Compact Tractors are Designed All Wrong

[MossRoad]

From the factory or do I have to fab it up myself at my expense?

For less than $400 you can buy a universal skid steer adapter and weld it to a Power Trac QA plate. It's not that hard, or expensive.

 

[MossRoad]

how come no one has mentioned the avant? they also have an all electric version. and 190+ attachments

e series – Avant loaders

i believe they have most of the original boxes ticked depending on the model, i'm sure they are expensive

i work part time in the summer putting up tents we use my little kubota b2650 to put up and take down as well as pull stakes. there is another company that does lots of tents and they have an avant to do the same things. with some practice i can do everything they can, though it is tougher to see. however when i'm done i can still go home and cut the grass.

i agree with gladehound and others that a tractor is more versatile

Avant has been mentioned in the past. They are expensive, yes. And they do have mowers.

 

[MossRoad]

"All tractors are a poor loader platform..." - All is a strong statement. Yes, the visibility of on the PowerTrac is a plus, but I can get similar visibility on my tractor by standing on the platform - my controls are all in easy reach. ...

I don't think I could stand on a tractor peering over the hood and operate in the conditions that I operate in and not fall over. Just not possible.

 

[airbiscuit]

I have to admit that those Power Tracs are pretty darned cute. And with tiny wheels and tires, that 1 speed hydro that stalls out with the occasional random spinning wheel, and the proprietary attachments, it makes me wonder how this machine could be any more perfect. (maybe if they had an actual dealer network?)

Truth be told, I'd actually like to have one for around the yard, but to assert that they are better than ever CUT ever made seems a stretch to me.

 

[MossRoad]

I have to admit that those Power Tracs are pretty darned cute. And with tiny wheels and tires, that 1 speed hydro that stalls out with the occasional random spinning wheel, and the proprietary attachments, it makes me wonder how this machine could be any more perfect. (maybe if they had an actual dealer network?)

Truth be told, I'd actually like to have one for around the yard, but to assert that they are better than ever CUT ever made seems a stretch to me.

Sure, pick the smallest model out there.... :laughing:

Bring out the TC21D and let's move 20 yards of mulch or gravel head to head with the PT425 a hundred yards. Then we'll plow some snow, mow the lawn, and brush hog a field of 13' thistle. :laughing:

Hahahaa, enough chest pounding!

The TC21D was on my short list back in 2001. It came in 2nd in my comparison. I really, really liked that tractor. It was, by far, the most comfortable and ergonomic machine I tested. I fit on it really well and everything was where it should have been. Excellent machine. :thumbsup: If I had gone with a conventional tractor, I'd have picked it easily over the JD4100, the Kubota BX2200, and the Cub Cadet 7205.

I chose the PT425 for several reasons. Out front implements and the QA were a big point. The PT had almost twice the hydraulic GPM (which should be expected, given the design), it was smaller, narrower, lighter, and lifted more weight at the pins. It is shorter at about 5'5" to the top of the canopy (I can set my nose on it and look over it). It has a steel canopy, which is not only a ROPS, but a FOPS. Protects your head in the woods. It has a tighter turning radius, can fit through a 4' gate. I can pop the forks on and pick up the 60" mower sideways, carry it through the gate, drop the forks, pick up the mower, and be mowing again in about 60 seconds. It's little stuff like that that drove my decisions, and I don't regret them. :thumbsup:

 

[4570Man]

If you’re moving 20 yards of material over that distance I’m going to use my dump truck and you can’t load it with a 60” lift height so you’ll loose hands down. I usually position my dump truck besides the pile so I have to drive in a V shape to load, so that game really boils down to bucket size. If we’re mowing the yard I’m going to use my Grasshopper and again you’ll loose. Plowing snow isn’t a tractors strong point so you might win that if it’s a fair comparison. A tractor is actually pretty good at bush hogging a field. The hydraulic drive mower suffers a lot of inefficiency loss and makes a lot of dust for the operator. A one trick pony really has to have the ability to use an implement off both ends. I like my CTL a lot, but it can’t do every job my tractor can. I do agree that a compact tractor is designed poorly, but there’s no cost effective replacement.

 

[CalG]

You know, big tires (large diameter) roll over obstacles and snow much easier than smaller diameter tires do.

It's a law., physics is like that....

 

[aczlan]

If you want a dedicated pulling machine you want a geared transmission with no toque converter, and big ag tires. Those aren’t desirable features for a loader machine.

Funny, very few modern articulated wheel loaders, or industrial grade TLBs have ag tires and most (99%?) have a torque converter in the transmission ( until you get up to the ones that are big enough to be electric drive).

Aaron Z

 

[4570Man]

Yep because the industrial tires are tough and support a lot of weight. The toque converter transmissions make for fast direction changes and precise movements. The industrial tires don’t have as good if traction on loose dirt and the toque converters eat power. Not a very appealing option for a field tractor. The best loader and the best tractor can never exist in the same machine.

 

[CalG]

Yep because the industrial tires are tough and support a lot of weight. The toque converter transmissions make for fast direction changes and precise movements. The industrial tires don’t have as good if traction on loose dirt and the toque converters eat power. Not a very appealing option for a field tractor. The best loader and the best tractor can never exist in the same machine.

This is truth!