Buying Advice Power-Trac 1430

[AKDirtGrubber]

Hello All,

Been lurking for over a year now and thought it was time to register and start participating in this great PT forum.

We will soon be embarking on a new chapter of our lives (as empty-nesters) and starting a farm here in Alaska. Our property goes from flat to goat-steep. I've looked at tractors of all types such as the Euro articulated ones to Green and the Orange ones. I have thousands of hours in Skid-steers (own a Bobcat 610) and have worked a hilly property (about 1k hours) on a Kubota years ago (still shiver thinking back on some of those experiences) and because of those experiences I started to look for a smaller articulated tractor. I couldn't find one that was close to what I was looking for until I found the Power-Trac. I need a tractor that I can do all the repairs on. Something I don't need a computer to diagnose codes with and something that will be hard to tip over.

I cleared part of the land last summer with a Cat 277b with a grapple bucket and that was great but way out of our budget and since I'll be doing all of the repairs somewhat mechanically complex. I also demoed a Kabota BX on the property and found that it was quite lacking and tipsy four our purposes.

Sooo... Trying not to be wordy here, just trying to give you all a bigger picture of my experiences and needs... I like the simple nature of the Power-Trac, the articulation and that it is hydraulically driven.

Our needs will vary from loader work, trenching, mowing, forestry (wood gathering & processing), snow removal, plowing and cultivating.

One of the things mentioned here (I think by Woodlandfarms) is that the PT doesn't excel with the ground engagement implements. I was hoping to attach a UTV/RTV 3point hitch hitch and be able to plow driving forward. Has someone here put a 3point hitch on the back of a PT? Would the 1430 be strong enough to pull a 1 or 2 bottom plow? Would someone elaborate on the subject of plowing with the PT?

Thanks,

Brad

 

[KentT]

A 1430 would certainly have sufficient power to pull a single plow, though I doubt it would pull a double plow setup. In fact PT sells a front mount shovel-type plow that they call a potato digger.

 

[MossRoad]

...

Our needs will vary from loader work, trenching, mowing, forestry (wood gathering & processing), snow removal, plowing and cultivating.

...

First, welcome to TBN! :thumbsup:

loader work - check - get a large bucket and a grapple bucket with teeth. Skip the small bucket with teeth. I rarely use mine. Maybe look at their 4-in-1 bucket instead of the grapple, but you mentioned forestry work, so consider the options.

trenching - check

mowing - mowing what and how large of an area? My brush hog is a beast. But it blows blades off easily on rocks. Most dangerous piece of power trac equipment I own.

forestry (wood gathering & processing) - check (get the large bucket, grapple bucket, and get the pallet forks)

snow removal - check (get the power angle plow, its cheap and works better than the buckets. I have no experience with their blower but don't need it).

plowing - dirt? For crops? How much area and what type of soil? A tiller would be my first choice depending on size of area you plan on planting. Don't know how the traction is on any models larger than the 400 series so don't know how it would pull a dirt plow.

cultivating - PT doesn't have much ground clearance. That won't stop it from going places, but it will flatten down your crops VS an agricultural type tractor that sits up higher, I would assume. Again, no experience with that.

Also, get an extra quick attach plate and weld a sturdy 2" receiver onto it. Then make your own attachments for that receiver. Like a 4' pole with a hook(s) for chains. Works great on getting logs and firewood out. It is a pretty darn good log skidder. Chain it up, lift it up and back out of the woods. Repeat! :laughing:

 

[SpringHollow]

For any of the larger PT's, I would not buy the PT snow plow. Just buy a very used snow plow from a truck and weld on a PT plate with some bracing. Have done this a couple of times. BTW, I love having a V-plow.

I can not see a PT pulling a single plow through the "dirt" we have here. Rototilling would be the only option.

You might consider a flail mower.

If your slopes start getting over 30°, you are going to want one of the slope mowers.

I have a small swinging mini hoe with a thumb that I use almost exclusively for firewood/logging. By far the most used implement for my PT. I put the logs onto a small hay wagon and then pull that out of the woods. I use the swinging mini hoe setup again to chunk the logs used for firewood.

The diesels start pretty rough in the real cold. You might want to consider the intake manifold heaters.

Ken

 

[AKDirtGrubber]

Thanks Kent, MossRoad & SpringHollow for your replies.

Kent, since I haven't flown back to Tazewell yet and laid hands on one of these beasties it is a relief that there is enough pull for at least a one bottom plow. We have great soil and it shouldn't be to hard to get through.

MossRoad, I agree with the 4-in-1 bucket, to be able to grab is a great plus. We have about 3,000 feet of irrigation line to install; how well does the PT chain trencher work? We have easy ground so the trencher wont be thrashed on shale or bedrock. Should I expect the teeth to last for 3+k feet barring getting into rocks? Although in 2012 our property received 12' of snow, that was extreme. We have been trending warmer every year for the last 20. Last year our property didn't receive more than 2' in total and when it did snow it didn't last for more than a few weeks on the ground. I don't even think the ground froze more than a few inches. So as far as a blower is concerned we will pass for now and just for the fact of what PT wants for them... sheesh.

SpringHollow, Agree with you on the plow. Up here there are MANY used snow plows and once they get separated from a truck and become yard art most people will just give it away to get rid of it. I enjoy welding and fabrication so anything with modding the PT wont be a problem. This is one reason I gravitate toward the PT is that I can stick on a piece of metal or hook almost anywhere...no plastic! Did you mod power-trac's mini hoe to swing or was it another manufacturers hoe? While our 1430 will have a long working life on our farm she will be sleeping warm. I plan to have a heated or heat-able shed so cold starts shouldn't be a problem. Maybe we will be able to get many more hours out of the engine and starter not starting it up cold.

We will be getting the tiller, brush-hog, 4-n-1 bucket, chain trencher & mini-hoe from PT along with a few QC plates. I would like to build a hydraulic winch set up for logging. I'll also be building a hydraulic firewood processor. We are 100% off grid and as we build out the power system we may also consider a hydraulic generator.

One third of the work our PT will be doing is AG related (which seems like I'll be a bit of a pioneer here) and some of my mods will be new to our forum. I'll be putting on a 3pt hitch which slides into a 2" receiver (something like UTV Hitchworks) and remote the PTO to the back. I would like to select whether to use the front PTO or back. How does Tazewell do this with their 2xxx series for the backhoe? I know that the 1430 doesn't have much for ground clearance but I was thinking maybe when I'm doing row work I can put on a set of tires/wheels that will give me more clearance. Narrow tall ones, any thoughts? (All of the row crops will be mainly on flat ground). Heh maybe our 1430 will kinda look like one of those rice patty tractors.

I have to take a moment and thank all of the dedicated contributors we have. It's awesome to have years of shared and accumulated knowledge on the PT line of equipment at our fingertips. If it wasn't for this forum we wouldn't be getting a PT. It surprises me that PT doesn't run a forum or even participate here. It's kinda sad really, they are missing out on a great way to support their clients and build brand loyalty.

One last thing and please forgive me if this has been asked before but what are some of your essential mods you all would do to a new 1430?
The first ones on my list are the suspension seat and lights...

Thanks guys for your input,

Brad

 

[SpringHollow]

Hi Brad,

If you look at my web page or one of my posts here, I have how I added additional hydraulic circuits to my PT. It was very easy for me to spin my wheels (chains installed) with a 6' box blade fairly lightly engaged. I still have concerns about your ability to use it for agricultural plowing but then I do not have anything approximating soil here. Worst case, you could always add a hydraulic motor to a 3 pt rototiller once you are up there.

