Well the journey has begun- lots of pics

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin Flatheadyoungin,
That is a beautiful piece of property ! It was funny in a way because before you even drew the boundary lines on a subsequent picture I had kind of figured it out allready !

As others have said, you have got years of enjoyment ahead for both yourself and your family ! Enjoy !

 

[Tororider]

It's a battery powered job from Walmart. It isn't the best of quality but I really like the side by side and the style. I used to work for a Power Wheels repair shop when I was in high school, and they were much better quality back then.

Like most of them, it wouldn't hardly pull itself on flat ground because of the plastic tires. I got on the internet, and would you believe it there are forums and groups as dedicated to those little ride on as much as we are tractors! Anyway, I found a great suggestion to take some 12.5" BMX bike tires, take side cutter and cut the metal bands out of them, then take regular scissors and cut some more.....then, like giant rubber bands with knobbies on them, I put them on the plastic tires......I secured them with 4 drywall screws......

It will impress you with what it will run through now.......I didn't think it stood a chance in the grass right after I bush hogged it.........went right through it!

I'm looking at 50 ATVs for my daughter for Christmas.

edit: i wish it were gas.....a buddy of mine said that one of the asian companies is making a small gas powered sid by side but i'm not sure how small it is

I have a few of the battery powered ones for my boys. They have the JD gator, that I have done similar, except I used innertubes. I have thought about the knobbys and think I will do that soon so that it can run through snow.

I would like to find a side by side gas powered one for kids so if you find one let me know.

Isn't property fun, the possibilities are endless.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

single seater.....i had actually forgotten about them until your post got me to thinking again.....

ETON America

I have a few of the battery powered ones for my boys. They have the JD gator, that I have done similar, except I used innertubes. I have thought about the knobbys and think I will do that soon so that it can run through snow.

I would like to find a side by side gas powered one for kids so if you find one let me know.

Isn't property fun, the possibilities are endless.

 

[tony123]

That "Rover" is pretty cool! I've been on the lookout for something like that myself. My boys are just turning 4 and too big for the powerwheels, yet not mature enough for a gocart yet. But geez....$2800 + accessories!!! Not gonna do it. I'm now thinking an offroad two seater go-cart and they just have to drive with an adult for a year or so.

I could have used the rubber tire addition for the powerwheels. We were really limited with that thing around our property.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

yeah, i saw that $$........

my girl is 4 and i'm gonna let her try a little suzuki 50 atv........

a go cart would be much cheaper than the little chicom atv.......and an 88cc 4 stroke would be a dog.......they would out grow it even faster.......

That "Rover" is pretty cool! I've been on the lookout for something like that myself. My boys are just turning 4 and too big for the powerwheels, yet not mature enough for a gocart yet. But geez....$2800 + accessories!!! Not gonna do it. I'm now thinking an offroad two seater go-cart and they just have to drive with an adult for a year or so.

I could have used the rubber tire addition for the powerwheels. We were really limited with that thing around our property.

 

[dmccarty]

You have a great story and tie to that land. Glad you got it. Before we found our land I had been researching property at the courthouse and making lists of parcels to view. One of the criteria was to find land with absentee owners. Before we could start viewing the land we found the property we live on today. Bought in 2000. FINALLY the house was built and we moved in Jan of 2005. Took until May/June to sell the city house. ALOT of work but worth it in the end. The wifey and I were talking about this the other night and its hard to believe that we will have lived on the place for four years this January. Seems like just yesterday we moved in.

Later,
Dan

 

[Ridgewalker]

Great post...I will be following your progress so keep the cards and letters coming!

I have 45 acres with power and a great well in my old hometown. It's 2+ acres of cleared land by the highway and 42+ acres of woods backing up to 300+ acres of national forest. It's like I own 350 acres!

I don't have a camper and have been pitching a tent when I am there.
(heading out this afternoon for the weekend! Yee Haw!!!!) Well, that's getting old (as am I!) and I am now looking at CL for a travel trailer but I don't have the bucks at the moment so it's a tent for a least one more deer season...brrrr!

I am hoping to build a deer camp, retirement cabin, whatever some day. Right now it's just fun to get the heck away from the burbs and back to the woods. I am cutting wood, brushhogging, clearing 4 wheeler trails, all a big waste of time but boy the stress just bleeds off when I am on my tractor.

I recently fenced my borders along the highway and wonder if you plan on fencing any of yours? I would be concerned about others constantly being on your land. It sounds like it was somewhat of a community parcel for a long time. No telling what your going to find/run into as you go.

Good luck and keep posting!

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

Yeah, I'd like to have a camper too but it's a long way off in the budget......I've found some older/rougher ones but I'm still not willing to pull the trigger......there's other things I want and need first....

