Re: What mods you should have ordered from PT
OK; here's the list of factory mods I will inquire about:
- replace casters of brush hog with ones from landscape rake (higher)
- Female QDs for Aux. and PTO hydraulic couplings
- 4in long hose with female QDs for each powered implement (to 'close the loop')
- hydraulics with Rotella T6 5W30 (synthetic)
- tie-down hooks on four corners (for securing on trailer)
- longer wheel studs and 1/2-3/4" spacer to allow for tire chains
- reversible motor on tiller
- 6-ply tire like on model 1445
We'll see what they say...
Remember, if you raise the brush hog too high up off the ground, debris will fly out farther, including into the hoses and tunnel opening on the front of the PT under the FEL arms. You'll regret that decision later when you pummel the hoses with rocks and wood chips.
Solid tires on the brush hog are a must!
The Main PTO comes with one female and one male connector and so do all the implements. This prevents incorrect hook up for rotating equipment. You can hook the implement hoses together when not in use. This protects them from dirt and also allows you to spin the implement motor with your hands if you need to. So you shouldn't need to do anything to the Main PTO or any of the implements that run off of the main PTO.
The AUX PTO comes with male ends on both connectors on the FEL arms. And any implement that uses the AUX PTO (like the power-angle on the snow plow) comes with two female connectors. I don't know why they do this. However, in my opinion, its not worth messing with. The only problem it causes is if you hook the hoses up differently, the plow will angle left with a lever pull one time, and right the next time if you swapped the hoses. A simpler, and more cost effective remedy to prevent this would be to simple paint a color stripe on one of the AUX PTO connectors on the FEL arms and on the corresponding female implement connector of your choice. That way you always hook it up the same way each time. Doesn't cost anything but a small can of paint and a brush and tape if you like neat stripes! :thumbsup:
I think 30W oil is too low for the hydraulics. Mine has 40W in it from the factory.
Tie down hooks are a good idea. I use the trailer hitch on the back of the PT for the rear, however, its a single point. Two would be better. There's no good tie down point from the factory on the front. I added a hook to mine, but factory hooks located higher than the front tires on the front of the unit would be nice. Hmmm..... I may have to do that to mine, myself! :laughing:
Don't know about wheel studs and chains and such.
If you get a reversible motor on the tiller, you'll need a way to reverse it. Two short hoses with male/female quick connects would take care of that pretty cheaply if made at a local hydraulic shop VS having PT make them. You could put in a reversing circuit on the main PTO as well, but then you have the operator responsibility of making sure that you have it in the proper direction when brush hogging. It ads a level of failure to the human, if you know what I mean.
I'd try to un-jam it by just dragging is with some down pressure on the tines first. If that didn't work, pop in the short reversing hoses and run it backwards.
