The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

Well I got the leak (or should I say flood) source resolved. Previous owner cut a perfectly good steel transmission return line and replaced it with hydraulic hose. Clamp worked loose and bango! Big leak.

24* this morning (T-shirt weather).
I had a tech meet me at tractor cause I had no idea what I was in for and they brought the trans fluid to me via their on-board reservoir, so a bit cheaper.
I was loading bales by 12.

Tomorrow I have to cut a steep field with it, then deliver a “cube” of feed hay. Thanks for all the well wishes & support.

Really a breathren of people here who understand what farming and other impossible work is all about.

 

[japody]

Well I got the leak (or should I say flood) source resolved. Previous owner cut a perfectly good steel transmission return line and replaced it with hydraulic hose. Clamp worked loos and bango! Big leak.

24* this morning (T-shirt weather).
I had a tech meet me at tractor cause I had no idea what I was in for and they brought the trans fluid to me via their on-board reservoir, so a bit cheaper.
I was loading bales by 12.

Tomorrow I have to cut a steep field with it, then deliver a “cube” of feed hay. Thanks for all the well wishes & support.

Really a breathren of people here who understand what farming and other impossible work is all about.

Happy belated birthday! How's the foot?

 

[wmonroe]

Days like that are the worse, seems like everything you touch breaks. Happy late birthday and hope the foot is feeling better.

 

[Hay Dude]

Happy belated birthday! How's the foot?

Better. Aleve works well.

Days like that are the worse, seems like everything you touch breaks. Happy late birthday and hope the foot is feeling better.

It was exactly like that. Was a day from he-ll

 

[bearthebruce]

@Hay Dude - appreciate you sharing the details. Really enjoy reading your thread.

I live in Montgomery County - but do my tractoring in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest VA. Sorry you had such a bad day on your birthday.

Hope the foot heals soon. Sounds like you are not going to let it stop you from gittin' er dun..

Working through adversity is also my mantra. Keeping all our machines running and doing is a chore.. I travel to Virginny one week a month to keep improving the property. Winter months, I usually am not there. I'll get back at in early March - when I can see things and the ground is still frozen. April can be trip owing to mud so I don't go into the low ends of the fields.

We don't hay as we have need for the hay. One neighbor does and we may be turning our fields over to him so he can add more hay for his 100 head of cattle. But if we do that, then I am going to be sad owing to the fact I will not be riding Missy Ferg all those hours mowing. She and I will have to find a new way to have dates out on the land!

Again, keep sharing. I enjoy your stories. And no, I don't enjoy the days that set you back or cause you pain! Still, I like that you let us know what it is really like to operate your business.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

The electrical plug is for turn signals, 4 ways and lights. The “garden hose” lol one next to it is for the hydraulic brakes on the baler.

Thank you, Hay Dude, for sharing. I agree with others who tell you that there are things in your pictures that we never new existed.

When you say hydraulic brakes on the baler, to you mean wrapping net brakes, or wheel brakes?

 

[Hay Dude]

Thank you, Hay Dude, for sharing. I agree with others who tell you that there are things in your pictures that we never new existed.

When you say hydraulic brakes on the baler, to you mean wrapping net brakes, or wheel brakes?

I mean brakes on the axles. No net wrap on a large square baler, just 6 strings.
Bigger balers have hydraulic braked axles, which are activated by my tractor’s brake pedal. Very similar to a truck.
My aft rear axle also steers to increase maneuverability. You can also lock it so it won’t walk when baling across a hill.

 

[Hay Dude]

@Hay Dude - appreciate you sharing the details. Really enjoy reading your thread.

I live in Montgomery County - but do my tractoring in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest VA. Sorry you had such a bad day on your birthday.

Hope the foot heals soon. Sounds like you are not going to let it stop you from gittin' er dun..

Working through adversity is also my mantra. Keeping all our machines running and doing is a chore.. I travel to Virginny one week a month to keep improving the property. Winter months, I usually am not there. I'll get back at in early March - when I can see things and the ground is still frozen. April can be trip owing to mud so I don't go into the low ends of the fields.

We don't hay as we have need for the hay. One neighbor does and we may be turning our fields over to him so he can add more hay for his 100 head of cattle. But if we do that, then I am going to be sad owing to the fact I will not be riding Missy Ferg all those hours mowing. She and I will have to find a new way to have dates out on the land!

Again, keep sharing. I enjoy your stories. And no, I don't enjoy the days that set you back or cause you pain! Still, I like that you let us know what it is really like to operate your business.

Thanks for those thoughtful words, from all of you. I am on the mend. I can walk ok again. I can’t believe my foot survived that one. I was sure it was broke.
Share some pics of your land in Virginia.
Virginia is beautiful, as is West Virginia.

 

[Hay Dude]

Today was a fairly normal day…..at first. It started off getting the Challenger hooked up to the CX-15 to mow about 10 acres for a ~10 acre property that is very steep. I thought that would be my only one challenge of the day-don’t roll over. But that wasn’t the only challenge I faced.

While mowing, I noticed a large, dark mass laying in the field. As I approached closer, it appeared to be a large, dead animal. I throttled down and climbed out of the cab. Sure enough, it was a large dead dog. Still had a collar on it. Looked to be dead only a short period of time, maybe 1-2 days?

I texted my customer from the tractor cab. Told them what I saw. Then I heard silence. It was their dog. It had been missing for weeks, but must have returned and more recently died on their property.

Here they are mourning the loss of their dog, laying in the grass just to the left of them, between them and where the branch is sticking up. Felt terrible for them.

I was able to finish their field and went back to the shop, feeling sorry for their loss. Snapped a quick photo of their house & property I mowed. It’s the one with the mowing across the hill, not the one in the foreground.

About 12:30 I disconnected the CX-15 and delivered a hay cube to one of my horse hay customers. Here they are chowing down on one of my yummy feed hay bales. She’s been buying hay from me for at least 10 years.

See a couple Osage Oranges laying on the ground?

Heading home, I passed through a local intersection I drive through very often.
Here’s a “dog missing” sign. It was their dog. They must have really loved it.

 

[Molalla1]

Wow, what a day HD! Yes, you have to feel sorry for the dog owners . . .