Seeking long term reliability information

[Anonymous Poster]

One of the things that sold me on the purchase of a Power Trac was the all hydraulic system and the reliability advantages that it provides. I also own an old Case/Ingersoll garden tractor. These units are also hydraulic drive and use hydraulic attachments. You can find many of these units that have been in service since the late 60's or early 70's that have needed little done to them other than engine overhauls.

However, I do have two specific areas of concern with the power trac design related to long term reliability. 1) the wheel motors appear to not have external bearings to absorb lateral loads on the motor shaft which I would think would lead to premature motor failure and 2) the articulation joint does not appear to have any bushings in it that can be easily replaced if wear occurs.

I guess I'd like to hear from anyone that has put a lot of hours on one of these units or has talked to someone that has put many hours on one to let me know if my concerns are unfounded. I'd also be curious to know if anyone has had wear in the articulation joint and repaired it by installing a bushing.

 

[GarretV]

A little sidestep to this topic. Could someone point me, or post, a closeup picture of the articulated joint? I'm trying to visualize how the joint can function and yet take all the loads these machines can produce.

Thanks,
Garret

 

[bubenberg]

if you search under pt maintenance and Moss Road you will see some excellent pictures and verbiage

good luck /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[duane]

PatH,

The white wheel motors do have fairly high radial and thrust load capabilities. I can't remember the bearing hour lifetime that these loads are based upon. I think the machine that has the highest hours on it is Dave with his PT1418, around 1100 hrs. I suspect the front wheel motors to have problems first since they take the brunt of the FEL weight and forward direction hydraulic pressure. I watch Hans' posts with interest as he puts on the most amount of hours using it in a commercial application.

That bottom articulation joint does not seem to have replaceable elements. I keep that one greased as much as possible.

Good post
Duane

 

[GarretV]

Arrghh. Thanks Hans! I've been all over MossRoad's site in the past but forgot all about his pictures in the maintenance section...

Garret

 

[Schultz]

does anyone know what series wheel motors they use in the 400 or 1400 series?

 

[davesisk]

Hey Pat:

I probably have the one with the most amount of hours on it (a 1990 PT1418), but I have no idea how many hours. The hour meter wasn't working when I got the thing.

As far as I know, one wheel motor had a leaky seal that had been repaired. It looks to me like they are the original wheel motors. The articulation joint doesn't appear to have any unusual wear that I can tell.

The biggest problems I've had have been mostly very simple things (like hoses bursting and needing to be replaced, throttle cable breaking, hour meter not working, engine coil that I cooked replacing the ignition switch, corroded battery clamp, etc.) The guts of the machine appear to be as solid as when it was new.

The only wear that I can truly noticeable detect is where attachments hook up. Mine has the old 3-pin attachment method rather than the newer quick-attach. The pins and the welded eyes have some wear, and are a little loose. For instance, there's a little slop in the curl of the bucket because of this, but it's only noticeable when it's in the down position perpendicular to the ground (it'll swing a couple of inches back and forth).

I don't have any doubt that once I finally get all this ancillary stuff fixed and replaced, I'll get years of service with little or no problems other than the occasional hydraulic hose.

HTH,
Dave

 

[BobRip]

PatH,


That bottom articulation joint does not seem to have replaceable elements. I keep that one greased as much as possible.

Good post
Duane

I also tighten the bottom joint every 10 to 20 hours. It takes a 1 13/16 inch wrench.

 

[BobRip]

Let's rate the reliability. Do you feel that your PT (give us the number) is more, the same, or less reliabile that your other tractors, riding mowers, or cars. I know this is going to be rather arbitrary, but we hear so much from the people with problems and not the ones operating OK. Of course we should hear from both.
I would say mine is about the same as my riding mower. It is much better than the 69 Rambler that I had for 14 years. Yes, I kept it running that long because after a while I knew everything that normally went wrong with it and could repair it quickly.

I personally like the simple transmission on the Power Trac. Basically it's a few hoses.

 

[NJBill]

A little sidestep to this topic. Could someone point me, or post, a closeup picture of the articulated joint? I'm trying to visualize how the joint can function and yet take all the loads these machines can produce.

Thanks,
Garret

try these