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I've noticed that some do have a hard time believing things here. Anyway, does 1-1/4-ton sound better? You can look up M715s, for example, or in this case an M1008. It's pretty much standard that the military counterpart of a civilian vehicle gets an extra 1/4-ton added to its designation.

I think it's 350 kg. Either way, they can indeed be registered in the USA. I never bothered to register mine since it's not driven much on public roads.

Speaking of dump trailers, there are times when a 5/4-ton tow vehicle is better than a 1/2-ton, even without the 8' bed. Today was such a day.

At least 12 feet wide at our local gravel pit. Needed a little road base and the only suitable trailer I had here at the time was the little 10' dump. The loader operator was nice and didn't want any to bounce onto my tailgate, letting the excess spill over at the rear instead, which could only...

Don't think there's a Charger anymore, or yet, since the new EV is supposed to be called that. But there's always the wonderful Hornet.

Now that you mention it, these Daihatsu HiJets have a load capacity very close to the lowest rated 1/2-tons. We have two 3500s like that. In this case the simple explanation is that they're never used with bumper pull trailers, and the loads go in or on trailers, not on their beds. Had a...

It may only apply to cab and chassis models, but I'm pretty sure that you can order even a Laramie with vinyl floor.

When my GM crew cab dually 4X4 was on the ragged edge for what it was asked to do (weight, brakes, and power) a friend at a dealership suggested getting a medium duty. I liked the idea of the stouter vehicle, but looking into them i found that they weren't exactly cheap, and that parts were...

Not counting the trailers that very rarely or never never see public roads, my lightest one probably weighs around 4,000 or so. That wouldn't leave much for any load on it if pulled by a 1/2-ton. Another part of the equation is that they're goosenecks. The one redeeming factor of bumper pulls...

Could be. Or someone who's posts are interpreted with some bias. Come to think of it, please point me in the direction of a 1/2-ton that'll replace a few of our vehicles, and doing a better job at it.

What the...? Did I not explain clearly enough that my 1500's 5'6" bed is shorter than my 3500's 9' bed??

I thought I gave you numbers from within the past two years, but if they don't count I suppose I have to give up.

Of course I'm wrong, not falling heads over heels for current 1/2-tons and their J2807 ratings. And as pointed out in the other thread, I don't need or want an 8' bed. It's quite rare that I have anything in a pickup bed these days. But I do have multiple trailers, none of which I tow (even on...

In the "75% of truck owners..." thread that change hasn't quite sunk in yet. There I feel like a 1-man army against the 1/2-ton crowd.

Sorry, but I'm getting tired of this. I have provided my thoughts and real life numbers, if that doesn't suit you so be it. And I have to give you credit for not being as rabid as much of the EV crowd is.

Wow! For a while I thought I was the only one noticing the difference.

Maybe not 30 years, but around 50 years ago they could. I'd like to see a mid 80's 11'6" Lance on a modern 1/2-ton. Okay, I wouldn't. It'd be ugly and wouldn't end well.

I don't think that a direct answer to your question should be considered a deflection. Maybe we're getting blanket statements mixed up here? Either way, I still feel that 1500s are basically cars with tiny beds. I'm not sure you can still get an 8' bed on a 1/2-ton, but even if you can there's...

So what you're implying is that you know what my mileage, insurance cost, registration and repair costs are? That's a bit creepy since I usually have to look those numbers up to be sure.

Thankfully, enough hard work (and not having kids surely helps) I've been able to buy if not the best but a very close tool for the job. But despite having several vehicles, not a single one can do everything.

The only time I really worried about mileage was when making a 1,000 mile drive every two weeks for a couple of years. And the main reason for that was because I really wanted to get from A to B with only one stop for gas. That was with $4+ per gallon, by the way. With a gasser Ram 2500...

No, and living in SoCal I saw no reason to convert it. Don't remember the numbers, but that wagon also (understandably) had a higher payload rating than a mid 2000's 1/2-ton GM pickup.

With the '14 V6 I usually managed mid 20s in the summer. Even keeping it under 80 for the most part, 16 mpg is about as good as it gets with the V8.

Not sure what made you think my 1500 has an 8' foot bed. And the 3500 has a 9' bed, by the way. Not that bed length really matters in either case. The 1500 has had bags of softener salt and cases of water in the back, and except for the aforementioned two pieces of steel that's all it has ever...

