Power-trac Forum

Charlie_Iliff · Apr 30, 2002

"Yes, of course we can make a Power Trac forum... would you mind if the EarthForce guys joined you?" 

Muhammad:
I suppose having a Power Trac Forum would accord us some status and a vast array of privileges not currently available to us. That notwithstanding, I suspect that some other Power Trac owners enjoy TBN the same way I do. When time permits, I try to review the titles of all posts, and spend a lot of time reading things that will never make it to a Power Trac forum. So, it really doesn't matter if there is a recognized smaller group. Thanks for TBN.

glennmac · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Charlie, I did get the Lackender info from your posts. I think it is potentially great idea even for those who have CUTs, maybe even for my 2910 if I stay with it.

The one thing I'm not sure about with PT is my mud problem. I don't see those little tires being able to go into muddy places. I think I could go through the mud with a Grand L (or successor CUT) and the Michelin XM27 tires.

I sure do enjoy reading the exploits of you PT pioneers.

Charlie_Iliff · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Glenn:
I didn't post to take credit for the Lackender connection but once again to tout Power Trac. I hope it doesn't blow up and I have to resign from TBN to avoid admitting it.
My 1845 would be better in slick stuff with bar tires, which I may some day do. It would be interesting to find some mud and compare it to a CUT, but I don't know how to go about that. I've sunk CUTs to the axle in grass cutting at this time of year. Somehow I think the Power Trac has at least the mud capability of a CUT, but I have nothing to base that on but gut feel.
On your way to Power Trac to test your new one, stop by Maryland and try the Lackender hoe. I'm still not any good at running it or the 4 n 1, but I'll put the 6 foot rough mower and the post hole auger against anyone else's systems, and I'm happy to show off for anyone who stops by.

Charlie_Iliff · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Bubender, PtRich, MossRoad & other PT owners:

Glennmac wrote: "The one thing I'm not sure about with PT is my mud problem. I don't see those little tires being able to go into muddy places.
How are your PT's in the mud. I've only been in a little slick stuff - snow and wet grass - and although the turfs slide more than I think bar tires would, I think the machine should be OK in the mud. What's your experience been?
MossRoad - didn't you mention mud at one point, perhaps when you went brush cutting?

Sedgewood · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

My 1845 would be better in slick stuff with bar tires, which I may some day do. It would be interesting to find some mud and compare it to a CUT, but I don't know how to go about that.

For what its worth, I've had my 1845 (with bar tires) just about up to the belly pan digging out a muddy section of farm road to install some drainage and a stone culvert and am mighty impressed with its ability to churn away and keep on moving where I'm not sure my International 484 with ring chains would go. The 484 is 2 wheel drive of course and I have no 4 wheel drive CUT experience to compare it to. We're talking here about maybe 6 inches of slimey mud above a fairly firm base.

glennmac · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Charlie, I will be greatly interested in how you find the Lackender hoe once you get some more experience. What's not clear to me is what kind of maneuver you do to dump the dirt away from the hole. I have never driven a PT or a skidsteer. Randy Lackender said that you can dump with the skidsteer because of how it drives. I don't know what that means. What do you do to dump?

Did you consider the hydraswing model at all? I think from your picture you got the extendahoe. Did you get the manual or hydraulic extension?

Charlie_Iliff · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

Glenn:
I think the hoe works better on a Power Trac than on a skid steer. To dump with the skid steer, you'd have to turn the machine - forward one side and back the other - which isnt a problem. On the Power Trac, however, all you do is turn the wheel, the machine bends in the middle, and swings the hoe away from the hole, so dumping is easy. It is only a little clumsy because I don't yet have the curl circuit controlled by the joystick, and have to reach for another handle.
I didn't consider the hydraswing because I never heard of it until your post today. I suspect I'd still have gone with the manual extenda-hoe, however, because of budget constraints and the ease of turning the hoe from side to side on the PT. For the front of a CUT, I think the hydra-swing would be essential, to save backing up, turning, going forward to dump and then repositioning to dig. Even that process, however, would beat the stuffing out of a pick and shovel.

PTRich · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

I have driven both a 4wheel drive CUT and my PT425 with bar tires. They both excel in different ways. Since the PT has 4 very wide tires and does not cut the ground when you turn the wheel (I think the best way to describe it is when you turn the steering wheel the tractor points the direction you want to go) you do not get the "snowplow" effect when changing directions. You also do not sink in the mud as much. Because all for wheels always have even pressure even if 3 wheels do happen to spin (witch almost never happens) the fourth wheel can still pull you out. Since the tractor moves when you turn the wheel you can turn back and forth to keep bitting fresh material if necessary. The CUT usualy has better between axle clearence wich is good for driving out of a whole. The CUT has better bucket curl so if you do sink it you can probably pull yourself out with a little patience.

The CUV can probably get out of a deeper whole but you are not likely to make one in a PT. I have sunk it to the belly pan while cleaning out a culvert and had to drive out of the mud and over the bank. I did this with full throttle, medium pedal pressure and wagging the tractor back and forth, at first it did not move but then it slowly pulled itself out.

