Tractor Stories

The Piranha Tooth Bar is installed on my Kubota bucket. I used a 4 pound hammer to adju st the side braces of the tooth bar so it would fit inside the bucket. I used the larger clamp to snug the braces up to the inside of the bucket so I could tighten the nut on the bolt with then lock washer in place. The hammer was used to bend the brace in and then to bend it to fit better. I used an air tool attached to the air outlet I had put on the  tractor  side of the  Tractor  Building. A 15/16 th  inch socket fit the bolts and nuts of the tooth bar and an adjustable wrench held which ever was the other side ( nut or bolt). The pictures show the tooth bar and the fasteners. While I wanted to try out the new implement, there were a few other things to do before it got too hot. I got the riding mower out and mowed the rest of the front yard, including where we planted Bluebonnet seeds. Then I decided to venture into the side yard and cut trail. That lasted for ...

Phil was hit and killed by a drunk who was driving on the wrong side of the road and then left the scene of the collision. The man then hid in the nearby woods. Authorities found him, took him to a hospital, then he was arrested and jailed (in Vanderburg county) and is awaiting extradition to Wabash County. I hope he stays in jail until convicted. Uncle Phil was totally innocent, minding his own business. I have known Phil since he was fifteen years old. That is a long time, sort of.

Your uncle Phil had an MI today ( Myocardial Infarction commonly known as a heart attack ). His third. He acted appropriately and asked his sister Carol to call for an ambulance. Phil was Life Flighted to a hospital in Evansville (I forgot to ask Carol which hospital). Two stints were put in and he is recovering in ICU (most likely a cardiac ICU). He is anticipated to be discharged home tomorrow. Nancy thinks Phil is in Deaconess hospital. She says he will go home tomorrow.

Today I used some 2x6 board to make a mount against the outside wall of the Tractor Building so I could then drill a hole for the air line and screw the attachment to the outside wall of the building. Actually, I used 2 ½ inch screws and screwed them into the 2x6. I used glue and long screws to secure the 2x6. On the inside I used a piece of plywood as thick as a 1x4. I screwed and glued it to the 2x4 upright. I made a template to help me align the hole for the air hose and drilled through the 2x6, the outer wall, and the inner plywood. Then I mounted the two air attachments after sealing the joints in the various things that fasten onto the 2x3x1 block of aluminum. It was a lot harder to accomplish than it is to write about it. J Anyway, next I shall address the block which is where the air line from the compressor will plug in. I have already added the pieces to it and sealed them from air leaks. The kit contained some brass plugs where a hole needed to be filled because there was no...

This afternoon I decided to attack the brush and thorns around the Guard Light pole again. I got an idea that I might be able to use my Kubota and its front-end grapple to dig below ground and pull up brush by its roots. It sorta worked. I did manage to get a few large grape vines and some thorn and tree plants up. I then used my lopping shears and pulled and pulled. I worked for about 2 ½ hours. In the end I had a pile about ¼ the size of the one taken away by the city truck on Monday. The area is looking better and better. Tomorrow I may be able to get a few cedar trees cut down and hauled away. I tried to rent equipment to cut cedar trees. The rental place said he had nothing I could use. He suggested renting a bulldozer to push the trees over. I have eight acres of trees in town and would need to do something fairly quickly with the uprooted trees or I would have a big fire hazard drying out on the ground. I will try a couple other ways to get cedar cut down. Mean time I am going t...

Today, this morning, I was walking our dog when she spotted a squirrel about sixty feet away. We struggled a bit as I wanted to go in the opposite direction to throw some brush onto the brush pile. Then, now over a hundred feet away from the squirrel, we started in that direction. As we moved Mocha began to pull and pull and pull. The squirrel was young or really stupid as it ignored us until we were less than 20 feet away. Then it scampered up onto the wooden swing set toy. Now Mocha tried to run after the squirrel, tugging me along. As the squirrel may then have leaped to a tree, Mocha rounded the swing set, and I stumbled. Down I went as Mocha pulled harder (at least that is the way it felt). My knee hit the ground, and I was pulled over, my right arm getting wrenched as Mocha pulled more, ignoring me on the ground. I considered letting her go but instead pulled the leash toward me as I lay on the ground. She cooperated and came to me but kept searching for the squirrel. I told Nanc...

Today, this afternoon, I went after the brush near the Guard Light again. Years ago, Nancy gave me a Poulin Pro weed eater with a separate head for brush cutting. It has an odd four-edged disk-like flat blade. I used it today in place of the pole saw head and later this evening I used a file to sharpen the flat blade. It takes an edge on each side of the flat blade. I am sure it will work better now than when I tried it with its very dull cutting edge. This thing is loud! I will wear ear protection. Paul (our minister) came over to help me and together we made three times the progress I make alone. I used the Polaris Ranger utility vehicle to haul the Yamaha generator, two electric cords, a Sears chain saw (electric), chains, bar oil, a brush grubber, a clawed pole for reaching into the sticker brush to pull cut brush out. I had the pole saw and the brush cutter head too. Paul and I drove around the 8.3 acres too, just for fun. I think the gas in the Polaris is at least a year old, so ...

Since my Billy Goat is scrap metal, I decided to look at alternatives. The BG dealer/service center does not keep the BG in stock but can order one. Electric start is close to $4K. Too much Swisher Predator 24-inch electric start can be purchased from Sears for $1,904.46 or from Home Depot for $1,799.99 (does seem to be the same machine). It has a Briggs and Stratton 11.5 hp (344 cc) engine. Lowe’s has a similar Swisher 24 inch cut machine, but with 10.2 hp Honda engine (389 cc) for $2,219.99.  So, for $500 more, I can buy a Swisher with a Honda engine which is superior to the Briggs and Stratton engine. For $100 more I can buy the electric start Briggs and Stratton engine from Sears instead of Home Depot. The Billy Goat dealer said he had no used machines. He does have one other brand brush cutter which actually has a string cutter instead of a blade; however, for $100 additional I can get a blade (I think it is circular). The machine made by Echo and sold under another brand has ...

Recently I purchased some new implements for use with the two Ford tractors. They had been on an 18-foot trailer waiting my figuring out how to remove them. I attached a boom to the  8N Ford  three-point hitch and tying the disc to the boom with a chain, was able to lift the disc and turn it to face off the trailer and then lift and drag the disc off the trailer. Once on the ground, I replaced the boom with the disc and proceeded to start in my garden area which has not been disturbed in years. The green Coban covers the broken finger I received which chipping Hackberry limbs. In the picture is the very limb which kicked back and got me. My leather gloves looked fine, but my finger sure did not. The  8N Ford  does not steer easily on a good day and is very difficult to turn with the wounded left hand. I had to give up the disc operation until the splint comes off so I can better grip the steering wheel. As a result of this adventure, I am going to restore my 640 Ford...

When the weather was good enough to clear and haul some cedar trees, the 1949 Farmall Cub was called to action. It is the perfect size for a small acreage operation. After the trees were cut, I rigged a chain between the tree and Cub to drag the tree to a convenient location for further cutting and then running it through the woodchipper on the back of the 1952 8N Ford tractor. Also, it is very dry, and I could minimize fire danger from any sparks by working on ground which was mowed. It worked well and was fun. Tractor Boy

This afternoon (Sunday) I trimmed the Crape Myrtle trees in my circle. I decided to use my Dr Chipper attached to my 8n Ford 1952 tractor. I thought this will take about ten minutes to hook up, but I got a chance to stop and add a clutch between the tractor PTO and the chipper shaft. As soon as I started to drive forward and stepped on the brake is when I realized I had forgotten the clutch attachment on the PTO. Know what happens without that clutch? The tractor keeps moving forward. The Dr Chipper had a bird nest or two in the exhaust shaft, but it worked well as soon as I removed them. The actual amount of brush was twice or more than is in the picture. I filled a wagon about a foot deep which is about 3X5 feet in size. Hearing protection and good leather gloves are a must. Almost free mulch. Tractor Boy

Today I went to Kempner, TX and got my 18-foot trailer, 5-foot rotary cutter (“Bush Hog”) and 4-foot plow/disc which were waiting for me already on the trailer. The implements are new. The trailer is used. It has electric brakes, and my truck is equipped for that. The dealer had to find a suitable adaptor to plug the trailer wiring into the Nissan Titan towing plug and then I drove them home. Right now, they are still on the trailer in the yard while I figure out just how to remove them and place them in a convenient location. I certainly need to learn to back a long trailer. Tractor Boy

It was a cold, wet, dreary day in Central Texas. Perfect weather in which to replace the light switch I replaced last week. The first replacement was blowing a 20-amp fuse in less than a second when turned to the farthest right position. Fortunately, I had added a separate fuse holder to the circuitry when the replacement did not have a fuse position. I spoke with the nice folk at Farmall Cub Forever and ordered a three position six-volt switch which arrived a few days ago. This time I took pictures so you can see what I was doing. Again, I replaced one wire at a time. The switch has a protrusion which fits in a notch in the console, and I replaced it so the two were properly aligned. I discovered it was easier to take the console off this time, and I did not need a small monkey to reach in the confined space.  I did; however, forget that I placed a piece of board between the hydraulic housing and the hood/fuel tank. So, when I started up the Cub to see how well it would run, there...

Believing the original four position light and charging switch was mostly worn out, I ordered a replacement from Farmall Cub Forever. Nice folks with whom to do business. Yesterday I braved the cold here in Central Texas to enter my Tractor Building and replace the old switch. First, I placed a block of wood between the hydraulic system and the hood/fuel tank to keep the fuel tank from collapsing onto something and maybe damaging the fuel bowl. Then I proceeded to remove four screws from around the top of the console and two bolts which fastened the console to the tractor body. Much easier to write than to do. There is very little room to move, and I do not have a trained monkey to reach in there and turn a wrench while holding something in place. It turned out to be much easier to remove the part than to replace it later, but I was blissfully naïve then. The choke rod, the hydraulic rod, and the starter rod all had to be disconnected from one end or the other to allow room to move the...

