Follow up on loaning out the tractor:
Well, the tractor came back and it only had minor damage. Truck and trailer were fine.
We decided he should just have a try at it with the mid-mount-mower. I figured worst case he would burn out the deck belt, otherwise probably can't hurt the thing too bad just mowing knee-high weeds (nothing thicker than a finger he claimed). H was willing to replace the belt if needed and chacked on prices and availability of the part. He said it worked OK if a little slow. Most areas he had to go over a couple few times because the heavy stuff would just lay over. Other areas were very slow going due to too much voume for the mower to digest quickly.
Theother thing he said was he had to keep stopping to clean out the radiator. I am glad he was smart enough to stop and rectify the situation of the overheat light coming on instead of just (literally) steaming ahead. (Anybody else have problems with radiator cloggage while mowing dry weeds with a JD 4100 or similar?)
Then, just as he was finishing up, he said one of the lift arms for the mid-mount mower lost a cotter and clevis pin. Was about 10 minutes of my time and about $3 to stop and pick up a new pin and cotter on the way home.
All and all, it cost me:
$3 cash
4+ heavy use hours on the meter, and
about an hour of my time to hookup my trailer, load and unload the tractor, show him how to use it and pickup and install a replacement pin.
But he filled the tractor, my 6 gal diesel can and my truck with fuel (all were about 3/4 when he took them), so thats probably $20 I'm ahead on the deal.
I saved him about $250 to $400 it would have cost him to have somebody else mow his undeveloped small acreage lot. I think it was a favor worth doing from my point of view - makes me feel good to help a buddy out.
- Rick
Because she already has her own!!!
