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Out of the blue, on Friday I got an interesting call. A current customer of mine that has me haying their property in our little town, has offered me 92 acres about 20 miles from me. It was row cropped up until 2023, but has been fallow since then. Owner unhappy with amount of chemical...

Thats what I was thinking. If I don’t have to give much, I figure what the heck, I’ll give it a shot and throw farm tags on it. I’m not hobby farming and cheating the system ;) it’ll be for real farm work hauling bales, IF I buy it lol Still looking, but I like the features, size, capacity...

You might do real well with a smaller bush hog. With real sharp blades, they can give an amazing cut on big lawns. The 10/12 foot models aren’t all that heavy, so as long as it’s dry, you won’t leave ruts. Then if you get a job that involves brush, you can tackle that, too. Just resharpen...

Why don’t you use some of your wife’s inheritance and hire out the mowing? Along with what you blow on hobby farming, it shouldn’t add too much to your annual play-farmer costs.

You cant go wrong with any of those brands. I’m a professional mowing contractor and also mow a large steep banks around ponds and zero turns can get into trouble there. Traction is limited when you combine a slope and dampness. Both can be present around ponds. Have you seen the Altoz mowers...

I wanted to make sure to avoid that altogether, although this truck has EGR (all do after 2004.5) I have the Ram with DEF/DPF and its been fine so far, but even earlier cooled EGR’s scare me, too.

Is anyone like “whatever happened with the coon”? 🤷‍♂️

That thing don’t look like it ever got used much.

Huh, ok. Looks like its got (or had) def/dpf?

I think 6x4 with floaters & full lockers is enough traction. If it ain’t, prolly dont belong there, right?

You overweight on your rear tractor axle?

Bout the last Last thing I’m worried about in a truck is “pretty”. Now if its a woman, sure, I want pretty. All I want is a truck that works and don’t cost a fortune. I think those rims will polish-up ;)

From Allison website: Power capacity: “3000 Series™ transmissions can accommodate engines with power ratings ranging from 210 to 450 horsepower (157-336 kW) and torque capacities up to 1,250 lb-ft (1,695 N·m). These transmissions can support a GVW of 98,100 lbs. (44,500 kg).” “The 4000...

“Pennsyltucky”

Up here in some parts of PA, it could be brushing tooth. :ROFLMAO: We got some folks west of here that think possum is “the other white meat”.

Freightliner took over Sterling parts. My local repair shop owner gave me a luke warm to warm thumbs up. I don’t think anyone realizes how little $20,000 buys in the big truck world these days.

Bigger heavier parts would make them heavier duty, too. I think the oil capacity on the 4000 is much greater. Also handles up to 800HP.

Interior

Almost all tandems have “tandem axle interlock”. That turns the truck from just the front axle of the tandems driving to both axles engaged, but they’re not locking side to side. This one has optional diff locks, too. So all rear wheels can be made to drive. It’s an “8 wheel drive” (all rear...

Just surface rust here & there. That truck looks almost rust free compared to a PA or NY truck. I could, but that’ll cost $1,000 and take me off my work for at least 2 days. I hate flying. I might have someone look it over, by I’m real limited on contacts in that neck of the woods.

At first, I thought it was a “wrap”, but the company that owned it previously painted all their deliver trucks camo. Yes, but owner did a face time video with me and I was satisfied. He drove it out over the road while videoing, too.

Front wheels are aluminum. Back wheels steel. Could replace outer rims. Would really like to put super singles on back axles if I can accumulate additional sheckles. That would give even more traction. I know there’s downside to SS, too. Yes, the door was damaged and they put one on from...

I have a 3000RDS in my International 7500. I was under the impression the 4000 series went behind larger displacement, higher torque diesels.

Shoot, Shovel, Shut pie hole.

Damn, Lou. Thats really nice.

My 2-year search for a hay truck might have finally ended. At the outset, I wanted a long tandem, 6x6, automatic. Budget was only $30,000, so as you can imagine, it greatly limited my choices. Looked all over the country and found many of them, but most were over $50,000. They would also need...