Modern 1/2-tons have higher tow ratings, yes, but but that doesn't make me want to tow with mine. And a payload of 1,360 lbs. is nothing to brag about, especially if towing at max and 1,215 of those 1,360 is used up on tongue weight. Of course, in real life that would require a WD hitch, so...

That's probably lawyer related here in the USA.

Okay, maybe my '05 Chevy and '14 Ram 1500 weren't modern enough, but I'd like to think that the '21 Ram 1500 is.

To me, the mid west is the middle of the western half of the country, which puts me in the Rockies. Yes, we have salt on the roads around here, but I'll take salt over magnesium chloride any day. They use that purely evil stuff in parts of Colorado.

They are basic lasso straps. Those or wheel nets is all I use, unless the vehicle in question is so heavy that chains are warranted. And by the time they're closer to 15,000 lbs. there's usually places to attach chains without causing any damage. Here's an example of lasso straps used in two...

So did my ex's Chevy station wagon. Well, you had to fold the rear seats to put sheets of plywood in it, but it was definitely a car. With a frame, and larger engine, transmission, and rear axle, than a Ram 1500.

I started out with a '76 GMC 3/4-ton Bonus Cab SRW, 350/350 and 4.10s. Had a bit under 100,000 on it when I bought it. Wouldn't exactly call it slow, until I put an 11.6 camper on it and towing a Jeep up the grades in the Sierra Nevada. And that 4,000 lb. or so Lance was about all it could...

And that's because of largely unrealistic J2708 ratings, not because the F350 was a lesser vehicle. Again, that was before they started downsizing the mechanical bits and overestimating the capabilities of the late model stuff.

My counterpoints to this, whether you consider them valid or not, are that 1500s are basically cars with tiny beds. If I want to drive a car, I'll drive one. If I need a pickup, I'll take it instead. Blanket statements like worse mileage, higher insurance and registration, and repair costs...

You can get a well equipped 2500 or 3500 with a Cummins for less than that...instead of a car with a tiny bed on the back.

I don't want to use 4WD unless it's needed. If for no other reason, unlike AWD it forces tires to slip when going through a curve since the four tires have to take a slightly different path. I want all the traction I can get, including lateral. And unless all the tires are at the correct...

Kids of a friend of mine used to embarrass many "four wheelers" on Moab trails, using junkers from his collection of scrap worthy cars. They got quite a few laughs and encouraging comments from bystanders, but I never heard a Jeep owner congratulate them on making an obstacle that he had failed.

Why. if don't mind me asking?

4WD is useless - until you need it. Somewhat like a winch. I've used 4WD exactly one time on my '17, and that was because it wouldn't make it up to a 10,000' pass in 2WD. Which I thought was a bit odd since there was very little snow on the road. Getting close to the crest where the wind had...

There are times when I only tow something with my 3500 three times in a year. On the other hand, it doesn't get driven unless there's a trailer behind it, which is why it sees just under 5,000 miles per year on average.

You mean like this? Well, in this case the cause was that the pump was timed for sea level, maybe even below. But diesels, like any engine, doesn't like to idle. They're made to work. Supposedly older OTR tractor engines had rings that weren't even meant to seal at idle. They didn't blow up...

Last I heard they were still in the process of converting, inch by inch.

I thought there were a lot of diesels running constant loads, like generators, in locomotives, boats, and many other applications.

Ah, I had try mastering a whopping 110 hp. Actually, I did the exact opposite. The more it snowed the better, so in good snow storms I was out there slipping and sliding having great fun. Pretty much alone. A few years later I really got into 4-wheeling and quickly learned that 4WD can indeed...

Starting my driving career with a basic light 2-seater car on somewhat worn all season tires, and living on a hill, I'm quite familiar with the running start scenario. What I did my best to avoid was spinning the tires, though. Once losing traction I was done.

It's amazing, really, that people did get around on bias ply tires and with 2WD decades ago. It's almost as if they knew how to drive.

That's two separate issues. With something like a Harbor Freight "battery tender" I could see that happening, but not with something legit.

That sounds familiar. And sure enough, after getting the standby generator the power had failed a lot less often. No I'll have to try getting the little portable generator running after having ignored it for some six years. Need to do a bit of welding beyond what I have extension cables for...

OP, if you're in Colorado we can't be too far apart, and I have a 10K Winco that I have never used, or finished welding up the 3-point mount for. I bought that one because I liked that it's geared to run at a bit less than 540 rpm, but ended up getting a standby generator so it's for sale...

My mistake. Except that the weld is always in the center of a flat part, not along an edge. At least I've never seen tubing that wasn't welded that way.

