New 1445

[BEK]

I purchased a new 1445 with 72 inch brush mower, LMB, and mini hoe back in August and after putting 90 + hours ( 50 in the first 2 months) I thought that I would post a review of my machine.

I had a few hydraulic leaks during the first three months, they were leaks at the rod seals on the left steering cylinder, the QA cylinder and the charging valve. These problems were quickly resolved. Terry shipped the replacement parts ( cylinders, valve ) promptly with no problems. I was able to easily install them.

My 1445 doesn't seem to lack for power. Wen using the LMB and moving a large packed pile of clay I was able to completely fill the bucket, many times losing traction, with the engine hardly laboring. The tires would slip before the engine would bog down. The hydraulics are very strong, lifting 1000+ lbs of wet clay as if it wasn't there. The drive system had no problem hauling a full bucket of clay 200 yards up a 20 percent grade. I have used the 1445 to pull a ground driven hay rake and was pleasantly suprised to find that the Power Trac operated as if the was not there. Eventually I will install hydraulic remotes on the rear of the 1445 in order to run a hay baler using a hydraulic drive.

The mini hoe is a very sturdy well built tool. There are shielded grease fittings
at every moving joint. The hydraulics on thre hoe are also very strong, I was able to dig out 5 inch wild cherry and crabapple trees with little effort.
I was able to curl the bucket back far enough to carry trees with out the need for a thumb.

The main reason that I bought the 1445 was for mowing 20 acres of over grown hay fields. Mowing grass and weeds 5 + feet tall to 6 inches did not pose a problem for the machine, routinely mowing for 2 or 3 hours at a time in 80 to 90 degree temps. I usually blow out the engine cooling fins with compressed air when ever I take a break. A habit I aquired from mowing with my Farmall H, the radiator would always get plugged up while mowing. I did have problems with the mower flials ( blades) . The 5/8" mounting bolts and bushings wore out very quickly, I had to replace them twice. The secomd time I replaced them I installed grease fittings to grease the bolts and bushings this stopped the wear problem as I regreased every few hours. I broke a few 'stop bolts' while cutting brush so I decided to make a few changes.
I removed the old blades and stop bolts and welded 3/4" thick x 2 1/2" reinforcement to the inside of the stumpjumper. Drilling through the stumpjumper and reinforcement I mounted two new 4" x 25" - 2" offset flails
with 1 1/16" bolts. ( This is basically the same setup that was on the Bush Hog mower that I used with the Farmall.) The offset allows one flail to pass over the others mounting bolt with out hitting it. The new flails weigh 15 lbs
each ( about two times the weight of the old ones ) which will allow them to more easily cut through thick tall grass. I have also installed grease fittings on the new flails...just in case. I got the new flails and bolts from Flail Master on the web. I will need to modify the wheel mounts on the mower to raise it about 2" because of the offset on the new flails. I will be trying out the new setup this spring.

I have put together a posthole auger using an old gear driven auger and mounting a 6.5 cu.in. hydraulic motor ( Surplus Center ) as a drive unit.
This motor is rated at 534 rpm at 15 gpm pretty close to the 540 rpm rating of the gear unit. This is not lacking in power I only stalled it once when I hit a very large root, bent the top of the 12" auger flite - it is 1/4" thick.

I have also adapted the 7' snow plow from my Farmall to use on the 1445.
Pushing snow poses no problem as I have installed tire chains on all four wheels. The Deutz has no problem starting at temps of 10 degrees. I have not tried to start at lower temps as I dont start at those temps.

Over all I am very satesfied with my purchase. This machine is much more versatile and easier to operate than any other machine that I have operated. A big influence on the purchase is my affliction with muscular dystrophy which is slowly reducing mobility in my legs. This machine allows me to continue my lifestyle without the concerns associated with mounting and dismounting machinery.

 

[DHS]

BEK,

Nice review of your machine. Your posthole auger project turned out well. I am glad you like your machine. Thanks for sharing your project pictures.


Dale

 

[MossRoad]

Very nice work!

 

[Barryh]

Very nice indeed. I would like to see a few shots of the whole machine in action. Bet she's a beauty.

 

[JD-Beach]

Great review! Thanks for your contribution. With tire chains on all four wheels that PT ought to be able to climb a tree! Have you had much snow this winter to plow? I grew up in Central City, (Somerset County) not far from you. My Dad had a late forties "M" to plow snow. He then sold it and bought a cub Cadet 122 with a snow blower. No real comparison in abilities. Although I enjoyed plowing and blowing snow, I never liked being cold, ... so I moved south after college. I bought my PT 425 just before Christmas this past year and haven't had much time on it yet. ... However, Spring is just around the corner!

Thanks again for your review. (Go Steelers!!!)

