PowerTrac Specific Modifications

m5040 · Oct 31, 2019

What do you intend to do with the hoe? I have a John Deere 310 but still bought a front hoe for my PT1430. I surely wouldn't want to do 1k' of trench with it, but for small jobs it is really nice to have, especially that it can dig, pick and carry (again without damage to turf). I don't know if it is right or wrong, but one way I use mine is like a scraper, I set the angle of the bucket and back up 6' or so and it fills the bucket, and digs a 1-2" trench each time. The PT video shows them cut in by curling the bucket which is the way I did it the first time I ever used a tractor/loader/backhoe (I didn't know you were supposed to use the crowd cylinder).
I have the smallest PT made, 180. I contemplate putting a diesel in it because it drinks a lot of gas when mowing. I think the way to go is air cooled diesel if you can find one. But I might try something I pickup that is in good condition but priced right. I hate the thought of cutting and extending the tub, but that would help the stability.

MossRoad · Oct 31, 2019

I think I'd find a used Toro Groundsmaster and mow with that before I'd hack up my beloved PT425. :laughing:

MossRoad · Oct 31, 2019

As for the hoe, my original intentions were to dig out several hundred, maybe a thousand small tree stumps in a 6 acre field that I mistakenly let go wild, thinking it would be great. It wasn't. Wild cherry took over everything and in 18 years it's a mono forest of useless wood. But now I'm just cutting them down, leaving the stumps tall enough so I can see them, and stacking the trees to the sides. No need to dig them out. Nature will rot them out in 10 years.

I got all the steel for the hoe for free. All I need to do is cut off the temp tires, install some permanent tires, and fab up some outriggers. Then either build or buy a bucket. Anyhoe... hahaha it'll have to wait.

Pete1961 · Nov 1, 2019

The reason the Lombardini conversions have worked well on the Struck belt drives is this : - The stock gas engines are 13 or 16 hp & max revs of 3600. The torque curve on these gas engines give peak torque @ 2500. The tractor is single speed & max 3.1 mph, so about 2 mph @ engine peak torque.
The Lombardini is 3600 rpm max, same torque output BUT max torque is developed @ 1800 rpm with good torque in the 1600 to 2000 band. Thus the tractor now develops its max torque @ 1.5 mph - much more usable, to say nothing of the fuel saved & the bit extra weight helps traction. SAE bolt circle & shaft same for both engines. Has been done on the Mag junior & RS 1000 with good results I am told.
Granted this is not an issue for the P-T with a variable pump transmission, all you would gain is less fuel used & maybe? a longer engine life than the 2000 hr gas motor.
As to what I would do with a P-T - well small scale commercial landscaping / garden works (as I do now with rented mini excavator & mini dumper) The ability of some forks work moving slabs etc a bonus. The plow thing would be largely a once a year thing on my own land, another bonus but not the main reason for owning.
I do have a towable I am working on but it has been butchered by a past owner in the swing area, destroying its balance. I have at last got together the info/measurements for the missing part to convert back, Have made full scale wooden 3D mock up of kingpost & boom area to prove success. Should look like this at bottom of page when finished, machine owned by Shaun is closest
Gopher towable diggers, Manor excavators, backhoes
I need a pinion for my big lathe to go further - Pic to follow of how machine currently is to follow when I find one.

Pete1961 · Nov 1, 2019

Hopefully Pic of machine - the swing system of a cat 2 3pt Twose hoe was fitted - bringing the swing post 20'' forward. This means the rear wheels barely stay on ground - I have the original underfloor swing cyls & chain. Also the driver no longer swings behind the hoe as a 'living counterweight'
The Deere 310 looks a nice machine, about on a par with a Case 580? Deere used to manufacture in Mannheim Germany - but no longer sell construction range at all in Europe - pity

m5040 · Jun 9, 2020

PT180 Hyd filter change, rest gauge

It is 2 weeks before the 1 year anniversary for my PT180 and it came up to the 50 hr filter change. While I was at it, I installed a restriction gauge to monitor the filter health. This time I used a better fluid filled gauge. No pretty red/yellow/green but the needle holds nice and steady. When I finished it was a cold start at 70 deg ambient temp. The first pick shows restriction with new filter at idle, 2nd pic shows at high idle. Interesting the 3rd pic shows the restriction after 1 hour use and the oil temp at 160 deg. I would have thought it would have been lower then the cold start.

Just figure I would mention again, but I pulled the magnet I tether to the filler cap and wiped it off with a clean paper-towel, see what the pic showed of debris collected on the magnet.

Also I pulled the spark plugs out to assist with bleeding the tram (so the starter doesn't have to overcome the compression). I found it somewhat concerning that the threads seemed to have carbon deposits indicating the plug projects into the cylinder. Can that be? I would have thought they should be flush. Anyway, I put some neversieze on the plugs and buttoned it up for the next 50 hrs.

cqaigy2 · Jun 9, 2020

Interesting. Thanks.

Woodbutcher56 · Oct 12, 2020

I have been lurking on this forum for about 1 year waiting for an opportunity to buy a used PT. This past spring I finally found a 2005 PT2430 without a backhoe and as soon as I got it home I started making some minor modifications for the uses I had for it based upon ideas I gleaned from the wisdom of this group. This PT came with the light material bucket but I wanted to be able to dig with it so I cut about 10" off the front of the bucket, reinforced it and added a homemade toothbar. Then I purchased a grapple from greens machine and added it to the bucket. It worked so well I decided to make mounts for the forks as well so I could move the grapple from the bucket to the forks. I then found that without the backhoe the rear end would lift off the ground with a full bucket so I tapped into the hydraulics and made a rear 3 point hitch and a weight box that can also haul my chainsaws, mauls and etc. I also added a harbor freight water proof ammo box to use as a tool box for chains, splitting wedges and etc. We heat our house with wood so I then made a log splitter to attach to the fel and plumbed the pto through a valve to run it. It works well for splitting the large pieces that are too hard to wrestle under my tow behind vertical splitter.