Considering 425

[RonL]

I'm thinking of selling my Ariens 1136 snowblower and my Gravely 16 hp two wheel tractor and getting a 425. I can't find any reference to someone that has experience with the PT snowblower. I use these machines for maintenance at my apartment building in the city. Since my backhoe is at my property in the mountains it would be nice to have a machine that can move snow piles to my yard behind the carriage barn. I have a fear that the Gravely two wheel tractors are becoming orphans.

RonL

 

[MossRoad]

Welcome to the Power Trac forum! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I don't know of anyone here that has the Power Trac snow blower, either /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. It is pretty expensive compared to the plow. I don't get enough snow to justify the cost of the blower.

Anyone have the PT snow blower? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[RonL]

Mossroad

Thanks for the welcome, but I've been monitoring since you and Chalkley first considered the Power-Tracs.
By my calculations the gross hydraulic power available at the PTO is 11.66 HP. I'm wondering if this is sufficient to run a 48 inch two stage snowblower in wet snow. Probably have to slow right down. Wish someone here had experience with the snowblower.

RonL

 

[duane]

Ron,

My calculations come up with the same PTO horsepower. The Kubota BX1500 runs a 48" snowblower, and I believe the PT PTO torque/horsepower ratings are higher than that machine. I have read posts where the BX1500 runs the 48" snowblower just fine, so I would expect the PT425 to run it equally as well.

Duane

 

[johara1]

i have a 422 with a blade before that i used a gravely for 15 years this blade after the couple of mods. is great, it's fast,powerfull, can't see the need for a snow blower. it can pile snow as high as you need plus you don't have to wear the snow,like when the wind shifts and your using a snow blower /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[duane]

Ron,

Just a follow-up. Somewhere I read that one HP hydraulic is equivalent to 1.25 HP gas engine. That means you have the equivalent of 15 HP gas PTO. The torque on a hydraulic motor is essentially a flat line when compared to RPM. It's not bell shaped like on a gas engine. I bet it would do well with the snowblower. I do not rememeber anyone complaining of a lack of PTO power (except for lack of some engine power with PTO engaged and climbing a steep hill)

Duane

 

[RonL]

James

I have 250 feet of sidewalk and 150 feet of driveway to clear. The sidewalk has a stone wall with a wrought iron fence on top on one side and the curb on the other. The driveway has a banking on one side and a fence on the other. A blade would work on a light snow. With a heavy snowfall the City plows mound the snow right to the curb. There is simply nowhere to push the snow. The snowblower blows the snow over the wall, fence or banking , into my yard. When I had my backhoe on the city property I would attack the piles and haul them out behind the carriage house. If you have somewhere to blow it a snowblower can move a lot of snow in a short time.
The problem now is that I have planted a row of Arbor-Vitae along the stone wall next to the sidewalk. When they fill in I will not be able to blow the snow onto the lawn. I have been blowing the snow onto the curbside pile. If we have major snowfall this may not work. I will also be cutting into the banking in the driveway to put in additional off-street parking. This will further limit where I can blow the snow. This is why I am considering the 425. When I am out of room to push or blow the snow I will put on the bucket and haul the snow out behind the carriage shed.

RonL

 

[RonL]

Duane

A snowblower can move an enormous amount of snow in a short time. As such, they need a lot of power. My Ariens is 11 or 12 horsepower and is 36 inches wide. The blower on the 425 is 48 inches wide. With roughly the same horsepower i would expect them both to be able to move the same amount of snow in the same amount of time. ( Actually, the horsepower on the Ariens is divided between tractive and snowblowing duties so there is likely more power available with the 425 for the snowblower). The Ariens does the job plenty quick enough so I would think that the 425 would also. I just wish that I could talk to someone that had experience with the unit.

RonL

 

[johara1]

my drive way is at least that long and is two lanes wide and have banks on both sides. i pile all the snow i can on the banks then the rest goes down the road.i push it down and turn a 90 and push it again. this thing is fast,you can't believe the hugh amounts of snow these little things move!you get a 425 a blade and the big bucket that will be all the snow removal equpment you will ever need /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[barrell]

I live on the north side of a mountain in upstate PA. i HAVE BEEN USING MY 1425 with small bucket to clear snow for 10 years. I have to clear paths to two barns and over to the horse pasture plus a long dirt driveway. The 25 kholer has plenty of power to push deep wet snow. the problem I have run into is back to back to back deep snows. The front forks can not lift high enough to stack it all unless I start in November to push the first snows 15 feet back from the areas I need clear. This leaves me with enough room to keep stacking till spring. I normaly wont see my lawn again until late april or may.
Barrell

 

[johara1]

i think you will find the blade will pile snow a lot higher than the bucket.when you dump the bucket measure to the ground,now take the blade dump it and do the same,there is a lot of difference. the other point for the blade it's a lot faster,and the bottom of the bucket sliding over and packing the snow tends to make ice.