We had a great saw shop in my town, but same ol story. Owner got older, son didn’t want to continue the business and he closed up then passed away. Now it’s the Stihl delaer when I can’t fix.

I wish you were my neighbor.

Amazon Prime bay-bee!!!!

They’re becoming more sophisticated. Now they glue the seal down, so you have no idea.

Considerations for GN v. BP trailer: 1. How much stuff do you carry in the truck bed? The GN will take up about 1/3rd of it. 2. GN’s do not track directly behind the truck, like a BP does. So you need to consider the way your driveway or shop parking area and your customer’s entrances are...

Probably discovered your neighbor’s trash or chicken coop

Say whaaaaa????????

The rear U-joints on the Kubota ZD mowers are awful to access.

Warning-thread wander: Back in my teenage years, I worked for an excavator. Owner was a B-17 pilot in WW-2. He had a lot of pain from bombing German people. He’d buy 1/5 of vodka and drink it straight from the bottle like water and operated machinery competently all day. The war and the...

Not having AC in a cab tractor in the summer is considered a priority repair for farmers. I’ve lost AC a long time ago and I bet it was 110+ in the cab. Unhealthy and unsafe.

I like every 25. Deck bearings are expensive failures.

Yeah he’s mowing with a 2,500lb zero turn. My Challenger and CX-15 is more like 25,000lbs. about 10 times the weight, and ag tires would tear that bank up as Lou said.

Yeah,,,, if I wanted to dig erosion furrows every 7 feet on my customers hill lol. I don’t think they’ll like that with the view from the house down to the lake

An 5G pails of oil are both heavy and hazardous. Closer is cheaper for us end users. I can understand why it’d be different for you on a corp level, but like none of us here are playing in that arena. Look, this is getting kind of tedious. I mean who doesn’t think a 5G pail of oil is more...

Some steep stuff I cut Monday. Funny how it doesn’t look steep in the picture, but it was a butt-pucker factor of about 7 on a scale of 1-10. lol

I might give that a try. My 261C is my go to, go everywhere saw

Yes, shipping IS an opportunity to “stack” profits by the seller.

That is very risky to your health. I was bitten by a wild animal and got rabies shots by advice of the PA Game commission. Not fun to go through. I would never suggest having only the length of a shovel between you and a possibly rabid wild animal. That thing could jump on you and bite your ass...

Hmmm I don’t know about that. 1,000 miles is a lot further to ship. I just keep circling back to why anyone would buy 5 gallon pails of oil from 2,000 miles away, when they could buy them from 2 hours away. Common sense tells me it’s cheaper to ship it 2 hours than 2,000 miles. Much cheaper.

20lbs+ gets old after a few hours

I have owned an Appalachian and a Big Tex gooseneck flatbed trailers. Both were fine. I’d say Appalachian is a trailer built with economy/utility in mind. It’ll need to be painted before the other 2. Big Tex is a good trailer. No issues with mine. It served me well.

Isn’t MO a lot closer to you than PA? IMHO, that explains the disparity in shipping costs.

You near Huntsville?

Agree wholeheartedly. 2 remotes is not enough. I encourage 3 or 4 sets. You won’t regret this small expense on this large of a purchase. My MT655E has 6 sets and with the electronic style remotes being prone to spool failure, it’s good to have a few extra sets of remotes. #6 is “out” on mine...

Kubota has some weaknesses. Their front bevel axles are prone to failure if you use your loader heavy and drive over rough ground. It’s nice that it turns tighter, but when the bearings fail, it’s more expensive to repair. Kubota also extensively uses aluminum pump and PTO housings. There’s no...

That is exactly the way I see it. Ferris’ advantage is on ride quality, but you’ll pay like $10,000+ more than the biggest Kubota diesel 1611-72

I’m putting ~20 hours per week on my ZD-331’s, or about 400 hours per year. I don’t even know if Kubota offers a 72” gasser.

Drop it off in Wilmington, DE. Right downtown.

Check out Massey Ferguson at a real AG dealer ;)

It is until you have to deal with the ruts, bumps, fallen branches and mud. But usually I don’t cut them unless it’s dry. Kind of hard on the mower decks. If I encounter one, I just turn off the blades and pull off the trail to let them by.

