Seasonless and Idle Tractors ...

[DAP]

For me, and as I suspect, a lot of others, the tractor during winter months becomes a tool to handle seasonal snows and if you own animals, move their food around (regardless of whether it's been 'processed' or not).

Were it not for the latter, I would have considered putting the machine into dry storage.

Since I built a new lean-to for the machine, I have obviously impacted el Nino along with the countless of tractor owners who have spent time and money on protecting their investments from the winter elements. It is clearly our fault.

I do start her up and drive her down to the river occassionally - but other than having the stalls mucked directly into the bucket to break wheelbarrow monotony, and then a 30 foot ride over to the manure pile, she has seen no snow yet (sans an inch that melted in 24 hours).

If it would get cold and stay cold, I could at least go move up and start prepping next years firewood.

Coastal Maine right now, seems to be one giant "stick and mud" month.

 

[RobS]

Exactly the same here in Michigan Doug. I was thinking of this just last night. No animals for me to tend to so it's even bleaker. Last time I used my tractor was Christmas eve to bring a bucket of firewood into the garage for the Christmas fire. Made an extra long trip of it and picked up a few pieces of trash I noticed along the road. I'll have to fire the poor thing up this weekend and take a ride just to keep it in shape! There's talk of some snow Sunday but wouldn't you know it, I'm leaving for a work trip to Mexico!

As bad as we may have it, the snowmobilers around here are the ones really down in the dumps! I can't even joke with them about it anymore.

 

[Oleozz]

Same here DAP, my tractor gets considerable use in the summer but without any snow fall it has spent a lot of time sitting in the pole barn. With all the rain it is muddy but this morning the temp was down to 16 degrees. The weather people are predicting a big change next week with a measurable snow fall maybe on the 19th. I am not a big snow fan because with a kennel it makes a lot more work but I am anxious to see how the new tractor performs in the snow.

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Doug,
Well I would have to agree with you on your assesment ! Winter has been a no show for the most part, but things can change rather rapidly in the NE. You know the ole sayin, if you aint happy with the weather in the NE wait 10 minutes

Good luck with whatever type weather you might be lookin fer !

 

[schmism]

luckly (or unluckly) ive still got tons of brush and saplings to remove from the property so the mild weather has ment ive been pushing ahead (pun intended) on removing brush and cleaning up the overgrowth... Still have many MANY hrs of work to get in this winter before stuff starts sprouting leaves again....

pluss theres sinking the holes with the new PHD for the peers on the new trailer

hauling firewood, and we MIGHT actually get some snow this weekend so i might get to put the back blade on again and practice my snow moving


so no....its been busy winter for me and tractor (although no mowing which the wife loves to do)

 

[Sully2]

RAIN! Nothing but temps from high 30's to mid to high 50's....and RAIN!

 

[daTeacha]

I'm hauling a load of firewood into the pass-through from the garage about every 3 days, have cleaned the "used hay" out of the sheep shed twice, and just recently used mine to direct the fall of an ash tree to make room for a coming landscaping project. That was kind of interesting, rigging a chain up the tree, a cable to the chain, a snatch block around another tree, and then the tractor to the end of the cable to do the pulling. The tree missed the mark by about 10 degrees, but it didn't land on the house, which was the main object. Then came cleanup and firewood making, again using the tractor, so mine's been seeing some use despite the lack of snow.

 

[RFB]

Cold will be coming your way. We are expecting -15 (wind chill NOT added) with 20 mph winds tonight.

 

[mj1angier]

It has been so warm here in N.C. that I had to bushhog again the other day. Also got up some stups and rocks, but that been it for a whiel.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I guess with you guys up North the weather has alot to with your tractor time.

Here in NC it has been warm and I have more tractor work than time right now. Only have Saturdays to work and have about 65 stumps right now where the house is going to be built, should start construction in February. So I have been hauling tons of logs and clearing brush. I have a 2 fields that need to be bushhoged with shoulder high grass, 1 lot that I need to box blade several places to make finish mowing easier and quicker this summer. I have a 29 ac farm 30 min. South of me that I need to take the tractor to and clean up around and haul lots of big stone from an 120 year old fireplace that we want to us in the new house. I get stressed out when I see rain forecast for the weekend, so I would lose-it if I had a big snow forecast .

I could get more tractor time in the winter than summer if it did not get dark so early. So I hope it stay warm but would like at least one good snow to push around !