Useful attachments adapted to PT ?

[2manyrocks]

I recently asked about adapting a skid steer brush cutter to a PT1445 in lieu of the PT brush cutter. What other kinds of attachments have you guys adapted to PTs that were either SSQA or 3 point? I have a number of 3pt tractor attachments (PHD, brush cutter, rake, grapple, box blade, dirt blade, PTO sprayer, plow). Wondering if any could be adapted to the PT1445 or if I'd be better off keeping my MX5200 or L2501?

Mostly, I mow. Secondly, I move brush with the grapple although lately the grapple gets used more than the brush cutter. Hoping for that to stop. I grade the gravel driveway as often as needed. Break the garden with the plow in the spring. Spray kudzu with a PTO sprayer as needed. Would like to be able to grind up some stumps, but don't have a stump grinder.

 

[MossRoad]

Non-powered implements are a piece of cake.
You can weld a 3pt hitch adapter to a PT female quick attach.
Or you can weld PT a female PT quick attach to each 3pt implement.

Powered implements you could either adapt a properly sized hydraulic motor to each 3pt implement. Or, you could get a PTO splined hydraulic motor, adapt it to a 3pt hitch adapter, then size drive shafts.

One thing I find very handy is a 2" receive welded to a PT quick attach plate. All kinds of uses.

 

[ponytug]

Bear in mind that using skidsteer implements adds weight out in front, so if you can use the the PT implements, those might be a better choice. Plus, most skid steer attachments are designed for machines with much larger lift capacities, so if you are thinking of a skid steer grapple, be mindful of the extra weight that will cut into your lift capacity. On a blade, that isn't really an issue. As an example, my skid steer 1500lb power broom is right at the limit of my 1445, both because of the adapter weight, and because the center of mass is 30" out from the adapter plate. (I'm about to sell the broom. I needed it for one project, and thought that I would use it for more things, but that turned out not to be the case.)

I love the PT rototiller. It works great, even in heavy soil. It has bolo tines, so it is not great at attacking truly rocky ground, where you need pick tines. I use it each spring to get the garden ready, and for making terraces for slopes in hillsides. I wouldn't try to plow with a PT; these are hydraulic drive tractors and don't have the gearing/design to plow most soils.

I spot spray. I run a Northern Tool 12V sprayer in my FEL. It works great. Someone here ran a hose to the back and used a spray bar.

I have a skid steer auger. I wanted a planetary drive auger that could be reversed, neither available from PT, plus the skid steer augers are an industry standard 2" hex drive. I'm using it with a skid steer to PT adapter at the moment, because with the skid steer mount, the anuger can be offset to auger all the way over to one side or the other. I'm not convinced that the offset auger ability is much of an advantage, but I have a complex fence project where it might, might, come in handy. If I get through that project without using it, I will weld a PT directly to the auger.

Mostly, I have the PT versions and really like them. My three non-PT are a wood chipper (which PT doesn't make), the power broom (very cheap locally), and the auger. The PT attachments are two buckets (4n1, LMB), pallet forks (thanks to @MossRoad), brush mower, rototiller, hitch plate, trencher, and post driver. The latter two only get used occasionally, but have paid for themselves many times over on various projects. The 1 cu.yd. Light material bucket lives on the tractor, and gets used all the time, with the pallet forks a close second for daily use, but all of them earn their keep periodically, but everyone has different needs.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2manyrocks]

I'd like to see a picture of any SSQA to PT adapter anyone might have made, please.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Other than my mower my laundry list of implements are third party. So

Mower from pt
Post hole digger - self made
Stump grinder -self made
Grapple -partially self made
Tow bar -self made
Pickle forks
Large bucket
Back hoe -all from Lackender
Box blade - forgot manufacturer
York rake. John Deere
Sprayer -self made more or less
I made a pile of adapters and weld them in stuff like a garbage can hauler.

 

[ponytug]

My home made adapter in the foreground. More over on the PT modification thread. I bought the pin assemblies from eBay.

 

[woodlandfarms]

My home made adapter in the foreground. More over on the PT modification thread. I bought the pin assemblies from eBay.View attachment 855752

What did you do to handle the angle?

 

[2manyrocks]

PowerTrac Specific Modifications

So, I picked up a power broom and an auger at auction. I needed the broom for a construction project, and realized that renting one was going to be 2/3rds the cost of a new one. The only issue was that the attachments were for skidsteers. So, I made a PT QA to skid steer quick attach plate...

www.tractorbynet.com

Seems like you added quite a bit of steel? Not just a simple weld the pin assembly to the PT plate?

 

[PowerTracManiac]

I had a PT adapter plate welded up to a ssqa forklift implement. Cost me 400 for the welding. I thought that was reasonable??
I put a little angle into it so it would have a nice range of motion as my PT is designed with an angle at the PT implement connection mount. See attached photo and you can see how it was done and the angle.
This gave me 3 implements:
1) Forklift
2) Remove the forks and the forklift backing plate has a 2 inch receiver welded into it. Use this quite often to move trailers.
3) Log grapple slides over the forks and gives me an "add a grapple" feature.

I definitely plan on doing a PT adapter plate to SSQA in the future and would probably build the same angle into it.

