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Sorry, no pics but I just saw what I think is the longest train I have ever seen. It was parked so I noted the start and end locations then scaled from Google Maps. 3 head units and 2 DPU for ~2.5 miles total length! For those in the area, it stretched along US33 from Oxbow crossing SE to...

I live not far from there and that's what was reported on the local news. Weather and roads in the area were a mess that day with accidents all over the place.

Sitting by my local grocery store (blocking a crossing). I’ve never seen one of these. Is it simply a calibrated weight?

SS Badger is back in Ludington!

A little oops in Michigan Saturday. High winds brought some power lines down and a train found them!

Hey, speaking of South Shore, and getting this back on track... Are they still talking about a re-route and/or station location change in South Bend? Plus the double track. Plus the west lake corridor extension. A lot going on!

Sorta related and proud parent brag buried within: Our younger son graduated from UofM (Go Blue) in the spring. Finally landed a good job. He'll be relocating to Dallas and is immediately disappointed in the public transportation options. He's a car guy (we just finished watching the F1 race)...

Cool video of the Badger being towed into Sturgeon Bay where she is now being worked on in drydock.

Good stuff, thanks Moss! Yeah, I think the reason I brought this up is that I made spaghetti sauce last night with Red Gold tomatoes and sauce.

Yep, that's a tomato truck! Interesting that they use a dolly to pull the road trailer right through the field with a big, articulated tractor. Harvester loads directly into the road trailer. Sure makes for messy roads in the area, and they even have signs indicating such!

I have a question of curiosity about tomatoes, and this likely applies to many other seasonal crops. Not far from me are a lot of tomato fields (SW MI). A few weeks back, I was driving by and saw the harvesting. Interesting process, I should have taken a couple of photos. Bottom line, the...

This is one of the more ridiculous ones that I have seen lately... https://unofficialnetworks.com/2021/09/15/beater-buick-towing-portland/

I watched that series as well. Fascinating. And in spite of the classified stuff, I was surprised at how much they did show. Very well done series.

The Badger is in dry dock! Plenty of pictures on the book of faces, here's a link to an article: Badger heading to dry-dock Wednesday.

We buy a lot of steel from them, I've toured their mill a couple of times. Pretty cool place. 2 electric melt furnaces. The scale of the facility is hard to comprehend.

It really boils down to simple $ & ¢. Modern railroads are most cost effective when transporting large amounts of goods over long distances. Trucks fill the gaps at either end of those long distances and for shorter transport routes.

Cool tunnel, part of a trail now?

SS Badger to head to drydock next month for inspection, new paint job

"Mulch is light, just drop it right in!"

There is a high speed ferry operating between Milwaukee and Muskegon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Express

It's in Muskegon.

Northern Michigan and especially the UP are quite different than the Henry Ford part of the state! All good, but VERY different.

I think he meant Cass Scenic Railroad in WV. They have quite a collection of operational (steam) Shay locomotives used for tourist excursions. On my list to visit someday. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park - West Virginia State Parks

There will be a Shay relocated to Harbor Springs: HARBOR SPRINGS, Mich. — An important piece of American steam locomotive logging history is being relocated from its display site of more than 50 years in Texas to an appropriate place in Michigan. In the town of Harbor Springs, a Shay...

Yeah, good pizza!

Well, as long as I've broken the seal on posting other people's pics, here's a cool video of the entire CSX OCS consist (credit to Mark Parren):

I've seen it called several things now. P001 (must be the train designation), OCS (Office Car Special), lead loco is number CSX1 and one poster claimed it has CSX executives on board to inspect operations. Most of the cars are vintage passenger cars. Apparently, it started in Chicago and will...

My fb feed has been full of pics of the CSX Business Train rolling through Michigan lately. Lead locos are painted in retro B&O colors. I don't have any of my own pics to share but a search should find some easily. Pretty cool!

Yeah, but they're double acting so it's more like an 8 cylinder :p

33 & Bashor? I was just at that Martins this morning.

Yes, very interesting stuff. Thanks @ArlyA

On the collision: It's not clear from the video but does the ship stop afterwards? Are they even aware of the collision? Are they required to stop? Logistics of an emergency stop must be complicated. Is there an investigation? Just curious...

Yeah, the E & W goes right through where I used to work in Elkhart. I'd cross the tracks between the parking lot and the building. Always interesting watching the trains there.

