PowerTrac "NEW" Button

[Scott_F]

Re: PowerTrac

Duane,
I use the box blade pretty regularly, especially to distribute gravel on the driveway. I have not been able to successfully use the 60" blade to push dirt, it just digs in too much, regardless of how I set the wheels and/or tilt. I pull it backwards at and angle to move gravel to the center of my drive then use the box blade to even it all out. I can also push with the box scraper as it is not as wide and doesn't dig it as much. The tines on the PT box blade are either up or down (i.e. not adjustable) and they are kind of a pain to change. If I had to do it over again I think I might go with an aftermarket 3 point hitch box blade and have a Quick-attach plate welded on. A friend of mine has a 4' box blade for his "conventional" tractor that probably didn't cost much more, is just as well made as the PT, and is easier to adujust depth of the scarifiers.

Good luck with your decision,
Scott

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PowerTrac

<font color=red>The "oscillation" feature lets the back start to roll onto the inside wheel before it lifts completely off the ground.</font color=red>
Scott: You're right, of course, the rear end tilt is facilitated by the "oscillation", not independent of it. Once again, my fingers didn't quite type an accurate description of what my brain had concluded. The point is that the rotation between the two parts reduces the amount of effective weight countering the front load, as you said. Even if it didn't, the change in geometry would reduce the lever arm, and tend to roll the back rather than picking it up, so the capability to lift is reduced in a turn.
I've experienced the rear roll a number of times, but not had real trouble, just momentary discomfort.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PowerTrac

I wonder if LARGE loaders would do the same thing or if their hydraulics are set to break out before they exceed the amount of weight it would take to tip it when the unit is in a maximum turning configuration.

 

[bubenberg]

Re: PowerTrac

Yes, they do very much the same thing, Mr. M.R..

I drove a few years back for a whole summer a large articulated tractor of the Ford persuasion. one thing that you could do is move hydraulically the weight to either the front or the back. if your appliance or job at the start of your journey down the field indicated that you needed a counter balance we actually had weights that very ergonomically were added to the area of the front or back bumper area.

i did not want to add to more controversy but since the subject was brought up this is one of the main points of my trip. i would like to find out if adding weights to the back causes damage or voids the warranty.

And yes, as Charlie mentioned, i flip the pt 425 and and during another incident i have broken my right leg doing a stupid manoeuvre.

the pt 425 is a very safe vehicle but it has like anything else its limits, in the rigging business of trees and other heavy loads you can get yourself in trouble. my recommendation is to check daily before use your tire pressure, this is your life line when pushing the envelop.

don't get me wrong, i love my 425, and in most cases this all the size machine i can use. as indicated before my dream is a 1800 to move my hills and to gain more lifting power, mowing speed, larger appliances. but this buy will be more of a luxury because a second 425 would make me more income.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PowerTrac

Thanks for the safety tips. I already got into the habit of pushing the front tires with my feet when I get on after I developed the slow leaks while brush hogging thorny bushes(slime stopped the leaks). I'm pretty good at estimating the PSI in them now. Also, due to limited storage space in my garage, I keep the small bucket, pallet forks, sod slicer, and now grapple all nested in the big bucket. I can tell, just by lifting that combination, if my tires bulge, they need air.

Several others have also wondered about additional weight. Someone mentioned that Power Trac frowned on fluid in the tires as this would make more work for the motors. I also wonder about a wieght belt for the rear, similar to that on the back of a crane or forklift. I fear that if I add weight to the rear I'll just end up pushing the limit by picking up more weight with the front. Then more on rear, more on front, etc... until I break something or bend the middle section out of whack. I think I'll leave it alone until the factory recommends something. (I have no guts, but I bet I'll live a long time /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif )

 

[Carpenter]

Re: PowerTrac

MR & Hans, A landscaper, that I know, has had calcium filled tires on his PT for 3-4 years. He hasn't had any troubles, that I know of, and says that it really increased the stability when working with the bucket. It will be interesting to see what PT has to say. I don't care to take any more "test flights", either! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Scott_F]

Re: PowerTrac

<font color=green>i would like to find out if adding weights to the back causes damage or voids the warranty</font color=green>

Please let us know what PT says about this. If the load capacity is really 800 lbs with all the tractor parts in a straight line, you would assume the front end is built to handle that much weight. My little inadvertent experiment showed that when the tractor is articulated, it starts to do its teeter-totter imitation at about 60% of rated capacity. Looks like a few suitcase weights on the back (within limits, of course) should allow us carry a full load and go someplace besides back and forth in a straight line.

Charlie - if it were approved, is there enough clearance for you to weld a fin onto your Reese hitch to hang some weights?

Scott

 

[Schultz]

Re: PowerTrac

Why not add wheel weights to the rims of the rear tires or both front & rear? The rims are a standard size, so the weights could be obtained from just about any tractor brand. If the weights are carried on the rims then the bearings or frame is doing no more work than without them. The hydraulic motors would do a little more work, since you now have a good size flywheel to speed up and slow down. I don't have a Powertrac but I have had 140# of rear wheel weights on my Ingersoll for 5yrs, which is also hydraulically driven on the rear wheels and no problems. Besides, if the hydraulic pressure becomes too much too slow down, or speed up the tractor the relief valve would crack open until the wheels match the desired motor speed.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PowerTrac

Scott:
I think there would be plenty of room to put weights on the Reese hitch. You'd just have to be careful that they didn't interfere with the opening of the engine cover.
We're preparing a list of questions for PT, which includes specific ones about weights. They were negative to the idea when it was brought up, but I don't know if it is in the "Tested and Bad", the "We won't agree unless we test" or the "We don't think you should do it because it's fine as it is" type of disagreement.