New PT-180 owner

agjones · May 14, 2020

curtjeep said:
Ajones- the stumps i have are just the immediate need of it right now. In the future it may be much more.

Understood.

The 425 is a competent stump grinder, I use mine a couple times a week... but the efficiency and operation are better on a dedicated machine. The wear and tear is significant.

For those reasons, I rent a dedicated grinder once a month or so... Developing trail corridors.

For the money, I'd maybe consider a pt-->dingo adapter plate that would let you rent, locally, any mini skidsteer attachment. There posts about that.

Mini skidsteer use 10 gpm at 3000 psi. Flatface couplers are standard. I use an adapter ff-->ag coupler. Easy to make.

1/2" ff body coupler set
1/2" ag coupler set
1/2" nipple or #8 hose 1 mpt on both ends
Thread sealer

MossRoad · May 14, 2020

I'm leery about renting hydraulic attachments. Who knows what crud was floating around in someone else's hydraulic fluid, or if their fluid is compatible with mine, etc...

agjones · May 14, 2020

Yeah, I know. Just wear a face mask I'm sure you'll be fine. ;-)

I knew I was opening that can of oily worms.

Fly by night rent-all? Couldn't agree more.

In my experience, the reputable ones like home depot, united, sunbelt that will rent individual attachments take a lot of care to ensure returned equipment doesn't have a bunch of crud going in to their gear.

To maintain warranty for the fleet, they have to meet pretty high standards for fluids and documentation. Do they always? Of course not. I've had good experience and no problems. I stay on top of my own fluids (this Tecate included)and filters. Using an oil cleaner ($150 on ebay, Parker) in the tank to filter helps.

Most of the miniskids I run into use motor oil anyway. So I don't worry a ton about compatibility.

To check, I force the coupler open and look at the contents. Smelly? Milky? Pass.

MossRoad · May 14, 2020

agjones said:
Yeah, I know. Just wear a face mask I'm sure you'll be fine. ;-)

I knew I was opening that can of oily worms.

Fly by night rent-all? Couldn't agree more.

In my experience, the reputable ones like home depot, united, sunbelt that will rent individual attachments take a lot of care to ensure returned equipment doesn't have a bunch of crud going in to their gear.

To maintain warranty for the fleet, they have to meet pretty high standards for fluids and documentation. Do they always? Of course not. I've had good experience and no problems. I stay on top of my own fluids (this Tecate included)and filters. Using an oil cleaner ($150 on ebay, Parker) in the tank to filter helps.

Most of the miniskids I run into use motor oil anyway. So I don't worry a ton about compatibility.

To check, I force the coupler open and look at the contents. Smelly? Milky? Pass.

Good advice. Thanks. :thumbsup:

curtjeep · May 14, 2020

Thanks for the feedback guys. I guess I will rent.

m5040 · May 17, 2020

Rent? They had me sold on a grinder and I wasn't in the market for one.... I do want the trencher to put some outlets and light poles, water line out to remote garden etc around the yard. Just think it would be nice that with a blade change you could grind stumps or trench.

curtjeep · May 17, 2020

I'm not sure where, I researched these machines for about 2.5 years before I finally bit the bullet and got one, but I remember a couple of posts where a guy said he just uses the stump grinder attachment for cutting ditches.

agjones · May 17, 2020

M5040 The trencher is an awesome tool!

I use it for way more than trenching. In fact, I pretty rarely trench with it.

m5040 · May 17, 2020

What else do you use it for? While we are talking about it, what happens when you hit rocks? Do you have many rocks in your soil?

agjones · May 17, 2020

I quit brushing my teeth w it after the accident. But since then I use it in trail building and dirt road repair to loosen grade, knock out rocks and bench cut.

How? Keep the tool parallel to the ground and auger aimed downhill and you can precisely liquidate a contour, kick out stones, rip roots and reset the rough grade fast. Sweep slowly uphill-->down, cut down toward the intended grade and apply traction not drive. Clean up with the 4n1, power rake or box blade.

There are rocky seams here but not largely rocky. I work a wide area so have a lot of opportunities to choose trencher to solve a problem. Why dig w the bucket when you can scoop it up after the trencher breaks it? much easier on body and machine.

If you have a really rocky situation, my $0.02, rent a tracked trencher w a rock chain & hand the wear and tear back at the end of the day.

Though mining is in their DNA, PT doesn't that I'm aware of have a rock chain and in my experience their tool excels at soil w some rocks. If back dragging won't cough up something that gets stuck, 3# hammer it is. If everything is getting stuck... See also rock chain.

m5040 · May 18, 2020

Thanks, sounds useful to have around. If the time ever comes for me to buy one, I will have to push for an answer on the difference between the stump grinder and wheel trencher.

woodlandfarms · May 18, 2020

I use my home made stump grinder as a trencher all the time. It does not go that deep but it works to keep irrigation pipes below the frost line. We have minimal rocks but i did have a chunk of metal hidden underground chip a tooth once. I also had to make a new protective cover to better disperse the dirt.

agjones · May 18, 2020

Here is a thread from awhile ago...
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/272307-wheel-trencher.html

MossRoad · May 18, 2020

Our frost line is 40ish inches down. No one puts irrigation pipes below the frost line here. They either blow them out with compressed air in the fall, and/or put automatic drain valves into them that drain the lines anytime there is no water pressure. Put them in the low spots and they work great.

m5040 · May 18, 2020

agjones said:
Here is a thread from awhile ago...
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/272307-wheel-trencher.html

Nice thread but still leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Seems the trencher is the way to go and hope it does stumps with sharp teeth.

curtjeep · May 19, 2020

Got the parts in from Power-Trac today. Some lock-tite a new key and Terry even sent me a new set of blades!!!

cqaigy2 · May 20, 2020

:thumbsup: Nice.

MossRoad · May 20, 2020

:thumbsup:

curtjeep · May 30, 2020

New question. This started today and I'm now sure what is going on.. (video) it also occurs if I'm trying to move when there is resistance against the wheels. Instead of spinning the wheels I get this sound and shudders. Darnit. It won't let me post the video. But if I left go of the treadle when moving forward or back is when it happens. I will upload the video another way.