Buying Advice PT1445 talk me off this fence

[MossRoad]

Having the brush cutter in front makes so much sense.

I think I saw a video you posted, honeysuckle if memory serves. How thick a brush does the cutter handle before bogging down?

Surprisingly, it bogs down in tall, thick grass much faster than it does in heavy weeds. I wouldn't have expected that when I first bought it, but it makes sense. Less air space between tight blades of grass VS weeds.

The tall weeds were thistle, but yes, I have a lot of honeysuckle. I just found out there's two types of honeysuckle. One is a vine, apparently. The other is bushes. We have the bushes with the little red berries.

 

[MossRoad]

If going with PT's, a 425 would likely have difficulty with 800 lb + bales. The 1430 should handle those as well as the 1450 or 1845/50. If you have not built your horse barn, if possible make it where you can get your tractor into them - the 425 is much nicer for that.

I'll 2nd that the 425 would not handle 800# bales. While the 425 is listed as having an 800# lift capacity, I believe that is right at the QA plate. You move a foot or two out on some pallet forks and you'll tip on your nose....

Ahhh, the old PT pucker!

Have you heard of that yet, Toomanymaples?

 

[MossRoad]

This will give you an idea of what the PT Pucker is...

 

[Toomanymaples]

My land is heavily sloped similar to yours although I do have a few hundred feet of relatively flat driveway. I have owned 4 traditional CUTs and the PT1850. I had great luck with the CUTs - on my driveway and as long as I did not turn sideways, on my trails when the ground was frozen (otherwise, the ground was too soft and the front wheels would trench it). My PT I use everywhere on the property other than the almost vertical ravines.

Would you ever consider going back to a traditional CUT?

From your needs, my only concern would be the seeding, spreading manure and lime. It depends upon how that equipment is "powered" - if towed and ground powered by the wheels of the implement, then you are fine. If PTO powered, you will be driving backwards or driving over what you spread.

Good to know about the PTO, I had not thought that through.

The air in the oil issue is just something you need to be aware of - it is not difficult at all to deal with. In fact in some ways, it is a plus. Otherwise you would not know your filter is properly tightened.

Seems straight forward enough and I would imagine it gets easier the more you do it.

As far as rate of repairs, from my experience you will have more minor repairs than with a Kubota etc. The "normal" repairs are not anything that a slightly handy person can deal with. The difficult repairs are ones that you likely would not do yourself on a Kubota, such as rebuilding a hydraulic pump.

I would consider myself to be at least a journeyman in handiness. That is encouraging to hear that the repairs are manageable. Your frankness in comparing the frequency of repairs vs a Kubota is also appreciated. I know that will be a factor in the final decision.

Has anyone ever compiled a resource for preventative maintenance on PTs?

If I knew for example, that the pumps are going to wear after 1500hrs... then I could at least change them around 1300hrs and not have any down time with that issue.

I bought mine never having even seen a PT other than online. It did not bother me to do so because a tractor I can actually use on my land is better than all those that I can not and also there is great support from this forum and from PT.

I've had that thought myself. With the Mrs being so invested, we might need to try before we buy.

If you have not built your horse barn, if possible make it where you can get your tractor into them - the 425 is much nicer for that.

We have already built the barn. I am optimistic it can be finagle it into one of our bays, at least in my mind it is possible.

 

[Toomanymaples]

This will give you an idea of what the PT Pucker is...

Now I know why you call it a pucker. HAHAH :number1:

 

[MossRoad]

It would be hard to do predictive maintenance based on hours of operation just due to the differences in operating conditions.

For example, I'd got for months without cleaning the air filters. Then I'd go to maintenance on the little league ball diamonds that were surfaces with moon dust (granulated limestone). I'd be cleaning the air filters about every 6 hours.

From that dusty, dirty environment, you can extrapolate that the hydraulics would be infiltrated with dirt at a higher rate, the ball joints on the ends of all the links and cylinders, the wheel bearing seals, the attachment wheels, the steering, the throttle and choke linkages.... everything, will be subject to more wear and tear.

So about the best you can do is the recommended preventative maintenance at the recommended intervals, and more often if you operate in harsher environments.

 

[MossRoad]

Now I know why you call it a pucker. HAHAH :number1:

Yes. That one is me VS the grape vines. I won. :laughing:

Another thing about articulated machines that you need to be aware of, and maybe you are already, is that the center of gravity changes a lot as you turn the steering wheel, because the machine gets shorter and angular when you turn, and longer and straighter when you go straight.

If you take it and put a load of bricks, for example, in the bucket with the bucket off the ground a few inches, and keep piling bricks in there until it tips forward and lifts the rear wheels off the ground. Then take a few out and it sits back down. Then hop on and turn the steering wheel all the way to one side. The rear comes off the ground again. Straighten the wheel out and it sits back down.

This is just the nature of articulated machines. You have to be aware of it.

 

[SpringHollow]

But with non-articulated machines, you flipped over.

Ken

 

[SpringHollow]

No, it is an extremely easy decision for me to stick with something like the PT - I have things I need to do and I want to stay alive while doing them. I do wish I had better lift capacity - mine is 1200 lbs. I could possibly see getting a higher lift tractor or forklift in addition to the PT I have but they could only be used on the driveway. I could see getting a second PT, either a 1445 or 1460.

The PT is relatively easy to work on. I bought my tractor used and it was seriously abused by kids working for a company that had a contract for mowing the sides of ammunition depots. Even with that, I have not had a lot of problems. I have had to replace the alternator, rebuild the hydraulic cylinders (not hard), replaced the timing belt (easy to do), and tore apart one of the solenoid valves.

Going to be doing some serious plowing this weekend, 2 - 3' of snow is predicted.

 

[SpringHollow]

Oh, and I replaced a couple of hoses. My PT was built in 2003 or 2004.

Ken