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I was talking to a farmer at our local VFD fish fry a few years back about how busy we stay living in the country, and his words were "you're never caught up". So true. Always something to do.

Looking good, very nice work!

I haven't paid attention to how long I wait to lift the loader but it's probably just 3-4 seconds after the motor starts running.

Interesting failure. When a structural member breaks clean right near a major connection like that, it sort of suggests cyclical loading or vibration fatigue. The ability for the member to flex and relax is constrained when you get into short range of a connection.

If you also include their engine OEMs, that expands to a few more including Daedong, Perkins, Doosan, and Shibaura (those are some recent ones I heard of, may be more).

This started happening in the last year or so, and seems to be getting worse. After I start my L3200 (6 years old, ~270 hours), I lift the bucket off the floor. If it's been parked for a few days, the bucket usually goes up about 6-8", then pauses or stutters for a second before going up the...

Way too high for a used machine with that many hours. You can probably pay less for a new machine with discounts!!

I talked at length with a Mahindra salesman at a picnic once. He was pretty happy selling the line but he said quality/features/styling is inconsistent and they often have 1-2 models/series in the lineup that are dogs (mechanical/quality issues or just not competitive in their market). You...

Sounds like overheat induced by plugged radiator from mowing. Whenever I bush hog, I stop every hour or two and blow out the radiator with a leaf blower. If I go much longer it will really get plugged up. Had you seen any indication of elevated engine temperature on the dash gauge?

Most likely a safety switch. Bypass them until you find which one.

That's my guess. Would not be the first time someone installed new hydraulic implements and forgot to add more fluid to the reservoir.

Did you add more fluid after the grapple was installed?

Did you attach any big hydraulic implements? They would draw down the machine's reservoir and it would need to be replenished. I had a neighbor run into that -- he was not aware that the implements would subtract from the reservoir. Although 3L sounds like a lot it could happen with a few...

https://slate.com/business/2021/05/wood-prices-expensive-explained-sawmill-maine.html

Mahindra does a lot of mixing and matching with their machines, this is not out of the ordinary at all. They have a very large international supply chain. They change up suppliers and models all the time.

I've had enough different types of orders go wrong that I would not prepay for very many things anymore. One of my pet peeves is finding out about delays or extended timeline *after* the order goes in. If the vendor can't give me an accurate timeline up front, I won't commit. I don't mind...

I'd suggest checking the level in the hydraulic tank under the passenger seat. It has a dipstick. If you did not check and refill that tank after the fluid change, it's probably dangerously low.

Good point about being easier to fold, and I think having longer wire puts less stress on the connections than short wire, since it lets the wire flex and you can fold it accordion style to provide some give. Copper is pretty flexible when the bends are long and flexing is gentle, but it work...

At least 6", I might bump that to 8-10", whatever you think can be comfortably and gently folded to get back in the box afterward. I like enough to work with and a little spare in case something needs to be changed around in the future or a mistake was made. At our last house, I swear the...

Having conduit under the slab is probably one of those scenarios where an inspector will have their own opinion. Will he consider it a wet location? Will he consider it above-ground? SER/SEU cable (ideal for sub-panels) is usually rated for wet/dry locations, but above-ground only. I'd run...

We're only about 40' above sea level in Virginia, near the coast. The trees are about 30-35 years old. I figured they would have some big rings but that has not been the case except for a few trees, and only the center rings tend to be big. I guess they must grow fast at first and then slow...

Funny to hear that, I have noticed the same thing! Must be a mental instinct to do bottom first but they sure do get in the way!

He said he was using Romex, but Romex is not conduit-friendly, so I hope not. Some parts of code specifically exclude Romex for conduit use, other parts allow it only when protection from physical damage is required over short runs. But it's such a bear to pull Romex through conduit that it's...

This is an average piece of yellow pine that I saw for 2x lumber. Look at all those rings. Be lucky to get 3-5 rings in a store bought 2x. Tight grain like this will be much more stable and handle much higher bending stresses. 680135 One of the nicest surprises about milling my own lumber...

Looking good!

deezler gave all the right advice. Pole barns are real simple to put up and I like the way they progress as a one-man project. You build it in steps and keep squaring up and knitting it together. It's a time tested method that works great. If you're worried about cost, this is a really bad...

That is an impressive door set, looks good!

That is a much more thorough and correct way to explain it, thank you for correcting me. I think the point I wanted to make is that HST and hydraulics will compete for the total resources on the tractor, whether it's engine HP, available flow rate from the common reservoir, thermal...

So where that could come back to bite you is if/when the structure settles. If you're hard up against the studs then chances are the door will get out of whack worse than if it was centered and floating a little. Then if you need to correct it by adjusting the door frame, you will have limited...

I wouldn't worry about door jamb rigidity with one stud in a SIPS wall as long as the stud is glued and nailed in good. But I would be very conscious about the quality of that one stud and make sure it's straight, bone dry, won't warp, and that you can properly shim and nail in the door frame...

Sometimes when we hear a complaint like this (on any tractor) it's due to a hydraulics issue in the loader or 3-pt hitch, or remotes/etc, that is causing a strain. Easy way to demonstrate this effect on an HST tractor is to get moving in any gear and while rolling along, lift the front loader...

I used crushed concrete for a project last year and did not like it. The fines were more sticky (almost like mud) than the fines in a crusher run material. And there was still a fair bit of metal scraps in the material. We wasted a lot of time with a metal detector and magnet trying to get it...

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lumber-prices-soar-logs-still-100000412.html

Good job! Thanks for sharing this information (right way to resurrect an old thread).

Either that or he bought it and he's now stranded on the side of the road with flat tires and seized wheel bearings. Used trailers are a crapshoot.

By the way, I used a couple timbers to brace under the bucket to avoid leak down. My loader will drop 1-2" after about 20 minutes, which isn't bad, but I didn't want to be worrying about that while up there on the roof.

Just did this today to work on a metal roof. Felt very stable and safe even though it looks like a real rig job. No other good way to get up to the ridge in this case.

I have run into a few neighbors/acquaintances that are oblivious to the high lumber prices. They just buy what they need when they need it, and have no idea prices are sky high right now compared to normal times. This is about the worst time to embark on unnecessary projects but some folks...

What is the axle(s) weight rating? Tandem axle I assume? Most likely 2-5/16". I have seen 2" couplers on some 7000# tandem trailers, but it's rare.

What makes it a Wallenstein clone/copycat is more about the flywheel/knife/anvil setup, flywheel enclosure with top half side-hinged, exit chute geometry, and lower body & skid design. That was all part of their original design many many years ago. In the time since it's been attached to a...

Looks like a knockoff of a Wallenstein.

Channel lock pliers do a great job pulling nails through the backside (or any direction for that matter).

The Max models have a known problem with moisture in the wiring harness that leads to a few different problems. One of them is at the fuel solenoid. You'll probably need to replace or rewire the harness and/or connectors in that area. The solenoid itself may be fine.

If it is operable with the Whipple procedure, then the outcome can be very good. That suggests it's a less severe form. It's important to make sure it cannot spread in the meantime. Other types of pancreatic cancer (not the ones treatable with Whipple) are severe and very aggressive. Folks...

Almost all chippers of this design will clog if fed only leafy/twiggy material or lots of evergreen material with needles. That stuff doesn't have a lot of momentum coming off the flywheel and can be wet or sticky. If you can feed a substantial limb (green or not) through the chipper...

That is about the opposite of what you want to do. It was like shifting into high gear. You should have modulated the treadle to a low setting (20-30%) and throttled up instead. No wonder it made so much noise for you! When an HST whines it's a good sign you're doing something wrong. I...

We had endless problems with kids driving through our fields. They seemed to have zero respect and zero common courtesy. Putting up gates was not too expensive and fixed the problem instantly. I'd be tempted to put up a game camera so you can see who was coming in. We caught quite a few...

Nice work! You have entered that crazy phase where the amount of work to do has blossomed. You can make a lot of progress but it will seem like you are trying to catch up with infinity. The farther you get, the more little tasks will accumulate. On houses where all these tasks are subbed...

That roof looks so good, I'd be tempted to take a break from all the work and start moving my furniture in!

That Kubota price seems awful high, like they are not trying to discount. I have always gotten about 15-20% discount from MSRP. Of course, now there is more demand than supply, so maybe they can charge whatever they want. Have you test driven both tractors? Be sure to do that. It's always a...

A lot of people use this trick without problems. It's not going to suck up oil as long as there is an air gap. All I ever do is block the breather vents on the hydraulic system. That is enough to minimize fluid loss on my Kubotas. No shop vac needed.

Looks sharp!

The saw will feel balanced with one particular bar length, and becomes less comfortable when you go too long or too short. That's the main impact I have noticed. Sometimes you can counteract that with heavy/light bars.

Great video -- I love seeing the details of how the panels get formed on site and put up. Really cool to see. Roof looks great and I think it's well worth the $4K to have those guys do all the work. They make it look easy.

You'll need to figure out who made that cab (it wasn't Kubota). There are several aftermarket companies who made cabs but it's not obvious from the photo.

That looks like a "quick detailer" product. I wouldn't use a product like that for anything other than spiffing up the car between washes.

TSC splitters are some of the best on the market right now. A step above the stuff Lowes/HD sells (which tend to be Troy-Bilt clones). We ran out of firewood about 5 years ago, so I went crazy and stocked up. Then we had several mild winters in a row. This year was sort of normal except no...

Cell phones are good to about 3m (~10 feet) nowadays, but usually do slightly better under good conditions. I have a sub-meter system for surveying that is considerably more complicated and much slower. But if you have time and want to setup the equipment, then wait for it to converge, it...

That roof completes the place and makes the look. Really looks outstanding and lets us see what has probably been in your heads (thinking and waiting) for months. Can you go over how the roof metal is attached? I assume it clips to the previous panel and then has fasteners on the other edge...

I put high-end ceramic on a new BMW M2 in 2019. It was a fairly expensive C-Quartz product that normally people pay to have applied, but I did it myself. The amount of labor was insane and it was complicated. I would never use that product (or similar) again. Too complicated and too many...

Does the inside of the man door opening/jamb have depth, I mean is the stud "cavity" open from the inside? If you can arrange something to stay within the depth of the 2x4 framing then a number of options would work.

What brand/model vehicle and year? Any paint correction work done? I have tried a few ceramics, but only on new vehicles with pristine shiny clearcoat. Ceramic by itself will not make a vehicle look shiny or new. The main point of ceramic is protection, not shine. In fact, the really good...

Great to see that roof going up.

Here's a request: when I click "Mark forums read" at the top, it challenges me with a "are you sure?" confirmation dialog, so then a second click is required. I don't think that is necessary. We didn't have it on the old site. Normally when you click that you know what you're doing. Even...

Safety triangle!

That's where Jefanna will take charge of the operation and get it done! That part gets tricky because the upper sheet sits on a z-flashing. I might suggest building a work platform for the tractor front loader. It would sure be tough to do from ladders.

Every tractor should have a rear drawbar, so buy a clevis and that is one good point that will be consistent. Front is definitely a mix of options and varies based on tractor make, whether you have a front loader, etc. If you can get a bite on the front of the frame, that works well. With...

Looks great, how much will it hold?

Interesting quote from above article

https://qz.com/1985276/america-is-running-short-of-wood/

Hardie does just fine nailed (or stapled) into the OSB only. I wouldn't even worry about hitting studs. Even if someone wanted to go to all the extra trouble, it won't make a notable difference. Put enough fasteners into OSB and it will hold great.

Take into account the max lift height of the loader too, because that is where the rating is normally given. The higher the loader goes, the lower the number will be. Make sure both are compared at the same height. Kubota gets dinged a lot for lower capacity but sometimes they are rated 10+...

Hardie always hangs down below the sill, to overlap the foundation, so you just need a bracket that is long enough to hang below too. It simultaneously sets your height without having to butt tight to the soffit under pressure. Once you get the top of the sheet nailed in, reach under the...

I always try to use blocking to attach them if possible. Gives a lot more lateral support too, so the rafters won't fold over during the rest of construction when climbing around on the roof. And you don't need the hurricane clips since the nails and the cross nail pattern is good for hundreds...

That is an impressive tool -- looks just like a sheet metal nibbler, but I would have never thought the concept would work on cement siding. I agree with previous comments -- need to support the sheet so you don't struggle to hold them up. Blocks or a foot jack would work, but what I like to...

More rafters going up.

I bought a dump trailer recently and had a similar experience. I was kicking myself for not being more picky looking over the trailer before I brought it home. I incorrectly assumed someone would properly prep and check it, but in retrospect it was obviously a very sloppy dealer. Here's what...

I need to inspect and maybe flip the knives on my BX-42 soon, but am still running on the original edges after 8-9 years. I have heard it's not very complicated at all. Hopefully none of the bolts are stuck, as that would complicate it.

Painters like to carry the powder mix because they can keep it around forever and make up small batches whenever needed for repairs. But for large scale jobs I've only ever seen buckets of pre-mix. Heck, around here many new houses still don't have running water when the drywall goes up, so...

Most everything you're describing is due to weight and traction issues and I think some unrealistic expectations of what a tractor can do. A slightly bigger tractor won't necessarily solve those problems by itself. I have owned B and L models, and if anything the L is lighter in the rear...

We have two different methods on our house depending on which Hardie product was used around the window. For the lap siding, the trim went on around the window first, then an aluminum "z" flashing cap over the top piece of trim, then siding cut to fit around the trim and over the flashing. For...

I got a WG24 a couple weeks ago and it's been pretty awesome.

Looks great! Warms my heart to see drywall work being done by someone who's not me!

If it had a rear remote then the power beyond loop was already changed. It would have gone from the distribution block under the floorboard to the rear remote and then back to the distribution block to the 3-pt (which is always last in line). The loader valve should have been inserted into the...

That is highway robbery. I pity people that have no choice but to pay that price.

Technically, since the fuel system is past the warranty period, anything Kubota does is going to be goodwill on their part. To me, that means they have the right to test the fuel and do whatever they feel is needed to make the decision. I would not accuse them of stalling or delaying. If you...

Yeah, I would sub out the drywall too. They can work far faster/smarter than us average folks. While a drywall crew was working on our new house, I was putting drywall in the bonus room of our old house to get it ready to sell. I was doing fine, but it was hard work. When I saw the crew...

Got the gable rafters cut and put up today. Need to fell some trees to cut a bunch of 2x6 boards for the rest of the rafters.

My wife got her second Moderna last Thursday and was knocked out pretty good on Friday, but back to normal by mid-day Saturday. Basically fatigue, headache, aches, and fever for about 24 hours.

I don't think you will find any experienced Jinma mechanics. But any general purpose farm mechanic will probably be able to make some headway. Parts availability might be an issue.

I think you'll run out of steam with hand shears when doing long runs. Skil saw also works well if you don't have a slider saw setup.

What I like about my Sierra Denali is that the screen has presets that are usage-specific. I have one arrangement that comes up automatically whenever a trailer is connected. It changes one of the gauges to show transmission temperature and another to show the trailer brake gain and...

I've battled clay stains on a foundation too many times. Never found a good way to deal with it that lasts through the whole project. Just have to keep renewing straw or mulch periodically. How are you cutting the soffit? We used to put a whole stack of it on a sliding miter saw and chop off...

A good trick that works on most modern doors and windows with exterior grilles is to use dental floss or fishing line to slice between the adhesive and glass. Once you get it started, use a sawing motion as you drag the line through. It goes fast, works like a charm, and no risk of damage to...

I am sure this will seem too nitpicky to some, but it looked like you used treated lumber to fir-in the door opening. We begrudgingly use treated lumber for openings in masonry walls in below-grade foundations where it has a benefit, but never do it in above-grade wood framed openings. The...

I just picked up a 10K Big Tex dump trailer (long overdue purchase) and it came with Chinese tires -- Goodride ST225/75R15, Class D. They are 8-ply radials. I have no idea how good/bad they are, but I was planning to spend the extra dough to upgrade to a good trustworthy tire. The only...

After the footings cured, I setup a laser level and then stuck a metal ruler (taped to a tamper handle) in each post hole and read the relative heights. That let me work out where to notch each post with about 1/16" accuracy.

Been picking at this for a few weeks, hampered by a lot of rain and snow, but finally got to the point where I have enough pictures to start a thread. Will be 12'x21', 252 sq. feet, just under the limit to avoid a building permit and allow use of rough-sawn lumber. Posts will provide about 11'...

I wanted to post a couple pics of what I did yesterday to protect some concrete pole barn footings from an overnight temperature of 20F. This was based on how we used to layer hay over the top of winter concrete pours back when I grew up in New England. First off, these were 28-32" below...

So today I finally took care of a tree I had been meaning to tackle for a long time. It had about a 20-25 degree lean on the bottom and then curved to vertical. Due to some desirable trees in the direction of the lean, I didn't want to do a normal Coos-Bay cut and drop it that way (for those...

Got all the battens on today and had to work past sunset to finish up the front. Rain is coming tomorrow, and I was so close to finishing it would have been a shame to put away all my tools with just a dozen battens remaining to put on. So I broke out the spotlights and kept going until about...

This looks real interesting. They build the roof framing and attach the roofing metal while the roof system is close to the ground, resting on some large I beams that are connected to a hydraulic scissor lift. All the wall posts and girts are framed up and attached to the roof framing with...

Between rain showers, I finished up the front siding, made caps to protect the exposed ends of the LVL, and started putting trim on the top edge of the siding. The switch on my portable tablesaw died, then it started raining again, so I didn't finish trim or get to any battens. I figure the...

Got a gutter on the rear edge of the roof earlier this week. I had planned for one downspout, but after doing the math for the roof area, I went back and bought a second downspout. We're forecasted to get rain for the next 4 days, so I'll get to see how this works out. Yesterday I framed...

Yes, paint over the flashing and you'll never really notice it. In my picture up above you can see the thin horizontal white flashing strips before the paint went on. After paint (picture below) they are pretty much hidden unless you look close. The battens go over the flashing which helps...

I have used both and have been real impressed with the range of siding products LP has now. That is what I was planning to use on my upcoming garage, but the price increase has that completely off the table. I'll saw real siding from trees before I go that route (one reason I recently spent...

Got the roof panels finished this morning then spent a couple hours picking up around the worksite. The biggest mistake I made on this project was not thoroughly cleaning up the clay that came out of the post holes when I drilled them. It got spread around, mixed with pine needles, and got...

Wet yesterday and windy this morning, so I didn't get a start on the metal roofing until about 11am today. I always rig up a string along the front eave to guide my panels, using little guide blocks that I can line up with the edge of the end fly rafters. This makes it quick and easy to keep...

Got fascia and drip edge up, final row of purlins, and assorted unfinished details here and there. I'm ready to put up the roofing metal but unfortunately we have rain/snow coming tomorrow so I had to tarp up the sawmill and put all my tools and ladders away. Hope that will be the last...