I was stopped at the local tracks so I counted: 3 lead power units, 110 cars, 1 DPU, 61 cars. Pretty common through here, I guess I didn't realize how many cars these guys were moving in a single train. Impressive!

I had my 790 for 15+ years and admit to my share of gear grinding. No issues, and ran/operated perfectly well when we sold the place. I don't remember how many hours on the tractor.

Do all of the wheels on the 4 axle truck have flanges? I recall an HO model ages ago that only had flanges on the front/rear axles to let it deal with the tighter curves. Maybe not a big deal on full scale as the curves aren't as tight as a model railroad. Agree with Moss, love this stuff!

;)

Katy trail by bike is on my list...

I had a similar issue with that type of yoke. It was on a very old mower and the button/shaft had gotten bent. It then got jammed on my PTO output shaft. I ended up using a grinder to cut away a good chunk of the yoke to free it. Then went with a whole new PTO shaft, which I probably should have...

There was a write-up some years back on the logistics of running a steam engine across country in modern times. It was factual, but written with humor. The thing I remember the most is the water supply given that there aren't water towers along the tracks like there used to be. Their comment was...

Looks like the Becker Rudder is used with a non-pivoting prop: Becker Flap Rudder - Becker Marine Systems

Surely it has bow thrusters???

Bring it!!!

Sorta related... I find it fascinating to consider how early railroads, canals, and even roads were built without power equipment of any sort. There is a county park near me (for @MossRoad it's Baintertown) which consists of a series of low dams, canals, long abandon powerplants etc. I've tried...

Yep, that photo is something I see every day. Keep those ore ships moving!

Yeah, I think overall demand is up. Prices are up as well.

First generation International Scout, stock!

I'm in the RV industry and we can't get enough steel!

Hey, at least his anchor isn't dragging!

Answering my own question for everyone else: Saint Lawrence Seaway

I am familiar with the locks in the Welland Canal, are there locks in the St. Lawrence between Lake Ontario and the ocean?

Interesting. 50C is much warmer than I would have thought! Is the entire fuel tank kept warm or only the fuel on its way to the engine? How much fuel does one of these ships carry?

Interesting. And I suppose the heater runs on the same fuel? I feel like there is a perpetual motion machine in there somewhere :unsure:

Hog roaster?

One part of our downsizing last year was getting rid of the pick-em-up truck. Ever since, I've been on a mission to justify life without it. We're finishing the basement in the new house. I rented the Menards truck for the lumber and hired out the drywall. I can carry 10 foot drain pipe inside...

Saw a red fox on my way to work this morning so definitely a good morning!

Good Christmas morning everyone!

Hey, I may not own a John Deere any longer but I still enjoy being around them: (safety police comments not necessary)

The kraut I made the other night from the recipe a few posts up. It's very mellow.

I'm tractorless at home now but a new fleet at work will give me plenty of seat time if I need. First 7 of 21 total have arrived!

It's been a journey! My wife and I both grew up on rural property, but not farms. In 1999 we purchased 10 acres and built a home where we have raised our 2 boys. Of course, part of my justification for the property was the need for a tractor! Much time has passed, oldest son is putting his...

It’s an obsession! I’ve found my second favorite childhood toy. It’s a BuddyL Country Squire station Wagon and TeePee camper. Sure was fun as a kid! Circa 1963?

I like to take the loader off when I do a lot of brush-hogging. It doesn’t bounce as much and just kind of looks cool!

I MAY have a minor a scout addiction...

Hands down, the Tru-Scale Scout was my favorite. My parents had a Scout and I’m sure I begged them non-stop for the toy. I ran it into the ground and found this one on eBay more recently. It was a well designed toy with a lot of functionality and well made too. What was your favorite?

Finally put out driveway markers and Snowfence today. The old 790 keeps on ticking!

Had a tasting last night, very good stuff!

A friend of mine made this drone video of flooding on the St. Joseph River in Downtown Niles, MI. We are safely above this level, about 5 miles away. The railroad is Amtrak and the small white roof building surrounded by water is a pizza pub where my wife and I ate just a couple of weeks ago...

A friend sent me this:

Saw a post recently for a Porsche tractor and was reminded of this ad: Best Porsche Advertisement Ever - YouTube

F250 4X4 Crew Cab sits most of the time, my commuter is a first gen Scion xb. I made the same observation years ago, most of my trips are just me. No need for anything big. I also commute by bicycle but not as often as I'd like:

Evidence:

Sorry for the delay, apparently my tractor has 4 bolts on the front supports per the photo:

Nothing says springtime like a new PTO shaft! A couple of years back my light duty Deere 513 cutter lost the lower seal and all the gear oil. That resulted in a rather catastrophic gearbox explosion! A new box was pretty pricey and the rest of that mower was pretty beat up anyway being...

