Starting to plan my PT purchase

BobRip · May 12, 2005

Clint Blake, now that you have had the grappling bucket for 2 weeks what do you think of it? Are your mixed feelings between joy and happiness?

Bob Rip

toolz_not_toyz · May 13, 2005

All righty. Fresh from a trip out West to refresh my memory of the new property I can now think a bit more clearly about what I should be looking at with regard to attachments. Or so I thought.

The only think I'm 100% clear about is that there won't be a heck of a lot of grass to cut. In fact, I'm almost debating whether to get a mower deck at all but I just know I'll be pretty annoyed if I don't. So the 48" finish mower should do fine. Most of the property is covered in very tall connifers.

There will be some routine maintenance of clearing some brush out among those trees. I know someone's going to say: grapple bucket. But it's not like this is going to be a seriously ongoing activity so I don't really want to put money into something I might use only occasionally. I see the large bucket working best in order to toss things into it.

The driveway is looooong and steeeep. The kind of hill that some people will spin their tires on. It's probably somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees and 400 to 450 feet long. And it's all gravel. I know lots of you are saying 4n1 but I'm still thinking box blade. Although I'm not really looking forwarding to going down that hill backwards in order to accomplish the task.

I've been updated on the snow situation. Apparently it can snow up to 6" all at once. Well, not "all at once" but you know what I mean. Right now I'm thinking I'll either be able to handle it with the large bucket or just stay home. The snow, apparently, doesn't stick around for long. So there's little point in ordering the snow blade, especially since I can't seem to find much recommendation for it (in this forum) for grading the gravel driveway.

I'm going for the bar tires because this is kind of a rural property with not much turf to speak of. The soil appears to be loamy (not at all like the tough clay I'm used to around here in Virginia). The back part of the property has a clear area for the septic field. That area is on a bit of a grade and very not flat. I may just plant a meadow over it or smooth it out a bit. It's kind of a mess right now.

I do want to create a vegetable/herb garden on part of the property. I'm not sure if the tiller might be a good idea for this. Obviously, if it ends up being a small garden it would be silly to get a tiller. Any comments on this attachment? I know some of you have the tiller!

There are two attachments on my wish list (would be nice to have but would probably only be used a few times): trencher with 6" kit; post hole auger.

For the trencher I can see having to do things like installing a few electrical service lines and possibly a sprinkler system. While I could do the first with the mini-hoe, the mini hoe would not do a great job for the sprinkler system. How well does the trencher work for accomplishing those tasks? I think I've only ever come across comments about the wheel trencher.

How about the post hole digger? I don't plan on building a fence this time around (the property is already fenced on three sides). But I do plan on expanding the deck. Would the post hole digger really be worth it if only for one or two projects?

I guess when it comes down to it I could always order individual attachments later if I thought it made sense. I suppose that Power-Trac would just UPS something like a post hole digger and auger. Or am I wrong about that?

BobRip · May 13, 2005

I have used the trencher for an occasional post hole. It can dig straight down. Of course the hole is rectangular and not round, but that does not seem to be a problem. It takes less than a minute to dig.

If your grade is truly 30 to 45 degrees a PT 425 is not a good choice. Maybe the grade is 30 to 45% - a lot shallower. I don't think a car could climb that at all. Grades are very tricky to judge.

Good luck.

Bob Rip

pequeajim · May 13, 2005

( fine. Most of the property is covered in very tall connifers. )

You might be better off with the rough cut deck. Do you have saplings along with the conifers? Some of the guys can tell you what kind of reqular cut the rough cut deck gives. If you are toying between cutting brush and not doing very much finish mowing, the RC deck would be more versatile.

( There will be some routine maintenance of clearing some brush out among those trees. I know someone's going to say: grapple bucket. But it's not like this is going to be a seriously ongoing activity so I don't really want to put money into something I might use only occasionally. )

I still say get the 4 in 1 as it will do most of what the grapple will do, but scrape and dig. Trust me, for what you describe, you will not regret it!

( I see the large bucket working best in order to toss things into it. )

I have the Large bucket as well, and it is very useful.

( The driveway is looooong and steeeep. The kind of hill that some people will spin their tires on. It's probably somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees and 400 to 450 feet long. And it's all gravel. I know lots of you are saying 4n1 but I'm still thinking box blade. Although I'm not really looking forwarding to going down that hill backwards in order to accomplish the task. )

4 in 1, 4 in 1, 4 in 1, 4 in 1!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

( I may just plant a meadow over it or smooth it out a bit. It's kind of a mess right now. )

That may be another argument for the rough cut deck?

( For the trencher I can see having to do things like installing a few electrical service lines and possibly a sprinkler system. While I could do the first with the mini-hoe, the mini hoe would not do a great job for the sprinkler system. )

I have not heard much about the trencher. A lot of guys swear by the potato digger for breaking up the soil. Others think tools like a ripper are the ticket for trenching. I have the mini hoe and have already used it to dig several trenches, but it takes out a bit more width than the trencher. The mini hoe is much more versatile though.

Carpenter · May 13, 2005

The first PT I looked at before buying mine was owned by a landscape contractor who used the trencher extensively. He loved it and said he had retired his Ditch Witch when he got the PT. A friend also has the trencher and is very happy with it. I'll be borrowing it this summer to install an underground power line, water line, and sprinkler system; so I'll have some first hand experience soon. It's good to se another Virginian hitting the Oregon Trail and heading west. I did it 38 years ago. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

toolz_not_toyz · May 25, 2005

pequeajim: What do you mean the 4n1 can't dig, scrape? Did I read that wrong?

Carpenter: Isn't the trencher essentially the same thing as a Ditch Witch?

All: Doubt I'll be making my final decision till I'm out there and have had some time to think about things WHILE sittin' on the porch and staring at the surrounds for a while.

pequeajim · May 25, 2005

I think I worded that a little wrong, /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I meant to say that the Grapple can't dig and scrape like the 4 in 1 can.

I'm all for the 4 in 1, wouldn't even consider the grapple at all.

FOURTEEN · May 26, 2005

( I'm all for the 4 in 1, wouldn't even consider the grapple at all. )

 It all depends on what you need to do! If you are mostly in the dirt, you need a 4in1 Bucket! If you are mostly in the woods, you definitely need the Grapple Bucket!! If you do a lot of both dirt and woods, then you really need BOTH!!!

I did all the site prep and landscaping for my Morton Building with the LM Bucket and Grapple Bucket (HD bucket with rock teeth). I built a 150' scenic (front) driveway through my woods with the Grapple Bucket, and the LM Bucket for the stone. Maybe the 4in1 would have done it quicker - I don't know! But, now those jobs are done. Today I spent 7 hours moving brush piles and logs through the woods (no roads or trails) to my burn site. Could I have used a 4in1 instead? Sure! But it might have taken me a week!! I only have 50~75 big trees to go!!
Would I like to have a 4in1 Bucket? Sure, but since I had to choose, the Grapple Bucket is better for ME with MY jobs!

MossRoad · May 27, 2005

better for ME with MY jobs! 

Fourteen's got the right attitude... me and my jobs are different from you and your jobs...

Trying to decide on the correct attachments for our specific tasks is hard. Especially when $$ is involved. Take the words of each poster, compare it to the jobs they are doing and decide which jobs of yours come closest to theirs, then pick the implements that best suite you.

Tough, tough choices, indeed. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Almost like kids in the candy shop. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif