PT expectations?

[johara1]

The Steiner 430 max Kubota used to have big springs that you would connect from the mower to the tractor's grill to transfer some weight back to the tractor when in float. The smaller PTs you have to use the loader control if you need weight on your tires, this is all part of being an experience operator and knowing your equipment. The diesel PTs have the draft control feature which acts like the Steiner's grill springs, but with the hydraulics it is adjustable. The 1430PT gets the pressure for this draft from the tram. So if you are using a lot of pressure to the wheel motors, it gives more to the draft to float the implement more. One thing is that the draft feature may be similar to farm tractor 3pt draft control, but it is not the same. The farm tractor draft senses the force used to pull the implement and if over the setting, the 3pt raises up slightly until the draw drops to within the set parameters. I hope I didn't make it more confusing, but the 2 different types of tractors having a control with the same name, but not the same purpose.

They are not remotely the same, A PT. has loader arms and pushes lower on the front and when you have any resistance on the deck the PT wants to crawl up the arms and it takes weight off the front wheels and when that happens and the front tires spin the PT real wheels won't work. A Ventrac and Steiner have small arms that push level, but still have a weight transfer system. Both of them will cut up a steep hill with no problem where the 425 PT won't. Having all three on the same ground kind of makes it easy to see the difference....... jim

 

[MossRoad]

They are not remotely the same, A PT. has loader arms and pushes lower on the front and when you have any resistance on the deck the PT wants to crawl up the arms and it takes weight off the front wheels and when that happens and the front tires spin the PT real wheels won't work. A Ventrac and Steiner have small arms that push level, but still have a weight transfer system. Both of them will cut up a steep hill with no problem where the 425 PT won't. Having all three on the same ground kind of makes it easy to see the difference....... jim

I frequently push my PT425 brush cutter 6' up a more than 45 degree gravel bank in front of the tractor and it doesn't dig in. It rolls right up the embankment with the FEL arms in float.

 

[johara1]

I frequently push my PT425 brush cutter 6' up a more than 45 degree gravel bank in front of the tractor and it doesn't dig in. It rolls right up the embankment with the FEL arms in float.

How long is it ? is the mower and the tractor on a 1 to 1 slope? at the same time? up hill It won't push a mower running up a a 2 to 1 slope running unless it is short and both aren't on the slope at the same time. ..... jim

 

[MossRoad]

How long is it ? is the mower and the tractor on a 1 to 1 slope? at the same time? up hill It won't push a mower running up a a 2 to 1 slope running unless it is short and both aren't on the slope at the same time. ..... jim

I've never experienced that. I brush cut uphill a few trails that are 20 degrees for 50-60 feet. I've never had the tractor try to drive over the brush cutter unless I hit a log with the front wheels of the brush cutter. I do have areas where I run out of traction, so as mentioned, I pull the joystick out of float and back just a bit to get the weight of the mower off the mower wheels and onto the FEL arms, then up the hill I go. When the slope gets less steep, I shove the joystick back into float, the mower drops onto it's own wheels again and I continue.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's some really grainy old videos of me on my 425 from probably 2002 brush cutting a relatively flat area in float.

 

[joshlee]

With my 1430, I never had the FEL try to ride up over the deck on the mower or brush cutter. Now with the snow plow it is a different story. A PT owner needs to learn how to keep to plow from digging in, or it will try crawling up over the plow. Once I learned how to prevent that, the plow works great for me.

 

[MossRoad]

I've got the wheels behind my plow. Never had the 425 try to climb over that either. Only thing it has tried to climb over was the bucket in dirt or sod while in float.

 

[joshlee]

Oh, yeah, the bucket too. The plow does too if it is tilted forward too much when the casters are not touching. Then the cutting edge will bite ahold.

It will soon be time to put the chains on.

 

[MossRoad]

Yep. Cold and snow coming here, too. I don't need chains with our flat driveway and yard. Gonna fire up the wood burner this weekend, too.

 

[johara1]

I've got the wheels behind my plow. Never had the 425 try to climb over that either. Only thing it has tried to climb over was the bucket in dirt or sod while in float.

I still want to see that PT. go up a 1 to 1 slope or 45 degrees as you call it. A little BS. I sure been on a lot of them and you need tracks under you..... jim