We had a good start before Christmas, decent snow cover and plenty of recreation :D Since then though, it's been more warm/wet. Hoping for some fun snow again before winter ends...

Found this review of Lock 'n Lube for grease guns. Looks pretty slick, anyone try them? Lock N Lube! - YouTube Pretty fun youtube channel as well...

My FEL hydraulic connector dust caps all seemed to dry rot at the same time so I picked up this set of color coded replacements. Pretty snazzy, eh?

Hey all, I'm working with my son on his Eagle Scout project. Replacing benches and need 27 holes dug! Borrowed the neighbors PHD and have had some limited success thus far. For our next work-day, I want to improve our accuracy so we have less "tuning" to do by hand. Any experts with tips? I...

FINALLY, got our fiber connection. 15 minutes later I was on the phone with HughesNet to discontinue their service. Night/day difference: Satellite is a good option if there are no other choices...

I have an app on my phone to record my bike rides. Just for grins, I used it the other day for brush-hogging our prairie. Here's what I got: Looks like I missed a couple of spots but I didn't. As others have said, the accuracy isn't the best. I also have a Garmin computer that I use on...

There's no one way, nor best way to maintain your gravel driveway so maybe we can all share our methods here. I just finished my spring driveway work. Over the years, I've developed a method that works pretty well for me. I have about 750 feet of crushed concrete drive. It's not built...

ZEBCO 202! (not my photo)

My 17 year old son had a snow day from school yesterday and while I was at work he plowed the drive. Best time I've had with the tractor lately! No photos or anything, just a proud dad moment...

Gotta be some modelers out there and I'll bet there's a tractor or two in some of these scenes... https://www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/miniatur-wunderland/#sections

43F when I left the house. Under-dressed a bit on my bicycle as it's supposed to be 59F later today! A far cry from all the snow we had at this same time last year. Just for kicks, a shot from two weeks ago where we did have some snow...

Spent the better part of Saturday getting the place ready for winter. I put in this snow fence using a regular t-post pounder. Using that concept, I made a pounder for my son to use on the driveway markers. 1/2" iron pipe with a cap. Easy-peasy though he did get to harass me as I bought a 4...

Success! I went with the Channellock 929 as a mid-priced option. Couldn't justify the Proto's for as little as I'll use them. I rebuilt one stabilizer and both swing cylinders on my backhoe and they are now leak free. Messy, dirty job but nice to have it done. The pliers were a bit clunky...

Action shot of yours truly at a cyclocross race Sunday. I like how the photog made me look like I'm at the front!

I need to rebuild a couple of cylinders. Years ago I used a snap ring tool that locked which made things much easier. Anyone have recommendations for a good, locking snap ring tool?

Good morning all! 55 degrees F as I left for work on my bicycle. Today marks my "CYA" goal achievement. Commute Your Age, and today I have ridden to work the same number of times as I am years old. I won't disclose but I calculated 2464 km this year in commuter distance (1530 miles).

My winter ride: One of several summer rides: And for everything in between: Rubber side down!

Good morning all. We're having one of those typical midwestern mornings where my glasses fogged up when I got out of my car at work this morning. Can you say humidity???

I have that same problem, we must share weather patterns! How far is your commute?

Hey all, I've wanted a set of torches for years and finally have a project to justify. I need to replace the rear spring hangar brackets on my truck so I want to be able to burn the old ones off with a hot-wrench. Other than that, it'll pretty much be light homeowner stuff including brazing...

So we got a freebie MTD with no forward and I told my younger son that if we (mostly he) fixed it, he could pocket the proceeds. It has a transaxle but only forward/reverse inside. Speed variation is by a variable pulley system outside the transaxle. We got it to move forward by holding the...

Good morning all! 33 this morning but the promise of a beautiful 53 degree afternoon forced me to ride my bike to work. Almost qualifies as a tractor with these tires...

Why is the only snow in the entire region on my driveway???

One of my camera club topics for this month is "Automobilia", so I put together this collection of shots to enter. Thought the gear heads out there may be interested. All taken at either the Auburn-Cord-Deusenberg Museum in Auburn, IN or the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI.