105cc. Thats a lotta motor.

DPF requirement came out in 2008. DEF was 2012.

What brands of trucks are they and which ones you like?

I can’t wait to start cutting hay and of course, it’s rainin

Red dyed diesel fuel is $2.99/G. I am commercial use (I know you know that) and I am into like 10,000 gallons of diesel per year, so its much more convenient having diesel on hand. A diesel is going to go way longer before tear down, and fetch higher resale, too.

I’m gettin it too All week

We do small stuff, too. Here’s a trail I mow weekly. Just drive the zero turn a mile along the river, blades running and a mile back, blades running. We get paid monthly for this contract. Wish I had 10 more of these type of contracts. No “manicured” lawns to worry about. Low stress mowing...

Is anyone like “why would I expect 5 gallon pails of oil shipped 2,000 miles by UPS to be cheap”?

FAFO. Just a friendly warning: I would never suggest approaching a raccoon during the day with the assumption that it’s not rabid, or any time AM/PM for that matter. Stay away from raccoons at all times. Although treatable, left untreated, Rabies is 100% fatal.

So this discussion has been constructive, but let’s remember that frames, springs, axles are mostly all made of steel. So while it’s nice to have aluminum body panels, no matter how many of those you slap on a truck, frame rust is what eventually gets the truck parked in the weeds. In PA, you...

I’d buy a lightly used diesel before a new gas. Big block gas is way too thirsty and gas is a PITA to haul around. But might be good for on-site, non trailered use.

Hmmmm, I kinda like the auto shut off on the oil….. Fuel definitely more important tho. Maybe best to get 2 Holzforma tanks and swap auto nozzels onto one tank.

I’ll probably switch to one of those after my $49.95 noxzzle replacement breaks.

What you want to do is find a local kubota dealer that will put you on their delivery circuit or ship to you for much less cost. Kubota oil and filters are the same everywhere in the country, but shipping 2,000 miles from PA to AZ is a lot more than if you have it shipped from your local dealer...

Might not be enough hours to really tell. Did it smoke blue while you were harrowing?

Not any more!!!! lol

Come on over to the dark side. You’ll like it!!!!!!!!!!

I have heard this story before. They must have excellent sense of smell and internal compass. I like deer, fox, hawks, and other large predatory animals and generally have no desire to kill them, but these mangey ground hogs, coons, etc….I’ve no use for them, and they serve no purpose but to...

Believe it or not, they will charge people. We were under a tractor doing some repairs and one ran about 25’ from its den and bit the steel toe of helpers work boot. Carved a gouge in the leather surrounding the steel toe! Another buddy was just driving up with a .380 and shot at the miserable...

Hate the damn things. Ground hogs up high on the list, too.

Blue smoke is usually an indicator of oil consumption. Keep an eye on your oil level. If there’s blue smoke and the oil level doesn’t drop, you might be getting diesel fuel in your oil. Wonder if all that sitting caused seals to dry up and fuel or oil getting by them…

We got some big ol fat raccoons here, too. Most they ever seem to do here is “hiss”. Never seen one growl like a mountain lion though. Some poor boy died from a raccoon attack-rabies in VA https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rabies-death-raccoon-reported-flna1C9478157

I just dug barco-lounger size boulders out of one of my hay fields. Ground hogs like to dig their dens next to them. While extracting a large boulder, a ground hog came up with it. It looked a little shocked, but it did NOT cry. lol

A mountain lion? 🤣

FWIW, glow plugs and intake heaters are very different and require different handling.

Here’s what you said: “Game plan is put the live trap out at night in the front yard, PUT SOME CAT FOOD IN IT….” Maybe YOU lack reading comprehension, because you said you will put cat food out for it?! Then you plan to relocate the coon on your property. To which I replied the coon will...

Lots of “thinkin time” mowing a field that big.

Chipmunks are cute as heck, but inflicted incredible damage to my barn’s wood siding. Raccoons are vermin with high rabies probability. Ground hogs are just a stupid nuisance that to absolutely ZERO good.

