PT400 Series Operating Tips: Towing Implements

[MossRoad]

We can hope it wasn't ammonium nitrate...

Do you have brands to recommend?

All the best,

Peter

No, it wasn't this time. I was putting down 12-12-12. I rarely use 45-0-0 anymore as all it does is make the grass grow REALLY REALLY FAST!!!

 

[MossRoad]

As for backing up trailers with the PT, I find it pretty easy. I just imagine my view to be from the hitch pin looking at the trailer. Then it is a piece of cake.

I mow with my Brinley sweeper most of the time, so it is like driving a snake around the trees, fences, flowerbeds, etc.

 

[Marks481]

so it is like driving a snake around the trees, fences, flowerbeds, etc.

It is pretty amazing how well my sweeper tracks the PT. I mow in and out of trees, cutting right to the edge, and the sweeper (same width as the PT wheels) follows right in its tracks.

The sweeper is one of the best $150 investments I have made in lawn cutting. Because there is no way I am raking or leafblowing 3/4 acre of grass.

It does definitely consume some of the available horsepower, as I have to slow down in heavy grass to keep the mower's blade speed up. Another 5 Hp would really help. Maybe a chain drive to the sweeper rotor instead of direct drive from its wheels?

 

[Carpenter]

The only thing I've pulled behind my 425 is an 8' chain harrow which obviously can't be backed up.

 

[SpringHollow]

I find it fairly easy to back up my trailer with it - I have to do it a fair amount in the woods. I just pretend the front of the tractor is not there and turn the back end the way in needs to go - pretty much what MR does.

 

[smartguyz]

I tow a number of items:

1) Brinly Hardy (Sp?) rotary spreader from Home Depot
2) Brinly lawn rake
3) Brinly aerator

All three items work really well. In fact, I put the lawn rake (the kind with spring loaded tines) on for every mowing. It does a great job of pulling thatch and dead grass out of the lawn and the more I use it, the better the health of the lawn appears to be.

I agree that the articulating nature of the steering amplifies the movements of the steering compared to a regular lawn tractor. You need to be very careful, but I have found it tolerable. I try to mow very very slowly, at high speed, and as a such, I don't pick up clippings. In fact, if I mow slowly enough, the clipping are so fine that they really aren't noticeable. The lawn rake pulls a lot more dead grass up, so sometimes I take the lawn rake off after moving and go over the lawn ONE MORE TIME with just the finish mower. I have not picked up any clippings since 2003 when I purchased the PowerTrac. The lawn looks fine and appears healthy.

The only thing I think I miss is a decent tow-behind dump trailer. I had a plastic dump trailer, but it was really pretty cheezy, and I sold it with the Deere 318 a few years back. Need something else, but usually the large material bucket will be a tolerable substitute for most purposes.

-Rob