One quick note, I use bar tires and they do not leave marks in my lawn when mowing, I recently dug into a hill to install an above ground pool with out leaving marks on my lawn from the 60 buckets of material I hauled out. I hauled 6 yards of aggregite to my hole after recieving 3/4" of rain. Only in one spot where it was muddy did I leave an impression and the tire did not sink in, only left bar marks.

PTRich

PTRich · Apr 30, 2002

I don't mind where the forum is now but we tend to hog it. It may be better for everyone elso looking for information on other tractors in this forum if we left. Would it effect search engines on the web to make us easier to find? (I realy have no idea) I honestly do not check many of the other forums because of a lack of time (I am Mr. Mom at night).
PTRich

ernemats · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

I have never had my pt 422 in much deep mud, but in snow with the turf tires I am amazed at how well it goes , the only bad experience was last winter with about 6 inches of snow on the ground I tried to go up a 20degree plus hill, i made it half way and then started spinning and sliding backward. I have used it to plow my driveway with the small bucket with very little loss of traction. Several wet places I mow it just goes right through with less of an imprint in the mud than I make walking through the same place.

MossRoad · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

It was fairly muddy, but no where getting stuck muddy. Only a few inches.

bubenberg · Apr 30, 2002

Glennmac Re: Power-trac Forum

well we ag majors ain't spelling to good like theme here laiers does. today wes mowed the hole day and tonight we hat a thunder stuurm so we switched over to our grappler device and unloaded three 30 feets mables trees cuttings. the moad in our mulch yard is at least 5 or 6 incehes deep. dschpite the moad, we had that 20 feets by 84 inches and 2.5 feets high (fuul of wood) trailer unloaded in about 10 minutes (no doomper) just using the grappler bucket, and going up and down them ramp into the moad and back up again into the trailer bed.

the way them here tuurf tires are designed the the larger area of attack, plus the ingienious designe of the turf tire, plus the hydroschttisch dischtribuschen of the power to each wheel will does as well as any ag tire. best exampel is the we have not changed our L series kubota 4x4 tractor back to ag tires for the last five winters. one of our clients is very demanding (walmart) they open even during snowstuurms. the two stores have us back every year with our tuurf tires and no chains or spikes.
so herr professor of law, come und tries the wounderfull AMERIKAN MASCHINE in tse moad on your way down to charlies...please!!!!!!

JackIL · May 1, 2002

For example, it would also cover those of us with Ventrac or Steiner articulated turf tractors. This is my new Ventrac 4200 (31 hp) and 72 inch deck mowing a slope of 28 degrees.

Reds · May 1, 2002

It seems as if the PT owners do dominate the "other brands" forum so a PT forum is a good idea. But at least a "articulated tractor" forum would be a step in the right direction. As far as including the EF machine ... seems like a good idea to me. This would do nothing but benefit the rest of us based upon what i read of MChalkleys experiences/comments.

What does CUT stand for?

Charlie_Iliff · May 1, 2002

Jack:
Before I got the Power Trac, I looked at Steiner and Ventrac brochures and videos, but never got to drive one. Your slopes look like some of mine. Did you have any unscheduled trips downhill on the John Deere before getting the Steiner?

Reds · May 1, 2002

Jack, thats a nice looking setup! What grade is it rated for with those dual wheels on it?

Muhammad · May 1, 2002

What does CUT stand for?

Compact utility tractor.

JackIL · May 1, 2002

The Ventrac with duals is approved for slopes of up to 30 degrees which is 57.7% grade. The limiting condition is the engine--not the overall vehicle stability. For continuous operation, the engine has a limit of 25 degrees, but for short periods 30 degrees is permitted. On a former Steiner tractor I had, one time the tilt meter read 38 degrees as I started sliding downhill sideways, but with no indication of impending overturning. That tractor had a 66 inch overall width. This Ventrac has a 70 inch overall width.

JackIL · May 1, 2002

Charlie,
I have had numerous unplanned trips downhill with 2 wheel drive garden tractors but fortunately no overturns. As I stand in my back yard and look around at all of the adjoining lawns on both sides of the creek at the bottom of my hill, I can count a minimum of 10 tractor overturns that have occurred on 2 wheel drive mowers and garden tractors. One produced serious injury. The amount of extra laundry work required to remove the brown skid marks is unknown.

I purchased my first Steiner in 1995 to be able to mow safely on my slopes, and now I do some of the steepest slopes for my neighbors and at my Church as well. I never remove the duals except for snow removal on sidewalks and driveways in the winter.

I just retired from John Deere as a tractor engineer so I have loyalties to green as well. The Ventrac and Steiner are special purpose turf tractors that are often used by parks, golf courses, commercial cutters, etc. If Deere made an articulated turf tractor suited for hillside mowing I would undoubtedly own one, but for now I am "forced" to own 2 tractors.

Charlie_Iliff · May 1, 2002

Jack:
I must confess a bit of loyalty to green, as well. We have a 755, a 950 and a 2240, all of which have treated us better than we have treated them. So far, however, I am so pleased with the Power Trac that I think even an articulated Deere would be playing catchup. I think a description of the Power Tracs, and the Steiners and Ventracs as well, might be "articulated implement carriers," although you're certainly right that hillside mowing capability is a central characteristic.
Sorry to hear circumstances force you to have two tractors - as opposed to three or four.