Getting creative...

[Humdinger]

What are some things a person new to smaller tractors might not even think about being able to do? Some things beyond the obvious stuff?

 

[kebo]

I used a JD 750 to nudge an 8x12 utility building (full of the usual stuff) about 15 inches or so. We were selling the house & lot the building was set on and I wasn't exactly sure where the property line ran behind the utility building. I was afraid the back edge of the building might be over the property line a few inches so I decided to move it forward a little bit so there would be no issues with a survey at closing. The back property line was just a wooded lot, but the treeline was not real well defined.

I drilled some holes in the skids underneath the front of the building, and then ran a cable through the two skids and attached it to the tractor's drawbar. It wouldn't pull it outright with power, but with a short running start I found I could nudge it a couple inches at a time using the inertia from the weight of the tractor, which was all I needed. How much do you suppose an 8x12 utility building (full of the usual stuff we put in them) with a shingle roof and masonite siding would weigh????? Probably more than the tractor did!

I am sure others will have other unusal uses for small tractors. I guess your imagination is the limit!

 

[sailorman]

I never imagined I could sit in my tractor seat as if it were an easy chair, enjoying a beer, while gazing into the woods, imagining all the jobs I could do, never starting the engine or moving an inch . I have since done this successfully many times. I 've heard tell many TBN members actually sit on their seats in their tractor house and watch TV. You don 't have to move it to use it. I tell my wife unit I 'm plannin' .

 

[boggen]

what size bigger tractor will be needed to pull yourself out of a mud hole:ashamed::laughing:

pulling out some bushes.

finding out ya need more tractor weight and/or HP. due to ya stuck at baby crawl speed.

pulling out other vehicles (cars, trucks with 4x4 on them) and tractor just keeps on going like there is nothing behind it, and not a foot deep into the mud.

finding out ya hooked way to high on the back, and end up doing a wheely to a point of rolling tractor over almost.

finding ways of not using a shovel. even though it makes a bigger mess :laughing::thumbsup:

finding out how tall of weeds you can cut, then realizing, ya spending an hour under the deck with screw driver, and utilty knife as you dig stuff out of the finishing mower.

wondering were the "O'poo" bars are, like a car or truck has, as ya go full throttle down a bumpy road / hill or bumpy part of the yard. and only way of holding on, is by how tight your butt checks pucker up to the seat.

finding out, that i can dig deeper much quicker than i realize, when i see a water line pulled up out of the ground, or the 220 electrical out to one of the sheds hanging and wrapped around the bucket. or the cable / telephone cable got cut clean off from that last dig of dirt. and i never knew i hit it, till i was done for the day and it was to dark to see without flashlight.

 

[texasjohn]

drive T post with FEL.

 

[hizoot]

moving my Texas Smoker (made in Uvalde) around periodically....thing weighs close to 600 lbs....

 

[crash325]

Raising a flag pole or letting it down.

Lesson #1 No matter how tight you screw an aluminum pipe into steel, its going to loosen.

With one high wind just past and one on the way, It was time to fix the pole. And with my usual skill, I turned a simple 2 hour job into 6 hours of frustration. Also learned new ways to screw up. :thumbsup:

 

[Humdinger]

Wow...never thought about moving a building! No buildings for me to move, though. Lots of good ideas, thanks. Always looking for more.:thumbsup:

 

[TripleR]

They actually make a fairly decent ATV though a bit slow. You can go through stuff an ATV would hang up on. Plus with a FEL you can push any obstacles out of the way you would have to find a way around on an ATV.

As mentioned, they do make a pretty good seat to relax on and watch wildlife since tractors don't seem to bother them.

My wife uses "her" BX2660 to move potted plants around and to dump old soil out.

They also make a pretty good rifle rest.

 

[Humdinger]

Sounds like the motorized wildlife viewing platform is a pretty popular use!

 

[Baby Grand]

snip> I used a JD 750 to nudge an 8x12 utility building (full of the usual stuff) about 15 inches or so. <snip

Funny. First time I was really close to a tractor was as a teenager. I was staying on a farm and building a log sugar shack in Five Islands, Nova Scotia, for the land owner. His wife was starting a side business selling rocks and minerals. Albert built an addition to the house at a good remove from the rest of the house. After framing and sheathing it, he cut out openings for a door and windows with a chainsaw, wrapped a chain around it, lifted it with his tractor and pushed it against the exterior of the house. Having secured it thusly, he built footings under it, then nailed it to the house.
-Jim

 

[Runner]

You can relocate road kill without getting your hands stinky.

You can also take a few friends for rides.

You can move a big piece of steel for your welding table top.

You can raise the front of your boat trailer to get the water to drain out of the bilge.

 

[beppington]

My boat was sitting on its trailer with about 2" of the bottom hanging over the rear end of the trailer's running boards, which I think isn't too good for the boat, so I adjusted the winch boom forward ~2" ... & had my dad use the tractor to push/ slide the boat forward 2" to the winch. The boat is a 23', 4,200 lb (dry!) fiberglass bow rider with a big ol' Mercruiser 496

Tractors are tall! I made a home-made plywood sun-shade that I made strong enough to stand on. The sun-shade's height (~98"), combined with my own height (6'), plus my Stihl pole saw (extends up to 11') allows me to stand on the tractor's roof & cut tree limbs as high as about 22' above ground. (Gotta make sure they aren't gonna land on ME or the TRACTOR!)

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I never imagined I could sit in my tractor seat as if it were an easy chair, enjoying a beer, while gazing into the woods, imagining all the jobs I could do, never starting the engine or moving an inch . I have since done this successfully many times. I 've heard tell many TBN members actually sit on their seats in their tractor house and watch TV. You don 't have to move it to use it. I tell my wife unit I 'm plannin' .

I used to do that in my 22' walkaround boat. All the time. I found it easy to imagine navigating the coast of Maine.:thumbsup:

 

[Humdinger]

We have a pretty long driveway...does getting the mail count as acceptable tractor time??

 

[sailorman]

I used to do that in my 22' walkaround boat. All the time. I found it easy to imagine navigating the coast of Maine.:thumbsup:

Aye, aye on that mate !! Spent many a day harbor side on sailboats navigating the Pacific and tropics.

 

[sailorman]

We have a pretty long driveway...does getting the mail count as acceptable tractor time??

Sure is as long as ya call it a by the way job . " By the way, while I was working with the tractor I checked the mail ." The first part doesn 't exactly have to be true .

 

[buck12]

I am sure the safety police will respond. I can reach limbs I never thought possible with the FEL and a pole saw

 

[Pooh_Bear]

I may not can add to the list of things you can do with your tractor
but I can sure tell you from personal experience a whole bunch
of things you can't (or even shouldn't) do with one. :laughing:

Steering brakes are for getting you out of trouble, not into it.
(same goes for 4 wheel drive)

Pooh Bear

 

[jen123]

well i never imagined of drifting with a tractor....anyone here had tried what i am thinking of and if you did please tell me how was you experience~~~cheers~~