Help comparing PT add-ons

[PTOuser]

I’m a new PT forum reader (… which I find incredibly useful BTW) and a want-to-be PT425 owner. Currently a Gravely Walk Behind (source of the PTOuser idea) and Kawasaki Prairie 650 owner but need more power. Had decided to emulate a neighbor and go the Steiner 430 route sharing attachments but ran across the PT WWW site and their mini hoe killed that plan. I’m planning trips to Tazwell (a little more than an hour from my in-law’s place) and a purchase this summer so I will trailer home the 425. That leaves deciding add-ons. Right now I’m thinking purchase a mini hoe and a mower but I need input from you guys. Haven’t ran across threads about my two questions. I’m comparing the mini hoe to PT’s auger to make pot holes needed to pour concrete footers to replace the deck on my house. I need to construct vertical columns 8’ on centers made of 8” block to hold up 4”x12” main support elements I’ll overlay with horizontal decking. I’m wondering how narrow a 3 foot deep, neat pothole can be dug with the mini hoe (‘x’ by ‘y’ dimensions)? 2nd question. I have a 30” rough cut blade on the Gravely and a 44” finish blade on a self powered Swisher mower that I pull behind the Prairie 650 but hope to sell all that to help fund the PT purchase. The mower question is a … can’t afford both a finish mower and a rough mower question. How well does the rough mover do finish cutting and how much rough can the 60” finish mower handle?

 

[pajoube]

Welcome to the forum. You right on track with your questions which we all have asked in the past concerning each of our needs. I have the finish mower but not the brush hog so will let others answer that question.
I would go with the mini hoe (which I have) for digging the holes. This does a great job and you will find many uses long after your deck is finished.
Your lucky to be so close to Tazewell which makes it easier to purchasae additional attachments as you need them.
Keep us informed on your visit.
PJ

 

[jfh28]

I have the brush hog and it gives you a ,well, rough cut. if you're looking to knock the grass down then it'll be fine. If you're looking for a manicured lawn look then you'll probably want the finish mower.

How clean a hole you can get with the hoe is going to be dependent on operator skill and type of soil. I've got rocky broken shale and low end operator skills....my holes tend to look ragged But then I'm only going to fill them back up again so I don't really care how they look. I think you will find much more use for the mini hoe once you have it then you would with the auger.

Fill us in on your trip to Taz after you get to play down there.
Jack

 

[MossRoad]

Welcome to TBN!

I don't have an auger or mini-hoe. If I had to choose one, I'd pick the mini-hoe, unless I was a fence installer. It will be more useful down the road once all post hole jobs are done.

I have both a 60" finish mower and a 48" brush cutter.

The finish mower will not do well on brush. I have bent a blade on the finish mower on a root ball that popped up after a 1" tree was knocked over.


The brush cutter will not do finish mowing. It will do field mowing, but not finish work.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I have heard mixed results of a PHD on a tractor. Unless you have flat land a tractor mounted auger can give you mixed results. But, on the PT the Back Hoe is a bit of a pain to operate. Either a modification or just lots of practice gets it going... I am going to mod my tractor when I see it again...

You did not mention a front bucket. That is just a have to have item... Nothing beats a $10K wheel barrow. (think about the grapple as well)

To the finish mower, This is to the group... Would it be possible to pick up some mower blades and swap them out on the PT? Like the Gator Blades or such? It may not be a perfect mower, but at least it would be better than using brush hog blade...

 

[KentT]

I also vote for the minihoe -- then put an aftermarket thumb on it... It makes it an incredibly useful tool...

 

[bbabineau]

I’m wondering how narrow a 3 foot deep, neat pothole can be dug with the mini hoe

I have both the minihoe and a PHD with 6" and 12" augers. Hands down, if can have just one it should be the minihoe. You can dig a reasonable hole 3 foot deep that will be bucket width (12") and probably 24" long. I dug piers for a small bridge that were 2' x 6' and almost 4' deep.

 

[Rivco]

To the finish mower, This is to the group... Would it be possible to pick up some mower blades and swap them out on the PT? Like the Gator Blades or such? It may not be a perfect mower, but at least it would be better than using brush hog blade...

I considered doing that with my 180 brush mower, but when I checked with keith at power trac he said it would not work because the motors are different on the finish mower and brush mower. The brush cutter motor turns at slower rpm's, so you would lose out on the tip speed needed with finish blades, and the finish blades have a different mounting pattern ( at least on the 180 45" mower ).

