PT 180

[TimberXX]

I need a second machine to complement my BCS 770, and I'm interested in a PT180. Going through this forum its impressive how many hours you guys run on these machines.

I am looking to run the machine about 30 hours per year. I have an acre of grass, and many wooded acres.

I am looking to move gravel and brush, and even some 12 inch diameter trees, cut into reasonable pieces.

Before I call Tazwell. I have a few questions

I'm 6 ft 3 inch. How would a PT180 fit me? Some YouTube video show it being tight.

Is the lift capacity from the loader pins?


The forks make me nervous. There isnt a large catch. to prevent debris from hitting the operator. Thoughts?

I have a very soggy lot. Can I run duals on this unit.

The utility grapple isnt an option for this model. Is there a reason why

Thanks in advance.

 

[SpringHollow]

I do not own a PT180 but you can not put duals on it. These tractors do have a much softer impact as compared to a normal SCUT plus the articulating steering dramatically cuts down on damage.

I would add a metal frame to the forks that things can lean against. It would be even nicer to have the forks adjustable.

Ken

 

[SpringHollow]

You might be able to modify the wheels with hub extensions to accept another set of wheels in order to have duals. I do not know if the wheel motors could handle the stress from the increased leverage of the outer wheels. Attached is a picture of such a setup for an older 1850 that I bought.

 

[Lnk]

I need a second machine to complement my BCS 770, and I'm interested in a PT180. Going through this forum its impressive how many hours you guys run on these machines.

I am looking to run the machine about 30 hours per year. I have an acre of grass, and many wooded acres.

I am looking to move gravel and brush, and even some 12 inch diameter trees, cut into reasonable pieces.

Before I call Tazwell. I have a few questions

I'm 6 ft 3 inch. How would a PT180 fit me? Some YouTube video show it being tight.

Is the lift capacity from the loader pins?


The forks make me nervous. There isnt a large catch. to prevent debris from hitting the operator. Thoughts?

I have a very soggy lot. Can I run duals on this unit.

The utility grapple isnt an option for this model. Is there a reason why

Thanks in advance.

You can't use the grapple for the 180 as it doesn't have a hydraulic circuit for the attachment lock, the 422 and up do. So no circuit to open/close the grapple.

 

[TimberXX]

If there is no third function frontage grapple, how do they run the mower?

 

[m5040]

I have a 180, it was my first PT and love it. The mower or any powered attachment runs off the PTO circuit.
A grapple would run off a 3rd function to the 2 function loader control. As purchased it would have up/down and curl/uncurl. The other machines have a 3rd valve that normally is needed to hook and unhook the attachment (on the 180 it is done manually-by hand). The 3rd valve has quick disconnects and would be utilized for all attachments like a grapple or snow plow angle etc.

 

[m5040]

I made my own fork attachment out of an old masons walk behind. It can lift until the rear end comes off the ground, which most likely happens when you turn the machine because it effectively gets shorter-causing the counterweight (engine) to get closer to the loade.

 

[m5040]

I am 6'2" 210lbs and don't have a problem once I get on the 180. The worse part was getting my boots into the foot well without hitting the go-pedal (tram). The 180 has shallow foot wells which makes it a little easier. One thing I did that helped and made it more comfortable was making a suspension seat. I took springs from an old garden tractor and adapted to the PT. It raise the seat about 2". This also lets me open the engine hood without having to raise the seat.

 

[m5040]

In my opinion all the PTs are light on their feet (at least from the 1430 down). My 180 never sinks in. I believe it is 1200lbs. That would be 300 lbs per tire (unloaded machine). Pretty much what is on a persons shoe as they walk.
You should be able to use the tires off a 425 if you were really worried about it, but you can't use duals.
The dual wheel issue may relate to this: If there is hand rail on each side, the average person can hold their body weight and lift their feet off the ground. But now move the hand rails out, away from the body and hardly anyone could lift their feet off the ground. That is what it would be like for the bearings in the wheel motor, the further you move out the tires.

 

[m5040]

And as far as you worrying about the forks not having a guard. That is nothing compared to how bad the loader bucket is.
As you raise the loader arms from ground level to full height, the bucket angle tips back and will dump the load off the back toward the operator IF YOU DON'T MANUALLY UNCURL THE BUCKET AS YOU RAISE IT.
These machines are not toys and you will need to keep your attention when operating.