When first starting, advertising is advisable. At my point in life, my reputation is very well established. I sell hay to many different customers, and I do custom mowing and large property maintenance for probably 25 different customers. I lost a BIG customer back in March. Hurt me bad. It...

Both. However, advertising is done reluctantly by me as I’d say 95% of my business is word of mouth and advertising is a PITA to keep current or pay for. The best thing you can do is get a couple “influencers” as clients, do a great job for them, and they will tell everyone. Also, cross them and...

yall got snow now? or old pic?

Gotcha I have found having possibly rabid mammals with sharp teeth near my house to be uncomfortable. Relocating is risky and you could easily be bitten. Not worth the risk. 12ga is quick & easy

I'd suggest a Kubota or Deere diesel Good parts & service Really like my ZD-1211's so far

It's not really something set in stone Check out your owners manual, too Might be something in there. Mine is just slightly lower in front

Diesel or gas?

You “cried like a baby” from shooting a ground hog? Maybe you should hire/ask someone with a stiffer spine to take care of the raccoon for you? 🤷‍♂️

While I appreciate you not dumping him on someone elses property, I don’t care how far you go away on your property, that coon will be back in your back yard the next day, because you fed it. Take it to a public game land

The plastic shielding may slide easily, but the steel prop shaft inside might be slightly tweaked. What you might want to inspect is the input shaft to the mower. Also inspect the prop shaft U-joints. When you put the mower on an extreme angle, it may have tweaked a U-joint. Start with the...

Yeah….I’d be moving that raccoon way down the road…..I don’t care what the law says. They’re nothing but Rabies and trouble in your trash.

Yeah, I was kinda baffled by that comment, too. :unsure: Grass hay has blades running up the stems that shatter if you tedder them too aggressively. Like you said, even raking can shatter grass hay leaves. TX Jim, it’s good to hear from you. I loved my trip to Texas and miss the fine people...

That’s insane, bro. I’d trade that thing in and run away from it, while shooting over my shoulder backwards.

This picture is about 3 weeks ago in late April. New Customer I picked up over the winter. 5 small patches to be cut in late April to aid in elimination of multi-flora. Then 2 of the bigger patches to be hayed 2x/year. The other 3 patches mowed with rotary mower in October. Barely needed cut...

The issue is how often you want to mow. If it’s under every 2-3 weeks or less, a zero turn could do that, depending on what time of year. In high rain & growth periods, a zeroturn could struggle if left go 3 weeks. If you only plan on mowing once a month or more, then it’s time for a tractor and...

Arent they like 45 grand? I can buy a D1211-72 and a ZD1611-72 for the same price, take the fam out for burgers on the way home and still be ahead of 45 grand. I did get a quote on one of those and the salesman was laughing while telling me the zero turn was $45,000 (plus tax, of course).

Maybe you need to adjust the level of your mower. Mine has lock bolts that adjust the front to back tilt of the deck. I like my mower deck to be just slightly lower in front than the back.

If you tried to climb out of a steep ditch and the prop shaft had no more room to go up, you could have tweaked something. One way to eliminate the tractor is to hook the BH up to another tractor. But I think its something in the BH, starting at the blades and up to the prop shaft. To eliminate...

Cattle will scarf it down, but I don’t particularly like feeding hot/moldy hay to anything.

To stay away from Foxtail, cut sooner-before it heads out. Young foxtail, before seed heads, is good grass

Also don’t forget to check in shady spots or low/damp areas. Or skip those areas and do them last in one bale, and put that bale outside or feed it asap

That’s not as easy. I’d pull the shielding off and hook PTO shaft back up, then slowly spin up the mower at low rpm and take a look at the stub. See if it wobbles. When you say “PTO shaft not bent”, did you remove the plastic shielding? It could be bent under the shielding.

Was the bucket sealed? I bought a 2.5 gallon of DEF fluid and it was just water. Someone carefully opened it up, poured the DEF in their tank, then refilled with water, glued the little paper seal back down, and returned it. Never seen water in oil like that. That’s insane. I would suggest...

I wonder if the steep up angle coming out of the ditch bent something on your PTO shaft stub on the mower

Did you hit something like real sudden and stall the tractor real quick? Or did you just bottom out the mower and it kept running?

I’ve been holding out for about 2 years. Sick of it. lol More concerned about pulling pup trailer wit it. If I load 12 large squares on it, that’s about 10-11 tons on the bed. My plan was to also pull a pup trailer with another 8 bales, when conditions allow. Now were towing another 10 tons...

This should not happen. Might sound crazy, but it might not have the right length blades on it, or they may be improperly installed. Or, are the blades really old and worn out at the ends?

Look underneath to see if a clump of dirt is stuck to blades, stump pan, spindles, etc. Don’t take much to make them shake. If thats all clean, check for a bent blade, stump pan, spindle, etc. If that all checks out, start working from the cutter back to the tractor and look for anything bent or...

800 south. It’s in Southern Georgia. I figure anyone who says they’ll drive a truck 800+ miles or 11+ hours to deliver it is a testament to it’s mechanical conditions. It would almost have to be roadworthy. Body looks rust free. I’m just not real high on a Cat 3126 @275/860 for this truck...

Found a truck I'd like to buy 11 hours and 800 miles+ away. Guy seems pretty reasonable. Every photo I ask for he provides Practically throwing it at me. He dropped the price considerably and will have an employee drive it to me proving the truck must run pretty good. Said he'd insure it for the...

Yeah, I know. Everyone makes crap in China. GM, Ford,,,, Hell Caterpillar makes diesel engines in China, John Deere makes huge pieces of complex machinery in China, too. I just wanted to know if the whole greenworks company was making everything there. you have your hands in chain saws all...

I enjoy it. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. I’ve won more than lost and have developed enough common sense to understand why a stock is a buy (well, most of the time). More importantly, not to get in over my head or emotional about any given company. I also understand why gold is soaring...

Southern Speed, next time you bale, be more patient. Use the twist test to see if it’s ready to bale. If it’s ready to bale, bale it preferably in the sun, only after it’s DRY. Twist test a dozen spots in your field The stems need to crack between your hands while doing twist test. Most big AG...

Greenworks all chinese made?

My ram 5500 hood is ‘loomnum and the fender flares are plasteek.

I think we’re both saying the same thing, but we use saws in different ways. I have no access to AC with 100% of my sawing being off in the woods, so gas still has the edge. I almost bit on the Stihl pro electric, but went with a 261C. No regrets, but electric is on the verge of passing gas.

I’m probably a more active trader than you then. I’ve sold a lot when at peak or high, put proceeds in “cash” account, then bought funds or stocks when low.

Well of course. Only fools buy stocks of a sinking ship company. I did take a chance and buy Tesla in the dip and that is working out VERY nicely for me so far. I’m up $60/share in 1 month.

Yeah the 500i is light for its power. Once gas loses its weight advantage, then only endurance is left. I would expect new battery tech will propel them past gas in a few more years. I like it, but for now, my “poor ol pathetic” (but lightweight (y)) 500i will have to do lol I can’t wait for...

People in MY area that complain the most about their trucks rusting out are the ones who drive them through salt constantly and compalin the rockers & quarterpanels are rusted, or leave them parked on a damp lawn all night then can’t understand why the underside is rusted. For guys who live in...

Long-term Historically you are correct, if you go back to a long time ago like 1970, but recently (last few years) is a lot different. Golds performance in the last 3 years is incredible. Gold is up 49% in the last year, while the S&P is up only 13%. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that...

Great time to BUY

I ain’t givin mine back. The electric saw is impressive but having a battery the size of a car battery in a chain saw is about as clunky and clumsy as it gets out in the woods. Like the guy said, cuts faster, but 22lbs is heavy and then there’s the endurance problem, especially when out in the...

Salt lingers on roads for weeks after it’s applied. If you get salt applied and then it thaws in the sun, it’s in the moisture on the roads surface for a long time and up in your frames and all the crevices. Not if you use HOT water. I do because it evaporates more. I then pull the truck...

