Loaded for bear

[Muhammad]

<font color=blue>My rear tires are filled. Will it still work?</font color=blue>

Not on filled tires, but if your fronts aren't filled (they shouldn’t be) then you can use it in those. The plugs will keep you working, too.

<font color=blue>Uhhhhhh... wasn't planning to ever take it on the road. Should have one anyway?</font color=blue>

Well you don't plan on doing a lot of things right now, I bet. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif[/img] You never know and an SMV emblem on the road is really important in my book. Not like the entire tractor being orange isn't enough during the day, but at night a reflective emblem will be safer. You can even get a mounting bracket to mount it on the ROPS or something.

<font color=blue>Don't want 'em to know I'm coming.</font color=blue>

Oh, I see! [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

<font color=blue>Dunno if you're serious -- haven't tried the bush hog yet.</font color=blue>

Yeah, well it is up to you... actually when I think about that, you might not want to drill any holes in anything to mount those mirrors. But on a cab tractor, you just have to get them. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img] That is, if they don't come standard.

<font color=blue>"Spinner" sounds nice. "Suicide" is a little less enticing.</font color=blue>

Just the name! I prefer to use the term spinner, since the device actually spins, and helps you spin the wheel! Take a look at the ag tractor operators (if they are around where you are) and chances are you'll see them using a spinner. Will save you arm power.

[MChalkley]

Muhammad, the only spinners I've seen were at tractor dealers and had two metal pieces (pick the one that fits best) that acted as clamps, but neither of them fit either the spoke or rim of my steering wheel.

MarkC

[Muhammad]

Mark, what about this one? http://www.autobarn.net/ali8356.html ... cheap but it looks like it might fit just about any steering wheel.

[MChalkley]

Yep, it does look like it would fit. I'll order it and find out. Thanks!

MarkC

[Bird]

Harv, I used to have a 20 gallon, portable air compressor, and could put it in the pickup and take it to the field when necessary. But now that I have a bigger, non-portable one in the shop, I just got a portable tank that I can fill in the shop and take to the field. I don't know whether they've improved the little 12 volt compressors much or not. I've thought about buying one to see, but the last time I used one (11 years ago) to fill a half ton pickup tire, we had plenty of time to sit in the shade and drink two beers before it got 32 psi in that tire.

Bird

[Bird]

Harv, if you know you're never going to put the tractor on the road, probably no need for the SMV placard, but we're betting you'll find a reason to drive it to a neighbor's place or something like that before long. Don't most tractors come with a bracket for it already now? And I put a rear view mirror on my canopy. It's a little help when brush hogging, but the main reason I wanted it was because I do get on the roads occasionally and want to know whether anything's coming behind me without turning around in the seat every few minutes. And instead of welding, I drilled two little holes in the top of my loader bucket on each end and mounted my chain hooks with U-bolts.

Bird

[Harv]

Muhamad, Bird -

I suppose you're right about the SMV thingy. Once the neighbors notice that I have a tractor, I can hear it now -- "Hey, Harv! Can you give me a hand with this dead cow?".

Even though I've spent nearly a whole day with my new tractor, I had to examine the pictures I took to see if it already had a mounting bracket. Looks like I'm all set (see attachment). Just gotta go get the placard.

Bird -
As for filling tires in the field -- I still have all my scuba gear (haven't been out much since I became a daddy), and come to think of it, I have a tire-filling attachment for the tanks. I should just leave a full tank up there for emergencies. 80 cubic feet of air at 3,000 psi wuold fill a tire in short order. I suppose I should regulate it down to 100 psi to avoid "hot" fills.

[Bird]

Wow, Harv, that 3000 psi air tank reminds me of my teenage years when I worked in my dad's service stations. When kids (or their daddys) came in to air up their bicycle tires, I always hurried to help them, but a few times I was too late and there was quite a bang when they blew their tires to pieces.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Bird

[DaleW]

Try www.northerntool.com
They had one with rubber padding for around the steering wheel. Looks like it would fit any wheel.
Dale

[DaleW]

Rowski,
How about retro fitting your 55 gal drum with a air line connection and a filler hose with a long (to the bottom of the barrel) pickup tube.
Connect your air compressor (at about 5psi) and you have a ready made fuel pump.
Not much higher on the psi or you will have a firehose on your hands.
Dale