 

[MossRoad]

You should not run dual tires on the 180. The reason as explained by Terry at Power Trac was that the wheel motors are not designed for the increase in side loading that dual wheels would add. If you could only stay on flat ground, it wouldn't be a problem. Let's say you have 8" wide tires with a 2" gap between them. So a total of 18". With a single tire, you have a the possibility of having an 8" lever side loading the shaft on the wheel motor if the outer edge of the tire goes up on something, like a rock, mole hill, curb, etc... With duals, you now have the possibility of putting an 18" lever side loading the shaft.

Make sense?

 

[TimberXX]

Good point about the duals. But I would like to explore the largest tires I could fit on that machine. Any recommendations?

 

[MossRoad]

Larger tire will = higher top speed, but less force you can transmit to the ground. It'll do 8mph now with the stock tires. Why do you want larger tires, if I may ask?

 

[TimberXX]

My issue is how soggy my lot is. I cut lawns for years, and my lot is the soggiest ive seen. i have some new french drains, but still way too wet. the only two machines that don't rut mt lawn are my bcs 770 with turf tires, and a tracked mini skid, like a toro dingo.

 

[ponytug]

It sounds like you have some real challenges, and that usually means tradeoffs in my book.

In general, PTs have very low ground pressure, but they aren't boats. It is hard to judge soggy from a distance, but if it is the soggiest that you have seen, that's pretty wet. My PT is a heavier one, but I would guesstimate the ground pressure as less than me walking with boots. The turf tire are slightly larger area than the bar tires.

I hope that your soggy lawn isn't just a swamp, I.e. it is a fixable problem.

If you have already put in French drains, I have two thoughts; more French drains, potentially with a sump pump, and top layering sand with your new PT to help improve drainage, and improve weight bearing. Neither is zero cost, and adding sand may affect how water drains around your house. I used my PT to trench in French drains in a mud pit of an arena that I have, and the arena has been rock solid and dry ever since, but I had slope to be able to divert the water readily with.

All the best,

Peter

 

[cqaigy2]

My issue is how soggy my lot is. I cut lawns for years, and my lot is the soggiest ive seen. i have some new french drains, but still way too wet. the only two machines that don't rut mt lawn are my bcs 770 with turf tires, and a tracked mini skid, like a toro dingo.

Is the PT-180 rutting up your lawn? I'm curios, i have 422, and we receive continuous rain for 6 months, on silty clay soil, so the water sits on top and slowly drains. I've not had much of a problem, unless im moving material and repeatedly driving over the same place, and even then it just gets some mud worked up, but not ruts.

 

[MossRoad]

Is the PT-180 rutting up your lawn? I'm curios, i have 422, and we receive continuous rain for 6 months, on silty clay soil, so the water sits on top and slowly drains. I've not had much of a problem, unless im moving material and repeatedly driving over the same place, and even then it just gets some mud worked up, but not ruts.

I don't think he has a PT yet. I think he's interested in looking at them.

 

[MossRoad]

My PT425 weighs about 1500#.

So thats 1500# / 4 tires = 375# per tire (if the machine is evenly balanced, which it's not)

The tire ground contact patch on my machine is about 4X area of the ball of my foot.

So divide 375# / 4 of my partial foot print when walking = 93.75#. Let's call it 100#.

I weigh 220#, so I'm putting roughly twice the pressure on the ground with the ball of my foot when I'm walking than my PT425 puts on the ground when rolling.

In no way is that scientific, and it's just a guess, however, it's a fairly good guess, I guess.

These machines are pretty light on their feet.

 

[TimberXX]

the french drain project is a multi year project for sure. im going to add more every year until i find something that works.

this was my math PT 180 1260# plus me at 225# plus fuel 40# equals 1525#

The tires are 8.5 inches wide and a radius of 11.5 inches. for an area of 97.75

assuming the weight is 60-40 split, my rear "axle" is 1525# * .60 or 915 #

917 # divided by two tires at 97.75 square inches. thats about 9.3 PSI.

The mini skid that i rent is at 5.5 psi

I would like get as close to 5.5 as possible.

I think i just need to talk to the boys in Tazwell.

BTW they need to update the power trac website. its like 2002!

thanks for all the help guys.

 

[SpringHollow]

What is important for an accurate calculation is the surface area of the tire that is in contact with the ground. That area is difficult to know for sure since it depends upon the tire, the pressure, and the ground.

Ken