So, how bad is the starter R&R in a '97 F250HD 4X4 w/ stick? Was at scout camp all week and it just clicked. Thought it was battery, but jump didn't help. Friendly tap on the starter by a friendly scouter worked. Same story in my driveway. Looks pretty straightforward, just looking for...

OK, TOTALLY unrelated to tractors but I know there are a lot of knowledgeable people out there... I just got a BlackBerry phone. I have Outlook and email through Go-Daddy (email is running OK on the phone). I want my Outlook calendar/tasks/notes/contacts in my BlackBerry. Can anyone point me...

My son grabbed this shot on our way to a campout this weekend. A bit of backstory... Cass County, Michigan is a big hog production area. Lots of grain too, corn and soybean. The two go together nicely as the grains feed the hogs and, well the hogs feed the grains. This monster machine...

Need to check something under the hood? Don't bother opening it, just use your x-ray vision. OK, poorly executed but at least I know how to do this now. I've seen some cool car shots where the hood appears semi-transparent so I tried it on my mighty 790 today. Now that I know it works...

We haven't had a self-portrait thread in a while. Some of you know I like to play with the camera as much as I do the tractor. I set this up for a camera club topic "footwear". So, here's my contribution. Feel free to add your own traditional, or non-traditional self-portrait. And yes...

I heard of this fella hanging out in the area so I grabbed the camera and took off in a snowstorm this morning. I was pretty excited to find him. Enjoy...

I'm sure we all have our weird weather, ours happens this time of year. We're in the Lake Effect Snow belt, areas on the leeward side of the great lakes. As long as the lakes aren't frozen, the air picks up moisture and dumps it as snow. This creates a couple of unique situations: We can...

OK, it's not a tractor, but it's made of iron and makes a lot of noise! My son and I drove to Owasso, MI today to see the Polar Express. It's actually the Pere Marquette #1225 but it was the prototype for the animation in the movie. The weather was brutal but we had a fun day.

My mother calls it an "Oak Moon". Apparently, it's as large as it gets in recent times. I was too late with the camera to catch some foreground branches with it.

I need to put a new power window regulator in our Durango. Did a quick Google and got tons of hits, many comparing their price to the dealer price for the item. Of course, theirs was MUCH cheaper. Can anyone recommend a reputable on-line source? Thanks!

Nice shots! I know nothing of Bulgaria and if you hadn't have said it, I could have guessed midwestern USA. Pretty countryside!

So I went out on a photo-expedition today in search of a reported Snowy Owl. Good news is that I think I did spot the bird but it was too far away for any photos and it flew out of stalking range before I had a chance. Perhaps another time for that. To make the best of a crummy day here in SW...

Took my tractor and my 14 year old son to Scout Camp today for a work day. I'll apologize ahead of time for no pics but I was workin'! I did take a couple of documentary pics of some underground stuff and if there is anything worthy in there I'll throw it up here. Anyway, we had a great day...

Well, after another 15 gallons of roundup along the driveway I'm tired of the weeds. My sister mentioned that they use rock salt to prevent the weeds from growing. Anyone else do that? Other weed prevention methods for a gravel driveway?

I shot these the other weekend and wasn't too happy with the image quality. They were pretty far away and it was early so I was at a high ISO. Seeing Eddie Walkers hogs though, I decided I should contribute. My most recent visitors...

I know there are some truckers on here, maybe someone can answer my curiosities... I've been a fan of trucks and trucking since I was a kid. I was a big time carpet trucker and built my share of plastic model kits of the big rigs. Back then I knew the difference between a cabover and a...

We visited the Monon Connection Museum in Monon, IN the other day. Neat place, out in the middle of nowhere. Mostly train stuff, with a very impressive collection of memoribilia inside and several old train cars outside. Had a couple of flatbeds with tractor loads. First pic is a Farmall...

Just got back from a graduation party at a buds house. He's a diesel mechanic and we got to talking about additives. I currently use Power Service but he says that stuff is bad and their 911 is worse. All they use is Stanadyne. He says this is a much bigger issue with biodiesel as it forms...

Was canoeing with the Boy Scouts last week in Michigan's Upper Penninsula. Here are a few pics I got of Bald Eagles, one of my goals for the week: This was an immature: One more.. Not an Eagle, but a visitor at our gas stop: Hope you enjoy. It's not exactly tractor related, but...

Thought I'd post this as a "watch out for" sort of thing... Took our fifth wheel camper out a couple weekends ago and noticed it listing a bit in my rear view mirror. We only went to our local state park, not a long trip. Got backed in and noticed the two tires on the right side were rubbing...

