Power-trac Forum

[glennmac]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

You guys are getting to me. Spent lots of time reading these PT and even some EF threads. Also the PT site.A couple of questions. Can this "rough cut" mower be used for finish mowing? I have three acres of finish mowing and 4 or 5 of field. I see that PT has "commercial" decks that I assume are for lawns. Is there not a PT single spindle mower a la a brushhog?The PT site features the 1800 series as a dual wheel slope mower. Yet I see Charklie's machine does not have duals. So I assume that is an option. Actually, I'm thinking the duals might be useful to increase flotation in my Oozama.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Glenn:
Glad to hear our persistance is paying off.
The rough cut mower actually does a decent finish mower job. It doesn't have much lift in the blade shape, however, so you sometimes get stripes where you mow over the grass that the guide wheels have knocked down. As I noted, I have a set of finish blades. It is a bit of a chore to change them, so I will keep doing my lawn with an old Jacobsen Turf Cat II, which has a 72" finish deck. I haven't tried the finish blades yet, and haven't lowered the rough cut deck below about 4 1/2 inch cut height.
PT does offer a 60" rotary mower, but don't list it for the 1800 series machines. Sometimes they have things not on the list, or will adapt something, so you need to talk to them.
I didn't get the dual wheels just because they take a bit more space and looked to make handling slightly clumsier. I tried to argue that the single turfs should be cheaper, but wasn't persuasive. You can get single turfs, single bar or dual bar treads, at least. The dual bar treads are a bit smaller diameter, at least on the machines I saw. I agree that the duals probably would give great flotation in soft stuff.

 

[MChalkley]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Charlie - <font color=blue>Clearly Glennmac - a thinking man - will be the first on the board to have a Power Trac and an Earth Force. Since you know he relies on our advice, what size of each should we recommend he get?</font color=blue>

I think you've definitely hit upon the right combination here. Clearly, it would not make sense for him to get a large PT and a small EF, so I propose that he get something along the lines of 1430 PT and an EF-500. That way, he could take care of all the turf and soggy ground stuff with the PT, and have the larger, more powerful EF for the "rough stuff". This is an area in which I think we need to be careful though - we shouldn't feel like Glennmac's money is our own to spend. So, if he wants to go a size larger or smaller with either/both the PT or EF machine(s), I think we should let him, and without recrimination. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MChalkley]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Glenmac - <font color=blue>Can either a PT or EF run a 72" brush cutter?</font color=blue>

If you're still listening to me at all after my last attempt to spend your money for you, I can tell you that the EF-500 with 72" Ammbusher will flat-out-boy-howdy-honey-hush mulch some brush. Up to 4" stuff, in fact. The only fly in the ointment for brush cutting is this: Because machine ground speed is dependent on engine speed ("automotive" speed control), and so is the cutting power of the hydraulically powered brush cutter (because of implement pump flow), you have to occasionally cycle the direction speed lever into neutral to stop forward travel when you get to really big stuff. The EarthForce engineers are now working on a combination automotive/"typical CUT" ground speed control (where ground speed can be controlled independently of engine speed). It works ok in most situations like it is, but it'll be a lot better when they've added the new option.

 

[MChalkley]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Charlie - <font color=blue>I'll bet the Power Trac against the Earth Force in the mud, but the EF will probably clear bigger brush faster.</font color=blue>

I wouldn't bet against you on either of those - you're dead on, I think.

 

[bubenberg]

ladies and gentelpters, ohiolawnguy has joined our ranks during an extended negotiation period in the early hours of today. he suffers under the same syndrome of too much work in spring.
he has over 300 hrs and one year of owner/operating experience.
welcome ohio lawnguy .... now my dear lawyer friends do you think we can negotiate a tiny articulated tractor forum for us..... hint...hint...hint, mohammed

have a great pt weekend and many mower ... ah, i mean more

the east cost pt test pilot ... no charlie i have not flipped it in a month!

 

[glennmac]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

If you spend my money for me it won't take you very long.

I did read enough of the EF-Frankenstein thread to see that Mark has gotten stuck at least twice in the mud. I did empathize, vicariously. I also noted that he got out with his backhoe. Aha, another backhoe justification for me.

Speaking of stuck, I think at least some of the times I got buried, there were moments I could have gotten out if my front tires had differential lock as well as 4wd. Do either the PT or EF have front diff lock?

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

<font color=red>Do either the PT or EF have front diff lock? </font color=red>

PT doesn't, since it has no differentials. Each wheel has its own hydraulic motor, so all pull all the time.

 

[MChalkley]

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Glennmac - The EF-500 has limited-slip diffs front and rear, but full lockup diffs (selectable, of course) are an option. I didn't get the option (I unfortunately let them talk me out of it), but I've asked for info on adding them myself. They weren't a very expensive option, when ordered with the machine, at least.

 

[Reds]

Thanks Muhammad. I wasn't even close on that one!