 

[RegL]

I will be real interested in hearing how your brush hog mod works out. As good as the mower is, the blades and bolts are definitely a weak link. Are you going to have to remove the stump jumper to remove blades or can you cut out an access hole on top of deck like some mowers have ( I assume you have a big nut inside the stump jumper.).

 

[BEK]

My snow plowing this year has been limited to 3 or 4 times clearing my drive and roads to the horse barn. Maybe 400 or 500 feet . Usually I plowed 4 to 6 inches of snow over about an inch of ice. After plowing the area between my house and garrage multiple times I ended up with snow piles almost 7 feet high.

The stumpjumper on my mower mounts with 5 wheel studs to a wheel hub attached to the hydro motor. To remove the blades I will probably have to remove the stumpjumper. The stumpjumper with the flails attached weighs 80 to 90 pounds so I do not plan on removing it to often. In order to mount this new setup I will probably turn the mower deck over to make it easier to position the stumpjumper. To sharpen the flails, in the past I just lifted the mower up on blocks and touched them up with a body grinder, I never had any balance problems probably because they are so heavy to begin with. These large flails seem to last for ever, the Bush Hog I had in the past ran for over 20 years with out the need to replace the flails or the bolts, all I ever did was touch up the cuttung edges when needed with a portable grinder.

 

[BEK]

I just mowed about 5 acres of hay field and did some brush mowing this weekend with the new setup on my brush mower. I was able to blast through anything in my path wihout bogging down. Compared to the OEM blades, the new ones made an incredible difference. After mowing, I checked the blades and found no indication of any wear and nothing was loose, so I think this modification is going to serve me well.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

BEK: As you know from his thread, Ponytug's going to Tazewell to look at a 1445. How have you found yours to handle slopes?

 

[woodlandfarms]

Pictures please.

 

[BEK]

I had my machine on some pretty steep slopes, the seatbelt kept me from sliding out of the seat. I do not know what degree of slope they are but it is very difficult to walk up them. When pushing the brush hog up the slope I sometimes lose traction and have to turn off the draft control and apply some up force on the mower with the lift arms. I also traverse the same slope, I never felt the tractor was unstable although it would crab. I think that I would chicken long before the machine would tip. I did some eyeballing and measuring, and using the weights and measurements of the machine I believe that the center of gravity is about at the top of the tires.
The Deutz three banger weighs close to 475 pounds and it sets really low in the frame, and at almost 4000 pounds total machine weight, there is alot of weight very close to the ground.
I have not run out of power climbing these slopes, the wheel motors are very strong, hot or cold, I just have to go easy on the treadle. I am very pleased with the machines abilities on my slopes.

 

[BEK]

After putting 600 hours on this machine most of them mowing, I am very pleased with the performance. With the majority of the time from mowing I can say that the modifications that I made to the brush mower have performed flawlessly I have had no issues with it. As I am using the 1445 to maintain an equine boarding stable, it has been used for moving round bales, mowing, digging post holes, plowing snow, moving stable waste, and any other chores that come up. It has been very dependable. Last June I used the trencher to dig 2000 feet of trench while installing a ground water heatpump, the trencher was great, I have dug over a mile of trench with only a few broken bolts on the teeth. There are still alot of hours left on the chain and teeth.

 

[MossRoad]

That is good to hear.

 

[smartguyz]

I did have problems with the mower flails ( blades) . The 5/8" mounting bolts and bushings wore out very quickly, I had to replace them twice. The second time I replaced them I installed grease fittings to grease the bolts and bushings this stopped the wear problem as I regreased every few hours. I broke a few 'stop bolts' while cutting brush so I decided to make a few changes.
I removed the old blades and stop bolts and welded 3/4" thick x 2 1/2" reinforcement to the inside of the stumpjumper. Drilling through the stumpjumper and reinforcement I mounted two new 4" x 25" - 2" offset flails
with 1 1/16" bolts. ( This is basically the same setup that was on the Bush Hog mower that I used with the Farmall.) The offset allows one flail to pass over the others mounting bolt with out hitting it. The new flails weigh 15 lbs
each ( about two times the weight of the old ones ) which will allow them to more easily cut through thick tall grass. I have also installed grease fittings on the new flails...just in case. I got the new flails and bolts from Flail Master on the web. I will need to modify the wheel mounts on the mower to raise it about 2" because of the offset on the new flails. I will be trying out the new setup this spring.

Awesome job! I have the exact same problem with my brush mower. Did you actually drill the holes for the zerk fittings? Wow! How did you do that? Drill press? Cobalt bits? Please tell us!

-Rob

 

[BEK]

The flails are not as hard as you may think. I drilled them on a drill press with a regular steel drill bit. I used 3/32" to make the passage then drilled a pocket about 3/8"deep which I tapped 1/4-28 for the grease fitting. Use plenty of oil and go slow.