 

[PTOuser]

Thanks fellows. All the feedback is really useful. I should have told everyone I have clay with not much in the way of rock for soil. What little rock I do find is a mix of sandstone and very easy to break shale. The grass I cut is long on weeds and short on grass and the lot size is 7 acres mostly trees shading West Virginia hill side. Bbabineau’s dimensional info was a huge help. I was hoping I could do 24”x24” at a depth of 3 feet for the pot holes. His experience with both auger and mini hoe is great purchasing feedback. Woodlandfarms question about a bucket is something I’ve been giving a lot of thought. I’m weighing purchasing a 4n1 and keeping the Swisher pull behind finish mower and delaying a PT rough cut attachment versus buying the 60 inch PT finish mower initially and no bucket. Right now the 4n1 with Swisher in tow is winning. Anyone tried a pull behind finish mower?? I don’t like the Swisher now but that’s because of the VERY poor ability to steer when towing with the ATV ... kind of like wrestling a steer by the hornes. I've been thinking about investing in tines for the 4n1 instead of woodlandfarms’ grappler suggestion. I figure commercially available bolt on tines will cost me about $400 and a few stretch straps later I can be carrying a lot of brush. KentT I’ve already priced a Bro-Tek thumb and its on my must buy list. Wish I was handy building thumbs like I've seen made by several folks on this list.

 

[KentT]

When you mention "tines" for the 4-in-1 bucket, are you talking about an aftermarket toothbar? If not, could you describe those tines better, so we can understand?

Note that with a 4-in-1, you could readily have a toothbar mounted for digging, yet still have the rear part "blade" of the bucket still smooth for use in backblading. You'd open the bucket and put downpressure on this "blade" which forms the back of the bucket so that you could smooth things out. You can't readily do that with a normal bucket with a toothbar on it -- you have to backblade using either the rear, bottom corner of the bucket or the whole bottom of the bucket, neither of which work too well...

One caution though -- I think you'll find a 4-in-1 a poor substitute for a true grapple bucket if you're going to be dealing with a lot of brush. You can pick up a log with it, but it doesn't open far enough to grab much brush. If you have a lot of brush to deal with, I'd go for the grapple bucket instead. It already has teeth on it for use in digging, and it's about the same price as the 4-in-1....

 

[woodlandfarms]

You will find driving the PT a real treat. It is a bit awkward backing up initially until you get used to the fact it turns in the middle. Not sure about towing, but have seen other people do it so why not?

I second the staying away from a 4 in 1. They are cool in principle but in application I hear more frustration than joy on this site.

Also, don't be afraid to look outside of the box for implements. Ksimolo and I both went off the farm for our gear. Not to say PT's is bad (it is quite good) it just did not fit certain applications Ksimolo and I were looking for.

This all said, the PT is a way cool tractor... Just be prepared for the fact it is a hands on tractor...

Carl

 

[bbabineau]

You will find driving the PT a real treat. It is a bit awkward backing up initially until you get used to the fact it turns in the middle. Not sure about towing, but have seen other people do it so why not?

I second the staying away from a 4 in 1. They are cool in principle but in application I hear more frustration than joy on this site.

Also, don't be afraid to look outside of the box for implements. Ksimolo and I both went off the farm for our gear. Not to say PT's is bad (it is quite good) it just did not fit certain applications Ksimolo and I were looking for.

This all said, the PT is a way cool tractor... Just be prepared for the fact it is a hands on tractor...

Carl

I would agree that the 4in1 is not all that it may be cracked up to be. I have one and wish that, for my uses, I had bought a standard bucket and a box blade. The grapple bucket would have been nice for the brush clearing but I don't have too much of that to do and I manage with the 4in1. I can also do as much brush clearing as I need with the minihoe and thumb.

 

[ponytug]

I think the key question is how much brush vs. soil moving you intend to do.
You should know that the PT box blade does not have tilt, nor does it have the ability to adjust the rippers in real time. i.e. hydraulically. (The sales team was a little vague on how one adjusts the rippers. It looks as if you have to re bolt it to get them down. Is this right?)

I second Ken's comments on the utility of the 4N1. With teeth on the 4N1, you can rip on one pass, and gather/distribute on the next pass, without changing implements.

Since I don't have a lot of brush, a 4N1 seems like a better choice than the box blade, but YMMV!

Others have commented on the effectiveness of the trencher for drilling more or less vertical holes. Depending upon your usage, you may want to consider it. If it works for you, it is way faster than the minihoe.

All the best,

Peter

When you mention "tines" for the 4-in-1 bucket, are you talking about an aftermarket toothbar? If not, could you describe those tines better, so we can understand?

Note that with a 4-in-1, you could readily have a toothbar mounted for digging, yet still have the rear part "blade" of the bucket still smooth for use in backblading. You'd open the bucket and put downpressure on this "blade" which forms the back of the bucket so that you could smooth things out. You can't readily do that with a normal bucket with a toothbar on it -- you have to backblade using either the rear, bottom corner of the bucket or the whole bottom of the bucket, neither of which work too well...

One caution though -- I think you'll find a 4-in-1 a poor substitute for a true grapple bucket if you're going to be dealing with a lot of brush. You can pick up a log with it, but it doesn't open far enough to grab much brush. If you have a lot of brush to deal with, I'd go for the grapple bucket instead. It already has teeth on it for use in digging, and it's about the same price as the 4-in-1....

