MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 57,636
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Yeah it was! 
What did you do with your Power Trac today?
- Thread starter m5040
- Start date
- Views: 59955
OP
m5040
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2008
- Messages
- 989
- Location
- CT
- Tractor
- Kubota M6040 L2250, JohnDeere 310D, Ford 841 Elenco, Ford 961, Trapmaster, PT180 w/LM bucket and 45" brush cutter, PT1430 Deutz w/grapple bucket, Antonio Carraro Tigrecar 6500. John Deere 5300. Former owned Steiner 430 max, Goldoni REV Maxter 7
Where is all the snow and ice?!!!!
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 57,636
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
We got 2" the other day. Gone now. Lots of grass showing. Only snow is in the shadows. I plowed the driveway one (1) time this year. We had several rain events.
OP
m5040
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2008
- Messages
- 989
- Location
- CT
- Tractor
- Kubota M6040 L2250, JohnDeere 310D, Ford 841 Elenco, Ford 961, Trapmaster, PT180 w/LM bucket and 45" brush cutter, PT1430 Deutz w/grapple bucket, Antonio Carraro Tigrecar 6500. John Deere 5300. Former owned Steiner 430 max, Goldoni REV Maxter 7
We just had 1 1/2" of sleet. I shovel full weighs like 25 lbs and the stuff doesn't melt well in the sun. You can walk on top of it all. Spring is coming!
PowerTracManiac
Silver Member
Re: Tchamp "trees and stump grinder"
Perfect application for the PT. Nice work!
Any tips on the stump grinder useage?
I plan on using mine or the first time in the next couple days.
Tchamp
Silver Member
I start on the side closest to the machine and slowly work my way through the stump i switch sides and work from opposite when i have gotten to where i have alot of surface being cut at one time. It seems to cut faster when it is a smaller area cutting on the face. I tilt the stump grinder all the way back and lower it down to the stump and when i make contact with the stump then tilt to lower the head a little at a time. Be paitent with it and dont get in a hurry. It takes a little time to get the hang of it, when you do then it will go pretty well. There is a art to using it, you cant power through it at all.It takes finesse
ponytug
Super Member
Bent the floor on my 4n1 bucket again today.
I was trying to remove some loose soil on a steep slope. (Spoils from another project) I didn't have enough traction to move forward into the loose soil, so I was back dragging to fill the bucket. That went ok until I picked up an old concrete fence post footing that had been previously pulled out. I made the mistake of clamping the 16" diameter chunk of concrete on the jaws of the 4n1. Now I have a two to two and half inch gap along most of the back of the bucket because the floor is bent. The back edge on my bucket is only 1/4". (The front is 3/8".)
I need to buy an I-beam or something to be able to press the blade edge back to flat. I chained my 20T jack to the bucket to try to bend the bucket edge flat and the jack went into bypass, which was a little disappointing.
I ended up pulling against the back blade. It is now only 3/4-1/2" out. Round two tomorrow.
I have ordered a nice heavy duty weld-on boron steel edge to reinforce the existing one. It should be a fun fabrication.
All the best,
Peter
I was trying to remove some loose soil on a steep slope. (Spoils from another project) I didn't have enough traction to move forward into the loose soil, so I was back dragging to fill the bucket. That went ok until I picked up an old concrete fence post footing that had been previously pulled out. I made the mistake of clamping the 16" diameter chunk of concrete on the jaws of the 4n1. Now I have a two to two and half inch gap along most of the back of the bucket because the floor is bent. The back edge on my bucket is only 1/4". (The front is 3/8".)
I need to buy an I-beam or something to be able to press the blade edge back to flat. I chained my 20T jack to the bucket to try to bend the bucket edge flat and the jack went into bypass, which was a little disappointing.
I ended up pulling against the back blade. It is now only 3/4-1/2" out. Round two tomorrow.I have ordered a nice heavy duty weld-on boron steel edge to reinforce the existing one. It should be a fun fabrication.
All the best,
Peter
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 57,636
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Sounds like a project. Would enjoy seeing photos.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 57,636
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
And aren't hydraulics amazingly strong?
I've used my forks to push into the ground around stumps, concrete posts, rocks, etc., almost straight down to the QA plate several times, then rock the dump/curl function back and forth to pry/loosen the soil. A couple times when I backed the forks out of the ground, they were bent 6"!
You wouldn't think a little 1500# machine would be able to do that. You'd think the machine would roll back and forth before bending those steel forks, but nope. Gotta be careful.
I've used my forks to push into the ground around stumps, concrete posts, rocks, etc., almost straight down to the QA plate several times, then rock the dump/curl function back and forth to pry/loosen the soil. A couple times when I backed the forks out of the ground, they were bent 6"!
You wouldn't think a little 1500# machine would be able to do that. You'd think the machine would roll back and forth before bending those steel forks, but nope. Gotta be careful.
ponytug
Super Member
Yes, hydraulics are amazing. I might breakdown and pick up a portapower type cylinder to go with the I-beam and plug it into the quick disconnects. Maybe. I hope never to have this problem again with the reinforced blade. I went for welding the boron steel, which sounds a bit finicky to me, as you need to preheat everything, but not too much and then stitch weld to keep the cutting edge from getting too warm and losing its hardening. The heat window isn't huge; 120F< ideal temperature range < 520F. The alternative was getting a magnetic drill to bore the ten 5/8" holes for a bolt on blade. Time will tell whether that was a smart decision.
My forks are forged, and thankfully I haven't, yet, managed to bend them, but then I admit to only using them "off label" a half dozen times on wimping things like poison oak and a massive elderberry that was two feet across with real roots. Unfortunately, the elderberry was basically growing under the eaves of the barn and really had to go... I am sure that other folks here get more off label use out their forks than I do. Mine get a lot of "on label" use moving pallets and bulk items. I wouldn't have bought them but for the advice here to do so, and I am very very happy to have the forks. Thanks!
All the best,
Peter
My forks are forged, and thankfully I haven't, yet, managed to bend them, but then I admit to only using them "off label" a half dozen times on wimping things like poison oak and a massive elderberry that was two feet across with real roots. Unfortunately, the elderberry was basically growing under the eaves of the barn and really had to go... I am sure that other folks here get more off label use out their forks than I do. Mine get a lot of "on label" use moving pallets and bulk items. I wouldn't have bought them but for the advice here to do so, and I am very very happy to have the forks. Thanks!
All the best,
Peter
