Rain rain go away!

[PA hayseed]

So, I recently purchased a new tractor to replace my aging 45hp tractor, and I upgraded to a cab from an open station. Since I purchased it, it seems that it has been raining just about every day, and we are having the heaviest/wettest season on record. This leads me to my question, do you run your tractor in the rain on your property? I don't care about the rain per say, it is just rain, but I don't want to rut up my field with the ground being as soaked as it is. The 50hp tractor is heavy. I have projects I need to do, and another hurricane coming to the east coast is promising even more rain. Currently have flood warnings and watches in several counties around me.

Maybe I am just crying, now that I have time to do things the weather won't let me.

 

[Ritothebull]

I guess it all depends on how bad you need to get those projects done, what's the worst thing that can happen. I remember once when I bought a new motorcycle and it rained for 2 weeks straight, drove me nuts but it made it even better when the sun finally came out.

 

[4570Man]

It’s been really wet here this summer which has been great for grass cutting. I don’t care to mow in a light rain, but not much can be done in heavy rain.

 

[iflywhatevr]

Yep I will mow or do whatever I can in rain. But the cab certainly helps.

 

[oosik]

Hayseed - I don't know what is wrong with this world any more. You are getting too much rain and we are as parched and dry as popcorn here. I've even put on my RAIN DANCE shorts and gone out and done many little jigs - no joy.View attachment 570472 View attachment 570473

 

[Thomas]

If your getting that much rain I'd think twice traveling on fields etc...ruts=mud than areas to collect water.

 

[RustyT]

Sounds like my spring and summer. Rains for two or three days, clears for a couple of days then rain again. My daughter bought the little RK24 so I could clear up the land where it went to pot when my health did the same. I'll have to sow grass seed where the tractors spun in 4 low trying to go up slopes at the end of the dry spells.

 

[DieselBound]

Hayseed - I don't know what is wrong with this world any more. You are getting too much rain and we are as parched and dry as popcorn here. I've even put on my RAIN DANCE shorts and gone out and done many little jigs - no joy.View attachment 570472 View attachment 570473

Quick, run!, the fashion police are coming! :laughing:

Just rung up 1.17" of precip here yesterday and expect to see another 2 1/2" by the end of the week.

OP, it really depends on what kind of things you need to do (if you're having to do a lot of tight turning, over the same ground is different than a couple straight passes over the same ground). I have different types of ground, some is fill, road, and other is stuff that I could make most any piece of equipment disappear in (even in the non-raining times). I was fortunate to have my B7800 as my scout machine, as its lesser weight allowed me to get it unstuck more easily than with a larger machine: yes, sometimes weight keeps you from getting stuck- I've gotten 9k lb excavators STUCK- weight meant nothing for prevention (when I rent an 19k lb excavator I don't get anywhere near soft ground!). Test the "waters" and you'll soon find out how much you are willing to allow as far as tearing up the ground. Sometimes one has an emergency and has no other option than to tear things up: I've had to make emergency firewood runs; got two vehicles stuck last year doing this- my largest machine was used, from a safe distance, to rescue the rescue machine!

I've been out working in an open station and gotten plenty soaked. With my cabbed tractor I don't have to experience that; but, I still have to be mindful that just because I'm dry that don't mean that mean that the tractor is OK to operate w/o issues.

 

[kneedeep]

Learned the hard way to keep tractors in the shed when ground conditions are not optimal for the job to be done. Planted, plowed, mowed in wet conditions only to realize the work done is unacceptable and has to be repaired before the work can move forward again.
As bad as I need to disk down some weedy fields again, the damp dirt will not allow disk to cut and bury the trash to make a decent seedbed for winter cover crop.
I made a promise to myself NOT to rush dirt work anymore as I am about beat to death from disking the ruts from last year that prevented planting corn in my duckholes . There is a short window for optimum conditions for planting certain crops in a wetland and fixing ruts waste the little time conditions are right. Besides, planters don't work well in muddy wet ground and seed is to expensive to waste.

I found that repairing and maintaining the equipment is time well spent in wet conditions. Also since moving to a cab tractor, I can plow at night to get done if necessary. I prefer to plant and spray in daytime but am working on a Spray App for guidance to allow some nighttime planting if I must.

JMHO!

 

[Wagtail]

I've even put on my RAIN DANCE shorts and gone out and done many little jigs - no joy.View attachment 570472 View attachment 570473

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