.e. and engine, hydraulic pumps and hoses... no clutch, no transmission, etc)
5) I like that I will be able to field mow and yard mow with the same tractor (my time is precious)
6) I am very unhandy, but my auto mechanic said he would have no problem fixing the tractor, my lawn mower guy said he would have no problem servicing the mower decks, and my neighbor said if I let him till his garden with it, he will weld anything I want welded (he's retired and all his equipment looks showroom quality)
7) Oh yeah, about a month ago one of our neighbors rolled his 4WD CUT on a slope that is more gentle than my property and died. His kids are grown, mine aren't /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I understand where you are coming from with regards to implements, dealer support, cost, commonness of a CUT. I will be curious to hear what you decide.

Best luck

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Oh yeah, about a month ago one of our neighbors rolled his 4WD CUT on a slope that is more gentle than my property and died. His kids are grown, mine aren't /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )</font>


It takes about a 1/2 second to flip a tractor over on flat ground, the problem is most people are only careful on hills. I am a believer in using the safest type of equipment you can in the safest way possible.

 

[Henro]

Follow up question on that accident.

Do you know if the CUT had a ROPS? Also, was the operator wearing his seat belt?

I try to wear my seatbelt all the time but don't always. Maybe 90% of the time or more though. Before I made a light-duty FOPS I worried a lot about having the belt on when on a slope with trees. I kept getting visions of tipping and a tree sliding down my side of my ROPS and flattening me as I was held in the seat by the seatbelt... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Any details you might be able to supply about that accident might help make some of us think safety more often...

Very sorry to hear about that accident...

edit: I replied to Bob's post was directing the question to IrTxRx... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[IrTxRx]

Henro,

I have never seen the tractor. The town fire marshall who was at the accident and said the man was "crushed" by the tractor. I would think that this would require that there was either no seat belt or no ROPS. Since it was a 4WD, I just had a picture in my mind of a tractor with ROPS, but I don't know. I really didn't ask for deatails, but I guess I should for information and as a reminder to all of us.

Given the property, i doubt trees were involved.