Power Trac PT425

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

John:
Our 1845s have draft control, which I think would solve Reds' problem completely. Mine has no problem with the rough cut mower.
<font color=red>"If I try to "forwarddrag" in float the tractor starts to try to climb over the attachment, lifting the front wheels off the ground."</font color=red>
The draft control is adjusted to nearly carry the mower, so it probably wouldn't work for dragging except in soft stuff. It might be worth some experimentation, however.

 

[PTRich]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

Reds:
Float means it should be floating, only the weight of the arms and mower keep it down. I have experienced the ridding up with a snow plow when it is caught on something as described by the other post. There should be no down pressure at all. Did the first 30 feet have the same slope? Try keeping your hand on the joy stick to hold it in float. If you can lift the mower up and the wheel lowers it is definetly not a stability problem. Next time it happens stop the tractor, lift the mower a little and push it into float again. I believe hydralics work the same even if they are upside down so if it works on flat it should work on your hill. If we still can't figure it out perhaps another call to Power Trac should be made. Please keep me posted.
PTRich

 

[Sedgewood]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

<font color=red>Our 1845s have draft control, which I think would solve Reds' problem completely. Mine has no problem with the rough cut mower.</font color=red>

Charlie I agree. I had the roughcut out today and it drafted beautifully. And oh boy does it ever pulverize those pesky multiflora roses! However, Reds is having a problem Bubenberg & PTRich aren't so something must be amiss either technically or technique-ically. (Go away spellchecker; I LIKE that word)

<font color=red>The draft control is adjusted to nearly carry the mower, so it probably wouldn't work for dragging except in soft stuff. It might be worth some experimentation, however.
</font color=red>
That's definitely worth a try.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

Yep, from what I've heard, clay is a whole 'nother critter. I've never had the pleasure /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif to work in clay.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

PT425s don't have draft control /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif.

Reds,
I'd try just lifting the mower up an inch and not use float at all in that section of the hill. See if that helps.

Sedgewood,
I can get my bucket to float in forward if I roll it forward until the cutting edge is about an inch or two from the ground, which leaves me with not much room to play. Even my IH2500b would ride up when attempting to foat in forward.

 

[Sedgewood]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

MossRoad<font color=green>

Even my IH2500b would ride up when attempting to foat in forward.</font color=green>

Yeah, I think I need to modify my "forwarddrag" comments as I think back on it. My 484 does lift up if I float in forward. Now as I recall it only worked if I was pushing snow and I made sure the lip of the bucket was just barely touching the ground. I stand corrected. And it does seem to me that a mower in float that encounters any excess drag on the ground would rise up. That could give you quite a thrill were it to happen on level ground at speed.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

I imagine that if the mower would push up against some really tough grass or there was a very quick change in elevation, it could cause the mower to come back far enough to hit the stops, then this might cause the unit to ride up over the implement just like when we try to float the bucket while going forward.

I really think that in this situation, by lifting the deck an inch or so, we should get some better results in tough terrain.

We'll see.

 

[Reds]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

Sedgewood, yes i agree something is providing resistance on the mowerdeck during my forward motion which in turn causes the front wheel to lift. I got off of the tractor while the front wheel was in the air to take a look see. The mower deck had plenty of room to piviot front to back. It was pretty close to the being centered. The side to side piviot was close to the end of its travel range, but it had not touched the stop point yet. Maybe another inch or so. The grass was not high and i wasn't actually cutting any grass just testing at this point. I did notice the right rear wheel on the mower deck had actually gouged the ground. Nothing major, just removed the grass. I didn't see the same mark on the ground from the left side of the deck. I thought maybe thats where the pressure is was coming from. But i see what your saying about the tractor pivioting to the downhill side once the front starts to raise. I never thought of it in those terms.

I also noticed that the front half of the tractor seems to be sliding sideways (dowhill) as i move across the hill. I'm not sure why.

But even if i hit resistance during forward motion ... why don't the loader arms travel upwards in reaction to the resistance??? When i put the joystick in float, the loader arms drop till the attachment hits the ground ... are they now locked in that position. Is this the difference between float and draft control? Just the name "float" indicates that the arms would rise and fall in relation to the ground.

 

[bubenberg]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

Reds, just finished a conversation with the pt people, they think that they will have an answer to all our question of the hillside frontwheel RAISING problem by mid week.

 

[Reds]

Re: Power Trac Mowing Performance

PTRich, when your tractor is in float, can you easily raise the loader arms by pulling up on them? When i attempt to raise mine by hand, they were very stiff. Also, i'm thinking the higher the rpms ... the more resistance.

Yes i agree its not a stability problem. Driving across the hill without attachments seemed to prove that to me. It actually put my mind to ease about rolling over. I stopped on one of the steeper parts of the hill, got off and attempted to pull the tractor over by the rops. Best i could do was to rotate the front half till it reached the limits of its range of motion. The back of this thing ain't budgin.

As i travel across the hill ... there is no rise or fall. It pretty much follows the same plane. Maybe i'll take a picture so it will be easier to visualize.

I'm planning another test. Everytime the wheel lift has happened I've always been traveling in the same direction. In other words ... my left shoulder is always downhill. Don't know if it'll make a difference but i want to see if the same thing happens in the opposite direction.