Maybe slightly off topic, but I know there are a lot of us on this board with trailers. Here's my situation: I have a car-hauler trailer that I have only used for my tractor. It's 18', 16' flat w/ 2' dovetail. 5' ramps. Again, I have used this many times to haul my tractor, so I am plenty...

I always enjoy when company stops over. We had a couple of visitors this evening. Unfortunately, they didn't stay long. Seemed a bit timid around my camera. Maybe I need to offer some appetizers next time? I assume these are either hens or juveniles, does anyone know?

Anyone feel it? Apparently I was driving at the time but several people at work (South Bend, Indiana) felt it and my sister in central Illinois had things knocked off her tables at home.

My trusty truck is in need of a water pump. Shouldn't be a biggie, though some friends suggest it is. In my younger days, I had a Chilton's book for every vintage of vehicle I owned and they were pretty decent. I just read some reviews on Amazon and all the books (Chiltons, Motor, Haynes)...

This guy has been hanging around lately, with a broken leg.

The First Signs of Spring 2008 thread got me thinking. Which do you prefer, mowing or plowing? I much prefer plowing. Mowing is more monotonous for me, the same every time. And it seems to never end. Plowing seems different every time due to the differences in snowfall. Also seems to have...

A couple of pics I took Sunday morning wandering around Shipshewana, IN:

I finally picked up a portable generator for back up power at the house. I'm now trying to scope out the work to install a transfer switch to decide if I do it myself or hire it. I find plenty of simple diagrams that show how the transfer switch switches between the generator, off and grid power...

I need some help understanding the electicals on a sewage pump. I happened upon a used one from a friend and it should work as a replacement for my sump pump in the basement for the bathroom that I have added. He had used this pump for an outdoor water garden and didn't use the switch. I...

Sorry, no pics but I just glanced out my window at work and saw an entire trainload of Case_IH combines. Had to be 100 or more, all heading east. My guess is they're going to the East Coast shipyards to be sent overseas. A benefit of our low dollar?

Well, I'm finally sick of dial up at home. Like many on here I suppose, I have no cable or DSL on my street. What are my options for high speed and what can I expect to pay? Equipment needed and installation costs? DIY? Also, any pitfalls or "watch out fors"? We don't have satelite TV and...

My oldest son and I went for a photo walk this afternoon. He's working on Photography Merit Badge for Scouts. I knew there was some retired equipment in the woods adjacent to our property so I grabbed this shot of a well used Deere...

A buddy has a Toolcat and I finally had a chance to see it last night. What a machine!!! Full cab, heat, air, CD, comfy seats for two. Very nice. He just got a 90 inch finish mower on the front which is huge. We went for a short ride around his place. I can't justify having one by far, but...

Caught this guy roaming the field beside the house. Shot from my garage. I'm pretty sure it's a Red Fox though we do have plenty of Coyote in the area. Anyone know how to differentiate between them?

We vacationed in Door County, WI last week and hit this event by happenstance. Figured an hour or so but ended up spending the better part of a day there. They had restored tractors, operational equipment, hit/miss engines, food, beverage, petting animals and the largest antique tractor pull...

I'll assume that nearly everyone with a gravel/stone/dirt driveway has their own way of dealing with the inevitable weeds along-side. I had been using a backpack sprayer with a lever pump but finally upgraded to an electric pump model this spring. It's a Fimco 15 gallon rig and I couldn't be...

I've become somewhat envious of you guys with multiple tractors so I went out today and picked up a couple more 790s. Amazing how closely they match my original! And how nice it will be to not have to change implements any longer. I'll bet with a little Photoshop work, I can even get the dirt to...

I'm looking for some advice on a sprayer. Use is for Roundup along the gravel drive (750') and around the rest of the property. Mostly spot work, other than the edges of the drive. I currently have a three gallon backpack, hand pump model which I do not care for. It's clumsy and doesn't hold...

OK, no snow, no sun, muddy ground, cabin fever setting in... The seasonless and Idle Tractors thread got me thinking... How about "portraits" of our tractors? Hey, they are practically members of our family, right? Well, here's my effort. Anyone else?

This monster has been parked at a new grocery store near our house. It looks like a pretty sweet way to clear a parking lot. Not sure the model but I'm sure you Orange fans can figure it out. Enjoy!

This is a combination true-life story, safety message and question for the experts: We just got back from vacation pulling our fifth wheel camper (pretend this is about a flatbed hauling a tractor from now on). Had some issues but I have to start the story a bit earlier. It really starts in...

Unfortunately, the tractor is shown getting washed away by the floodwaters in Pennsylvania. The operator was rescued by the National Guard. Best wishes to all the TBNers facing flooding out east :)

Wife had a flat on the little tractor well away from the house. Big tractor comes to the rescue

Car and Driver's annual "One Lap of America" kicked off at the South Bend Tire Rack warehouse on Saturday. I took the boys over just for fun and got this pic of a nice Mini (that I'd love to own). To keep it tractor related, it did have a full ROPS

Had my first hose blowout yesterday, a pinhole leak on a bucket dump hose. What's my best bet on sourcing a replacement? I have at my disposal the following, all about the same convenience: JD Dealer TSC Rural King Hydraulics Shop Internet Pros/Cons of each? TIA

I'm mentally preparing to burn our pseudo-prairie. It's about four acres and is just beginning to show some woody growth which I want to discourage. My sister has a much more mature five acre prairie that they burn every year. I've got two main concerns: Naturally, I don't want the fire to...

A bit more progress in my workshop this weekend, I built a permanent home for my miter saw. Naturally, I took some pictures to share along the way. First pic is my old workstation

So the wife comes in from the outside and asks why there is a septic smell out there. I grab my trusty bent rod and go check. Sure enough, the outlet filter is clogged again but my trusty bent rod failed me and the danged filter now lies at the bottom of the tank. I presume this is not a...

Goodguy's post got me thinking... In a couple of weeks I hope to be finishing out the electical in my basement/shop. Naturally, there are several runs of receps. For light duty (15A) I've always hooked the line and load wires together through the recep and I think this is what I've seen in...

Here's one of my favorite things to do on a lazy winter evening

Here's what I do when the weather isn't conducive to tractoring... This is phase II of my basement finishing project. I started it last winter but stopped after hanging sheetrock. I had hoped to pay someone to do the finishing but I am finding myself getting ready to take it on. Here's what...

A friend of mine solicited my help in putting in a couple of basement windows. I had the backhoe and he just bought a very slick saw. Details on that to follow. Started at daybreak digging the window well

OK, got the new camera and now I have all these pictures to move around. We have two PCs at home but neither has a CD burner. I'm tempted to grab a Wally-World special at lunch today ($60) to get me up and running with the "kids" PC, then take more time to get something better (?) for the...

What\'s on Your Desk OK, this is mostly to test my new camera. Canon 350D. Thanks to Gatorboy for some insights along the way. The camera takes great pictures but I'm still working on the post processing. This is my first attempt at resizing enough for posting. And yes, it's tractor...

#2 son and I hit our new Rural King store yesterday. It's in a previous K-Mart in Niles, Michigan. In a word, it's huge! They used all the square footage of the K-Mart. Much bigger than the TSC down the street, which used to be a Quality Farm & Fleet. The building was pretty much...

A buddy just sold a ~1994 L2650 which he hadn't owned long. Said it was a shuttle shift. New owner claims the PTO doesn't disengage with the clutch. Can anyone describe the PTO/Clutch arrangement on this model? TIA

Hauled my tractor over to a buds last night to dig a hole for him. Turned out to be the biggest hole I've dug so far. Thought I'd share some observations and ask a couple questions. The hole is for a septic tank (he's putting a bathroom in his barn). 80" round (plus clearance) and six feet...

Four different versions of one that is. I had to go from mowing machine to digging machine today so here's some pics. Subject is my trusty little 790 and this first shot is the summer mowing setup. 513 Rotary Cutter and front weights. Pardon the dirt, I hope to have a chance to take care of...

Look, It\'s a Bird... It's a plane... it's two planes. A couple of A10s flew by yesterday while I was laying brick. Grabbed the camera just in time

This months issue of Compact Equipment (April 2005) shows a Yanmar compact backhoe loader model CBL40 to be available in the fall of 2005. Does this further suggest Yanmar will be selling their own branded CUTs soon?

We're finally going to have a garden this year but I don't want to spring for a tiller until I'm convinced we'll enjoy gardening. I called a rental outlet but no three point tillers available. Hmm, what to do. I know I can borrow a troy built rear tine, but it's pretty small and not...

