PT expectations?

[jwangelin]

There seems to be much more to these tractors than I figured. The Swiss Army knife analogy that gets thrown around is very apt. I can稚 tell if the lawn mowing capabilities are too complicated or not. It sounds as though the mechanics of the PT-425 are not just a smaller version of its big brothers. I don稚 have huge hills but the ground is uneven and lots of ups and downs and grade changes. Is there a 都et it and forget it position for mowing? Generally I do the mowing but in the occasion my wife gets on it will I never stop hearing the chorus of yet another of my great ideas that are too complicated? I don稚 have the property or finances for the higher end models. Primary use is mowing, plowing (preferring snow blowing) and a FEL. In the spring I have 8 slabs of ice that come off the roof on to the driveway with usually few places to put it nearby.
Thanks for the info so far!

 

[MossRoad]

There seems to be much more to these tractors than I figured. The Swiss Army knife analogy that gets thrown around is very apt. I can稚 tell if the lawn mowing capabilities are too complicated or not. It sounds as though the mechanics of the PT-425 are not just a smaller version of its big brothers. I don稚 have huge hills but the ground is uneven and lots of ups and downs and grade changes. Is there a 都et it and forget it position for mowing? Generally I do the mowing but in the occasion my wife gets on it will I never stop hearing the chorus of yet another of my great ideas that are too complicated? I don稚 have the property or finances for the higher end models. Primary use is mowing, plowing (preferring snow blowing) and a FEL. In the spring I have 8 slabs of ice that come off the roof on to the driveway with usually few places to put it nearby.
Thanks for the info so far!

The PT425 doesn't have draft control. When I mow or brush cut, 99% of the time, I just push the joystick forward into float, and let the mower deck or brush cutter ride on it's own wheels, independent of machine movement. It works quite well, as it will rise and fall up and down, roll left and right, and tip forward and backwards independent of the machine.

 

[johara1]

The PT425 doesn't have draft control. When I mow or brush cut, 99% of the time, I just push the joystick forward into float, and let the mower deck or brush cutter ride on it's own wheels, independent of machine movement. It works quite well, as it will rise and fall up and down, roll left and right, and tip forward and backwards independent of the machine.

MR, now that is great except, Like any loader that when you meet resistance when in float it rides up on the arms and picks the front wheels up. so you never use float with a loader. The same applies with a mower being pushed with loader arms like a powertrac, it wants to crawl up and lift the front wheels. You need something to counter act this you need transfer a percentage of the weight to the tractor. To put in float then pull it out of flat back forth is a PITA. in and out every round? They need a better set up...... jim

 

[MossRoad]

MR, now that is great except, Like any loader that when you meet resistance when in float it rides up on the arms and picks the front wheels up. so you never use float with a loader. The same applies with a mower being pushed with loader arms like a powertrac, it wants to crawl up and lift the front wheels. You need something to counter act this you need transfer a percentage of the weight to the tractor. To put in float then pull it out of flat back forth is a PITA. in and out every round? They need a better set up...... jim

I know what you're talking about with the machine trying to climb over a bucket in float.

However, my machine has never tried to climb over my mower deck or brush cutter like it would with a bucket in float. The mower and brush cutter always just roll along on their wheels. The only time I bring it out of float and lift the deck off the ground is if I'm heading up a steep hill and lose traction, and I want to gain some traction.

 

[MossRoad]

MR, now that is great except, Like any loader that when you meet resistance when in float it rides up on the arms and picks the front wheels up. so you never use float with a loader. The same applies with a mower being pushed with loader arms like a powertrac, it wants to crawl up and lift the front wheels. You need something to counter act this you need transfer a percentage of the weight to the tractor. To put in float then pull it out of flat back forth is a PITA. in and out every round? They need a better set up...... jim

I know what you're talking about with the machine trying to climb over a bucket in float.

However, my machine has never tried to climb over my mower deck or brush cutter like it would with a bucket in float. The mower and brush cutter always just roll along on their wheels. The only time I bring it out of float and lift the deck off the ground is if I'm heading up a steep hill and lose traction, and I want to gain some traction.

 

[SpringHollow]

You are welcome to come over and try one of my PT1850's.

Ken

 

[ernemats]

Like MR said when mowing just put it in float position and forger it unless you need more traction or want to cut over something like low stumps or rocks then I take it out of float and raise it up some.

 

[johara1]

Like MR said when mowing just put it in float position and forger it unless you need more traction or want to cut over something like low stumps or rocks then I take it out of float and raise it up some.

Ernie, That sounds good but it was not my experience, to put it in float is preferred and works on the level but going up hill it doesn't work, going sideways on a hill it doesn't work plus the wind rows nobody talks about. ...jim

 

[MossRoad]

Ernie, That sounds good but it was not my experience, to put it in float is preferred and works on the level but going up hill it doesn't work, going sideways on a hill it doesn't work plus the wind rows nobody talks about. ...jim

I've got some pretty steep slopes with some very sandy, soft soil and haven't experienced that with my brush cutter. I have no steep hills that I take my mower on at my home, although there are a few, short ridges along my driveway that I go up and down with no problems.

