Welp, baptized my PT-425 today.

[BigDaddyEureka]

I was busily digging out a stump from a redbud tree and things got a little intense. Little 4" diameter tree had 2" and larger roots going every which way. While trying to break the roots off the stump with the hoe I got a little more than I bargained for while trying to rack back the bucket toward the stick and as I gently pushed down on the reverse pedal my shoe went "squish."

Squish?

Hydraulic oil all over my shoe. Traced the source to a loose fitting to the 3rd function circuit. At only 11 hours! That said it was an easy, quick fix. Tightened the fitting back down an all was good so far.

Does this kind of thing happen a lot? Or is this just a freakazoid one-off earlier hour thing? What been your experience?

 

[MossRoad]

Glad it was just a loose fitting. I've been on TBN for about 20 years, and over that time, I've heard several stories about loose fittings on several different brands. It happens. No one likes it, but it happens.

The only leaks I have on my 2001 model 425 are somewhere around the steering valve, it drips a few drops every few hours of operation. And both of my valve covers on the engine. I had to remove them to tighten the rockers, and on each one, one of the valve cover bolts snapped off rather than come out.

500+ hours.

 

[sea2summit]

I’m on my fourth, all of them have leaked somewhere in the first few tanks of fuel. MX backhoe was so bad I finally stopped and went through the whole thing tightening everything down. Most common is the add-on’s like the third function or hydro thumbs IMHO.

 

[BigDaddyEureka]

Yeah I'm not too freaked out by it, just more of a surprise. One of the things I like about PT's products is that there's not too much you can't fix with a handful of wrenches.

At first I thought I had a bad lift cylinder, but after tracing the drip patterns a bit it lead right to the fitting. Whew!

 

[ponytug]

It is a freakzoid thing, and it did happen to a couple of my lines early on, as in the first ten hours or so. One of the leaks was one of the steering lines, and one turned out to be a cracked flare nut- either me over tightening a leaking fitting or one that cracked during assembly. PT sent me a replacement line.

I think some of it is just routine retorqueing of hydraulic lines after a few pressure/ temperature cycles.

It did make me super vigilant about checking for leaks, but it turned out to be an early issue, and only an early issue.

It sounds like yours was worse. I have only dumped oil when a motor seal failed at hour seven. The replacement motor also failed, but no other issues in the next 1200 hours, other than the brake accumulator wearing out (unique to the 1445), which just seems to be a wear item for me.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MoKelly]

I’ve never had it happen. Is the fluid really hot such that you can be burned?

MoKelly

 

[ponytug]

I’ve never had it happen. Is the fluid really hot such that you can be burned?

MoKelly

It might be 140-160F. It is certainly hotter than I would want for me to have large amounts on my skin.

That said, high pressure oil spray is the item to worry about.

All the best,

Peter

 

[m5040]

brake accumulator wearing out

What happens when your accumulator wears out?

I would recommend putting a wrench on everything you could get to easily. Then determine if you want to do the harder stuff by how much you find loose (seat bolts, cooler bolts, wheel lug nuts, etc). Of course you have to check the center pin as regular maintenance.

Years ago I bought a new Kubota B7100 and when I went through checking it over, I found the steering box dry. Nothing was loose, just nobody put any oil in it. Would have made for nice steering in the years to come.

 

[MoKelly]

It might be 140-160F. It is certainly hotter than I would want for me to have large amounts on my skin.

That said, high pressure oil spray is the item to worry about.

All the best,

Peter

Thanks for answering.

MoKelly

 

[cqaigy2]

I had a similar experience when reversing and heard a woosh and swath of hot oil on the weeds. In my case a hose going to the right front motor had worn and burst.