Saw a Mahindra TV ad the other morning during AgDay. Showed a Mahindra up close, then some similar close ups of Orange and Green tractors. As the camera panned out you see the Mahindra lifting a Kubota on the rear and a Deere on the front. The Deere happened to be my own model 790

Does the Versatile name still exist? I saw a large ag tractor last night on my way home. Red with yellow accents and I swear it said Versatile on the top of the cab. It was conventional (not articulated), duals on the rear, large ag tires on the front with a cab and loader. Had a big snow...

Being something of a tool junkie, I'm not usually too keen on cheap tools. My normal motto is "I'd rather do without than buy something crummy". Tonight however, I have good news to report on the cheap tool front. I burned my brush pile yesterday. All went well but partway through the burn...

With winter and thoughts of snowplowing I'm reminded of a nuisance I built into our house. I had them put a smoke detector in the garage. It's not required by code but I've read that a high percentage of house fires start in the garage so it made sense. Trouble is, when I fire up the tractor...

Anyone else wake up to a white Thanksgiving? We had about four inches on the ground. Very wet but very pretty. I cleared off the concrete apron behind the garage with the FEL but didn't mess with the gravel drive. Kids built a snowman and a small fort. It's just enough to put me in the...

It\'s Thursday... ... so what's Gary gonna buy today?

Is there such a thing as winter diesel fuel? If so, how do I know if that's what's at the local BP station? When do they changeover? I just filled my tractor and emptied my yellow jug in doing so. I'm approaching the time of year when the tractor doesn't go through much fuel so what's in the...

I FINALLY used up my last old style propane tank tonight and switched to an OPD style tank. I know it's full as it weighs much more than the one I took off. Trouble is, it won't burn. It starts OK and burns fine for a minute then dies off. The regulator (same one that has worked fine for...

Finally going to get my tires filled with Rim Guard tomorrow (good rainy day project, eh?). Somewhere I remember seeing a chart that shows the volume of various tire sizes. Anyone have that bookmarked. I just checked the Firestone Ag site and it did not have volumes. Thanks

I've begun my final, major project for the summer. It will be a brick patio, raised with brick wall around. At the same time I'm building a brick circle wall in the center of our circle drive. This first picture is a quickie patio I did a couple of weekends ago, mostly for the kids. It's...

From "Who regrets their backhoe decision" thread... <font color="blue">I know with my backhoe it is not recommended that you move the tractor with it. </font> I do use my hoe to move my tractor but only rolling it along, not lifting to repostion side-to-side. I don't think it's too hard...

Where\'s Gary? Anyone heard from Gary in Indiana? He was always very active and informative but hasn't posted since early March

I plan on building a brick wall about 18 inches high. It will be a full circle, 24 feet in diameter. The center will be a landscape bed, maybe with a fountain in the future. Brickwork will be clay brick, mortared in. My question is how much footing/foundation will this require? I plan on pouring...

Was at my dealer yesterday getting supplies for 200 hour service and noticed a cab tractor in the yard. After checking out I walked over to have a look. Turned out to be a 790 with a full Curtis cab. Naturally, I had to give it the once over. Doors on each side with hard plastic glazing...

Ever since I put the power beyond on my 790 I have a noise. When I raise the tph it honks as it comes to a stop. No problem lowering implements, only raising. It's quiet during the lift only honks at the end of the stroke. Also doesn't matter if I raise a lot or a little. Perhaps the...

Finally... it's time for spring/summer project season to begin. This weekend I will start (and hopefully finish) a retaining wall to create a parking spot for our camper. It's only about two feet high, but 115 feet long I've got 22,000 pounds of landscape block and 3 yards of gravel waiting...

OK gang, what are your secrets for having bulk materials delivered. Things like topsoil, stone, gravel, sand etc. I'm going to need six yards of crushed stone for a retaining wall project. Too much for my pickup truck, not enough to justify my purchasing a dump truck (or even a dump trailer)...

I just saw the latest TSC ad and all the King Kutter stuff is on sale. Five foot tiller caught my eye at $999. Here's the flyer

I couldn't find the thread on the JD advertising but thanks to whoever posted that! (click on the Deere ad at the top of the Deere forums) I printed my free chair certificate and took my youngest son over to our dealer yesterday for a test drive. Well, it was too cold and snowy for a test...

My son and I were in and out of Sam's Club the other day and noticed a utility vehicle. Looked somewhat Kawasaki Mule-like with a dump bed, roll cage and split bench seat. I didn't get a brand name or many details and I think the price was either $2999 or $3999 (my son tends to offer a lot of...