 

[m5040]

The Steiner 430 max Kubota used to have big springs that you would connect from the mower to the tractor's grill to transfer some weight back to the tractor when in float. The smaller PTs you have to use the loader control if you need weight on your tires, this is all part of being an experience operator and knowing your equipment. The diesel PTs have the draft control feature which acts like the Steiner's grill springs, but with the hydraulics it is adjustable. The 1430PT gets the pressure for this draft from the tram. So if you are using a lot of pressure to the wheel motors, it gives more to the draft to float the implement more. One thing is that the draft feature may be similar to farm tractor 3pt draft control, but it is not the same. The farm tractor draft senses the force used to pull the implement and if over the setting, the 3pt raises up slightly until the draw drops to within the set parameters. I hope I didn't make it more confusing, but the 2 different types of tractors having a control with the same name, but not the same purpose.

 

[johara1]

The Steiner 430 max Kubota used to have big springs that you would connect from the mower to the tractor's grill to transfer some weight back to the tractor when in float. The smaller PTs you have to use the loader control if you need weight on your tires, this is all part of being an experience operator and knowing your equipment. The diesel PTs have the draft control feature which acts like the Steiner's grill springs, but with the hydraulics it is adjustable. The 1430PT gets the pressure for this draft from the tram. So if you are using a lot of pressure to the wheel motors, it gives more to the draft to float the implement more. One thing is that the draft feature may be similar to farm tractor 3pt draft control, but it is not the same. The farm tractor draft senses the force used to pull the implement and if over the setting, the 3pt raises up slightly until the draw drops to within the set parameters. I hope I didn't make it more confusing, but the 2 different types of tractors having a control with the same name, but not the same purpose.

They are not remotely the same, A PT. has loader arms and pushes lower on the front and when you have any resistance on the deck the PT wants to crawl up the arms and it takes weight off the front wheels and when that happens and the front tires spin the PT real wheels won't work. A Ventrac and Steiner have small arms that push level, but still have a weight transfer system. Both of them will cut up a steep hill with no problem where the 425 PT won't. Having all three on the same ground kind of makes it easy to see the difference....... jim

 

[MossRoad]

They are not remotely the same, A PT. has loader arms and pushes lower on the front and when you have any resistance on the deck the PT wants to crawl up the arms and it takes weight off the front wheels and when that happens and the front tires spin the PT real wheels won't work. A Ventrac and Steiner have small arms that push level, but still have a weight transfer system. Both of them will cut up a steep hill with no problem where the 425 PT won't. Having all three on the same ground kind of makes it easy to see the difference....... jim

I frequently push my PT425 brush cutter 6' up a more than 45 degree gravel bank in front of the tractor and it doesn't dig in. It rolls right up the embankment with the FEL arms in float.

 

[johara1]

I frequently push my PT425 brush cutter 6' up a more than 45 degree gravel bank in front of the tractor and it doesn't dig in. It rolls right up the embankment with the FEL arms in float.

How long is it ? is the mower and the tractor on a 1 to 1 slope? at the same time? up hill It won't push a mower running up a a 2 to 1 slope running unless it is short and both aren't on the slope at the same time. ..... jim

 

[MossRoad]

How long is it ? is the mower and the tractor on a 1 to 1 slope? at the same time? up hill It won't push a mower running up a a 2 to 1 slope running unless it is short and both aren't on the slope at the same time. ..... jim

I've never experienced that. I brush cut uphill a few trails that are 20 degrees for 50-60 feet. I've never had the tractor try to drive over the brush cutter unless I hit a log with the front wheels of the brush cutter. I do have areas where I run out of traction, so as mentioned, I pull the joystick out of float and back just a bit to get the weight of the mower off the mower wheels and onto the FEL arms, then up the hill I go. When the slope gets less steep, I shove the joystick back into float, the mower drops onto it's own wheels again and I continue.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's some really grainy old videos of me on my 425 from probably 2002 brush cutting a relatively flat area in float.

 

[joshlee]

With my 1430, I never had the FEL try to ride up over the deck on the mower or brush cutter. Now with the snow plow it is a different story. A PT owner needs to learn how to keep to plow from digging in, or it will try crawling up over the plow. Once I learned how to prevent that, the plow works great for me.

 

[MossRoad]

I've got the wheels behind my plow. Never had the 425 try to climb over that either. Only thing it has tried to climb over was the bucket in dirt or sod while in float.

 

[joshlee]

Oh, yeah, the bucket too. The plow does too if it is tilted forward too much when the casters are not touching. Then the cutting edge will bite ahold.

It will soon be time to put the chains on.

 

[MossRoad]

Yep. Cold and snow coming here, too. I don't need chains with our flat driveway and yard. Gonna fire up the wood burner this weekend, too.

 

[johara1]

I've got the wheels behind my plow. Never had the 425 try to climb over that either. Only thing it has tried to climb over was the bucket in dirt or sod while in float.

I still want to see that PT. go up a 1 to 1 slope or 45 degrees as you call it. A little BS. I sure been on a lot of them and you need tracks under you..... jim