Re: PowerTrac Specific Modifications FOR PT 180 only
As you prob know, the PT 180 is a economy tractor with a lot of corners cut in the manufacturing process. Never the less it is a very capable tractor and here is a modification I did to the loader control valve.
The situation was, when a female operator (I never did this....) was using the tractor, mowing in unknown areas and encountered foreign objects, the gut reaction was to rapidly pull the loader handle back from the hold (due to higher than "float" setting for rough terrain), but due to the urgency of the situation, a lot of times the handle would be pulled back too far, through the loader "raise" position into the loader "float" position, thereby compounding the situation because the deck would now lower into the foreign object.
For those not familiar with the loader valve control on the PT180, it work as such Full Forward was lower/power down, one back was hold, again one back from hold was raise and finally all the way back was float.
I believe this was done because the valve fit in the tractor easily and was much quicker in the manufacturing process.
So, for those interested, I lowered the valve under the dash for access to the lines, switch the bucket tilt hoses top to bottom. On the loader lift cylinder, I switch the hoses end for end because it was much easier to do then fiddle with the control valve. I couldn't do this with the tilt cylinder because the hoses are different lengths. I then added a piece of 3/8 thick flat stock to the dash behind the loader control valve and drilled to mount the pivot fitting for the handles behind the valve. This changes the direction of the spool valves when you op the handles, that is why you have to switch the hoses. Now I have a regular forward float, one back down, back hold, all the way back raise setup and can now sharpen the mower blades...