Great news! The fellow who sells and makes run Nancy’s long arm quilting machine and robotics (quite a challenge) came to the house to help Nancy get the robotics working right. He asked whether I wanted help getting my Farmall Cub running and said he would look at it right after he was done with the robotics. Well, he did and began tracing through possibilities. He noted that the choke linkage was not working and the choke was one full, there was water in the carburetor bottom, there MUST be an on-off switch, and once all that was set right, the Cub started and I drove it in the yard. The light circuit fuse is blown so when I replace it, maybe I will have head lights too. Apparently I had simply been flooding the engine if I had any spark at all. I am most happy.   Emily came down and brought two rifles to hunt deer. She got a license last evening and we hope to get to the range before Friday afternoon. Going to get cold here about Thursday morning and colder still for a few days ...

November 6, 2010, was opening day for deer hunting in the part of Texas where I live. I shot two small does from a field near Lampasas. The rifle is a CZ 550 in 6.5X55 millimeter Mauser caliber. I loaded the cartridges with 140 grain hunting bullets. This first deer dropped immediately. The second and smaller deer ran about 70 yards after being hit, then fell over. One thing I do is check beyond the deer to make sure there is no other animal or house in line with the bullet after it passes through the deer. November 13,  I decided to load some 30-06 ammunition so  my daughter will  have some to shoot a deer or five. I used a premium Nosler 150 grain ballistic tip boat tailed bullet, Lake City MATCH brass, which was unfired, CCI primers for the Garand, and IMR 4895 powder. Obviously, these can be used in a Garand since that powder is the original Garand powder (new, of course). I made her fifty cartridges so she will have plenty for the range to sight in and have fun, and ...

Today I made a trip to the Temple Gun Club to shoot my new Kel-Tec RFB. RFB stands for Rifle Forward ejecting Bull pup. It uses FAL metric 20 round magazines and shoots .308 Winchester or 7.62X51mm Nato rounds from an 18-inch barrel. The overall length is 27 ½ inches and it weighs about 8 pounds. The RRFB comes with no sights; however, it has a Picatinny rail for mounting sights. I put a Barska 3-9 scope with red or green cross hairs. I do not know how to put the sling on the RFB as there were no instructions with the sling, and the manual refers to those instructions. About 120 rounds later, I love this little rifle! Recoil is much less than one gets from a bolt action rifle. The accuracy is still unknown since mostly I shot Wolf ammo and that is not very accurate. Initially I had a lot of problems. The rifle would not pick up the next round and usually would not lock the action open after the last round from the magazine. Once I looked in the manual, I found the answer. The gas port ...

This afternoon was a good time to move the Super X3 mill in its crate away from the door of the Tractor building so the  8N Ford  could be put away. Once I remembered I have a perfectly good overhead lift which runs across the tractor bay, it was simply a matter of rigging a couple “straps” to lift the crate. The chains from Wal-Mart were ten feet long which was about three feet too short. Two chains and a towing strap later I was ready to give it a try. The crate lifted off the floor and was then pushed across the bay. This left room for the  8N Ford  to return to the bay. Well, almost enough room. It is quite cramped in the bay now. Soon I will have either a new worktable or a Harbor Freight mill stand #47599 to hold the Super X3 milling machine. You can see the little work room is a bit cluttered too. The X2 mill will go elsewhere, and the room will get cleaned up. I am certainly happy the 1952  8N Ford  tractor was able to lift the 420-pound crate with ...

Yes, I am back blogging.  Today I hope to hoist the new mill with my overhead crane/lift and then slide it along. Too much fun. I will take pictures. I do wish I had taken pix of the moving operation yesterday. It was decidedly scary. No injuries and only a few scars to the land from the weight so all was well. I visited Hubert's work room and saw his X3 mill. It is really three times bigger than the X2 we also both have. I need a much bigger table! Maybe I could mount it on the one I have, but it sure could use wheels. I need 17-inch clearance for the base front to back and 27-inch clearance for the entire front to back area (for the column as well as the front handle). The X2 fits on the 14-inch-wide table with room to spare as you have seen. I need 39 inches height clearance too. This is BIG, but some people consider it small still. It is easy to have a thousand-pound milling machine instead of one which weighs 390 pounds. J Tractor Boy

Yesterday I managed to use my 1952 8 N Ford tractor to haul the 420-pound crate of X3 milling machine to my Tractor Building. It was a challenge because I was unsure the hydraulic lift would be strong enough to lift the crate fastened to the middle of the boom I have for the tractor. It was strong enough; however, a greater challenge was absence of appropriate lifting straps for the task. I had a towing strap about 15 or twenty feet long and used it. To make things better (maybe), I tied the strap around the top portion of the crate with rope. Then to further ensure things did not slip, I used a bit of chain with hooks to fasten to the steel straps on the crate. Well, as I started to lift, the tow strap stretched, the steel strap snapped like it was paper, the tractor groaned, I groaned, and the crate lifted off the ground. As we (crate, tractor, me) drove around the house to the back yard where the Tractor Building is located, the soggy ground showed every inch of the trip, the crate...