questions on PT 425 and 1430

[jdkid]

Hi ya's
well just by chance i found this after looking to find a spair belt for a chipper ,any how i have looked at a kanga and also looking at an avant now the PT i did not know about so if i tell ya's what i want to do or need to do it might help with my questions

ok frist off i have to dig some pile holes 4 foot deep and 24 inchs across also holes for fence posts etc etc
a bit of trenching for water pipes and maybe outside work for power lines water mains etc etc
cleaning out sheep and cattle yards some under cover but roof over 8 foot in most cases but could be small areas can be done with a small skid steer or kanga type loader
maybe mow the lawn and dig the garden kinda thing and the odd stump to chew up
now this last one ya will think i'm nuts it needs to be simple to drive and good grip what about moveing round bales of hay about ??? any how thats a few questions and the guys who own them will hopefull know the answers
i have sent to the PT makers for more info so hopefully they can send it to me in New Zealand
oh yea most things on it comman parts not odd ball one off kinda things be a shame to have to wait on parts down under
thanks for ya time
JD

 

[J_J]

Well MR. Hobbs, Welcome to TBN and the PT forum. From what you describe, the PT could do all those things. If you have good mechanical abilities, you could maintain this machine. You would have to know about electrical systems, hydraulics, and tractor operations in general. I believe all parts are made in the USA. They are good about shipping parts if you need them. The machine is steered by hydraulic cylinders, so essentially you have power steering. A steering knob on the steering wheel works quite well, and is recommended.

The one big problem you would have is getting a PT to your location. It is only made and shipped from Va, USA

 

[MossRoad]

I wonder how much shipping would cost? That is about as far as you can go from Virginia, yes?

How does the cost of the PT plus shipping compare to the major brands of tractors in NZ?

 

[jdkid]

Hi ya
Yea shipping maybe be high but it could be supriseing if packed in a shipping contatainer and sea freighted i know guys who have brought trucks (f250 etc etc ) and it's not as bad as ya think a few 1000 ..just going off the price on the net i could (could be wish full thinking )almost land a full trailer with a 425 or 1430 with standard addons for just a tad over the cost of a brand X base machine that the moment i think the kiwi is tradeing at around 62 us cents ..say the mowing deck for the PT is about 1200 USD thats about 2000 kiwi same size deck for some of the other brands is about 5000+ kiwi dollars so over all even with shipping i could land a good machine for a lot less OK a bit of fine tuneing with a pen etc etc to make the numbers stack up ..
as for fixing it guess haveing run a no till seeding contracting biz for many years and also still haveing a sawmill D4H cat dozer and a 135 Hp tractor i'm not to fazed with fixing things biggest thing would be if the parts are not world wide but i'm thinking motors and hydro parts should be in NZ worst case maybe have to send to OZ for them ..
belive me i'm kinda glad i happened to find out about the PT just by chance even with shipping i'm thinking about 15 000 USD cheaper so that too many hard earned bucks to toss away
one thing i for got to ask is how do thay go tilling and trenching both are low speed jobs and do they have good oil cooling
thanks
JD

 

[BillCroasmun]

Hi JD,
I will be surprised if PT can't accomodate the shipping as their mining equipment division does do international business. As far as the parts go, my only question would be if the US uses different hydraulic quick connect fittings and threadings than the rest of the world. I'm sure your aware of our non-metric nuts and bolts but I do not know if that applies to hydraulics as well. Other than that these tractors have a very simplistic design that I'm sure you would not have problems adapting to local parts.

The gas engine models are manufactured by Robin which has both a US and European division. They are also backed by Fuji Heavy Industries, which is global, and may provide support near you.

From the number of posts you have I can tell you are not new to TBN so without talking through each task you mentioned I will say there are good examples of PT users doing nearly all the tasks you which to accomplish (many with photos) if you search in this forum.

The only one I can't recall is moving bales of hay. Are you talking about 1.5 meter round bales? Sounds like you have tons of farming experience so you can probably guess better than me but aren't they about 550 kilos dry? I'd guess that would be a bit much for a PT-425.

Oh and as far as ease of driving goes... give it 15 minutes on a PT and you'll be driving circles around any other equipment you've ever driven! These things are incredibly easy to drive and agile too.

Good luck on your decison!

 

[jdkid]

Hi ya Bill and others
i talked to a mate of mine whos buying cars out of the USA to ship to NZ cost is not too bad .. i have driven a dingo K9 and kinda liked it but skid steer on lawns is a pain ..the round bale thing 1.2 M or 4 foot of hay the 1430 should move them ok maybe not on hills but with haveing other gear it's not a prob hydro fittings i don't think is a prob as alot in NZ is still 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch fittings .. my mind is heading towards a 1430 nothing wrong with the 425 just i need a few more ponys and higher oil flow for say a trencher or hydro driven gear ..
just in case noone know what a kanga (kinda the same as a dingo) is heres a link

http://www.kanga-loader.com/?gclid=CJzqwdvd-oUCFTg7GAod7woAlQ

good tool but i think standing up all day will get tireing
any how thanks for ya replys i have been reading a lot on them from the postings kinda hard to make a call on them would be eazy if i could have a play on one but alass i don't think any have been sold down under (can't recall one in the back shots of lord of the rings )
catch ya
JD

 

[Piedmont3]

skid steer on lawns is a pain ..the round bale thing 1.2 M or 4 foot of hay the 1430 should move them ok maybe not on hills

I have helped my neighbor move some of these round bales from stacked against a fence line to on a trailer for transport, with my 425 forks. They are really too heavy for the 425. If I had another 200 pounds of weight on the tail end of the PT it would probably have worked wonders. I think from this experience that the 1430 with a hay spear should be able to move them easily.

 

[TRUKFXR]

JD,
I HAVE AN AVANT LOADER. THE 500 SERIES WITH THE KUBOTA 20 HP
ENGINE. IT IS SOLD UNDER THE ''GEHL'' NAME IN THE UNITED STATES. I LIKE IT VERY MUCH. IT IS VERY WELL BUILT AND PLENTY OF POWER FOR ITS SIZE. MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE BODY DOES NOT OSCILLATE.
IT ARTICULATES (BENDS IN THE MIDDLE) BUT DOES NOT PIVOT ON UNEVEN GROUND. I THINK THE ACCESSORIES ARE RATHER HIGH PRICED TOO. I USE THE POWER TRAC MOWERS AND WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS THEY WORK WELL.