The swinging mini hoe was an extra small skid steer one made by Lackender that was easy to modify to fit the PT. The other mini hoe I have I purchased earlier from Lackender and will dig 6' down with a 12" bucket or a 6" bucket.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

PT used to offer a 3PT hitch on one of their models. They don't anymore. But maybe you could call Terry at Power Trac and tell him what you want to do with the thing, like homesteading in Alaska. Maybe they could recommend how to do the 3pt, or show you how they did it, or do it for $$$. And you could ask about having rear PTO remotes added from the factory as well or just do it your self. It can't be that hard. A couple Tees, a couple hoses and a couple quick connect fittings.

 

[SpringHollow]

Not a lot of room to run extra hoses through the tunnel. And if you supply it from the tub, then you need a valve and a pressure relief.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

Not a lot of room to run extra hoses through the tunnel. And if you supply it from the tub, then you need a valve and a pressure relief.

Ken

I thought the hose for the main PTO goes from the pump to the electric diverter valve in the engine compartment (switch operated on the dash) and back to the tank. When you flip the switch, it diverts from going back to the tank to going to the supply hose on the FEL arms, through the attachment, through the return hose on the FEL arms, and back to the tank. There's a relief on the diverter valve if you forget to plug in an attachment (or it gets jammed).

At least that's how my PT425 is plumbed (I think and you guys know how I think! :laughing. I'd just tee off the supply hose after the diverter valve and run to the rear of the machine, then put a return back to the tank and tee it into the return from the FEL arm hose.

What am I missing? I won't be offended. Remember the steering circuit where I though J_J was gonna drive up here to Indiana and slap some sense into me? :laughing:

 

[SpringHollow]

I was referring to the auxiliary which is what I would normally use to control lift arms on a 3 pt hitch.

Ken

 

[SpringHollow]

What you are saying I believe would be fine if installing a circuit to run a hydraulic motor for a 3 pt hitch powered implement.

 

[AKDirtGrubber]

Hello Ken,

Looking at your site and the mods / upgrades you've done makes me get the itch to fly down to Tazewell.... tomorrow! The V-plow setup you made sure looks impressive. I'm wondering if the 1430 is going to be big enough. Need MoreBiggerFaster! Seriously I think the 1430 will be big enough but wont know for sure until I do some test drives and feel the differences between them.

With your filter cart do you do both the motor oil and the hydro oil with the same cart or just hydro? Would one need separate carts for different oils?

The ability to get enough traction to make a furrow is certainly a concern for me too. I may end up with the tiller on the back with a bed shaper connected to it to make my hill. We will see.

Brad

 

[ponytug]

I share the concern about plowing. PTs are hydraulically driven and have no gearing so plowing is really the worst application. You would need to have very light soil. I have the tiller and it works very well. I'd be inclined to do two tilling passes and shape afterwards with a mound shaping gizmo. (As MossRoad pointed out, there is no ground clearance with these machines, so you aren't going to be able to cultivate with the PT.

Depending on where you are in AK, you may want to think about the V-plow vs a snow blower, depending on how heavy your snow is.

I would make the decision size on size based on slope. Get an 8' long section of uni-strut, or straight pipe and go measure your "goat" slopes. If they are at, or above, 30 degrees, you are going to want one of the slope mowers. Small rabbit holes have a way of turning something that was OK into something that isn't. My 1445 has enough power to back up a 30 degree slope, but comes very close to stalling out on a hot day pushing up hill. At some point, you just need the HP to run well on slopes.

If you know what circuits you want, I would ask Power-trac to do an install for you. They may do it and provide you with the power beyond feed that you would need for your extra circuits.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I was referring to the auxiliary which is what I would normally use to control lift arms on a 3 pt hitch.

Ken

OK, gotcha. I was thinking implement.

Aux works off the second PTO pump. Goes pump to steering valve, to FEL valve, back to tank. If you tee'd off a valve equipped with power beyond before it goes to the steering valve you could power cylinders at the rear, but every time you operated the rear, you'd lose steering priority, correct?

 

[SpringHollow]

Yes, I would think so. I did mine after the steering for that reason.