Finally took some time yesterday to grade my gravel drive. I had been a bit apprehensive for fear of making matters worse. We had a couple of pot-holes developing, some whoop-de-doos and a bit of a center crown of loose material. My fear was that there wouldn't be enough material to work...

Where\'s JMIII The post asking for HP on a JD 4240 made me wonder where good ole John Miller has been lately. Usually he would have quickly spit out every stat available on such a request. His last post was 9/3/03. Anyone heard from him?

Visited an old friend this weekend and noticed he was still using the same Kubota tractor I had used nearly 25 years ago! It looked pretty bad, but still ran great. I couldn't even get the model number off the side as it was long gone. He said he lost the front driveshaft (splines wore) so he...

OK, I really had two days off this week. Tuesday I went to the Farm Progress Show. Most impressive but primarily larger ag stuff. Plenty of compacts and implements but my interests were in the big boys. Unfortunately, I failed to take a camera with me. Today though, I got a rare day off at...

This actually happened several years ago (when the truck was only about six months old ) I had rented a Bobcat to dig a foundation for a room addition at our old house. Got a backhoe attachment with it and all went well. A friend suggested extending the hoe all the way out then inching up...

This year's Farm Progress Show runs 9/23-9/25 in Henning IL. Anyone planning on attending? I'll be there one day, either Tuesday or Thursday. Would love to meet other TBNers if possible

I have a John Deere 513 rotary cutter which has been leaking oil from the output shaft for a while now. Time to replace. Has anyone done something similar? What's involved? The bolt holding the blade holder onto the shaft doesn't look too bad (not as big as I would have guessed). Is the...

In the August edition of Compact Equipment Magazine is a nice little half page highlight on the Power Trac including a picture of one with a rear mounted backhoe. Directly opposite is an ad for MultiTrac which looks very similar but with more "swoopy" bodywork. Later in the same issue is a...

Our \"Pets\" Not much of a picture until you study the dark objects in the middle. Those are our "pet" wild turkeys. They have been hanging around pretty consistently for the past several weeks. There are three of them but hard to tell in the picture. I need to get out my 35mm and get some...

Rented a lift to put some trim on the house last night. Here's my trusty little 790 getting it into position

CUT Thinks it\'s a Dozer I got a heck of a deal on some fill dirt so I got to take a break from the minibarn this evening and played a little. My son took this picture and that's yours truly working on a farmer-wanna-be tan. I had six loads of about 10 yards each dumped in an area we want to...

Started our mini-barn project last night. No where near the scale of Henro or Spencer but it will be a nice place to tuck away the lawn tractor, gardening tools and kids toys. Big barn for the "big" tractor, camper and such is still a couple of years away. Last night I scraped away the...

Here are some pictures of my weekend project. I put in five drywells to handle our gutter/downspout runoff. I had already buried the drains but left the ends above ground. This first shot shows my supplies for the project. I used Infiltrator chambers designed for septic. I know, it's...

Hoping rjp444us sees this... I plan on putting a retaining wall in to step down from our concrete driveway to a level spot for our camper. It should be pretty straightforward, about 50 feet in length tapering from zero to about 2 feet of height. I will use concrete retaining wall blocks (the...

All of the photos I post seem to be darker than what I upload from the camera. I resize using ACDsee to fit the TBN requirements. Is that making them darker? Can I adjust the brightness as I resize? Here's an example which was quite bright from the camera. The decals on the tractor were...

After several months of "negotiating", I finally brought home my #7 backhoe last night. It's been quite an experience which of course, I'll share... It all started when I got approval from the boss to get a hoe for my little 790. She knows how much I like backhoes. It will be a great tool...

Honda\'s Cog Ad This is just waaay too cool... Cog

Found this in my ongoing search for a #7 hoe. Looks to be in great shape, fits an 870, 970, 990, 1070

Just saw that I was on post 1999 which makes this 2000. Seems an appropriate moment for reflection... This community is unbelievable! Like others, I found TBN while researching tractors/property and such. Lurked, then began posting and finally registered on 6/26/00. Also bought property...

I only wish I could have found our digital camera to capture some of this… We had a beautiful weekend here in the midwest and I got plenty of tractor time out of it. It all started Saturday morning. Our builder had left us two truckloads of topsoil to finish off the lawn prep around the...

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a #7 backhoe for my 790 tractor. Got a quote from my dealer which was OK, but not what I would consider a super deal. So I'm calling around just to get some ammunition to go back to my dealer with and I find a "used" hoe at another dealer. Things start...