PT Implement Choices / Questions

[Charlie_Iliff]

Doug:
First, I'm not 100% sure the current 72" mower is the same as mine. If it is, they have dropped the price, from the $2,900 I paid a year ago. The rough cut mower I have is equipped with stump jumpers on all three spindles and hinged blades which bolt to the stump jumber disc.
John Coxon and I have posted a fair amount of info on the 72" rough cut mower, particularly in the area of custom blades. The rough-cut blades from PT are massive, and good for very rough brush, but do not do a smooth job. Using them and a relatively high deck height results in a pronounced uncut stripe about behind the right front guide wheel. John's reversible blades, however, and a low deck height have yielded a pretty good (lawn quality) cut.
The 72" rough cut deck is heavy - so heavy that draft control is recommended to keep it from breaking off its wheel brackets. Consequently, it is also extremely strong. You're not likely to bend or break it in normal rough use.
Using high-lift finish blades puts out a lot of chaff, which will plug your engine cooler fairly fast. There is an overheating thread coveribg that. There is also a blade development thread.
Your selection should depend principally on the area to be mowed. Is it big and open, or small and tight, or somewhere in between?
Re the reducer for the 60", ask Terry if you can avoid the problem by changing to synthetic and running at part throttle. I doubt he'll answer, but that way you can tie this thread to the synthetic oil thread. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[wasabi]

Thanks for your quick reply Charlie. While you were doing so I re-read the thread re: blades....it sounds like we might could get satisfactory results with cutting our pastures down the road by changing out the blades.

Our uses, at this point, will strickly be rough cut. Years from now, when all clearing and planting is done, we will presumably be down to pasture maintenance, but I seriously doubt that we will ever have any "lawn" to speak of.

So, that said, I'm thinking the rough cut may be ok...as for manueverability, my lovely wife brought up the same point with the idea that we might not be able to get the 72" mower between the fruit trees....I pointed out that they were 12 to 15 feet apart....she said oh really...."I thought there was only about 4 foot of space....one more objection down /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Glad to hear that the mower is cheaper than what you paid, but $2200 is still a fair chunk of change in my book...

 

[davesisk]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue">
I'm sure this has been covered somewhere but I must have missed it...are some PT implement motors reversible and others not? Clearly the ability to reverse would be excellent to have with augers or the trencher. How does one know? If they are the reversible type, what kind of switch needs to be plumbed into the pto circuit? </font>)</font>

Wasabi:

To my understanding, the answer is: any low speed/high torque hydraulic motor (at least where PT is concerned) is reversible (ie. tiller, power auger, trencher). Any high-speed/low torque hydraulic motor is NOT reversible (ie. mower, stump grinder, etc.)

Can anyone else verify that this is indeed correct?

HTH,
Dave

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red"> $2200 is still a fair chunk of change in my book...
</font>

Certainly true. You're paying for armor plate construction and the hydraulic running gear. I haven't priced one recently, but I'll bet a similar size Ammbusher is twice as much. If you shop, you can make almost anything look cheap. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[wasabi]

Now there is a bonafide slasher!!! I had never heard of the ammbusher before, but now that you mentioned 'em (and I looked at 'em on the web), I can see the wisdom of your logic. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif ....really honey, my lawyer friend on TBN says the 72" PT mower is the best one to get....and a much better value than this incredibly expensive ammbusher and it basically does the same thing... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[wasabi]

Dave.....I can neither confirm nor deny, but what you say makes sense to me. Now if I can figure out an affordable way to plumb in a reverse switch, it would make augering, trenching and tilling even easier. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[davesisk]

[red]Now if I can figure out an affordable way to plumb in a reverse switch, it would make augering, trenching and tilling even easier.[/red]

Well, I still intend to simple plumb another valve in series with the main PTO and put quick-connects on it's outputs. That way, I can the non-reversible stumb grinder to the original main PTO connection, and hook the reversible power auger to the new connection off the new valve (whose main purpose is to actuate a 3rd cylinder)...

Just a thought...Charlie's electric switch sure is slick though...

Dave

 

[wasabi]

Well, decisions have been made and gear is on the way. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Thanks to all for your insights, suggestions, caveats and encouragement!

I decided to put off the brush hog for another year. In reality, we have more clearing than cutting work to do, so it shouldn't be a hardship. Besides, by holding off that inevitable purchase, I might be able to squeeze in a grapple bucket purchase later this year. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

So, we have a new 60" PT tiller on the way along with a rear plate for the 3pt hitch so it (and other implements) can be used either front or rear. I also went ahead with the 60" boxblade despite the scarifier adjustment issue....reasoned that the convenience of the quck hitch is worth the trade off of occasional height change hassles....

I also got the hydraulic motor on the trencher repacked, the chain and blades tightened up and a new bearing put on as well as put teeth onto my small bucket, so we are ready for spring!

I'm looking forward to using the box blade on our roads and moving forward with clearing and breaking ground for gardens as soon as the weather allows.

When I get a chance, I'll post some pics. Thanks again to all who shouldered the proverbial wheel to help me make decisions. I do appreciate this resourceful PT group!!!

 

[MossRoad]

Sounds great! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red"> So, we have a new 60" PT tiller on the way </font>
I don't know about the box blade, but I predict you'll like the tiller. I did the garden over the weekend - to about 6" deep powder. A rock or root may stop it, but just turning off the PTO and sometimes picking the tiller up a little frees it without damage. I really like it, but it works so well that I don't get to use mine much. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif