Back from Tazewell!

[pajoube]

I see seat time competition with your son.
PJ /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[MossRoad]

I was thinking that, too, Paul. 5 people and one Power Trac just isn't right. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Rip]

Good to hear no one was hurt and no harm done to your new PT.

Informing PT about the sensitivity of the new treadle design would give them a heads-up so that they could try to address it for others at least.

In the mean time, I would think that Fourteen's suggestion would not void any aspect of the warrantee and would be a good place to start in terms of helping the situation for the short term at least, and perhaps even as the only solution needed. Be sure to note the "no preload" aspect of his method.

Rip

 

[SnowRidge]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would think that Fourteen's suggestion would not void any aspect of the warrantee )</font>

I though I saw the term "cut" in his directions. Maybe I misread it, or he wasn't talking about cutting something on the PT.

SnowRidge

 

[FOURTEEN]

"" Another shot of Brandy driving the PT425. ""


/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif No drinking and driving! Not even a PT!! No matter how cold it gets in ND!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

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[FOURTEEN]

"" Informing PT about the sensitivity of the new treadle design would give them a heads-up ""


I wrote to PT on 2/25/4 to inform them of this problem and 9 other deficiencies which I had discovered within the first few weeks of ownership. I received a brief note thanking me for my comments.

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[Clarke]

I was really concerned about the sensitivity of the treadle and thought I would never learn to operate the machine. As you get more time in the machine your muscle mind connection takes over and pretty soon you get to be very precise with your control inputs.

sg

 

[davesisk]

A really good rule of thumb, regardless of what mod you might make to the PT, is to make sure that there is no person nor any pet (and preferably no property!) behind or in front of the tractor. That would be the first priority...second would be to make sure there is no person nor pet standing close enough to the sides to have any body part caught by the articulated turning. You are correct...these may be small machines, but they are certainly more than powerful enough to seriously injure a person or animal.

My wife ran the tractor into a tree once...the treadle doesn't return all the way on my old machine...she stomped it into forward, then automatically stepped on the left treadle (the brain says it's the brake, right?) and backed right into a tree. Ooopsy...no damage to either, but she's more careful now if she drives it.

Dave

 

[Rip]

Other than drilling two bolt holes, nothing is cut or changed on the PT for Fourteen's modification as I understand it.

Should not cause any problem if done as described and is easily removed if a better solution comes around.

Rip

 

[MossRoad]

That's one of the reasons we were taught to always use our right foot for the gas and brake, even in an automatic. You needed your left foot for the clutch and didn't want to confuse them in an emergency....

Of course, this didn't help much... remember the big cars in the early 70's? I always drove stick. Always. Well, one night some friends and I were out and about and one of them let me drive his parents huge station wagon, an automatic. So, we're tooling down some country road and something runs out in front of us. So I go to stomp the brakes with my right foot but also go to stomp the clutch with my left.... remember those oversized power brake pedals? I ended up stomping both feet onto the brake pedal and quickly found several friends in the front seat with me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

So, the moral of the story is to practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. That way it becomes second nature.

Did any of you watch that skid steer training video a couple of weeks ago? The skid steer steers with a joystick. When you back up to the left you have to pull the joystick back and to the left. Makes sense. Until you put it in 4 wheel steer mode. Then to back up to the left you have to pull the joystick back and to the right. How confusing is that? Again, practice, practice, practice and know your machine. Slow down until it becomes second nature. Even then, take it easy. It never pays to rush. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[toy]

Putting blocks in the floor cut out of 2by material and cut to shape of the floor with a screw to keep it from sliding forward, and cut long enough that your heel rests on it and you can still give it full treadle will prevent you feet from getting under the treadle . It will also let your foot rest on the floor and when you push down on the treadle you are doing so with your ankle and not your leg and that makes for a more controlled acceleration. The pedals seem to be too high off of the floor for me. If you like a treadle with more resistance the bungie cords is an excelent way to add resistance, but with the blocks in mine I don't feel the need for more resistance. When I first got mine home and didn't have the blocks in it my neighbour got on it mashed down on the reverse treadle and man didn't his eyes get big. I laughed till I just about cried at him I didn't tell him that I experenced the same thing when I did the demo. When my wife discovered it I beleive that she panicked cause she chased us around in the yard with it , well maybe it wasn't panic maybe it was purpose just kidding.