All Quiet On The Power Trac Front!

[MossRoad]

I know I haven't had the mighty PT425 out in a couple weeks. No rain. Short lawn. No leaves falling yet. No firewood duties yet.

Ain't noboby doing nothing with their PTs right now? Or are you all just so busy with life that you don't have any time for seat time? :laughing:

 

[woodlandfarms]

I just wrapped up my movie and have put 40 hrs in in the past week. 2k worth of bark dust, cedar chips, rock and topsoil have been deposited on various projects. Major tree falling occurring ( why is it so much fun to cut trees down and suck so bad to limb them up?)

Biggest news is that I bought chains to run full time on the 1850. Now it is a Billy goat. Totally changed my machine. I did find out what happens when you go up a hill that is more than 45 degrees. You start sucking oil and blowing black smoke. Scared the heck out of me.

Did I mention I got an 8 ft landscape rake, a post hole digger and a sub soiler potato digger to run Water/electric.

Now it is time to become chemical Ali and spray blackberries.

Carl

 

[J_J]

Hi Carl,

Did you do anything about the Prodigy mini skid?

 

[woodlandfarms]

So far I have passed. I think it would make a 425 owner very happy but for me it looks like it would cost me more than it is worth at the end of the day.

Anyone in the PNW want a trencher? I think it is stil up on Craigs...

 

[Phils]

I've had so little to do between "seasons" that I let a friend borrow my PT & stump grinder for a couple of weeks. There are very few that I'd do that for, but he's one that will return it cleaner than he got it and if anything breaks, he'd do a better repair than I could.

But fall is in the air, I've got much brush to burn, and I can hear my grapple bucket calling!

Phil

 

[FAZTRAC]

My PT425 has become an indispensable extension of my being ! Burning brush with mini hoe/thumb and grapple bucket. Built road with it this summer.
Waiting for cooler weather to start logging again. Many dead trees are calling !
Picture attached of home made hydraulic winch I built for pulling down
the widow makers in my wood lots. Its got 7K of pulling power and can be used on or off the PT. For light pulls the dozer blade digs in to the ground as you pull or you can hook on to a tree base with nylon strapfor full 7K pull. Strong like bull. Winch free spools and has 2 speeds... made for pickup trucks. inexpensive to build with square tubing and trailer towing parts.

 

[BobRip]

That looks good. Good concept too! Is that a mile marker winch?

 

[Marks481]

Very nice. I want one. Can you give us a picture from the back/side, please?

 

[BobRip]

At first I thought that was the snow plow. But now I don't think so. More pictures please.

 

[FAZTRAC]

Here are some back side views showing the hooks welded on for nylon strap attachment so heavy pull loads go back to tree underneath PT with no load on PT at all. For awkward pulls the whole unit gets dropped and strapped to a tree up to 12 feet away from PT and then also use Mongo snatch blocks to turn the cable in any direction when needed to stay out of way of widow makers coming down.The pulley tower also lifts out of the veritical receivers on the plow blade when not needed. (Winch is Mile Marker, will pull large truck up steep cliff. 150' 3/8" cable ! Mucho winch for mini money at Truck AddOns.com)

 

[PTWannaHave]

Wow... What a nice implement...!!

I met a cottager once, who told me he had a better technique than a chainsaw to remove tall trees (not necessarily dying ones)... Sounds a lot like your tool.

He explained to me that he uses the 2K lbs winch mounted on the front of his Dixie Chopper zero-turn. Using *very* long cables, he would attach a cable as high on a tree as his extension ladder would allow. Then, he would park his mower 100+ft away, wedged against the trunk of another large tree. Then, he would slowly let the winch do its work, pulling the top half of the tree down, bending it, until the roots would give. Voilà! No stump to grind out!

Apparently works most of the time in his mountainous region. But, I can imagine that depending on the tree type and soil conditions, that approach might never work, as the tree would snap its trunk midway instead of the roots giving out...

Next time you use your implement, it would be great to see a shot of your tool being used when it is not inline with the fall direction of the tree.

Cheers,

 

[MossRoad]

View attachment 230068

My PT425 has become an indispensable extension of my being ! Burning brush with mini hoe/thumb and grapple bucket. Built road with it this summer.
Waiting for cooler weather to start logging again. Many dead trees are calling !
Picture attached of home made hydraulic winch I built for pulling down
the widow makers in my wood lots. Its got 7K of pulling power and can be used on or off the PT. For light pulls the dozer blade digs in to the ground as you pull or you can hook on to a tree base with nylon strapfor full 7K pull. Strong like bull. Winch free spools and has 2 speeds... made for pickup trucks. inexpensive to build with square tubing and trailer towing parts.

Very nice! :thumbsup:

 

[3238dpw]

FAZTRAC How could you be keeping this from us!

Wow that is SWEET!:thumbsup:

 

[American Bulldog]

I have been doing some firewood, and I love using the PT1460.

Here is a video I took of my McCulloch Super Pro 125 fitted with a 101B race motor. It will cut faster than any stock saw on the market today. 123cc and probably 12 HP or so. Fitted with a 33" roller nose bar and .404 full comp chisel chain. Log is about 20". Enjoy!!

chainsaw :: 003-8.mp4 video by jmueller57 - Photobucket

 

[woodlandfarms]

I looked at some of your other videos. Mean chainsaws. Some vintage ones too. Glad you got the chaps........ This a hobby or a profession? I have a stihl 044 with a 36" bar and it scares the heck out of me.

Carl

 

[American Bulldog]

I looked at some of your other videos. Mean chainsaws. Some vintage ones too. Glad you got the chaps........ This a hobby or a profession? I have a stihl 044 with a 36" bar and it scares the heck out of me.

Carl

It is a hobby. I burn a lot of wood, 8-9 cords a year, but I sure don't need all those saws for that. That saw in the video has over twice the power of an 044, and no chain brake, lol. I am very careful with that saw.

The vintage muscle saws are a lot of fun to fix up and run, and the hobby is relatively inexpensive. Also, I get get out of it anytime and sell my saws, getting my money back.

 

[MossRoad]

It is a hobby. I burn a lot of wood, 8-9 cords a year, but I sure don't need all those saws for that. That saw in the video has over twice the power of an 044, and no chain brake, lol. I am very careful with that saw.

The vintage muscle saws are a lot of fun to fix up and run, and the hobby is relatively inexpensive. Also, I get get out of it anytime and sell my saws, getting my money back.

Nice! I cut 5-6 cords a year with a 18" Poulan Pro... takes a bit longer than that. :laughing:

 

[cqaigy2]

Nice! I cut 5-6 cords a year with a 18" Poulan Pro... takes a bit longer than that. :laughing:

Ha, I opened the exhaust and re-tuned the carb on my little 021 stihl and it blast right thru logs as fast as that....cept maybe the logs about a 1/4 the size.:laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Ha, I opened the exhaust and re-tuned the carb on my little 021 stihl and it blast right thru logs as fast as that....cept maybe the logs about a 1/4 the size.:laughing:

Yeah, I still am tempted to do that to mine. Other projects abound... oh, and family, too. :laughing:

 

[cqaigy2]

Yeah, I still am tempted to do that to mine. Other projects abound... oh, and family, too. :laughing:

I have to admit, i did it cause my saw needed alittle tlc. I got on one of those arborist sites read a few post then went to work. It took about 1 hour for me and im pretty slow. Varoom!