Most likely it was tightened by the dealer. And I've seen them over tighten couplers more often than not. Now the bolt has created a weak spot, which I think is why the (most likely) freeze induced crack started in line with the bolt.

I don't understand how that would make it crack where it did. The set bolt being over tightened at some point probably didn't help, much like the regular round couplers tend to fail in line with the bolts.

Looks like I lucked out with my coupler. Was ready to drill a drain hole, only to discover that a sloppy weld had already done the job for me.

I don't have to mess by trees often, but clamped a pair of smaller (flat glass) mirrors to the grab handles to better see the outer edges of blades and mowers. They're quite a bit farther in than the factory mirrors and have never been knocked out of position.

Mine are adjustable by about two inches. The holes are slotted. I've never thought of having them adjusted below grade.

That'd be what I'd do. At least I see no reason why the round ones would be any better than the OE L-shaped ones. Okay, easier to install and remove I suppose, but using the cordless impact twice a year is no big deal to me.

Mine has brackets for L-shaped skids near the ends of the blade. Maybe yours also does?

Yup, adding lightness does wonders for performance, including handling.

Looks like they made mounts for regular round ones, common on lighter blades.

I've seen them drive on sidewalks in Italy, designed for it or not. Had five or six of those pictured (real) 500s, and they could be made to handle very well simply by lowering them. One got its 18-1/2 hp engine changed to a 40 hp Abarth version...that was a fun car. Beat a V8 Chevelle from...

No, I didn't mean at speed, but the aspect ratio can make a big difference when it comes to a tire's flotation abilities. More sidewall height is rarely a bad thing when off the pavement, allowing for a larger contact patch. Plus it tends to create more volume, which is also a very good thing...

If only you had a trailer....oh, never mind. For the blade angle and offset, look at what Surplus Center has with the correct strokes, or close to it. Ideally also with the correct ends, but those aren't too hard to modify if you have a welder. It may not be for a couple of days, but I could...

Depends on the gear ratio and tire size. With tall tires and gearing in the mid 2s it wouldn't turn particularly fast, but with short tires and something like 4.88s it would.

I suppose it could be classified as an implement since the knuckle boom crane on my Unimog is a detachable "implement". And the Unimog itself can certainly be regarded as a tractor. Anyway, OSHA would have a conniption fit if they saw this (deemed okay for military usage) setup. At first I was...

Nice to see I'm not the only one who starts them more seldom and then let them run until fully warmed up. I cringe when people leave generators on the factory setting, starting once a week then run for five minutes.

That guy must not have had a single thought about load placement...or any other logical things.

Umm, I do enjoy my time outdoors (as explained earlier in this thread), but there are times when having the cab is about the only way to truly enjoy it. Besides, I'm not interested in getting an office or factory job. Can barely keep up with everything that should/needs be done around here, so...

Most people don't realize that it's the air volume in a tire that supports the weight, so thanks for bringing that up. In that sense the tire is simply a vessel for the air. With two ways to have a higher volume, a larger tire or higher inflation pressure, it largely explains the single vs...

I'm glad I saw this thread. Was going to remove the crank handle once the height of the coupler on my new trailer is set correctly. Now I know to also cover the top...or drill a drain hole at the bottom.

I dunno. Lived in Socal for quite some time, in an extreme fire hazard area, and power outages didn't equal fires.

There's more to it than if a vehicle has tandem axles and singles or tandems with duals. A lot of other things factor in. When getting my M936, which should have duals, I specified 14R20 singles instead, knowing damn well that otherwise (at best) I'd leave deep tracks...or get stuck. The...

I really should get a current Epipen.

I'll keep that in mind if I ever come across a python. Funny thing, when I first came over to the USA I was convinced that I'd die within three minutes if bit by a rattle snake, just like in the movies. In reality I probably would have died simply because of mind over matter. Surely there...

Never did bother with airing the tow vehicle down. It was much quicker to leave in Drive, then hop in the Jeep and push it out. That was one (the only?) advantage of flat towing.

If only getting one implement at first, I'd definitely start with a heavy 3-way blade. I really like my Bison NVHL 270XHD, which is probably borderline too heavy for the M6040, but works really well. Looking at the photos I'm pretty sure that dragging the blade angled at 30-40 degrees several...

Not that I fully understand how it really works, but let's say that you have a pair of duals with 5" wide tread each. In theory that should equal a single 10" wide tire, but it doesn't. Far from it. Learned that lesson very quickly the first time hitting the beach with a dually, with the same...