That is the biggest drawback to this land. We had looked at some land that backs the thousands of acres of Wayne National Forest (lots of atv trails) and I REALLY wanted that. However, around here, you have to drive past 3 meth houses that rob you blind in while you are at work......or it was all hillside, or 45 minutes from work, etc.......though this property is surround and secluded, it would have been great to be backed by some huge natural woodlands....

dad has a little popup that he said i could borrow......i may give it a try tomorrow night........i don't have any utilities right now......but we could get by...

the only people back there are a few neighbors which i welcome.....they keep an eye on everything.......i don't plan on fencing it, i do plan on some posted signs like you saw in the other thread....

it is surrounded by just good ole' working class people that have been there for many years......most of these guys kept the place up for the owner before last.......they could have dumped on it, tore it up, etc. but they really did respect it and tend to it like it was theirs.... all i have met so far have been extremely glad i bought it.....they wre afraid it would be subdivided......i tell them i'm going to divide it into thirds; graveyard, trailer park and a junk yard!

Great post...I will be following your progress so keep the cards and letters coming!

I have 45 acres with power and a great well in my old hometown. It's 2+ acres of cleared land by the highway and 42+ acres of woods backing up to 300+ acres of national forest. It's like I own 350 acres!

I don't have a camper and have been pitching a tent when I am there.
(heading out this afternoon for the weekend! Yee Haw!!!!) Well, that's getting old (as am I!) and I am now looking at CL for a travel trailer but I don't have the bucks at the moment so it's a tent for a least one more deer season...brrrr!

I am hoping to build a deer camp, retirement cabin, whatever some day. Right now it's just fun to get the heck away from the burbs and back to the woods. I am cutting wood, brushhogging, clearing 4 wheeler trails, all a big waste of time but boy the stress just bleeds off when I am on my tractor.

I recently fenced my borders along the highway and wonder if you plan on fencing any of yours? I would be concerned about others constantly being on your land. It sounds like it was somewhat of a community parcel for a long time. No telling what your going to find/run into as you go.

Good luck and keep posting!

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

edit: this thing is acting goofy, i'll have to fix the pics later....

This big (relatively) ole' oak tree is kind of the focal point of the fields. The fella I bought it off of says there was an old lean to type of building there that old farm equipment was stored in. The old guys around the property swear it was a house back in the 1800's. Regardless, there are a bunch of large, stacked up stones in a pattern- like people used to do for a foundation. This part of the property is right at the end of the driveway........so, as you come up the long, wooded driveway, you gradually are coming up in elevation. As you emerge from the woods, this is the area you see. So, we are thinking about putting our house there. This would give it a sort of wow factor.......or at least we think so. If you look at the first pic I posted, this area is right where the red line ends for the driveway......

I have been going very slow through this area.....heavy vines and those stone that are covered with growth. And, the whole area is raised about 9" above the surround field......I would guess they plowed around this area. Actually, just about the whole perimeter of the poperty has a raised hump between it and the adjoining properties.....I assume where they threw the dirt in when they plowed it.

sort of before pic.....




after some time with the flail mower....and a little oak next to the big one....







here's one of the "oak area" from about the middle of the property looking north

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

Well, I must throw myself at the mercy of all of you and beg for forgiveness.........I broke the main rule of this board!

I got out to the property bright and early, yesterday. The mornings are so crisp, peaceful and relaxing. I replaced a couple of blades on the flail mower and about that time my buddy Chuck showed up with his L3240 and a 5' hog. So, we went at until I bent the driveshaft yoke on the fail mower......I'm really not sure what I did.....I never did cut it to length, I thought it was the right length already.......anyway, it's bent...

So, I went to the old 5' bush hog and within about 10 minutes, sheared a key. I had extra keys but not nuts. About that time, the neighbor with the beast showed up (10' hog and 85hp cabbed JD...what a machine!) and he took the bolt and my atv to his house to get a nut. Well, he saved my rear.

As a side note, you should have seen his face when he was riding my 700 Raptor with a high compression piston, cam, ported head, fuel controller, pipe and air filter! I think it made him feel young again.

So, all three of us went at it until about 5pm. It was about this time that a buddy of mine- that was supposed to get there about noon- showed up with his Steiner. That little machine is unreal; 68" bush hog on the front, 4wd, loaded ditchwitch style tires, suitcase weights, 25hp or so Kubota gas. It was great at edging trees and I even took it down through the woods and cut some trails.

I was absolutely shot when I got home. It wasn't hard work but I think just being on guard and on the offensive all day was it. I had planned on having a bunch of friends over for a camp fire, hot dogs and smores but I surely wasn't going to stop 100k plus worth of equipment from working!

All this excitement and not a single pic! I had forgotten my camera and then I forgot to tell my wife to bring it out when she brought pizza....

I'm sorry