PowerTrac Customizations

[pajoube]

It's been 30 years since I have done any welding. I have the desire, now I need the time. I just came back from Northern Tool and they have the three way hitch. Cabelas as you mentioned is only a few miles from where I live so will check them out.
There is so much out there to learn but then the search is half the fun.
Paul

 

[pajoube]

When test driving the 425 I really didn't pay much attention to the back end hitch. I assume it is stout enough to take the hitch you mention. I like your feet concept, would the unit need to be wider at the top of the tee?
Paul

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

MossRoad:
I think that would work. My only hesitation would be the possibility it would dimple the rear steel with a side load. I know that is heavy stuff, but even with your design, you have some leverage.
I have a 2" receiver in a 3 or 4" cross tube, with side plates that used to go to the car frame. I plan to move the side plates so they can be bolted to the PT, and then bolt the center to the current hitch.
Incidentally, you suggested I make up a red and black signature. I took a shot at it, but can't get the size right with Paint or PowerPoint, so far. How do you do dat?

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah, I was wondering about the side loads, but it will only be for small stuff at first(boat trailer, snowmobile trailer). If it starts to push in the rear, I'll weld the T to a quick attach plate and be done with it.

As far as the signature goes, I saw yours, looks great. I made mine by taking a picture of the unit from the side, then using paint shop pro to draw over it and erase the parts I didn't need(like me standing next to it!). I just stuck with the simple 16 colors. I eyeballed each implement. Then saved all the pictures as gifs in the size that I wanted completed. Then used gif animator to put them together with a 5 second delay between frames. As I get more attachments, I'll add frames.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

MossRoad:
I did considerable measuring and head scratching over the weekend (except when I was scraping our minuscule snowstorm off the road). I had hoped to adapt an old Reese hitch from a Cadillac to bolt on the back of the 1845, without disturbing the current pin hitch. I couldn't come up with a way that seemed appropriate and spread the loads laterally without a lot of cutting, welding and drilling, moving engine cover hinges, etc. My pin hitch has 2" clear between the ears, so I could just use a section of insert, weld it to a section of receiver tube and brace it per your drawing. I think that would work fine, but I think it will be a lot easier and stronger just to weld the old hitch all the way across the back of the PT, and add some simple triangular braces. That loses the factory hitch, but will make a pretty hefty installation. The guys at Power Trac said just to weld a receiver tube end to the back plate. They didn't even think braces were needed, so what I am planning will be overkill. Certainly anything rated for an 8000 lb trailer load on full braking on the highway will not be strained by anything we hook to the Power Trac. The particular hitch that I am using suffered no ill effects from a 360 degree excursion with Cadillac and horse trailer with two horses on the Baltimore Beltway. A lot of stuff on the trailer bent, but not the hitch.
It's appropriate to the Power Trac, however, to overbuild modifications as they did the basic machine.
I'll post pictures someday, I hope.
For my signature, I merely stole a logo from the Power Trac website and played with it through several programs until it came out the right size. I haven't any idea how I did it, since the size problem just disappeared at some point in Photoshop.
Maybe some day I'll find out how to do a more useful graphic than

, but for now I am focused on the hardware.

 

[MossRoad]

Sounds like a sturdy setup. Glad the Power Trac folks approve.

Before you weld on your equipment, are you going to disconnect all of the electrical stuff? I've never welded on a "live" vehicle with an in-tact electrical system. I've heard that you could damage the alternator, etc... ever heard of this?

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

MossRoad
I have heard of damaging the electrical system, by welding to a "live" vehicle, but have not experienced it or talked to anyone who had actually seen it. I hadn't thought of it until you mentioned it. I'll think about it, but suspect all I can do is unhook the battery. I can't guess what induced currents may run around, but assume that if there is a good ground close to the weld, major current goes back to the welder.
I have welded on cars and tractors without any problem, but can't say that the possibility of damage is an old wives' tail. I will start a new thread to see if anyone on the board knows.
Thanks.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations-Loading Ramps

When we purchased our PT425 we also purchased the 7' loading ramps from Power Trac. They are very sturdy. However, I had to come up with a way to attach them to our pickup truck, so that they could not slip off of the rear bumper. Here is what I came up with. See attached diagram.

I bought a 4' piece of 3/4" iron pipe.
Welded a piece of the pipe to the underside of the ramp.
Welded another piece of pipe to the top of the steel step bumper near the outside edge.
Repeated for the other ramp.
To secure the ramp to the bumper slide a piece of rebar through both pieces of pipe.

It works great.
After I get it cleaned up and painted, I'll take some pictures, as my welding is very ugly /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations - 1845 hitch

I tried to hitch to an old manure spreader. The Power Trac hitch wasn't deep enough. So, I took a smoke wrench and grinder to the factory hitch. Photo attached is after removal of lower ear of hitch.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Then modified an old rusty Reese hitch and welded it on. Don't be too critical of the welds, please. They are designed for strength, not beauty.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations - 1845 hitch

Hitch in primer - photo attached.
Having owned the Power Trac 10 days, and already cut of something and welded on something else, I suspect that I may keep it. Certainly I made returning it for a refund a bit unlikely.
But, no buyer's remorse so far.
Next project is to dismantle another old Reese hitch and mount the receiver on a quick attach plate to hook things to the front.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations-Loading Ramps

MossRoad:
Once you see our welds, you won't have any hesitation to post pictures of yours.
And, once you see our 2" hitch mount, your own design will look a lot better to you. Some day, I'll have a 2" receiver mounted platform/basket for carrying miscellaneous stuff.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations-Loading Ramps

Thanks! I don't feel so bad now /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif.

That looks great! It will be much handier than the pin type hitch. You can now put any type of hitch that you might need on a 2" bar and slip it in. Perfect!

Hey, you got a reverse light! I feel cheated.

Have you done the lube job yet? I had no troubles, although I did have to remove some bolts and covers to get to the treadle assembly.

 

[pajoube]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations-Loading Ramps

Thanks for the great photos, they have given me some very good ideas. Keep taking pictures.
Talked with a neighbor of mine who does welding, looks like it will be much cheapier to hire him than to train myself and buy the equipment.
Paul

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations-Loading Ramps

MossRoad:
I haven't done a lube or any other maintenance yet. I have about three and a half hours on it. I will be reading up and setting schedules, which I'll probably misplace, but until mowing starts, I won't be putting much time on unless we get a bunch of snow.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations; Light Brackets

Went to the scrap yard today and picked up several pieces of angle iron, square stock and some plate to start some practice welding and projects.

The first thing that I am going to attempt are some brackets to mount lights under the canopy facing forward and rear. I could have just drilled holes in the canopy to mount the lights, but decided that I would rather weld brackets to the underside and mount the lights to the brackets. That way, if I ever want to remove them, I can just grind down the welds instead of having to plug the holes.

I will need 4 brackets. For the brackets I am using one and a half inch square tubing, about 1/8 inch thick, 3 inches long. I drilled one hole in the middle of one of the sides of each bracket. All I have to do now is weld them in place and paint them. I will need to wait for warmer weather to do this, so I'll post pictures when the time comes.

 

[pajoube]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations; Light Brackets

Have not seen any updates from you in awhile, did you finish the light bar? Also looking at the weather pattern for your area I assume you got the large storm of last weekend. Did you have a chance to put the 425 into use?
Paul

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations; Light Brackets

We had about 4-5 inches of snow last week, then alot of ice. The blade did a fine job.

Right now, it is too cold to paint the light brackets, so I don't want to mount them until then, as I will be welding them to the underside of the canopy. I plan on removing the ROPS/Canopy and laying it upside down on the driveway so that I can weld in a comfortable position. Then I will paint them and the underside of the canopy and put the whole thing back in place.

This weather is lousy. Ground is frozen, so no digging. No snow, so no plowing. I think I'll go over to the "I miss my tractor " thread and whine some more! /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

 

[Bird]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations; Light Brackets

Don't feel too bad, David. It's certainly different down here in Texas, but may be just as bad. We had a very light, but almost continuous, rain for over 24 hours from Tuesday evening until last night (only about an inch and a third total), then it snowed last night./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Of course, since the temperature range has been about 28 to 38, you had to look close to see any sign of the snow on the car this morning./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I intended to set out onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage plants, and plant beets and squash next week, but the garden will still be too muddy.

However, I don't guess it matters, since I've committed to driving a truck for a fellow 10-12 hours a day this Friday and every day next week, so won't have time for the garden anyway./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

And to make matters worse, I'll probably never catch up on the forum again after next week./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PowerTrac Customizations; Light Brackets

Man, planting in February must be nice! I can plant stuff like spinach and radishes as soon as the ground is workable around the end of March or start of April.

I replaced my storm windows last fall, so I have a bunch of wood windows that I want to use for cold frames. Maybe I'll get an earlier start this year.

I put in some calls to a few local lawn and garden shops today looking for a chipper shredder with a blown engine that I can convert to hydraulic. Maybe a project that I can do in the cold. Until then, I have to wait.

Good luck driving next week. Catching up here after 24 hours is hard enough. One week would take at least a full day /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.