No, never did care for beadlock wheels. And yes, the tires would turn on the wheels. Especially the right rear. At first I repositioned them on the wheel, but then realized that it was much quicker to just swap them side to side and letting them go back to (and a bit past) where they should be...

Anything heavy can be a biotch in sand, and much more so with duals. My light Jeep with oversize tires at 1 psi on the other hand...

I have one photo of a very rear heavy dump trailer being towed, predictably resulting in sway at the first mild downhill. You want me to find it?

A Mercedes SUV did its best to try to kill me in the dunes that way. Nothing like being at the top, halfway through shooting a bowl, only to have a yaw sensor (or whatever) shut the power off at the most critical moment. It would've been several rolls before reaching the bottom had my near...

On the positive side, since you had played around with the car and learned its behavior and limits, that trip to the hospital was far less risky.

Haven't tried the AWD Challenger on gravel or dirt yet. but on pavement it's better at flinging around curves than the 6.2 Challenger is. At first I credited the AWD, but now I'm relatively sure that it's due to the lower weight of the engine. And I'm all for making whatever I want to work by...

Thankfully, on the ones that have traction control I can turn it off. One that bugs me is the Challenger GT AWD since it engages the front when the temp is 40 or below (among other avoidable things), which is generally every morning here for nine months or so of the year. I've started looking...

I like drifting. That's one reason I don't mind snow and ice. Much easier to go sideways then, and it's doable at much lower speeds.

That's not an all bad price if you don't feel like shopping around...and waiting a bit. Wish I had more time available and that we could've worked something out. Then again, with the heat in Texas...

Those $2,300 is for how many miles? You might luck out and find a transporter that happens to have enough empty space on the trailer to get the price down quite a bit, especially since the weight shouldn't be an issue. And refresh my memory, please, is this a cabbed tractor? If so I'd prefer...

California, I just noticed your "An hour north of San Francisco" location. Heck, it's been decades since I ventured in there, but even then, if starting in San Francisco I'd still be in San Francisco after an hour of driving.

Nacogdoches would be a bit far for my liking. That's about as far as I drove to pick up my 35' trailer in eastern Texas, some 850 miles. That was a long day. And it was much cooler there then.

I could bring it closer to you for a (not necessarily small) fee. Well, maybe smaller than yours since I don't stop for unnecessary things like food or motels. Besides, if you then show up with a gooseneck ball taped to your rental's bed you could take off with the trailer loaded, as is. We...

If only you had a trailer. What state is it in?

I know. Just couldn't resist rubbing it in.

I can relate to that, Renze, missing many nuances and especially references to the American past.

Hmm. Maybe we should discuss you buying a trailer....??

Yep, both sounds very familiar to me.

Yeah, I didn't mean that there's much confusion it the towing department, but in general. As mentioned above, including by you, the powers don't always know what they're doing or legislating about. But it sounds good to non-thinking individuals.

Somewhat morbid perhaps, but how about widows nearby, or people that are selling their house with some land? Chances are they have tractor left over. If it's not what you need/want, it could still serve as a trade-in if the price is right. If I had to buy one now I'd probably start with looking...

Somebody mentioned that without a cab it's easier to hear what the tractor is doing, or something to that effect. Well, I'm used to a perfectly quiet environment so when using the small open tractors I wear ear protection. And I can still hear (and feel) if everything sounds right. When in the...

Have you checked neighboring states? I rarely buy anything from here, normally vehicles, tractors, etc. are bought from a state or four away.

Well, in my case it's largely because it's quicker to hop on the little cab-less one since it sits outside...and it is quicker for many small tasks. No point in getting the larger one out of the garage if the weather is decent, there won't be any dust, and there's no need for its superior...

I'd think it'd take about two feet of water or more to affect a tractor that size. Any way to find out how deep it was?

Oh, there's plenty of confusion alright. That's one reason things have be strictly regulated and with few choices. That looks exactly like what I removed from my little dump trailer. Hated that coupler....almost as much as the really chinzy Harbor Freight ones. With a tow ring welded in its...

The 12.5-16s shouldn't be a problem for my tire machine...but are for my back. Building a small crane for the heavier tire and wheel combinations has been on the list for a while.

That would depend on how many rocks are laying up there on those branches.

I guess your tire machine doesn't automatically break the inner bead, too? It's in a container, probably partially buried, but I'll try to remember finding it.

The manufacturer would know. I bought a gallon of one of the kinds mentioned above (kind of greenish, but not Slime), put it in two tires and still fighting with what it did to the rims. That was over 30 years ago and the stuff refuses to solidify. Maybe I should feed it to the prairie dogs?

There's are close to 1,400 hrs on the M6040 (cab) since '10, so about 60/year on average. The open L3800 has almost 500 on it since '13, so close to 41 hrs/year. Meanwhile, the open BX25D bought in '14 is still not at 150, for somewhat obvious reasons. And the hours would be much lower if...

I'm lucky not to have a farm, I guess. Although, some neighbors claim that they have a ranch because they have 10 acres and maybe a poodle. Not that there aren't actual farms and ranches around here, there's quite a few. Anyway, I don't have any of those totes in the garage, or house. The...

That doesn't surprise me. It is California after all. Anyway, yet another reason to have the fuel delivered. Although, that may also be illegal there.

I definitely like the cab when clearing snow, but I tolerate heat much less than I do cold so when it gets to 75 and above the cab is a near must for me. If we also had humidity I'd be a hurting pup at lower temps than that.

If memory serves me, I paid about $60 a piece for mine (bought six). They came from a brewery and needed to be rinsed out, but that was easy enough to do. Not knowing how that plastic holds up to our brutal UV I keep them in the shade. If you really want to be cheap, set one at whatever...

It might vary between suppliers, but here I think it's a 300-gallon minimum. That means you could get by with a cheap 325 gallon tote. So what if it lasts you three years or more? It doesn't go bad.

Yeah, my jug sits on a top shelf, since I don't need to reach it.

Can't you get it delivered?

Yep. Running a snowblower without a cab is the true definition of misery.

Wow, I'm usually done after only six hours of pulling the 10' mower in a day. By the third day I really don't feel like doing it anymore. Without a cab I'd probably only last a couple of hours per day, and hot here is 80 degrees. When not mowing, I tend to change implements somewhat...

How do you deal with the condensation?

Isn't a soft cab as miserable as a Jeep's soft top? At least with the Jeep there's a glass windshield and wipers.

So glad I got a cab. Helps a lot whether it's cold, warm, dusty, or raining. Yet, I use the little tractor that only has a canopy a lot more often...when the weather permits.

I can definitely see why a tire store would prefer the beads. It's much quicker to throw a bag into a tire than to balance it. Of course, the next store will hate it, especially if they don't know there are beads in the tire and spend much time trying to balance the tire, only to get different...

A liquid would act much like balancing beads, I'd imagine. And those beads really only work well in narrow tires that are 40 inches tall or better. That's one reason the ads tend to show tractor trailers, not cars or pickups. Full disclaimer: I am definitely not a fan of balancing beads, having...

Maybe. But 30 mph is about all you want to do in many military vehicles.

That almost sounds like having used the wrong Howes, not the version with anti-gel. Using normal dosage I haven't had any issues yet, but then again, it also hasn't been below -22 since I moved here.

Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any water in the tractors' separators, either. That's after about 10 years of filling from a metal tank sitting outside. It has a normal filter with a drain, and have never seen any water coming out of that one. That tank gets filled from 325 gallon...

I don't have any large tanks, just a couple of 200-gallon LeeAgra steel tanks and five or six 325-gallon totes, plus a little 150-gallon one in a trailer used to feed the generator...the one with the oldest fuel in it. It was a pleasant surprise that not even the steel tanks, sitting in the sun...

I'm fortunate in that condensation isn't an issue here, but most general additives can take care of some water. If nothing else, the strainer on the tractor should. The real issue with water in the fuel tank is that it allows bacteria to grow (it's not algae). If so, BioBor works well.

Wow. 28 mm is a meaningful hole.

Why would four year old fuel not work well?

Yes, more tongue weight is definitely preferable...if the tow vehicle can handle it.

Welllll, "will tow" according to J2807, but is it smart to try doing it? It's kinda sad that so many fall for those advertised numbers. And that very few actually use the required weight distributing hitch.

I've been driving crew cabs since before they were popular and became common. It wasn't that I needed the seating (actually removed the rear seat in most of them) but because it didn't take me long to realize how helpful the longer wheelbase and extra weight is. Was only half joking when...

Well, that wasn't heavy towing by a long shot. Probably had some 4.000 to 5,000 lbs. in the trailer, at the most. Of course, wind resistance is usually a bigger factor with enclosed trailers than the weight is. Around 10-12 mpg was what my 2500 with a 5.7 and 6-speed auto got when pulling that...

