Power Trac Visit

pajoube · Nov 5, 2002

Great Pictures Charlie
Your correct in both cases, big meal and the whole bottle.
I assume the white unit is the underground tractor but what is the green two seater on the left, transporter?
PJ

pajoube · Nov 5, 2002

Charlie,
What is the unit behind John? Looks like a red 422 but larger and has no canopy.
PJ

Charlie_Iliff · Nov 5, 2002

what is the green two seater on the left, transporter?
Paul:
The little green job on the left is a 3 wheel, two seat transporter to carry VIPs around the plant. We didn't qualify. They priced little vehicles to carry their supervisors around and found them too expensive, so they made up some using a Chevrolet starter motor with a chain drive front wheel. Then they made two seat versions, then they sold a few. I think they said the single seat one is $1500 or so, which is one third of the competition's price, they said.

Charlie_Iliff · Nov 5, 2002

What is the unit behind John? Looks like a red 422 but larger and has no canopy.
Paul: My recollection is that the red machine behind John was an older 1430. Every time I've been there, one or two older machines have been sitting there, accepted in trade, I guess, or turned back in by employees, or somehow reacquired. The older numbering system doesn't necessarily match, and generally the older machines don't have the quick attach, but their basic configuration is the same as the newer ones. The only exception to my eye, without taking measurements, is that Dave's 1418, which I think is the same as the 418 we saw, looks a little bit smaller than the 422-425. I've not seen them side by side or compared dimensions, however, and my impression may be wrong.

MossRoad · Nov 5, 2002

Great pics! Thanks to the three of you for being our voice to the factory. I appreciate it greatly. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

pajoube · Nov 5, 2002

Thanks Charlie:
We sure need a yearly get together, would love to meet you three.
PJ

davesisk · Nov 6, 2002

Just out of curiosity, is Power-trac aware that this forum exists AND how active it is?

Dave

Sedgewood · Nov 6, 2002

Dave: Just out of curiosity, is Power-trac aware that this forum exists AND how active it is?


They are now. It would appear they had no idea what this here "cult" is all about. And of how immensely important the internet can be to an out of the mainstream product line. Hey, they're still learning about the centrality of email to communicating today. They're smart. Once this stuff gets on they're radar screen I'm sure they will be enthusiastic adopters of the digital medium we love almost as much as our tractors.

Sedgewood

Sedgewood · Nov 6, 2002

Soon thereafter it was headed north in the bed of his pickup.

Indeed. I lifted it out of the pickup this morning and immediately grubbed out a couple of small tree stumps that had been annoying me. It's too early for a definitive report but here are a couple initial observations.

First, it's much smaller and lighter than the Lackender which I don't think is actually a disadvantage. True it won't dig as wide or deep but 90% of what it would get used for anyway will be within its 42 inch reach. As a general rule I've at first been put off by the lightness of PT's attachments but I've found them to be tough, certainly tough enough for what the relatively light tractor will subject them to. And lightness and compactness has its advantages in maneuverability and speed.

It's too early to be sure but I think I'm sensing that, with a careful initial bucket curl setting, a lot of digging can be done just by curling the arm and backing the machine without constantly reaching below to curl the bucket. I'll add a diverter button but its not the total productivity loss I thought it might be without one.

THe bucket curls far enough to almost touch the arm and does a pretty good grappling job. A thumb will help but it may not need to be very big.

The 42 inch length from attach plate to end of extended bucket limits the depth of a hole to about three feet plus any "bubenberg ramp". The tube could be lengthened but real care needs to be used to keep from lifting the front of the machine high enough to tip it over and the longer the boom the trickier it gets. The fast hydraulics and the rather sensitive joystick make that a real possibility.

My first reaction on seeing the bucket was that it has too many teeth. Four teeth on a 9 inch bucket nearly fill the edge and I think better ripping would be had with three teeth but I have no way to find out without hiring a smoke wrench jockey to rearrange things. That can wait. Maybe forever if it rips ok. Time will tell on that one.

I think I'm gonna use this little thing much more than I had anticipated.