Ken

 

[SpringHollow]

Hello Ken,

Looking at your site and the mods / upgrades you've done makes me get the itch to fly down to Tazewell.... tomorrow! The V-plow setup you made sure looks impressive. I'm wondering if the 1430 is going to be big enough. Need MoreBiggerFaster! Seriously I think the 1430 will be big enough but wont know for sure until I do some test drives and feel the differences between them.

With your filter cart do you do both the motor oil and the hydro oil with the same cart or just hydro? Would one need separate carts for different oils?

The ability to get enough traction to make a furrow is certainly a concern for me too. I may end up with the tiller on the back with a bed shaper connected to it to make my hill. We will see.

Brad

I like the V-Plow much more than I thought I would, mainly because I use it as a reverse V snow pusher a lot.

I do not see the need to use the filter cart for the engine oil. I rearranged things between the barn and shop and need to run a circuit for the filter cart - it has not been run for a while now. That project never makes it to the top of the list.

The 1430 and the 1850 are similar machines. The 1850 just has more hydraulic flow to run bigger mowers and better slope capability at the expense of cost, weight, size, and fuel consumption. Lift capacity is the same. For what I do, if the 1430 had the same slope/soft soil capability, I would rather have it. The 1850 sucks down fuel. If I did mostly mowing, I would rather have the 1850.

Ken

 

[AKDirtGrubber]

A 1430 would certainly have sufficient power to pull a single plow, though I doubt it would pull a double plow setup. In fact PT sells a front mount shovel-type plow that they call a potato digger.

Kent - As I have stated I would like to do traditional tractor work with the PT. I know we can double up on the wheels to make the slope work safer but have you seen someone add taller tires/wheels to get more clearance? Do you think this would rob me of much of the wheel torque?

Brad

 

[AKDirtGrubber]

...The 1850 sucks down fuel...

Ken - That is one reason I'm considering the 1430 over the other larger units; fuel consumption. As far as your filter cart goes do you filter the hydro oil @ 50hrs when you change the filter out?

Brad

 

[AKDirtGrubber]

I share the concern about plowing. PTs are hydraulically driven and have no gearing so plowing is really the worst application. You would need to have very light soil. I have the tiller and it works very well. I'd be inclined to do two tilling passes and shape afterwards with a mound shaping gizmo. (As MossRoad pointed out, there is no ground clearance with these machines, so you aren't going to be able to cultivate with the PT.

Depending on where you are in AK, you may want to think about the V-plow vs a snow blower, depending on how heavy your snow is.

I would make the decision size on size based on slope. Get an 8' long section of uni-strut, or straight pipe and go measure your "goat" slopes. If they are at, or above, 30 degrees, you are going to want one of the slope mowers. Small rabbit holes have a way of turning something that was OK into something that isn't. My 1445 has enough power to back up a 30 degree slope, but comes very close to stalling out on a hot day pushing up hill. At some point, you just need the HP to run well on slopes.

If you know what circuits you want, I would ask Power-trac to do an install for you. They may do it and provide you with the power beyond feed that you would need for your extra circuits.

All the best,

Peter

Hi Peter - I agree with you that the PT probably isn't the best tool to plow dirt with but I hope the PT will be able to do it even it isn't designed for it. What is your opinion of taller tires/wheels to get more clearance? Most of our row crops will be on the flat part of the property (about 10-20 600' rows) so I wont be side hilling it wearing taller rubber.
Since you have the 1445 do you feel the power/weight/capability-ratio favors greatly the '45 over the '30? Do you think the 1445 is worth another 5k over the 1430?

Oh forgot to mention about the Goat Slopes... yes only goats would tread these! When I walk this part of our property I can reach straight out and touch the hillside. Steep stuff.
Brad

 

[SpringHollow]

I usually ran the filter after any long use of the tractor while the oil was still warm.

I really do not see someone being happy with the PT being used for traditional farming - it is not what these tractors excel at.

Ken