Meh. Those little 1/2-tons are great for towing...and get good mileage.

I don't put much trust in reviews. I often look for items at places like eTrailer, then once having decided what to get/what exists, buy it at a better price from somewhere else.

Keep in mind that using sealant in tires on regular road going vehicles affects the balance.

Yes, towing often with the Ecoboost will surely be a disappointment in the mpg department. Having driven the same 1,000-mile stretch on a bi-weekly basis for a couple of years, generally pulling the 16' enclosed trailer with a Ram 2500 gasser, I knew quite well what to expect mileage wise. Was...

Unfortunately the contents of the wallet can't overcome simple physics. Towing is best done with a heavy vehicle with a long wheelbase. That rules out any 1/2-ton. Unless actually believing the skewed J2807 test results. That the 3.5 liter will be wheezing and use more gas than a 460 would...

The Motor Oil Geek.

Sounds like it wasn't so much the weight as too little tongue weight.

Unless you use a good sealant, or good tire plugs.

That lack of weight can work for you...or against you. I wouldn't pull the harrow with the M1008 (although it certainly could), and the UTV couldn't deal with the dump trailer.

I'd say it absolutely does. You still need to be close, but nowhere near as precise. It's especially helpful when grabbing a trailer with the tractor, just back up to the trailer and hook it. I often do not latch the pintle hook since the tongue weight keeps it in place while moving the trailer.

There are adjustable versions and I have a few, I just don't like using them. Instead, making the trailer match the height of the receiver minimizes the torsional stresses on the receiver.

Be careful with what engine you add ATF to. Modern high pressure systems apparently doesn't like ATF at all, and it doesn't help that supposedly newer ATF isn't even made to burn. Old engines with mechanical pumps are quite tolerant, but that doesn't mean pouring all kinds of stuff into the...

But...but...we just learned that the system is most likely already clean.

They may be hard to beat, but they're also a pain to install. And if there's any slippage between the tire and wheel, at a minimum the tire's outer bead needs to be broken and the tube rotated to match the hole in the rim again. Just the other day I had a worst case example, where the valve...

Have you been spying on me?? My favorite is when I get it very near perfect, then decide to go for absolute perfection...and screw it all up.

In my case I'm not sure a "floor" would do any good. That ditch has had large amounts of water in it once in 15 years, a result of me screwing up with a smaller irrigation ditch some 200 feet away. Normally it only deals with rain (small watershed) and snow melt. The latter mostly because I...

That would make me want to try cutting a 24" culvert in half. Okay, it would surely sink in to some extent, so maybe starting with a 36". Or weld in some supports on the bottom to help keep the edges from sinking in.

If they're equally affordable and simple to lengthen, I may be interested at some point in the future.

Which is why I wrote "Unrelated".

Advertising and relentless sponsorships in some motorsports venues is my guess.

I haven't had any good or bad results with Lucas products, never having used them. Except for that 1/4 of a bottle of fuel treatment. It's spending hours finding and reading test results that has formed my opinion. Haven't checked, but if "The Motor Oil Geek" has included Lucas in a test, that...

This is why I have so little above the recently lengthened culvert. The elevation of the culvert is set by the ditch, and then the sections of driveway on the sides of it are where they are. I did not want a hump over the culvert, for a couple of reasons, snow plowing being one. That's...

Unrelated, but there are 2-inch balls rated at 10K. Had to search for a while after buying a little 10' Thule 3-way dump trailer that came with a 2" coupler and needed more than a typical 2" ball. Eventually got really tired of hooking up that special (and swiveling) coupler, lopped it off and...

Yep, Opti-Lube is on the opposite end of Lucas on the test spectrum. Good stuff. I have a bottle I use sparingly.

I've managed to bend the axle a bit on one 4x8 by overloading it big time, but a weak spot is where the two halves come together in the middle. Some reinforcements in that area took care of it.

I really lucked out with my driveway widening, getting decent rain almost every afternoon, so compaction was relatively easy on a layer at a time. Of course, this fill was no more than three feet thick, and I was pleasantly surprised when "testing" it with the M936 once it had dried out a bit...

Even the first 4x8 Harbor Freight trailer I bought in the '90s came with a 2-inch coupler. Of course, they're rated at a whopping 2,000 lbs. Pieces of crap, really, but cheap enough to have around and use on the property when real trailers aren't needed. Well, at least they used to be cheap.