 

[DHS]

I have a 422 and considered the snow blower. I guess I am still considering it but I am not convinced it is worth $2500.

It sounds like the snow blade owners like them. Does the PT snow blade come with wheels as standard equipment? How do you change the angle of the blade to push snow to one side or the other side?

Thanks

Dale

 

[MossRoad]

The snow blade has wheels(when they stay inflated). Some have reported that replacing the wheels with skid shoes works much better. One of my tires has been flat all winter and it acts just like a skid shoe... it just doesn't matter. It still works great. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

The blade is power angle. It is really kind of slick... you drive up to the blade and use the little lever down by your right knee to operate the hydraulic quick attach. Once the blade is attached(about 5 seconds of your valuable time), you shut off the tractor, set the brake, get off and walk up to the front of the unit. You disconnect the hydraulic hoses from the quick attach cylinder and attach the power angle hoses in their place. Walk back to the operators seat, hop on, start up and off you go(takes about 30 more seconds of your valuable time).

To operate the blade, you use the loader joystick to adjust up down and curl, just as if the blade is a bucket. You use the little lever by your right knee to operate the angle left and right. It works very well.

If you want to see a video of it in action, click on my little tractor in my signature. That will take you to my website. There is a link to the videos page on the left side. Click it and you will find videos of the snow plow and other implements in action. They take a few minutes to download via dial up, but will give you a good idea of how it works. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Schultz]

I think either the 422 or 425 would have enough power. I currently have an 18 hp Ingersol with a 48" blower & I clear a 550' driveway with it. I can blow 4-6" of snow going about 4-5mph uphill and the usually the full 6.5mph down hill. You hear it working but it doesn't slow the engine down much.

Yea, I too think the snow blower is overpriced. If you crafty you could convert someone else's to fit on the power trac.

I agree with Johara, with a blade you don't wear the snow your moving so much. I think I would rather have a blade most of the time. We don't often get large amounts of snow in S. Mi.

 

[DHS]

Mossroad,

Thanks for your reply. I watched a couple of your videos. I am impressed. I has been a couple years since I last visted your site. Things have changed considerably. For the better.

Thanks /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Dale

 

[bryce]

MR Does the Powertrac have three pumps? Any idea what the volume/psi they are? Is one of them a variable volume pump? Does anyone know what volume/psi the wheel motors are? Some motors I have seen have internal brakes. A few people have mentioned a new wheel motor attachment for the 425. Does anyone have pictures, or details of the new/old? Has anyone actually seen the new 418? I am trying to figure out exactly what the differences are between a 422/418. Robert /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[MossRoad]

On my 2001 PT425 there are several pumps. The one on the front is the variable volume pump that provides the drive power. On the back there is a pump that provides power to the steering, lift arms and auxilliary PTO(the one that operates the quick attach or power angle cylinders) There is a second half of this pump that provides the main PTO fluid.

The main PTO pump is rated for 8GPM at 2500PSI. The steering/lift/aux PTO is rated less GPM at 2500PSI.

The newer design like Paul's has all the pumps in front of the engine. I think this let them move the engine towards the back, re-arrange the muffler configuration, relocate the gas tank and the battery as well. I like Paul's layout better than mine. Also, there is no longer a hydroback assembly which requires a cable for the treadle pedal to operate forward and backward motion of the tractor. It has been replaced with a valve assembly under the center tunnel.

The newer units are supposed to have higher torque wheel motors and higher lift capacity as well. With each re-design, they seem to be improving. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I like mine just fine, but the new ones look to be more capable and better layed out. Hmmm, think I could trade mine in and by an updated one... CEO says...


"Not a chance!" /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[FOURTEEN]

Went to Tazewell for the Tour on 2/4/4, and expect delivery of shiny new PT-425 and a pile of Attachments on 2/6/4 PM! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I will be posting my impressions and new model info as soon as I can get my butt off the PT-425 and into my computer chair!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

(Hint: PT-425 is the answer!!!)

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[MossRoad]

Congratulations! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[johara1]

good for you, that is a very good choice!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif