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Latest update. Still waiting for the concrete floor to be poured. Put in the forms for the aprons that will connect the 2 overhead doors to the driveway. Today we put the Tyvek on the back wall and then put the siding on. The other 3 sides have to wait until after the floor is poured. Will be...

The 220 circuit is 3 wires and a ground. Black (hot), Red (hot), White (Neutral) and Ground. When I disconnected the 220 at the house panel (required for the initial inspection) both the ground and the neutral were connected to the same grounding / neutral bar inside the panel. I should...

That was life experience! Not sure anyone tracks experience of handing roof panels up to roofers! Had a setback today. Was on the roof putting on the ridge cap. Got it on in 30 minutes and as my brother-in-law was climbing down the 24’ ladder it collapsed and he fell 12’ to the ground. It left...

I'm building a new 30x40 pole barn on the site of my old 1800's barn. https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/426549-new-pole-barn-started.html The barn is going to be divided into 2 spaces - 28x30 with 6 stalls for animals (3 on each side with an aisle in the middle) and 12x30 tractor...

Monday we put on the fascia boards, added extra bracing to the walls and pre-drilled all of the metal roof panels. Today we put on the metal roof. Had 4 people on the roof and 3 people on the ground delivering roof panels. Used a rope and c-clamps to pull the panels up the roof into position. We...

Another day of barn building. We added 900 feet of 2x4 purlins to the trusses. At first we started by climbing up the outside of the roof, using the purlins as a ladder. But at 24" a part, it is not a comfortable way to work. After doing a portion of the roof this way, we knew there had to be a...

Took us 5 hours to set all the trusses. Everything fit perfectly without and problems. We have a rain day tomorrow which is OK as everyone is tired. We will start on the roof purlins on Friday.

We set all the trusses this afternoon and put in temporary bracing. We used a jig to pick up each truss with 4 deck screws and a slot system that help the truss across 4 points to evenly and safely pick up each one. It was a family affair with my dad and younger sister, my father in law and...

Started working in the barn again now that the weather is nicer and cooler. We built a crane attachment from a 20’ 3” square steel tube and mounted the pole and a Harbor Freight hoist to my forklift backplate. Allowed us to raise and lower trusses at the touch of a button with great...

Floating with a chain works really well. I can curl the SSQA and pick up the plow 18" or so very quickly, faster than you can raise the FEL arms.

When I tore down my barn, I bought a 10x20 tarp carport from Harbor Freight for $150. Its been up for 10 months with no rips or damage. Survived a huge ice storm that took down trees all over the place. The new barn will be finished in the next 2 months and the tractor will have a new permanent...

Get the best of both worlds. I have a plow on front and a blower on back. I can't do a front blower as I have no mid-PTO. You can get a front blower and a rear plow. Downside of a front blower is the cost, but you'll save on medical bills from not having to turn around to use a rear blower.

Sunset after severe storms. No editing done to the pics.

View from CT.

Delivered 3000 lbs of shingles to my roof over 30 feet off the driveway. Impressive machine.

Sunset over central Massachusetts.

Just checked, still getting 1%.

Day 6 complete. We finished all of the wall framing. Added the header over the shop door and the header on the south side which will support the 28x32 lean to roof. My week's vacation is over, so it may be a few weeks before we start on the next phase of construction of setting the trusses and...

Day 5 complete. We finished the truss carrying beams and framed the south and west walls. Did run out of 40D nails, so I have to find another box of those. The kit came with 10 lbs, but that obviously was not enough. We need another 50 or so. We used a Harbor Freight palm nailer to drive the 40D...

Rained most the day today, about 3/4". Needed the rain for the veggie gardens. Hopefully we won't have mud issues with the barn floor tomorrow. The goal is to complete the framing of the walls tomorrow and Saturday if necessary. The ground was very dry, so this will cut down on the dust. Will be...

The New Holland backhoe has 6' long arms that go from the backhoe to the middle of the tractor and bolt into hangers under the bell housing. I assume that's considered a subframe. It was not a 3 point hitch mounted hoe. The bell housing broke when he moved into a large dirt pile to scoop up a...

Day 4 complete. Finished the skirt board and making sure everything was level. Has been using a transit for level, but could not get it dialed in fine enough. So we went old school and created a water level to make sure the skirt board was level. Then we put braces on all four corner posts. Had...

End of day 3. All the posts are in and we spread 32 yards of fill to raise the barn floor 12". Have another 6" to go and then bring in 6" of gravel in preparation for a concrete floor. Tomorrow we are focusing on the wall girts, bracing and main truss beams. The Kubota excavator was a great...

In December, I tore down my 200 year old barn to make way for a new pole barn. https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/420251-220-years-gone-30-minutes.html We started construction this weekend and I took this week off of work to focus on barn. I had help from my father-in-law and...

I checked the tube on the fender, and no manual. I know I have seen it recently, but I will have to hunt for it. When I bought my 2844 I did a complete fluid change. Found all the filters using NAPA's filter website. Automotive Filters | NAPA Filters. They list a over a 20 Montana tractors...

We have coyotes, bobcat, bear, fox in the woods around our property. Have dogs, cats, chickens and ducks. Electric fencing works wonders. Have not had a single loss in 5+ years once the fence was up. Coyotes are opportunistic so I make sure my pets and livestock are not easy picking so they go...

And I got a new shooting target!

Brandi, how do you fill your pond? Over the years it seems like you drain it to work on it, fill it up, drain it etc and repeat. I have a 2 acre pond that I am trying to figure out how to add an island for my ducks and am afraid if I drain it, it will take forever to refill. Mine is fed by an...

My trail camera captured a squirrel having a bad day....

I've got a resident fox too. Beautiful animals. He's practicing his "Fox Show Stance"

If your tractor can use the SSQA quick attach, definitely get a quick attach set of forks. I picked up a fork backplate at an auction for a couple hundred and found 42" forks on Craigslist for $150. I welded a couple of D rings onto the top of the backplate so I can attach straps and chains to...

Since I am stuck at home for a while and the weather is turning nice, I've decided to repaint and replace the deck on my 6x10 trailer. My question is do I simply use 2x pressure treated wood for the deck, or would untreated douglas fir that I coat with preservative be better or something else...

What is this heron eating? Its right next to my pond, but looks almost like a bird. Thoughts?

I have one that likes to hang around my pond. Have not seen him yet this year, but he comes every year. Was surprised to seem him at the top of a 100' pine.

My dad and I flew out from CT to Cheyenne when the Big Boy left for the CA trip in September last year. Spent the day chasing it across Wyoming and went to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden the next day. Great experience with my dad.

I currently have 6 trail cameras set up in the woods around my house. Every weekend, I take a walk and swap out SD cards in each camera so I can review the pictures on my laptop and see what animals came by. I am thinking of adding an outdoor wireless access point so expand my internet wifi...

Not a camera recommendation, but when our dog is going to have pups, we take her temperature 2X a day. When she drops 2 degrees, the puppies are within 12 hours or so. We get her nesting box ready 3-4 days in advance so she gets used to it. My wife spends the night with her on a mattress on the...

Had a deer hit me a couple of years ago. Did a number on the car. Damaged the front quarter panel, front door, rear door and rear quarter panel. Two years ago was vacationing in Yellowstone and driving back to the hotel in the dark. Had an elk run out in front of me and I barely missed it...

Very glad to hear your coop did not burn. You definitely do not need heat for chickens, at least in the lower 48. Having them dependent on heat will cause problems if you ever lose power for a while and the heat goes out. My coop is a 12x16 shed with very thick concrete floor and is fully...

Welcome to TBN. You want the heaviest tractor you can get. 4,000 lbs or more will serve you well while plowing. Your profile does not say where you live, so we don't know if you are getting 2" or 200" of snow. My tractor weights 5000 lbs with the plow, loader, blower and weighted tires...

I went the under the eaves route and put in a ledger board to attach the rafters to. I would also consider lowering the floor if you need more headroom.

We average 60" or so a year. Been slow this year. Only been able to use the tractor a couple of times with 5" and 8". Was 65 for the past 2 days and now back in the 20's.

Construction projects never seem to go as planned. I am building a new barn that will have room for animals and the tractor. But the new barn is going in the same spot as the old barn, so the old barn had to go. I was planning on tearing it down in October, and building the new barn before...

I run a 7.5' plow on my 28hp tractor, and the only time I hit an immovable object was when I was trying to widen the end of the driveway and one end of the plow clipped the frozen snowbank. The tractor spun around and the plow broke. The weak link was the 1" pin holding the plow to the A frame...

The barn was post and beam with wooden pegs, but not hand hewn so apparently no one wants the wood. I was surprised.

I had it listed on Craigslist for free wood to anyone who wanted it for over 2 months. Called a dozen reclaimed wood companies including Barnwood Builders. No one wanted the wood as it was not hand hewn. Seems reclaimers are picky in New England! I did sell the sliding doors and 8x8x8 walk in...

Looks are deceiving. I kept it painted so it looked good from a distance but the rafters were sagging, main beams were sagging, posts were rotting, and it was leaning 8” from left to right from the top of the wall to the bottom. As it was coming down, beams were snapping in half from dry rot...

Demolition day finally arrived today. My 220 year old barn has been torn down to make way for a new barn. Took less than 30 minutes to reduce the barn to rubble. The old 2000 sq ft barn was too far gone to save. The new barn is 30x40 with a 30x30 lean to off the far peaked end. It’s sad to see...

I just did my bathroom ceiling with PVC tongue and groove boards. Came out really nice and very easy to cut and nail. Would be perfect for a porch, and if you want white, no painting needed. Got mine at Home Depot.

I have not had any issues or problems with the loader mounted plow. I can plow piles up to 8' high. I can swap out the bucket for the plow in about 2 minutes. You can't do that with a sub-frame plow!

Added the braces this afternoon. I'm really pleased how everything turned out. Its raining all day today, and the firewood is staying dry.

Had my extended family over today for my 48th birthday. My dad, father-in-law, brother, brother-in-law and I all had a great time target shooting in the back yard. The next generation is learning the fine art of shooting too. The youngest has a nerf gun so he can participate too!

I gave the posts a good shake, and they don't budge at all. They are buried 3.5 ft down and we packed in the dirt as we backfilled. The plywood on the roof added rigidity by tying multiple rafters together and the main beam, header and footer are all single pieces 24' long which also adds...

I'm 48 and my dad is 78. We recently took a 3 days trip from CT to Cheyenne to chase the UP Big Boy for a day and then visit his older brother in Denver. The three of us went to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. Had a great time, never been on a long distance trip with just my dad and me...

Started the woodshed yesterday and finished it today. Built it with my father-in-law and my dad's help. The main beam of two 2x10 by 24' was heavier than I expected! Was able to use the tractor to lift it close to the posts and then move it into final position standing on ladders and using brute...

My plow has a chain going from the top of the quick attach plate to the plow frame. If I tilt the plate forward, the chain is slack, and the plow floats. I do all of my plowing in float like that. I keep the loader arms about 12" off the ground. If I need to pick up the plow blade, I tilt the...

Thank you everyone, lots of good info and ideas. KennyG, your calculations are what I was looking for. I just ordered an E Book of the newest version of Mark's Handbook so I have the tables for next project. I think I will go with the 2x10's and notch the 6x6 posts so I have a solid connection...

I started building a wood shed lean to that will be attached on one side to my garage. I dug the holes for the posts today, and plan to get order the lumber on Monday. I need help in calculating the size of the beam that will support the rafters. I am having 3 6x6 posts spaced 10' apart. On...

Buy an old truck plow and have a welder attach is to a SSQA plate (assuming your JD uses SSQA). I’m one of the “very special” with a plow and blower on an open station tractor. Built my plow for a few hundred bucks. Just bundle up when I use the blower!

CT is looking great!

Standard truck snowplows work great on medium size tractors with enough weight to push them around. Bought a Meyer plow for $250 and welded a quick attach plate onto it. Uses a chain to float and follow the dips and rises in the driveway.

A local concrete company is selling 2x2x2 blocks of concrete that weigh 1,200 lbs for $35. I am trying to figure out if I can buy one and modify it to become a 3 point weight. It has a loop in it already so you can pick it up with a hook and chain, so I could use that to hook to the top link...

I've got 2 Browning and 4 Primos cameras. The Primos have been very reliable, extremely simple to configure and take good pics. Paid $99 for them.

Consider building the pond with an island in it. If you want ducks etc, the island can be a great haven for them. Much easier to add the island from day 1. I am trying to figure out how to add an island to my pond. Much harder!

They are not all small. This one was from a week ago.

We have coyotes and bobcats, both which will prey on our small dogs, cats, chickens and ducks. We used to have regular losses of chickens and ducks and then we fenced in their area with electric net fence from Premier1supplies.com. Predator losses have been 0 in the past 3 years. We also fenced...

I have a Puma blower, and I don't get anywhere near 30 feet. More like 15. But it clears snow well at a reasonable speed, so I am happy with it. I think to get more distance it would need a faster impeller speed and or larger impeller. My impeller is 22". Pronovost sells a speed accelerator with...

We have coyotes in the woods behind our house. They usually keep their distance, staying in the woods, but I have seen evidence of them closer to the house than I would like. But in 8 years, we have not lost any dogs, cats, chickens or ducks to them so I leave them alone. I use electric net...

Welcome to TBN. Tractorhouse.com has 7 Ford 1620's, some with blowers for between $8500 and $10,500, so the trade in offer does not seem out of line. But yours may be low hours in excellent condition, so it could be worth more. I like to trade in my equipment so I don't have to deal with it...

I'll match your cat in a bucket and raise you a cat in a bag.

I didn't see anyone post pics of these barns. Took the pics last October.

In May 2018, a severe thunderstorm rolled through NW Connecticut with tornadoes, high winds, hail and rain. At the time, I did not see any damage to my roof. At the advice of a family friend, I just had a roofer inspect my roof and he determined that I did have hail damage, and I should contact...

$40 is a good price. I see them between $75 and $100. I found a guy selling them for $35 so I bought 18 so I would store 6 cords. I cut a 2x2 opening in one side so you can reach in to load and unload the wood. 3 full bins is a cord. Oak weighs 4,000lbs a cord, so each bin can weigh 1,350 lbs...

We raised 24 mallards and put them on our 2 acre pond. They would spend the days in the front yard and go to the pond at night. Late summer they flew south. Each year for the next 4 years some of them would come visit in the spring and fall. They would land in the pond and then walk up to the...

I used plastic 35 gallon barrels, as the 55 gallon ones would make the dock ride too high for what I wanted. I frame the dock with 2x6's and deck boards. I fastened the barrels to the underside of the dock with plastic straps used in plumbing to hang pipes from the underside of floor joists. I...

I wanted to get this pic in before the thread gets shut down...

Ditto on the IBC totes. I fill mine up and let them dry on the south side of the barn. When winter comes, I fork them over to the side closest to the house. I found a guy in CT who sells them for $35 a piece, so I bought a bunch. They often go for $100.

Nap time with mom. Salt and Pepper. The cat never wants to play! Salt never figured out how she could catch that chipmunk!

If you have a SSQA (Skid Steer Quick Attach) on your loader, you can make a quick attach plow using a truck plow and blank SSQA plate. I picked up a Meyer 7.5' plow and mounted it to a blank plate. Cost was $250 for the plow and $100 for the plate. Welded two boxes on the bottom of the plate...

I have a 7.5' Meyer truck plow that I attached to a SSQA plate. I angle it with my rear hydraulic remotes and use a chain lift so it floats on the driveway with the FEL set about 12 inches off the driveway. Works great.

The station I am a member of has a member's dalmatian as our unofficial mascot.

Now that the well has been fixed, and I no longer need the well puller tool, I had time to mount it on the base pole and finish the bird feeder today. Should be ready for winter. The wooden pole leaning up against the feeder pole is 8' long and has a hook on the end so I can get to the feeders.

In CT you need a permit to transport firewood across state lines. Supposedly the concern is the emerald ash borer. They realize most people cannot tell ash trees from other trees so they regulate all hardwood. We post these signs on all highways that cross into NY, MA and RI.

I have both Ryobi and Ridgid. Ryobi is much more affordable, a great value for good tools. Ridgid comes with a lifetime warranty on both tools and batteries, but they are more expensive. Between my Ryobi and Ridgid impact drivers, I like the Ryobi one better. It drives in screws faster. The...

So I dug the hole down to 40", put in the sonotube and poured 300 lbs of concrete. I have the first piece of the bird feeder pole in the concrete being supported by 2x2's to keep it straight up. I checked my first pipe, and I have a 10 footer, not an 8 footer, so the feeders will be 2 feet...

I want to build a bear proof bird feeder. We have a lot of black bears in the woods behind our property. I want a feeder tough enough that it can't be bent by a bear or knocked over or pulled out of the ground. I bought a 8' 2.5" threaded steel pipe, a 8' 2" threaded steel pipe and a connector...

Definitely running late. Columbus Day is often peak week, but trees here have not started changing yet. Will be late October in CT. Here's a prior year pic from my backyard on Oct 11. Everything is completely green right now.

My FIL has a NH TC29D with a 756C backhoe and a 16" bucket. We have some trenching projects coming up and know that NH made a 9" bucket for the backhoe. Any idea on where to find one? We called the NH dealer and he said NH did not have any available. Does anyone make offbrand buckets that fit...

I bought an old Meyer plow and welded it up to a QA plate. Uses a chain to float the blade.

My pond is about 400x75 and is about 8 feet deep in the middle. Some years water lillies take hold, and other years the water is open and clear. I've been trying to raise ducks on the pond, with limited success. Raised 24 ducks a few years ago. They lived on the pond through the summer and flew...

How were the crowds and traffic at Yellowstone? My wife and I were there this past October, and there were no crowds or traffic at all. We had the park to ourselves! Saw tons of wildlife - buffalo, grizzlies, pronghorn, moose, elk. Took this pic our the window of our rental SUV. He was about 20...

I can testify it worked twice on my local black bear. The third time he looked up at me, and went back to what he was doing. He was about 25 feet away from me, on the other side of a chain link fence.

I use a Brush Grabber to pull out small stumps. Works best if you have a helper to hook up the grabber to the stump and release it when pulled and on to the next stump. The heavier the tractor the better...

I am adding the hot wire to keep the bears out of the dog area. I have a large male that lives in the woods behind my house, and comes to visit on a regular basis. Took these pics last year. He is climbing over my current fence which is 30" high.The new fence will by 48" high and fence in a...

We are installing 400' of 4' high black chain link fence next week. Once it is installed, I want to add an electric hot wire that is 2 inches directly above the top rail of the chain link fence. I have seen plastic insulators that mount on the top rail with a U shaped bolt. My questions is...

I have a coyote family in the woods behind my pond. We hear them all the time, but they have not caused any issues with the chickens,ducks, cats or dogs, so as long as they leave me and mine alone, I won't bother them.

Here's a pic of our Schipperke (skipper-key). She just had 4 male puppies last night. Unfortunately the first puppy did not make it, but the other three are doing great.

Just bought a used Pronovost Puma 64" snowblower. Get to use it for the first time tomorrow, we are expecting 8". I know you are supposed to blow at 540 rpm. On my Montana tractor, 540 rpm is at 2400 rpm. If I want more blowing power, can I run it higher than 2400rpm? I've never had it above...

We are expecting the 4th snowstorm in 2 weeks, and I've been hunting for weeks on Craigslist, Ebay, Equipment Trader and TractorHouse for a good used snowblower. I took the week off of work, and drove 3 hours each way to upstate NY to look at a Pronovost Puma 64 blower. Was bought new in 2005...

I did the same thing, built my dock in the garage where it would be level and easy to work on. I moved my 8x8 dock, 4x12 and 4x16 docks with forks supporting one end and a heavy duty 3" tow straps supporting the far end. If you don't have access to forks, mount large eye bolts into the sides of...

I built my barn doors from rough cut 1" thick boards. The white trim is also 1" thick, and holds everything together. When I bought the place the barn as boarded up with plywood. Just watch for shrinkage as the wood fully dries. Tongue and groove or shiplap joints will eliminate gaps. Tractor...

I have a log home so I built a log generator shed using landscape timbers. The roof is on hinges, and opens up 90 degrees with help of gas shocks. I use the tractor to lift the generator out of the shed for maintenance etc. My generator is a Honda and I extended the exhaust pipe so it goes...

I store my firewood in IBC cages so I can move them from the far side of the barn where they season to closer to the house right before the first snow flies. Then I fill 3 Rubbermaid bins and haul them to the front door on a Harbor Freight dolly, and then carry each bin into the family room...

My Montana R2844 has a 4 cylinder Mitsubishi S4L 1.5L Engine. I am interested in putting an engine block heater to make starts easier when temps get down to 0. I can't find any information on what size freeze plug the engine has, and what engine block heater would fit. This engine is used in...

Last one was seen in the wild in 1938. Mountain lions seen in the East since then have been western mountain lions that made their way east. Not sure of the difference between eastern and western mountain lions, but it strikes me that we failed when we drive them to extinction.

I did the same with a Meyer plow. Welded 2 boxes at the bottom of the quick attach plate to mount the plow via pins, and welded a D ring at the top that connects to the lift chain on the plow. Works extremely well, especially if you have hydraulics to angle the plow from the cab.

Looks great! Just in time for Thursday's snowstorm. Where are you in CT? The NW hills are getting 3-4 inches, and the NE side is getting 8-12 inches.

Here's how I mounted my plow. Welded on two boxes to the quick attach plate where the A frame of the plow attach via pins. Welded on a D ring to attach the plow's lift chain to. When I curl the plate backwards, it picks the plow up so I don't actually have to lift the loader arms unless I need...

Nice buck. Give him a few years and he could be a prize! I am always amazed at the camera hogs in my neck of the woods! Had a bear take a nap in front of one of my cameras! He slept for 20 minutes and got up and lumbered on.

I have a Meyer EZ Mount plow with a 7.5' blade. The plow blade mounts to the A frame with two 1" thick pins, which also are the blade trip pivot points. The plow is about 20 years old, and the pins are original. I bought 2 new pins but may have to use a torch to get the old ones out. I sprayed...

I have a secure coop, secure outdoor pen and a 1/2 acre yard surrounded by an electric net fence. 18 chickens and 18 ducks. They get to go out in the yard when I am home and can keep an eye on things, usually when I get home from work until sunset and on weekends. In 3 years I have only had 1...

Had a similar experience. A pigeon landed near my chicken coop during snowstorm. My wife was able to pick him up and we took him in for the night. Called the number from the website, and was put in touch with the owner the next town over. He had been at a wedding an hour north in MA, and was...

I'm a Vermont Castings fan. My father-in-law has one of their Sequoia fireplaces, and man is that a big insert! You can burn 30" logs in it. I have their Montpelier insert. Very attractive unit with a nice surround. I also have their Aspen wood stove. I would not hesitate to get another one.

Finally finished the shop today. Installed the baseboard trim and the peg board. Went with a white plastic pegboard and plastic hooks from Wallpeg.com. Very pleased with it. The hooks lock in nicely, and absolutely will not fall out. I went with the plastic pegboard over metal because I had to...

Finally had some time to work on the shop again. On Saturday I sanded the second coat of mud on the sheetrock, went out and bought primer, light gray paint and medium gray for trim and bought the wood trim for the door and windows. Got home and painted everything with primer and pre-painted all...

According to specs, my Montana R2844 FEL will lift 2,360lbs to 59" and 1,585lbs to 90". The 3 point hitch can lift 2,619lbs at the ends. The heaviest loads I lift are around 1400-1500lbs which is an IBC cage of green oak firewood. I currently have 5' King Kutter II rototiller as ballast, which...

I built wooden firewood racks so I could move them with my forks. Lasted 1 season. The 2x3 sides and top just did not hold up. Found a guy selling IBC cages for $30, so I bought 2 season's worth so I can have 1 years supply ready to burn, and 1 seasoning for the following year. Hoping these...

This camera is 20' from my house. I have 2 Browning cameras and 2 Primos cameras. Recommend both brands.

BDog, if you ever need to re-paint your semi, its a pretty close Peterbilt to Optimus Prime. Would look very cool!

There are different patterns of turf tires which have better or worse traction. I have found the worst traction to be the #5 tire in the image with chevron tread. I switched from this on my Craftsman to the next to last tread, and traction was much better.

We have fox, coy-wolves and bobcats. Somehow they manage to not kill each other off. I get pics every week of all three. Foxes and Coyotes at night, bobcat during the day.

I let nature take care of who lives and who dies.

OK, blew out another tube today. Had to carry the Raptor SD home with the tractor again. Will be buying a new tire.

Would have posted this on the lawnmowerforum.com website, but they seem to be down today..... My Hustler Raptor SD rear tire keeps going flat. It is a Grassmaster 20x12-10 4 ply tire. It originally went flat when I ran over a screw. Brought it to a tire place, and they put a tube in it for $10...

Today's progress was replacing the 3 single bulb light fixtures with 3 LED shop lights. Wow, what a difference! The 3 bulbs output 800 lumens each for 2400 total. Each shop light is 2400, so there is a lot more light! I also added the sill extensions on the window and door so they are now flush...

Sheetrock is up, and I am starting to mud the screws and seams. Also have to build sill extensions on the rear window and the door. Getting closer to having shop! Eddie, in preparation for someday finishing the ceiling, I left a 5/8 inch gap at the very top of the walls so I can slip in the...

We have a number of cantilevered docks around here. They look cool, but if the water level varies, can be a long drop to the water. I went with a standard floating dock on my pond. Actually built a dock and an island and connected them with a bridge.

We are enjoying puppies for the first time. Our female, Guinevere had 5 puppies in March. The first one left for his new home yesterday. Its so much fun to go outside and play with a mob of puppies!

Finally had some time to spend on the shop. Added the nail plates over the wires and put in all the insulation. Ready to begin the sheet rock. Here's the view from the 2 shop windows - some of the best views of any window on the property! The back window looks out over the firepit and...

Eddie, I wired up the plugs because I wanted to test everything before the sheet rock goes up and hides everything. Face plates were added so I could make sure the plugs were centered before I tightened the outlets down. Obviously I will take the plates off before I add the sheet rock. But it...

I agree the wall behind the workbench should not be sheet rock. I am going to cover it with galvanized metal pegboard. It will give me 3'x12' of tool storage and protect the sheetrock behind the workbench.

Did not get as much done as I hoped today, spent too much time picking up supplies at Lowes. But I did get the horizontal supports in for the upper and lower cabinets. I was originally going to toe nail individual boards between the studs, but my father-in-law suggested notching them so I can...

Finished the electrical work today. Removed the 2 existing outlets and replaced them with four 4 outlet boxes. Also mounted a weather proof outlet outside the garage at the roof line to power the bug zapper in the summer. Tomorrow is the horizontal 2x4's used to mount the lower and upper...

I have a 2 1/2 car garage, and after many years of wishing, I am finally building a shop in the 1/2 section of the garage. The shop portion of the garage will be 8 feet wide and 21 feet long. The front 8 ft wall has a door into the shop. The 21 ft side wall has a window in the middle and the...

I get otters every now and then, and they can strip mine a pond in a few days. The ice just melted off my pond, so I am anxious to see how well my catfish, sunfish and bass survived the winter.

Eddie, we just had a similar situation. Our female Schipperke was pregnant, and we have friends who are breeders who live in Canada. My wife went to visit them with our male and female dogs so they could help with the birth when the pups came. A week before they were due I decided I should check...

I use my forks to move a mom, dad, baby, 3 rich members of royalty, a sheep herder, two sheep, a cow, camel and donkey! I took this today as the Christmas decorations came down. I have picture jealousy. Why is my pic so small, and the others on prior posts so large? When I upload pics, I...

Very nice! My mallard and pekin ducks want nothing to do with my 2 acre pond. They think it is the pond of death! But I have wild wood ducks, mallards and canadian geese that stop by on a regular basis in spring, summer and fall. I've been planning on building a large island and your floating...

Questioning the balancing the temp issue. I have a chicken run as a lean to off one side of a large shed. The roof is metal and the sides are open but have fencing to keep the chickens in, predators out. I get condensation all the time on the metal roof. Since the sides are open, the temp inside...

Now back to the dogs. Here's my buddies, Guinevere and Ronan. They are Schipperkees. As pups, they look like little bear cubs.

A Ford F150 owner sent his new truck through a local car wash, and one of the spinning brushes managed to snag the antenna, rip it off the truck and precede to hit the side of the truck with it. Total damage: $6,000. Aluminum body work is quite a bit more expensive than steel body work...

I usually hire one of the teens from church to be my helper. Saves my back and earns him $12 an hour. Win win for both of us. But even without the helper, having no retract stroke allows you to grab the split wood off the side trays and keep splitting. I load my split wood into IBC cages and...

The spotting on the legs is bobcat. You can see the same spotting in my bobcat pics.

Was driving in rural Massachusetts Thursday night, taking my niece home from a horse show, and a deer plowed into the side of my Chevy Malibu. Both passenger doors were crumpled. Was going about 30-35, and the deer turned 90 degrees at the last second, and broadsided my car. Did $3600 in damage...

Stumbled cross this very cool gate opener from Australia. No getting out of the truck to open the gate. No electricity either. Oz Autogate | Facebook

Took these this morning in my backyard. Love the fall in New England!

My place came with a 40x50 barn built in the 1800's, and the previous owner had boarded up the main opening with several sheets of plywood with a small people door in the middle. I built two 4.5'x8.5' doors from locally milled rough cut hemlock and hung them on tracks. Very easy to do, no...

I found the key to keeping my chickens and ducks safe is electric net fencing. Looks like a volleyball net, and each horizontal wire is electrified. I have coyotes, bobcat, bear and foxes all around, and have not lost a bird in 3 years. I get it from Premier1supplies.com

I need to replace the plastic cover / guard on my tiller's PTO shaft. Tractor Supply lists a cover for $85. Northern Tool sells an entire shaft for $90. Is there a good source for inexpensive PTO shaft covers? I was expecting to find then for a lot less. Maybe Chinese plastic has become more...

I can rent a harley rake for my tractor or a Bobcat, is that what you mean by power rake? How would that be different than a tiller set at a shallow depth? BOBCAT SOIL CONDITIONER Rentals Canton CT, Where to Rent BOBCAT SOIL CONDITIONER in Hartford CT, Torrington, Winsted, Farmington Valley...

Here are some pics of the field.

I have a 2 acre field that I mow weekly with my lawn tractor. It is on the bumpy side, and shakes me and my lawn mower quite a bit while mowing. I am looking at buying a zero turn mower with a top speed of 7-8 mph, but there is no way I can mow at that speed due to the bumps and ruts. So I want...

I currently mow 4 acres of lawn and field every week, and made the mistake of borrowing my father-in-law's Hustler Fastrack 54" zero turn mower. What normally takes 4.5 hours with my 46" Craftsman lawn tractor took 2 hours with the zero turn. So now I want one of my own. But which one? My budget...

I raise chickens and ducks, and built them a house and covered run, and then I use electric net fence from Premier1 fence (online) to enclose a 1/2 acre yard for them to enjoy. I used to lose 2-3 a month to predators, but once the fence went up, all of my losses stopped. I still have...

My wife and I built one a couple of years ago. Bought the firepit from Titan Metals. Stones came from Lowes. Used landscape glue to hold the rocks together.

My tractor has tires loaded with Calcium Chloride. A friend who is a mechanic at the local John Deere dealer was helping me replace a blown hydraulic hose and commented that I should consider replacing the calcium with beet juice. He said my rims will rot out with the calcium, and they use beet...

Saw a story about a guy in Oregon who was wearing a climbing harness that got caught up in a tree going into chipper. He got sucked in head first, and his foot caught the safety bar as his head came in contact with the chipping blades. He was wearing a helmet, and lived to tell about it. Oregon...

Lets see your pictures of Christmas on the farm. Current year, past years, outdoors, indoors, does not matter. Show us how you celebrate Christmas at your place.

The dock is built of 2x6 lumber sides with 1" decking on top. Each 4x4 dock section has 2 30 gallon plastic barrels supporting it. That is about 500 lbs of flotation per section. The barrels are strapped into place with plastic plumbing strap. That way it can't rust being underwater. The main...

I built 4'x16', 4'x12' and 8'x8' dock sections, and used the forks to move them from the garage and set them into the pond 300' away. Having that much weight 16' in front of the tractor got a little dicey!

How do I know if I see one? I know they are in CT, and I have plenty of pics of coyotes, but could they be coywolves?

Trying to load a better picture.

I got an email from Rural King today advertising a 7 ton electric kinetic log splitter for $399. While I wouldn't normally consider an electric splitter, an electric kinetic (high speed flywheel) splitter seems to overcome the usual lack of power issue with electric splitters. The only down side...

If you burn it, keep a leaf blower handy. I use mine on low to stoke the fire to keep it going really hot and to move the fire to all parts of the pile so I get a complete burn. You'll also want to have a water hose in case things get out of hand. I've had that happen too, and almost burned my...

I stack my firewood on pallets, but since it is so heavy, I don't fill them up as full as possible. I put about 1/3 cord per pallet. As Vtsnowedin said, unseasoned hardwood firewood weighs about 4000 lbs per cord. So 1/3 cord is 1300 lbs or so. My Montana 2844 can lift 2400 lbs to 5' high, but I...

I am replacing all the lights and wiring on my small 4x8 trailer. It has 4 pin wiring. I've hooked up everything except the ground wire. Is there a better way to connect the ground wire than drilling a hole and using a self tapping screw? Seems like I always have issues with the ground after a...

Thanks BuilderML. I have 14 acres in Barkhamsted, and my property backs up to the Barkhamsted Reservoir, so great fishing in just a few minutes away. I was just reading a post you started in 2014 about pole barns vs stick building on slabs. Did you build the 16x24 shed you were talking about...

Boggen, as you know, the biggest hassle of heating with wood is how many time you handle it. Before using pallets, I would split and stack the wood on the sunny side of the barn, which is farthest from the house. Then before winter, I would throw it all in a 4x8 trailer, and make many trips to...

I am planning on building a car port on one side of my garage to store firewood. I store my firewood on pallets, and move them from their summer drying area to the winter storage area with my tractor. My plan is to pour a 10x22 concrete pad 6 inches thick. I want the option to store a car or my...

I am shopping for a flail mower and I can't decide between the Caroni 1500 and 1900. I have a 2 acre field I mow and keep at 4 inches or so with a Craftsman lawn tractor. Its time for a bigger mower. I want a nice cut, hence the 1500. But my tractor is 64 inches wide and the 1500 is 59 inches...

I switched from mowing my two acre field twice a year with my bush hog to every week with my trusty Craftsman lawn tractor. The field is a bit rough, and I think the Craftsman's life (and operator's) is being shortened by the bumps, jarring and bouncing. I mow on the highest setting (4"), and I...

I'm considering buying a used Montana R2844 with front end loader. I have searched online for the loaders capacity and I can't find anything. How much weight can it lift to 3' and to full height, and what is the breakout force. If anyone knows, or has an electronic brochure for this tractor, I...