I think most people, myself included, use additives to avoid problems in the first place. Had to use 911 in my Peterbilt shortly after moving here, one lesson learned. Being very skeptical about additives (and many other things) I did a fair amount of research on anything that went into my...

I bought an ex Postal Jeep about that long ago for $600, converted it to 4WD, installed an onboard welder, compressor, etc., which made it a very useful vehicle. Still have it, but these days the Can-Am Defender is getting used more than the Jeep is. There are many things the Can-Am is better...

You may want to consider that Lucas consistently place at or near the bottom in all tests having to do with lubricity. I use mostly Howes, both in storage tanks and vehicles. Still too early to tell if the diesel version of Star Tron is even nearly as good as the gas one, but my 15Kw generator...

True, in his case it helps. For me, I have to go by what depth the ditch is (pictured was a drain) and ideally I can keep the level uniform on both sides of it. That described 24" culvert does have a somewhat substantial hump over it and bridges the main irrigation ditch. Sure, I could easily...

Uh, oh. That sounds like the little 12" culvert I just lengthened won't make it. Well, I'm not worried. With a few culverts like that, all of which have survived so far, it might live. After all, the 24" one that has supported dozens of fully loaded end dumps and other machinery over the...

I should probably explain my fetish for having receiver tubing on most everything. I've put them on regular blades, box blades, trailers (front and rear), you name it. This allows my to put just about anything anywhere, and only need a few pintle hooks and tow rings. For example, that...

No, I meant a lunette, or tow ring as they're also called. After all, we are discussing couplers for trailers, right? The pintle hook normally goes on the vehicle that pulls the trailer with the lunette. Admittedly, not that I remember why, but one time I did indeed put the pintle hook on the...

I don't think it matters for how long somebody has been towing, but what does count is what they're towing. I doubt that there are many trailers with a 7,000 lb. GVWR or more that doesn't come with at least a 2-5/16" coupler. Or a 3", or a lunette eye. And then there are 5th wheels.

I think it's more likely that the coupler was larger than the ball. That could very well be a 2-5/16 coupler. And if they didn't have the correct tools, changing the ball instead was ruled out in favor of a destined to fail coupler change.

It's not that fun to get it all over the tire machine, either.

Maybe I'm over simplifying it, but I use a low pressure pencil type gauge no matter where the stem is positioned. At first I thought the gauge would possibly get ruined by whatever the dealer put in the rears when the tractor was new 15 years ago, but so far it's hanging in there.

Oh, I probably could have, but it'd been a bit costly and work intensive. As delivered, all the hydraulics are operated through switches and would've had to be converted to valves, so I could adjust at least the height of the mover with some precision. The ground next to my ditches isn't...

If they wear out quickly enough it probably doesn't matter that they're already two years old. Larger commercial tires, like 11R24.5s, are generally good for up to 10 years.

Yep, you got it. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a tunnel washer until I ended up owning one (kind of a long story). The original idea was to run the snowblower off of it since it has front and rear PTOs and hydraulics (and the 2,000:1 lower gearing), but once I figured the washer...

I'm fortunate that here a basic license allows me to max out my 3500 (14,000 GVWR) and trailer (25,000 GVWR). Most of my trailering miles are out of state, went through three states to get the pictured machinery (about 16,000 lbs.) and I have yet to be hassled by any cops or scales. Not that I...

Another vote for Tire Ject. It has stopped several tires (and a couple of wheels) from leaking slowly, the only product I've tried that really did work. Although, I'm willing to try that Flat Out stuff.

I've been meaning to call PulseTech and ask what cut-out voltage they use. On the Canadus desulfators it's usually right about 13 volts, some a little less, some a bit more. Either way, once the battery drops below that threshold they turn off. I sure hope the PulseTech ones I recently bought...

I have mostly BatteryMINDer and PulseTech, but also a couple of Jacobs Electronics and a CTEK. Often useful is an elderly Sears 2/10 Amp completely unsmart charger, generally used to slow charge dead or near dead batteries enough to make a good one recognize the battery.

You're right. Thanks for refreshing my memory. Both should ideally be adjusted. Like you I asked about AGM charging and they sent me a couple that were adjusted. Sometime later they (okay, it was the owner) told me how to do it myself. Unfortunately, if he's even still alive, or owns the...

Unfortunately, the odds I'll find those notes are very slim. I played around with them at about the time you got yours. Haven't lost one yet, by the way, some having run almost constantly. Guess one of us could try tweaking one and see what happens. For some reason I think the one at the upper...

