redlevel
Gold Member
I don't understand all the concern about putting hours on your tractors. What did you get them for in the first place? The tractor is probably good for 4K to 6K hours with normal use, and the engine and pto drive alone should be good for a whole lot more than that. If the tractor is in a stationary application, there is no wear on steering box, wheel bearings, tires, etc.
The obvious answer to the problem of not having the tractor available for "clearing the driveway" is to get another tractor. On the farm that usually isn't a problem, as there is usually a utility tractor available for things like powering a grain auger or running a pto irrigation pump.
One thing to consider is some kind of safety switch to shut the tractor down in case of a broken fan belt or some other potential engine-destroying mishap. A dealer once made a strong sales pitch in favor of just running new tractors with factory warranty when running a pto irrigation pump.
PTO power is cheap, dependable power.
The obvious answer to the problem of not having the tractor available for "clearing the driveway" is to get another tractor. On the farm that usually isn't a problem, as there is usually a utility tractor available for things like powering a grain auger or running a pto irrigation pump.
One thing to consider is some kind of safety switch to shut the tractor down in case of a broken fan belt or some other potential engine-destroying mishap. A dealer once made a strong sales pitch in favor of just running new tractors with factory warranty when running a pto irrigation pump.
PTO power is cheap, dependable power.