Got all the purlins up except for the bottom row before I ran out of lumber, so I will need to saw another log tomorrow morning to make a few more 2x4s. Otherwise things went smoothly today. Here's tonight's sunset picture: When I put up the rakes (also known as fly rafters) on the side...

Nothing happened yesterday while we got pounded by a Nor'Easter, but I was back out early this morning getting the rafters up. The tail end of the storm was rain that froze overnight, so everything had a thin glaze of ice but it burned off by about 10am. Got a real nice precision fit on all...

I was surprised about the LVL pricing -- not as bad as I thought. Right now, the builder supply here charges $5.53/ft for any length up to 40'. Prices fluctuate weekly. They cut them to 25' with a chainsaw while I waited (I am glad I had wiggle room to make a neater end cut with a skil saw...

I'll post more pics as this progresses, but here are some so far. This is an 8x24' building that I am constructing around my Woodland Mills sawmill. It's a mix of pole barn, post & beam, and a couple modern elements. I am sawing up Loblolly pine from my property as I go along and building...

Thanks for checking in on him and updating us. I wonder if there is some way to put together a group Christmas card or something. Or maybe a bunch of folks send him separate cards if you are able to provide his address privately. I am sure there is technology that would let him keep up with...

If you have a lot of logs to move from a common area and the path is clear, setting up a fairlead with a bull rope is fast and easy. When I was clearing a road, I pulled out about 24 pine logs with that rope in a day. Tractor was on our driveway, about 90 degrees to the new road, and I had...

We have poplar bark shakes as an accent wall on our back porch, and on the gable end of our front porch. We love the look. I put some inside the house as accents too. Have about 100 square feet left over that I have been thinking about doing something with (going on 8 years now -- maybe I'll...

I use a simple skid plate for the 3-pt hitch, that lets me chain up a log (or 2) with a choker chain, lift the butt of the ground, then skid it. This one also doubles as a trailer hitch. Here's a pic on my old B2920, still using it many years later on my L3200. Many variations on this...

I got the track assembled and as straight and level as I think it will get. The instructions are good, but this reminds me of those old-fashioned stamped metal utility shelf kits where you'd get a zillion screws and square nuts, and had to put it all together. Tedious is an understatement...

Actually, I am also looking for the front loader quick-attach frame (picture below) if you are able to salvage that (it could be shipped UPS). I'd also take the front bucket, but that would have to be freight.

So here is what I came up with for a 26" wide, 20' long base: All made with 4x6 timbers. I used scraps for the leg posts and just had to buy timbers for the tops. Cross-braces are also scrap lumber. All the gusset plates are scrap diamond plate steel, and it's all held together with...

What model did you get? I got my HM122 On Friday (ordered on Monday). I won't dig into the crate for a couple weeks as I need to fell some trees where I want to put the sawmill, level the site, and build a base. But I plan to be sawing lumber by the end of November.

Do you know his last name? Should be able to lookup the address and other information through his county tax records.

So I have a Woodland Mills HM122 on the way, should be here next week. It comes with leveling feet but will be down on the ground if I don't build a base. The only other mills I have used a lot were trailer-mounted and the deck was up near knee height. I am thinking I should build a base to...

Our tank has a 40/60 switch and a few years ago I recall verifying those pressures on the gauge. I happened to notice the other day that pressure is dropping to 35psi then being pumped back up to 65psi. So something is off. Could this be a sign of a leaking bladder, or maybe the switch is...

I got GMC full coverage winter mats for my Denali and they do a very good job covering most of the carpet. To me that is the simplest solution that should work in any brand/model truck. But if you want the real thing, some trucks still offer the vinyl floor as a no cost option on higher...

Here's my new rig, 2020 GMD Sierra 1500 Denali, crew cab / standard box. 6.2L V8, 10-spd automatic, 3.23 rear end. I probably would not have chosen that color on a custom order but really liked it when I saw it. What kid doesn't dream of growing up and owning a red truck? I had...

What climate/location? Does your ground stay frozen or go through freeze/thaw cycles? For a gravel drive in a freeze/thaw climate, you will need to put a pipe over the cutting edge, or use some other trick to prevent scraping the gravel off (standard plow shoes don't always do a very good job...

Thanks for posting these. So knowing the correct speeds, it's more like a 7.9% reduction in wheel force and 5.7% reduction in ground force with the larger tires. That is not so bad, but seems like a step in the wrong direction to only gain 1.5" ground clearance. Nominal side-slope stability...

Spotted this one on my dock a couple years ago:

This works like a charm for me.

It's kind of interesting (and sad) how some of the tool companies and brands have just become marketing names now. I have my Dad's old metal chop saw -- that was from Black & Decker's "professional" line, I guess back before they got bought up and started playing games with brand names and...

Thought this was pretty interesting: Power Tool Manufacturers and Who Really Owns Them | PTR

This particular engine in the Chevy/GMC half-tons is pretty down on towing capability, and it's due to thermal management according to a GM engineer I talked to. In order to get the good efficiency, they were very careful with thermal loads and under hood heat management. There are some very...

I'm still considering this engine in a new Sierra, and took a look at historical fuel costs for gas and diesel since 2010, and the effective MPG. Came up with this chart: The chart shows the equivalent gas MPG of a diesel rated for 26mpg (that is the highway spec for the GM I6 in a 4x4 crew...

Thought I should post some progress photos. Everything is finished except for the trim on the right door -- want to give the doors a few weeks to adjust to humidity before I finalize the center gap. Last set of doors I made kept growing and I had to plane the center edges several times, which...

Are you planning to add a ledger or other support beneath the birdsmouth on your lower set of rafters, where they meet that knee wall? Or is the remaining supported grain height enough for that particular span? When you notch a birdsmouth, any grain below the notch is not supported any longer...

I redid a trailer last year. It had used 2x6 "above ground" treated, but I changed to 2x10 "ground contact" treated. The wider boards worked out better for spacing -- was able to get the gap I wanted and did not need to rip any boards (when you cut or rip treated lumber, the exposed wood is no...

Here's a report and some pictures from my neighbor, who is a DoD civil servant and Army veteran (and a tractor owner!). He is working on standing up the hospital at the Javits Center in NYC. This is some of the most uplifting news I have heard in weeks. These guys are pros and heroes.

Was able to dig into the carb today. Saw no glaring clues. The float doesn't have a crack or leak, and floats OK. The needle had a little ring of crud around the middle of the rubber tip which cleaned off easily. It's possible that was the cause of fuel overflowing but I can't see that being...

I remember seeing that and thinking he needed a longer ladder! This was the last job done with my climbing saw, back in 2013. It's been in storage since.

Due to two mild winters in a row and lower consumption of firewood, I didn't run my log splitter for over a year. I had run it dry and did annual maintenance before storing it in early 2019. Yesterday I decided to split some wood from a maple that came down a few weeks ago. Got the splitter...

We live out in the middle of nowhere, but 100 years ago our town (Toano VA) was a center of commerce in part due to the railway, and there is a ton of rail history here. Just a couple miles from our home, there is an abandoned building next to the tracks that used to serve as a mail...

Working from home gives me a couple extra hours every day, so I have been able to get a move on the new stairs and knock them out quickly. Thankfully I had bought materials and hardware weeks ago. (Note top step isn't installed yet, since I need to access the area for electrical). I am...

I have a Wallenstein (BX-42) that has been great. But I find myself often deciding when a job is big enough to justify hooking it up and running it -- both because of time/resources and because having it on the back of the tractor takes away from other tractor capabilities. If I am clearing a...

Here's a schematic of the swivel behavior for those who can't visualize it. This motion can be simulated without even mounting on the tractor -- all the swivel action is in the linkages. The upper mount "yoke" has to be on the outside of the angle iron uprights in order to swivel. If moved...

My neighborhood association bought a 6' bush hog from TSC and I have been using it to mow our trails with my L3200. The first time I hooked it up, it took 15-20 minutes and was a struggle. I ended up having to remove my stabilizer links in order to swing the lift arms wide enough to get around...

Not a great picture but here are some code-friendly Simpson screws I use interchangeably with nails in Simpson hangers (again, confirm with local building inspector first): Screws to be careful about are the generic "deck" or "construction" screws, the ones you see with a star drive and...

Wanted to bump this thread with some pictures. I had started pulling apart some steps to repair rotted areas, then we had a bad storm last weekend and a tree came down on the middle section of steps. So I am basically rebuilding one flight of the steps now. PRIOR TO TREE FALLING: AFTER...

Got the guardrail in and am almost finished grading the area. So far so good.

I put 4' LED fixtures in my barn -- they are the same form factor and mounting/wiring as fluorescents, but brighter and less energy use. Our garage had two incandescent bulbs in ceramic bases, and it was always dark in there. I bought two of these 5000 lumen units that screw right into the...

I went to a local scrap yard on my lunch break to look for bar grating. They had a few pieces, but not enough to do what I wanted and one of them was mangled a bit. As I was wandering around musing at all the wonders, I spotted a pile of fork lift forks. I was thinking of all the things I...

So I haven't had any luck finding used guardrail; closest source is about 4 hours away and it doesn't make sense to do an 8-hour round trip for the limited amount I need. I can get new guardrail but it is insanely expensive and out of consideration. Best option I am thinking of is using...

Here's my 21kW Isuzu! Had it for 6 years, never needed to use it yet (knock on wood). Just gave her a maintenance run yesterday.

I went through this same decision process, in fact there is a thread here with some conversation: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/414811-garage-door-headroom-challenge-lean.html?highlight= Here is what I ended up doing, work still in progress: This was the best solution to...

Anybody have a good solution for a trench or channel drain across a gravel (crusher run) driveway? Right now I have a very shallow swale in the driveway in front of my barn door, which helps divert water that flows down the driveway towards the barn. Works well, but I have to scrape it out...

I'm wondering if anyone has run into this -- I mortared down some concrete blocks to footings Friday (4 days ago as I write this). Due to rain and damp conditions for the last 2+ days, the mortar has never dried out and hardened. It did seem to set off and firm up in the first 24 hours, and...

You may want to look into pipe clamps to pull the panels together. In the 80s and 90s I worked for a modular building company that used a panelized wall system just like SIPS (foam core, but with steel framing around the edges). The system also used splines to join panels together. If two...

I plan to build a barn on my empty property in the next year or two, but right now I'd like electrical power to run tools and there is a transformer right there on the property line just ripe to tap into. Generally the local power company (Dominion Power) wants to see an approved site plan...

I have always liked the looks and even to this day it seems beautiful to me and sort of a timeless design. If I ever win the lottery, I would buy one to restore for sure, since I think you need a flexible/infinite/unending budget to be realistic about it. I hear the belts need to be replaced...

I keep trying to live without a sports car, but the truth is they make me happy, and I can have fun on the way to/from work. As I get older, it seems like an easy way to enjoy my time. I had been looking for a 1978-1984 Ferarri 308 (Magnum PI car) but they are pricey to find a decent one, and...

One of our fields (which gets hogged once a year every October/November) has been taken over with tickseed sunflower and looks (and smells) beautiful. Neighbors keep asking what flower it is and where I got the seed, but I had nothing to do with it (would never look that good if I did it on...

Well that is odd because the B2320, B2620, and B2920 were replaced by the B2301/B2601 a few years ago. At the time I remember the 2920 (which I owned from 2011-2013) wasn't being continued because of the Tier IV rules, so they only came out with 2301/2601 models. The old B2320 was kept around...

I ran an ethernet line out to my barn this spring, to feed an outdoor wireless router so I could have internet access. In July, we had a thunderstorm with a lot of nearby lightning strikes, and my ethernet switch (back inside house) got fried. I replaced that and was back in business until...

In my continuing quest to accumulate more dumb injuries as I age, I'm temporarily one-handed since getting stung on the left wrist Friday morning. My left hand looks like an inflated rubber glove and is useless right now. I swear, this is as bad as the log splitter injury I had a few years ago...

Happened to see this linked when looking at another video and it got steam coming out of my ears: So many things wrong with that delivery -- I would have taken time to line up the ramps, would have parked in the other direction so trailer was offloading uphill, would not have kids buzzing...

To answer Eddie's and other questions, here's a sketch that I should have uploaded to begin with: That shows what I was hoping to do but what I'm up against for overhead clearance. It seems that if I can do a bi-fold door that opens to the outside, and power it, that would take care of...

I looked at that, see attached sketch -- would have run 2x8 rafters up into the barn eaves next to existing truss tails. Then tied them to the existing header with rafter hanger brackets. Had all the details worked out and it looked doable with minimal disruption, but in the end it only bought...

I am looking to add an enclosed lean-to onto an eave wall of my barn to park a car in. Been grappling with some decisions and tradeoffs and feel like I need TBN input. In order to make this project "sane" and keep it to a short timeline with minimal disruption to the main barn, I want to have...

I noticed a dying bitternut hickory behind our house and took it down last week. I don't normally drop trees this time of year due to ticks, bugs, snakes, and heat, but hickory is like gold for me since I smoke a lot of meat and fish. The outer parts of the tree were spalted with some bugs in...

Noticed the other day that my aluminum helmet is corroding where the steel strap clips touch the helmet. I have always liked the aluminum dome helmets for the classic look (and for felling I do not want a face mask) but maybe I'll try plastic for the next one. I suspect it's sweat causing a...

We're looking at putting in a pool for my daughter, something fairly simple where I do most of the work (wife vetoed my "backhoe and a tarp" idea so it will be a couple steps above that). A big expense will be the safety barrier, which my county is very strict about. If we go with an...

For a pole barn you only need to make the worksite level enough to work on. You can backfill inside the barn (inside skirt boards) afterwards for final leveling. Whether or not this makes sense depends on the barn, the site, available pole length, and other factors, so I'm just giving general...

Here's the B and L loaders compared:

I have acres of pines about 60-70' tall. When I need to clear an area, I drop the trees, limb them, then use a rope and fairlead (pulley mounted up in another tree) to get the logs out of the woods. I normally drag the trees out whole so they are laying across my driveway, but sometimes I buck...

The owner's manual for the front loader will have a lift curve in it similar to this: Out back, the PTO is the part that rotates and turns machinery -- the "3-point" is the part that lifts stuff. Should be good specs for that in the owner's manual too.

Here's a typical curve:

Here are a couple pics of the way things are supposed to be done. First, here's an "all window" wall with proper framing and arrangement of kings, jacks, and headers: If you know how to study the tributary loads you can see how it takes a distributed roof load on the top (one big wide...

Cut down an 80 year old white oak yesterday, another lightning strike casualty. Middle third of the tree is too rotten to bother with, although I may see if I can salvage some good wood out of it if my last firewood pile of the season comes up short. Bottom third of the tree was in nice...

I guess I take it for granted how fast the hydraulic dump is on the Kubota RTVs -- I don't think I could tolerate anything that dumped slow like the UTVs with electric+hydraulic. That's painful to watch. Here's a load of heavy wet white oak I cut today. Was so wet my gloves got soaked from...

Here's my main logging trail -- lake size puddles all over the place. I don't think I'll be taking a tractor in there any time soon.

I know I was probably over the weight limit for the trailer and RTV with this load, but it did absolutely fine pulling and I even managed to snake out of the woods without tagging any other trees. Plus I glanced at the rear springs and I wasn't anywhere near the stops yet. I rarely use low...

Nabbed this nice red oak today: I had just gotten it all cut up this morning when frozen precip and rain started falling, so I loaded all the rounds up and called it a day. I had been eyeing this tree for many years since it was leaning, but decided to leave it be since it was growing...

I use this old 4x8 that I recently re-decked. Good size behind my tractor or RTV.

Headers are not needed on the gable walls, so you shouldn't even need to worry about it. Eave walls get headers and purlins, gable walls only get purlins. I would notch in the header, but use a double 2x header and only notch in the first board. The second board will then sit proud of the...

Are you looking for something temporary, or permanent? If permanent, I'd go with a pole barn and build it twice as big as you think you need. Pole barns go up quickly and are suitable for 1-2 man crews. I did a 20x20 and later added a 12x16 addition. It will serve me fine but I should have...

Glad he is doing OK, he always had great advice and was patient with dumb questions. I think of Shield Arc every time I weld something complicated and have to weld upside down or uphill or in a corner. If all my welds were on a flat surface with a butt joint, I'd be golden, but alas those...

I had to stop by my Stihl dealer to get some files today and ogled the 261: I had one of these a few years back (sold it to a member here) and it was a darn good saw. Stihl lightened the powerhead a couple years ago and the new version indeed has nicer balance than I remember. What I don't...

I've built a lot of decks attached to homes, but last year I built a freestanding deck for our back yard. It's in a resource protection area near the waterline, so it couldn't be a permanent structure. I also wanted it low to the ground so it wouldn't obstruct views from our home and didn't...

After Christmas, I got to looking at all my firewood stacks and decided to build a wood shed to try and consolidate and neaten things up in the future. I did a lot of research on the internet looking at designs and what other folks had done, and ended up going with a pole barn structure. All...

Normally I use my tractor or RTV or both to deal with big tree jobs, but last week I had to clean up a fallen oak that was 2 miles down the road and on a trail in the woods. So I hitched up an old 4x8 utility trailer to my RTV and that worked out well. I liked it so much I am using that...

I last looked at a Mule in 2016 and don't know if they have changed the bed since then, but I remember it had a steel frame but plastic/composite panels on the inside, and it didn't seem stout to me. Tailgate was all molded plastic and not substantial. The Kubota bed and tailgate is steel...

Tongs would work, but I suspect a choker chain would too. Are there any large trees in the area? If so, you could use the tractor to place the RR ties on one side of the stream, more or less aimed in the right orientation, then setup a fairlead up in a tree on the opposite side of the stream...

Saw this guy at the quarry last week, he’s about 1300 to 1500 lbs over the GVWR for that poor truck. It was riding on the stops and not looking too good. Neat trick getting the scale to read 7000 on the nose.

So I powerwashed the stairs down to my pier for the first time in the 5 years since I built them. The stairs weren't that dirty -- the main reason I powerwashed was to get rid of algae on some of the stair treads that was slippery when it rained. After getting the stairs clean, I noticed rot...

Hasn't been an issue on my Kubotas -- I mount the lights there on all of them. But I can see how it might be a problem on a smaller tractor like a BX though, as the ROPS is a lot shorter and narrower on those.

The easiest will be to tie into the work light circuit, which runs a wire to one of the rear fenders already (normally the left). Tie into that and then add a switch (or switches) at the rear of the tractor. As far as mounting, I am amazed more people don't use the threaded mounts already on...

This is what I use on my tractors, about $20 at TSC:

I buck the logs into 4' lengths and "crib" them like this, no tarp: I wouldn't let them sit more than 1-2 years if you can help it. I had let one stack sit for 3 years and the wood had partially rotted.

Need to factor in lift height -- the L lifts 8-10" higher than the B and ratings are given at each loader's max height. At 8-10" lower, the L will have more capacity than the B. You need to study the lift curves to make a fair comparison. Here's a comparison of the two loaders based on the...