It all comes down to how much you drive in salt/what you do about removing salt if you do and whether or not you keep your truck in a garage. It has very little to do with the brand. I’m in an area where salt brine is used generously. Yet my vehicles don’t rust. I rinse off the frames...

My immediate area is over priced. Used Pro Stihl is just a few hundred under new. Thats why I usually end up buying new.

Guess I’ll keep looking. Maybe stuff goes cheaper in Ohio

I agree the Stihl caps are a little frustrating to get lined-up with the notches in the tank openings. Just can’t force them to close unalingned, or it’ll leak

I can get 10% off local Stihl dlr. Probalem is, I’ll opt for the lightweight bar and cancel out my 10% saving :rolleyes: Used 660 for 5-600? I’m going to have to go through a little guilt buying a chinese saw (yeah I know, many euro saws have chinese parts).

We vbought a Wrangler Rubicon new in 2020 and were advised to buy the V6. The other option was the turbo 2L. Nearly everyone told us the 2L was “crap/junk” and the V-6 was a proven reliable engine. Even a TBN member wrote a 3 paragraph warning anyone who bought the 2L turbo was a fool and the...

Thankfully the price of fuel is generally coming down. Then desperate or cheap people can begin affording decent fuel again. In the past few years, fuel was so expensive, it was getting stolen. Idling was a wasteful exercise. I banded together with a few other farmers and we bought in bulk...

I know ATF saves and prolongs the life on Cummins CAPS diesel pumps. Those are found on 8.3L Cummins engines just to name a few.

Try doing it after it’s rained. It’ll be mushier and your lawn roller will work more gooder.

OK, so what’s best choice to run 36” occasionally? Don’t want to spend $1,500. Used Stil 6x, 8x is getting up near $1,500

What’s ECHO’s best powerhead for 36”? Wonder if thats a better route than Holzforma.

I also had a John Deere 390 offset flail mower and a Ferri swing arm flail mower

Yes it was. I started my business with the M-7040 and that MX-8 side shift twin spindle mower. Super nice mower. Could reach sideways about 30” each way to get under trees. Deere makes the nicest rotary cutters, IMO. Made a lot of money with that little set-up. Probably should have just kept...

I have same issue. If one tank runs dry, and other is partial full, will it still run?

I had the perfect 8’ bush hog. A John Deere MX-8 with hydraulic side shift. Bought mine lightly used and literally built my field mowing business with it. Excellent A+ mower. Mowed way beyond it’s capabilities. I highly suggest you seek one out if you are in need of a mower that size. I simply...

Only thing I have encountered is a ever so slight “fade” at very top of rpm band sometimes.

Worst is being 20M from shop and bending a blade. My bolts usually just fall out though. My DeWalt impact has just enough azz to get them out of my CX-15

Fuel related? Mine is like a great white shark. It just gnaws through wood. I love it. It’s like a treat to run….I’m actually serious… Ever have a saw that’s not necessarily the biggest/baddest, but it just suits you perfectly? Just the sound of it…..:cool:

I’m on a full year with both my ZD-1211-72’s and no real complaints. Coming off a ZD-331 you can feel the lower power climbing hills, but it’s not like it bogs down, you just hear more pump strain. My complaints are small. Really wish it had phone charging outlet. I’m on it 8 hours at a time...

Then everyone who owns huskys can complain like the stihl guys. I haven’t had any problems (yet). Run nothing but race fuel, Stihl fuel or non-ethanol. Worth every penny, IMO. Saws run perfect, but all are 2022 or 2023 saws.

That’s weird cause mine usually just fall out.

I didn’t read every response, but there’s also the resale value of John Deere compared to others. Kubota has caught up, but to some, John Deere still has a great deal of resale value. Their parts availability is excellent. Service varies as it does with all dealers.

I’m a buzzard’s best friend. And a hawk, and a fox….

I’ve tried everything. Trust me. On the HOA and Conservancies, I’m thinking there’s probably someone who dislikes farming and is insisting it be mowed. I just picked up another small HOA with about 2/3rds field mowing and 1/3rd hay. About 40 acres total. I tried to get them to hay more of it...