 

[bbabineau]

I think the key question is how much brush vs. soil moving you intend to do.
You should know that the PT box blade does not have tilt, nor does it have the ability to adjust the rippers in real time. i.e. hydraulically. (The sales team was a little vague on how one adjusts the rippers. It looks as if you have to re bolt it to get them down. Is this right?)

I second Ken's comments on the utility of the 4N1. With teeth on the 4N1, you can rip on one pass, and gather/distribute on the next pass, without changing implements.

Since I don't have a lot of brush, a 4N1 seems like a better choice than the box blade, but YMMV!

Others have commented on the effectiveness of the trencher for drilling more or less vertical holes. Depending upon your usage, you may want to consider it. If it works for you, it is way faster than the minihoe.

All the best,

Peter

I tend to agree with your remarks about the box blade manufactured by PT. I would have bought a 3 point box and adapt to the PT. I am considering the Lackender conversion but am still stymied by the price. I may cobble up one myself or simply attach a box to a PT plate and be done as I did with a landscape rake.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I tend to agree with your remarks about the box blade manufactured by PT. I would have bought a 3 point box and adapt to the PT. I am considering the Lackender conversion but am still stymied by the price. I may cobble up one myself or simply attach a box to a PT plate and be done as I did with a landscape rake.

I bought the 3 point from Lackendar just to get started, but when I get up north I am welding one of my extra quick attach plates to my box blade.

This all said, one of the downsides of doing this mod is you cannot angle the blade. With Lackendar he made me an adjustor for one side that let me raise and lower the angle (left and right) so I can create a better groove for rain run off...

 

[KentT]

For my PT-425, I had a QA plate welded onto a 48" KingKutter XB boxblade that I bought at TSC. I had the mounting reinforced (welds instead of bolts, additional bracing, etc.) at the same time, so I can safely use it pushing or pulling. I got the idea from Highridge (I think it was -- Coxon tool, I remember) who'd done something similar to a heavier boxblade for his larger PT...

I haven't used it enough to provide any meaningful feedback. But for about the same price as the PT one, I have a heavier-duty implement with adjustable ripper shanks. It weighed 295 lbs before adding the QA plate and reinforcing the hitch.

Here's the original boxblade:

King Kutter Incorporated

 

[ponytug]

One of the features that I have found useful over the years is the ability to adjust the ripper depth on the fly. (I'm lazy & hate to have to raise the box blade, stop, get off the tractor, hammer out pins, reset the ripper depth, and get back .) My $0.02 is to go for hydraulically driven depth contol on the rippers. As Carl and others have noted, the ability to have differential L/Right depth is critical for a number of uses, e.g. road crowning, terracing, etc.

All the best,

Peter

For my PT-425, I had a QA plate welded onto a 48" KingKutter XB boxblade that I bought at TSC. I had the mounting reinforced (welds instead of bolts, additional bracing, etc.) at the same time, so I can safely use it pushing or pulling. I got the idea from Highridge (I think it was -- Coxon tool, I remember) who'd done something similar to a heavier boxblade for his larger PT...

I haven't used it enough to provide any meaningful feedback. But for about the same price as the PT one, I have a heavier-duty implement with adjustable ripper shanks. It weighed 295 lbs before adding the QA plate and reinforcing the hitch.

Here's the original boxblade:

King Kutter Incorporated

 

[J_J]

For my PT-425, I had a QA plate welded onto a 48" KingKutter XB boxblade that I bought at TSC. I had the mounting reinforced (welds instead of bolts, additional bracing, etc.) at the same time, so I can safely use it pushing or pulling. I got the idea from Highridge (I think it was -- Coxon tool, I remember) who'd done something similar to a heavier boxblade for his larger PT...

I haven't used it enough to provide any meaningful feedback. But for about the same price as the PT one, I have a heavier-duty implement with adjustable ripper shanks. It weighed 295 lbs before adding the QA plate and reinforcing the hitch.

Here's the original boxblade:

King Kutter Incorporated

Have you seen those roll over box blades, and some other products? You just pull a lever, and the box rolls over to rip or grade.

 

[PTOuser]

Returned from a trip and wanted to post this link (eBay: Clamp on Attachment Skid Steer Tractor Bucket Forks USA (item 320129344253 end time Jun-26-07 17:16:26 PDT)) for KentT. This is the clamp on attachments I had in mind bolting to the 4n1 to pick up brush.

 

[bbabineau]

For my PT-425, I had a QA plate welded onto a 48" KingKutter XB boxblade that I bought at TSC. I had the mounting reinforced (welds instead of bolts, additional bracing, etc.) at the same time, so I can safely use it pushing or pulling. I got the idea from Highridge (I think it was -- Coxon tool, I remember) who'd done something similar to a heavier boxblade for his larger PT...

I haven't used it enough to provide any meaningful feedback. But for about the same price as the PT one, I have a heavier-duty implement with adjustable ripper shanks. It weighed 295 lbs before adding the QA plate and reinforcing the hitch.

Here's the original boxblade:

King Kutter Incorporated

Kent

Can you show us a picture of how you attached the QA plate and what you you mean by reinforcing the hitch.