To buy 425 or 1430-that is the question?

[hogi]

I'm getting really close to making the trip to VA. but I am still torn between the 1430 and the 425. Of those of you who own the 425, how many of you wish, if you had it to do all over again, and if money was not a major obstacle would buy a 1430 instead? Do any of you 1430 owners wish you had bought a 425 and saved money, or wish you had the maneuverability of the 425? How does the extra weight of the 1430 affect the practicality of transporting it to other jobs on a small trailer pulled by a p/u truck and how much does the extra weight help when working with the machine? Does the added weight of the 1430 tear up or rut turf in the winter when the ground is soft? 425 owners, if you knew you could never trade up later and had one chance to make the right choice would you still choose the 425 over the 1430?
One last thing guys , if both 425 and 1430 owners could give any known approximate weights of attachments that would really help as I am thinking of buying attachments made for the 3 pt. hitch and converting them. Sorry for such a long post but this decision is killing me. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[MossRoad]

If I had to do it over again, I would stick with my PT425. It is the right size tool for my jobs. No regrets.

You have to decide which is the right size tool for your jobs. That's the hard part.

We originally purchased a very large tractor/loader with cab(8000 pound fully loaded. Here's a picture of it going to the scrapper). We used it to do all the major jobs at our property, including cutting in a road to prep the area for a future home. Once that big work was done, we downsized to the PT425 for all the rest of the chores that will need to be done, like brush hogging trails and fields, mowing the lawn, plowing the drive and hauling firewood out of the woods. The PT425 could have done the jobs of the large tractor, but it would have taken a lot longer and put undue stress on the machine.

 

[pajoube]

There is no question that my purchase of a 425 was the right one. The mistake I made is not buying it sooner.
Like MossRoad stated, you have to size the machine to the jobs. I am retired so a little longer on a project is no problem as I tend to push the 425 beyond its limits, see my post "Why I bought a 425".
Doing it over again I still would buy a 425 as it will go places no other CUT can go and not tear up the lawn.
PJ

 

[BobRip]

Your are right in that it is a choice that you can only make once. I now have more money in the attachments than in the PT422. I would prefer the 425 to the 422 and plan to upgrade when my 422 is about 10 years old. I still like the 422, but at 10 years, I project about 1000 hours and I will keep the 422. Maybe by then it will be a 430 with fuel injection.

If you plan to use 3PT attachments, the 1430 might be a better choice, but I do not think that is a good idea. If you don't already own them, why not buy the attachments made for the PT. They are right sized and I think reasonably priced. With most 3PT attachements you pull, with the PT you push. This sounds like a mismatch. Others please chime in as I don't have experience in this area. When I sold my small Kubota, I got rid of all of the attachments with it. I have never missed them.

Which PT to buy. It depends on what you are planning to do. Please discuss this here. With the small size of your lots, the 425 sounds like a good choice. However your task dictate this more.
I drove both at Tazewell in January, and still perferred the 425 over the 1430, but I have a lot of 425 attachments and am biased.

Finally go somewhere and try both. You could go to Tazewell and they will let you try out both, with all of the attachments you want to try. Maybe there is somebody local who will let your drive theirs. This is not uncommon.

Good luck with your decision, I am sure you will be happy with either one, but not sure you will be happy with 3pt attachments on a PT

Bob Rip

 

[MossRoad]

I think it was Blackwell(who has many Power Tracs in his business) who reminded us several times....

If you are going to do big jobs, get the bigger unit.

We all tend to push the limits of the 400 series units and a few of us have broken them. We have lived and learned, but the bigger unit would have done the job with less stress on the unit and probably faster and safer. Just a thought to muddy the water. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[bbabineau]

HOGI

I made the trip to Tazewell in January. I too debated long and hard over which PT to buy. I came home with the 1430 for various reasons but not sure that I have proven to myself as yet why this is the right one for me. After driving both I think the 425 is more manueverable. The 1430 certainly has more weight and substance for the big jobs. I have a 4 in 1 bucket and it has two lift cylinders vs one for the 425. I also have the mini hoe and think it is probably identical to the 425.
My reasons to selecting the 1430 probably gravitate more to the ability on the slopes and the grunt of the diesel. I have a hill side to cut that has 22 degree slopes and the boss mandated the 1430 after talking with the PT people about which would be preferrable on the slopes. I have also started to work on attachments that will start a life as a 3 pt tractor attachment. The first will be a landscape rake. I'm on the central coast still up to my eyeballs in wet ground so not doing much yet but look forward to start my many projects soon.

 

[Bob999]

I think that slopes are a consideration in deciding between the 425 and the 1430.

My understanding is that the Deutz diesel in the 1430 is rated to work on 30 degree slopes because of the larger oil pan and the oil pick up arrangement, while the 425 is rated to work on a lesser slope.

When I discussed slope capability with the PT folks they did differentiate the ability of the two models but my recollection is unclear whether it was based on the oil pickup, general stability as a result of the center of gravity, or both.

I tried a 1430 on a 25+ degree slope at Tazwell and the individual demonstrating the unit's reaction was that if I wanted to work on slopes that steep he thought I should get an 1845.

I ended up with the 1845.

 

[MossRoad]

I know the Kohler engine in my 2001 PT425 is rated at 25 degrees, so that is the limitation of the tractor, wether it will hold that slope or not. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[toy]

Has anyone ever thought about making an adaptor so that the motor would fit on it and so that it would swing from side to side so that when you went on a incline the motor would self level that would give you a little more steeper slope that you could run it on if you hade the nerve. If you did that and it worked it would be definitly a time to reverse the wheels.

 

[Spiffy]

If slopes were the largest challange, I'd sure want both the brakes and the pivot seat on the 1845.

I've seen them close up, but didn't test an 18, so just my two cents anyway......