Yeah, but neither one is a good thing. Probably best to get a suspension machine, but operate it at a slow enough pace to avoid damage or rapid wear.

Actually, most modern large farm tractors are now CVT’s. Powershifts are declining with each passing year.

That’s one thing I liked about my F-550 versus my Ram 5500. The 550 turned noticeably tighter. Other than that, I’m a real happy Ram 5500 owner.

I prefer cast iron to aluminum in transmission cases, pumps and gearboxes.

I own a 2020 Ram and I don’t know, either. My suggestion would be to take a look at some of the Ram forums. Here’s one https://www.ramforum.com/

Here's another head scratcher. I have a 40 acre rotary mowing customer. Will not allow hay. It's a Conservancy. I have asked (nearly begged) for them to allow me to cut hay off of it. They have repeatedly said "no". I finally said "may I ask why no hay"? Their reason is because they think...

I have a customer with a small hay field, maybe 10-12 acres. They only allow it to be hayed 1x/year during 1st cutting. Second cutting just stands there and dies-off. Looks like 5’ tall dead grass hay. I have asked why only 1 cut and the HOA member told me “because I like to see the dead grass...

We do about 70K in fields, 50K in lawns, and 125-150K in hay. Then another 150K+ in Property maintenance (tree work, land clearing, construction maint., etc.) We just picked up a 9 ton excavator to further expand our reach into property improvements. Keeps us real busy and the equipment in a...

The ferris mower suspensions are really amazing. I have a customer with a big block gas Ferris. He flies over bumpy ground with little discomfort to a degree. At full speed, even with the advanced suspension, it’ll still throw you around. You also have to remember that even though YOU may be...

Everyone knew this. IMO, it’s virtue signaling. I can see some common sense methods to reducing air pollution, and we have made unbelievable strides in the last 50 years. However, when you get to the point of destroying the buyer’s engine to make it run cleaner, common sense is lost. I really...

That looks like normal play to me. My loader has 6500 hours on it and it has plenty of play like that

I could “push it” on them to hay it, but if I upset a few people, could lose all of it. Sometimes you have to know when to leave well enough alone.

A new “path” was cut into the field last year to bury a 24” drainage pipe. Not kidding you when I say it’s not quite big enough to get farm equipment in there. It’s the few who object to farming that are keeping it this way, otherwise, it’d be hay.

Great question! To enter the field, I have to enter a subdivision and drive between 2 homes. The HOA of the subdivision doesn’t want the noise of farming or the equipment being driven into the subdivision. Bales would need to be extracted 2 at a time out between the homes. Ridiculous, but...

I figure there’s 25 large square bales in there per cutting. I’ve been cutting it for 12 years. It pays roughly $500/cut. There’s 4 cuts per year. Thats $2,000/year 12 years x $2,000/yr = $24,000. If hayed, it would yield 50 lg sq bales per year. 12 years x 50 bales/year is 600 bales. 600...

Mowing getting underway up here now on new 2025 growth. One of my bigger Customers cut this week. Note I still have log grapple attached, haven’t switched to hay forks yet. Nice to leave log grapple attached for every customer’s first mowing-in case a tree fell in a field over the winter...

Condolences, JYoutz.

The tree is in the shallow end and it’s been there 50 years, so it’s not likely to be a problem, although it cannot be ruled out.

I don’t mess with bad tires. Probably because I’ve seen what happens when they blow out. Cracked sidewalls is a non starter for me as we are pulling equipment down the road.

I don’t think removing the Cypress was on the list for the owners. They like it.

The problem your friends truck has is he doesn’t drive it enough. 10k miles isn’t much-especially if not towing. The diesel and the exhaust after treatment system truck never gets hot enough. I am a lower miles driver, too. But I tow enough to really get the EGTS up and I always drive with the...

Do you mean the Cypress tree on the “island”? We haven’t discussed removing it yet.

It’s a go, gents. Phase 1 gets underway next week. We will cut all the vegetation out of the stream bed from the spring to the pond and remove loose material blocking the path of the water. In addition, have also been asked to prepare gutter/downspout bids for the back roof panels along with...