I wish I would remember which pot to adjust for what on the early BatteryMINDers, or find my notes. After learning how to set them for more AGM friendly values I modified three of four of them, then marked them accordingly. Didn't know that the Harbor Freight ones were off on voltages, but I'm...

That doesn't necessarily indicate that they're spinning. It doesn't take much of a turn to make the left and right sides to travel different distances. Another reason, although unlikely, could be that even at the same pressure both tires don't have the same static loaded radius (the distance...

I had a very stubborn pin on a 40 year old Case 580. That it had very low hours on it probably didn't help. Days of soaking with 50/50 acetone and atf, sledge hammers, etc. only lead to mushrooming the end of it. Eventually got it out after welding a Peterbilt lug nut to it and hitting that...

Try Safety Seal. Their plugs work great. Since you'll never get them hot by driving, like with a car, don't cut the excess off and light the ends on fire instead. That'll vulcanize the fix in a minute. Of course, do put the fire out before it's all burnt.

Very true, but the forces involved are still higher than with a steady pull, all other things being equal. I started my unstucking career with chains (broke quite a few), then went to straps when they became available where I lived. Kinetic ropes are another level better yet, and I have a...

I hate to admit it, but I don't recall ever checking it. I'll be happy to find out for you later today or tomorrow. That one is a '13 with only some 560 some hours on it so I'd expect the tires to still look good. Can't say the same about the fronts, though. They're about half gone already...

I'm close to finishing up some driveway fixes, having used dirt, 4-, and 1" road base. 13 yards of the 4- and 16 of the base. I "cheated" and used the 10' dump trailer to move it all to where it was needed (love being able to dump to the sides), then used the L3800 with a rear blade and the...

Wow. After 1,400 hours my M6040's rear tires look like new compared to yours. Of course, 85% of the time there's something on the 3-point, but looking at the picture I can't help but wonder if you're spinning the rears somewhat frequently. I don't use 4WD unless it's needed, which is when...

Yep, battery disconnects can be quite helpful. The Unimogs can sit for a year or more without losing a lot of juice. Of course, they also have two quite large batteries.

I have plenty of 1/2" chain, which could've been attached pintle hook to pintle hook, but used a strap instead since it's just kinder to the vehicles involved. And maybe because I learned a lesson from the incident described above. With one 16,000 lb. Unimog somewhat firmly planted, another one...

That misconception didn't apply to me. That's basically what happened in my case, except the (5/16 ?) chain reached up to the roof, too.

Never did try a gel battery, just regular wet ones and AGMs, both of which are acid based. Probably wouldn't even know about them if it wasn't for chargers with a setting for gel batteries.

One drawback with the older BatteryMINDers is that if the power goes out they do indeed start depleting the battery. With maybe six of those in use, it's no big deal to unhook them if the outage is prolonged. And that's if the generator wouldn't start for some reason. An intelligent maintainer...

I recently bought a used car that has the dreaded stop/start feature. It's not a big deal to push the button on the dash to turn it off, but when I found out that it has two batteries it peaked my interest. Sure enough, there's a normal size battery and right next to it is a very tiny one...

I've suffered spending two hours to go 10 miles on a forest service "road" a number of times. Actually, the first 2/3 isn't bad at all, but towards the end even 1 mph is a bit fast due to the rocks, sharp curves, low hanging branches, and trees right next to it. Of course, it all depends on...

Don't know about the reserve capacity, but whenever the L3800 (battery now 11 years old) begins to act a little sluggish when starting it I put a Canadus on it for a week or so. Usually there's a noticeable difference within a day or two.

Unfortunately you "solved" one problem and created another. Now your alternators are hating life.

I bought a couple of 12s and one 24 V recently, once I found this much cheaper alternative to the Canadus. They 12s were $44 each. Too early to tell if they're equally effective.

Calling a Ctek a trickle charger is a slap in the face. They are very good battery maintainers.

Actually they were great, until the company changed owners. After that they were hit or miss, and now they've been getting better again.

A couple of things that can help longevity: Never let the battery go below 12.4 volts, that's supposedly when sulfation starts. Use desulfation whenever possible, no matter what. Minimize the voltage cycles the battery sees. They can take many thousands of shallow cycles, say from 12.6 to...

Very true. And apparently Odyssey batteries really don't like it.

I had a 3-point backhoe for a very short while. Dug a test hole with it, then sold it. In retrospect I kind of wish I'd kept it, but would have mounted it to a trailer instead. Still may try that, but with a small tractor with a backhoe, because it could make it easier to clean out irrigation...