 

[m5040]

My version of a 1430 adapter made out of a ebay 3pt to SSQA. I had to cut the top portion off as it would pinch hoses on curl back. I matched the angle "neutral position" of the PT grapple bucket I bought with the machine

 

[PowerTracManiac]

I have a skid steer auger. I wanted a planetary drive auger that could be reversed, neither available from PT, plus the skid steer augers are an industry standard 2" hex drive. I'm using it with a skid steer to PT adapter at the moment, because with the skid steer mount, the anuger can be offset to auger all the way over to one side or the other. I'm not

Thank you for this. I will need a post hole digger in the future. I didn't realize the PT post hole diggers couldn't go in reverse? Did you need to add additional valving?

 

[m5040]

1460 adapter, same story. This was heavy to start with. For some reason they made it about 6" wider then it needs to be. I plan to someday cut off the excess but then will need to reweld up the holes in the box tubing.

 

[m5040]

Ditch witch stump grinder on 1430 via the adapter. It works great as it moves right and left using its own hydraulics you don't have to move the tractor.

 

[m5040]

1430 with a Titan flail mower I use for brush.

 

[m5040]

They are pricey but the Ryan's rotating log grapple is the best I have used. It allows you to approach the pile in any direction (instead of only at right angles). I use it on both the 1430 and 1460 depending on the anticipated weight. You can also carry very long/wide objects down narrow roads by keeping the pile parallel to the tractor.

 

[MossRoad]

I'd like to see a picture of any SSQA to PT adapter anyone might have made, please.

I didn't expect that many replies!

 

[ponytug]

Thank you for this. I will need a post hole digger in the future. I didn't realize the PT post hole diggers couldn't go in reverse? Did you need to add additional valving?

I talked to Terry when I was purchasing and at the time,
PT used a (IIRC, gearotor) motor for the auger, and rototiller, that was unable to reverse. I do not know that is still the case.

In actual use, I have only absolutely needed reverse once, so installing a 15gpm capable single acting reversing solenoid with a spooling neutral is on the project list, but not yet done. (Pricey little items) The one off reverse I did by switching hose ends. The auger had jammed itself against something, and would not lift, or turn. Swapped the hoses, got the auger out, swapped the hoses back and carefully angered the hole a second time since the hole had to be exactly there for a gate, and didn't find a thing. No root pieces, no rocks or rock fragments, nothing but clay soil. I have no idea what happened.

You could also enable a reverse with a couple of valves, or a 4-way valve. I thought about a 4-way valve with 4 couplers and some short hoses on it as a rescue reverse, which would be a cheaper option. ($80 for the valve, plus two 18-24" hoses, plus a set of four quick couplers) In thinking about it, I might make one with flat face skid steer fittings on half and use it to adapt skid steer implements without having to change hose ends.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2manyrocks]

1430 with a Titan flail mower I use for brush.

I'm guessing that you adapted a hydraulic motor to drive the flail mower, but how did you do it? And how does it compare to a rotary brush cutter? Doesn't throw debris as far? How does it compare to a normal rotary cutter when it comes to weight distribution and stability?

 

[ponytug]

What did you do to handle the angle?

PowerTrac Specific Modifications

So, I picked up a power broom and an auger at auction. I needed the broom for a construction project, and realized that renting one was going to be 2/3rds the cost of a new one. The only issue was that the attachments were for skidsteers. So, I made a PT QA to skid steer quick attach plate...

www.tractorbynet.com

Seems like you added quite a bit of steel? Not just a simple weld the pin assembly to the PT plate?

Here is the sort of item that I bought;

So, yes, the rest of the steel I added. The cost of shipping on many of the other skid steer adapter versions just wasn't worth it. You have to get the spacing right, but the measurements are all over the web. I used 1x2 tube to space off the base of the PT QA plate away from the adapter. If I were doing it again, I would at latch locks at the closed position, and a little more angle. I used about 4 degrees (toward the SSQA), and I think 8 degrees (2x2" tube) might have been better, as vertical items like an auger don't care as much about angle, but horizontal uses like forks and brooms do. YMMV.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I talked to Terry when I was purchasing and at the time,
PT used a (IIRC, gearotor) motor for the auger, and rototiller, that was unable to reverse. I do not know that is still the case.

In actual use, I have only absolutely needed reverse once, so installing a 15gpm capable single acting reversing solenoid with a spooling neutral is on the project list, but not yet done. (Pricey little items) The one off reverse I did by switching hose ends. The auger had jammed itself against something, and would not lift, or turn. Swapped the hoses, got the auger out, swapped the hoses back and carefully angered the hole a second time since the hole had to be exactly there for a gate, and didn't find a thing. No root pieces, no rocks or rock fragments, nothing but clay soil. I have no idea what happened.

You could also enable a reverse with a couple of valves, or a 4-way valve. I thought about a 4-way valve with 4 couplers and some short hoses on it as a rescue reverse, which would be a cheaper option. ($80 for the valve, plus two 18-24" hoses, plus a set of four quick couplers) In thinking about it, I might make one with flat face skid steer fittings on half and use it to adapt skid steer implements without having to change hose ends.

All the best,

Peter

You could also put females on the PTO out, and males on all the implement hoses, and color code them for normal operation. Then swap if you need to reverse.

Not nearly as elegant as the flip of a switch or lever, but I'd guess a whole heck of a lot less expensive.