I have 8 different diesel engines and all of them turn the oil black very quickly. It’s from soot. Its a diesel thing. It is a whole lot better now. I don’t have those issues and can outpull any gas engine 1500-5500 on the market, quite easily. Cummins is the only engine also found in farm...

Its not the frequency of changes, it’s the cost per change being higher. Diesel filters and extra oil costs a little more. For me, it’s a matter of GCWR. No gas truck can pull what a Cummins can, and more importantly, last as long pulling the higher weights. If you don’t tow high GCWR, gas is...

Def costs me about $10/month based on 12,000 miles driven/yr. Maybe one 2 gallon jug a month. It’s a tiny expense compared to what I see other spend in pick up windows, soda, junk food, etc. It takes about 5 minutes to add and it’s very easy.

The oil changes are not more frequent anymore.

I had a have a Pottinger mower with a triple belt. One broke, then a few months later the second belt broke. I limped through a couple hundred acres with just one belt. Had 3 new belts at the shop, just wanted to see how long it’d go on one lol

They have asked for an estimate to cut down all vegetation from the spring along the 300+/- feet of creek bed, and clearing the creek bed of all obstructions (making it run more gooder than it does now)

I have a friend with ‘21 6.2L. Truck will lay a set of dark black rubber on the road for 100’ with ease. Me, I’ll putter along with a Cummins. Never understood running gas trucks when diesel trucks will do so much more for so much longer (‘cept the price). Still believe in buy once, cry once...

I prefer double & triple belts. One breaks, the others will get you home

Scheduled maintenance aside, I have found that to be more wishful thinking than reality. I have tried to guess what was going to break, only to see that part last years, while something I thought would give me no trouble go belly up quickly.

Spoke with one of the owners and they seem to be leaning towards cleaning out the stream from the spring and the pond. This will entail a good amount of brush cutting and maybe some ditching with the excavator. (y) Then we will see what the status of the spring is. I bet that the stream...

One of my closest friends doesn’t have a cell phone. He seems to be the happiest of all of us.

I have a busted up plastic grill insert on the hood of my International 7500. A new one is $960. 👀 🤷‍♂️ I bought it that way, so insurance isn’t going to fix it.

I dread this happening to me. Just rebuilt some things on my Massey 7495. Leaking PTO box and fuel tank. Set me back quite a bit. They were still working, but ticking time bombs, so over the winter, I blew up some of my savings fixing them. This is my constant worry. Do I fix something now...

Moisture can be a problem in a hydraulic system. Ask me how I know.

Frozen ground can be your friend in wet areas.

Wait, you’re sayin your OUT on the blue saws now? I thought you liked ‘em.

Well, if the spring dried up late last summer and the water level began falling shortly thereafter, one would think theres a correlation. We do have to look at everything though.

Mine does not swing around when dumped. You sure you have the bottom pins pushed out into the steel loops on the bucket? I think there might be a misunderstanding of what you mean.

Oh don’t get me started on engineers. I think one of the last sentences my dear old dad muttered before he died was “engineers should be forced to repair or replace everything they design”. Probably be mine, too.

Attending their HOA meeting Wednesday night. Should get a good feel for how the residents want to proceed. There’s 6 “luxury” units in those buildings, but they don’t like spending much on anything. I’d drill a non potable well with some kind of float or water level switch and start enjoying the...

It originates about 300’ above the pond.

Funny….“them” is me. Bunch of rich elderly people without a clue what to do, so they ask me to fix everything. I am consulting with an engineer for roof-runoff calculations. FYI: Engineers have called me to do jobs like this in the past. Engineers are great, but typically like to sit in air...

I owned 2 different backhoes over a span of about 25 years. Rented many an excavator. Now I’m an owner. 😁 I can see me spending an entire day of each week finally addressing things that needed to be done Unexpected: The long arm on this one takes some getting used to compared to extendahoe...

Would you give the greenlight to buy a Farmertech big CC saw for running a 36” bar maybe 1-2 times/month? I don’t know if they offer one…..

They are located quite a distance away, so I am not able to utilize them. Both of them seem to be holding their water levels just fine.