Started to learn to use my tractor today!

[dieselfuelonly]

Nice tractor there!

That looks like a very nice piece of land you have there also, how many acres?

For my sprayer, the seller had wired (more thrown on there and left hanging off the side) from the battery up front to a switch that is now hanging by the clutch, and it went into a 2-prong connection that is now wrapped around the seat mount. I plan to remove it soon.

I hope you are enjoying your tractor as much as I am enjoying mine!

[EDIT]

I knew your tractor looked a little different from mine... but I couldn't put my finger on it, but I think I found it! Your front wheels are put on so they stick out further, mine are the other way around!

Here's a pic that the seller took for the listing:

 

[r1-er]

I knew your tractor looked a little different from mine... but I couldn't put my finger on it, but I think I found it! Your front wheels are put on so they stick out further, mine are the other way around!

The previous owner had them turned out because it's a pretty narrow tractor and he liked them set wide for stability. I'm going to keep them that way as I felt like I was close to rolling it over with them set wide while bush hogging.

I don't own the tract of land where the red barn is in pic #2. If you look in pic #1, you can just make out the white tops of steel fence posts over the hill that the sun is hitting. That's my property line. I still have 8 acres of what I would consider prime flat land in the heart of TN mountain country. It's about 2.5 acres mowed, 3 acres pasture, and 2.5 acres wooded with a pond (swamp at this point since we are 13 inches behind in rain at this point).

I really don't need more land than that. I just bought it so my son would have some land to stretch his legs (and dirt bike tires) on. It's difficult to find any place to ride anymore, so I bought my own.

[EDIT]

By the way, where are you? Guessing by the huge pines, we guessed Michigan or somewhere out in the NW...

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Nope, I'm here in Chapel Hill, North Carolina! I have about 6 acres here, maybe 2 acres for the pasture, about 2 acres where the house sits, another acre for the "riding ring" for the horses, and about an acre of overgrown area.

Where you live sure looks like a nice place!

I might try turning my wheels out like yours, I agree with you on it being a narrow tractor, parked next to my riding mower it really isn't any wider, but its a whole lot taller!

 

[r1-er]

Well, you're within three hours or so then...Morristown, TN.

 

[dieselfuelonly]

OK, cool!

I have LOTS of pics for today, I found my card reader, it was plugged into the back of a server that I was trying to update the SCSI controller firmware on... anyway, thats another story!

First thing I did today was flip my wheels around, so that they sit wider. After seeing how r1-er's wheels were that way, I thought it was a good idea because it would give the tractor a little more stability, though I do find that turning is a little harder and you have to hold the steering wheel a little tighter when on bumpy ground, but I think that price is well worth the extra stability.

That took all of about 15 minutes to do, it was very easy. Now I need to get some paint to put over the spot where the hub originally came in contact with the rim.

So today I wanted to use my tractor so I made myself another project. I was messing around in the overgrown area of my property, its an area along a curved road probably a little more than 1 acre in size.

I had bush hogged a little to clear stuff out. I recently discovered a gate that was really banged up and all covered in vines and stuff. I removed it, and I thought I would like to work on clearing it out so that I could get through the gate. I started out by clearing myself a little path today so it was easier to get through instead of having to drive over this big mound of dirt!

Dana

Diesel Power!

I also learned that it is a BAD idea to try to turn my tractor around in the barn when there is a support right behind my bucket and a tack room right in front of me. If you look closely in the picture you can see where I got a little flustered and backed into the support and bent it a little bit... LOL .

Parked for now

 

[Spiveyman]

Cool that you can swap your wheels around that easily. Mine weigh >1,000 lbs each. I had to have a shop do it. Also funny that you ran into your support pole. At least you were in a tight spot. I ran into a huge tree with my FEL last night turning around out in the middle of nowhere - WHAM! Stopped me dead in my tracks.

I enjoy the posts and the enthusiasm! If you are ever looking for a theme song, check out Craig Morgan's "International Harvester." Always gets me at the intro with the sound of a big diesel revving up!

 

[r1-er]

I got my sprayer mounted and wired last night. Since the turn signals are pretty much useless and one of them was broken, I used the left turn signal portion of the switch as the power switch for the pump. Works pretty well. With the 40 gal tank full though, my front wheels are clawing for traction. I guess I need to find more weight to put on the front or I need to add a wheel on the carryall. You have any idea how much weight you have on the front of your tractor?

Seems like you have a pretty deep infatuation ...you sleeping with your tractor yet?

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Seems like you have a pretty deep infatuation ...you sleeping with your tractor yet?

I was considering sleeping in the barn the first night that I got it... LOL just kidding .

I'm not sure how much weight is on the front of my tractor. The previous owner bolted an ammo box on the front of the tractor and filled it with lead weights. Knowing that I have not exactly wanted to open it... lol.

So far my tractor has done pretty good with weight on the back, the front end will get light, but not uncomfortably light, I just have to take off slowly so I don't do a wheelie .

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Today I had a lot of time on my tractor. I continued to work with my bush hog to clear out the area of land that I am trying to reclaim.

I also fixed my foot throttle, and man, when you are driving around to get somewhere, it sure does come in handy!

I also surpassed all levels of redneck today when I decided to get some fuel for my tractor... I figured it probably needed some fuel since I had been using it a lot over the past week. I thought about putting my diesel cans in the back of my truck and driving to get fuel, but with a station right down the street I would be running my truck for literally 30 seconds, shutting it off, starting it back up, and driving 30 seconds back to my place. I don't like doing that with my truck, especially since it would not be up to operating temps, though I feel that way about almost any motor. Anyway... I drove my tractor down to the corner station to put some diesel fuel in it... I got there, got a few interesting looks, and started to fill up my tractor.

And to my surprise I pumped for about 15 seconds, having to stop to let the foam settle down... and then I noticed it was full!!! Wow, this thing just SIPS fuel! I put exactly $1.78 of fuel into my tractor, and I have been using it for at least an half an hour almost every afternoon over the past week. I still can't believe it, my 20HP B&S riding mower will use so much more gas than my tractor uses diesel.

Speaking of the riding mower... I think I need to fix the belt! I was trying to figure out what was wrong, but i couldn't see well, so I pushed it up on the ramps and then lifted the front end up with my Yanmar. It lifted it like nothing was there. I did -NOT- get under the riding mower by any means, I just simply wanted to raise it up so that I could have an easier look at what was going on. I guess fixing that will be a project for another day...

On to the pictures!:

 

[jbrumberg]

dieselfuelonly:

Sooner or later you are going to have to remove your signature ! You are doing everything without major incident . I wish I could have said that about my own learning curve . Keep doing what you are doing and keep the posts coming- Jay