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Grass, grass, everywhere this year. Anyway, this is the exit of the steeply sloped culvert, about 1/4 mile upstream of the problematic one and where the ditch is indeed wide. If only I could have all of them flow like this.

Believe it or not, I know someone who rolled a 0% loan into his new mortgage.

Same here, so everything is paid off and has been for quite a while. But yesterday I was rudely reminded of that I owe some $270,000. Not that I expect to be billed for it in normal fashion - it's just my portion of the national debt - but it bugs me.

I have a fairly large Noco jump starter, and it helped fire up my Peterbilt once. Took for granted it has lithium batteries so just like with the cordless tool batteries, it only gets charged when under supervision. Maybe that's overly cautious, but I'd hate to lose the garage and everything...

Nope, there's only a 100' section that isn't 24" (or less) wide. That one looked like a mini grand canyon because of the elevation drop of over two feet in that distance. I filled that one in then dug it out to become straight and maybe 10' wide. Put a culvert in at a somewhat severe angle...

With over 60 batteries to take care of I do my best to treat them nicely. Started using BatteryMINDers and Canadus desulfators a long time ago, later also PulseTech products. Some batteries (Optima Group 31 and normal car size, four each) were constantly on maintainers mentioned above and...

I think you're severely overestimating my puny irrigation ditch. It was 24 inches wide after the last clean-out, but that was about 10 years ago. Since then the grass has made it narrower, but the gravely and somewhat rocky bottom at this part of it tends to stay as intended. There's a 2x6 in...

I'll have to look into what a silt fence is, and how it operates. No real need to worry about pumps. Have only use a semi-trash pump one time, to get water on an area on the "wrong side" of the ditch. Of course, I also create my own silt when cleaning the ditch out, generally with a 24"...

Thanks, Peter. That's one approach I did try...with limited success. One problem is that being part of a many miles long irrigation ditch, and being at the end of it, not only is the grade minimal but the amount of water and silt varies greatly depending of what people upstream are doing...

Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but while I understand why silt settles in the culverts when I mostly block them (to use the water for irrigation), I don't understand why the silt doesn't wash away once the gates are opened again. Basically, the mound inside starts about a foot behind the gate...

Someone I know is about to buy one that's over $43K. There are other ones out there for much less that would be more suitable for his intended usage, but apparently it has to be a diesel, and must be green and yellow. It's a different version of mind over matter, I suppose.

Or, as in this case, rely on what we know about basic physics.

Around here there's no need for dozer work, but a fair amount of 4- needs to be brought in to build a driveway up sufficiently to make it work in the winter. My main driveway was already done, but I've made a few extensions and some rerouting and widening which the M6040 had no problems with...

They're definitely not cheap anymore. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Recently I decided to get a longer gooseneck flatbed, equipped like the 32' PJ I have, with hydraulic dove tail, air suspension, and disc brakes. Well, when spec'ing a 35' Diamond C the same way the MSRP was...

If only pulling stuff around on a field, or dragging a driveway, fine, but for loader work and many other things, a stick shift gets old fast.

I started looking at used L3800 size tractors, but I'm SO glad I got an M6040 (with a cab) instead. Much less land, but that's almost irrelevant to me. The M6040 can do things the L3800 my girlfriend bought a bit later could only dream about. Yet, that's the one I use most frequently since...

Well, now there's two of us that are confused. I don't even understand why they want GL-4 in the axle instead of GL-5. Anyway, take a whiff of what's in there now. Gear oil smells nothing like hydraulic fluid.

You have an HST and the manual says to use regular gear oil? Or is it for the front axle, not the transmission?

If it calls for GL-4, do not use GL-5. Not as common, but still available.

I had aluminum covers for the garage windows on the garage in SoCal that I put up when it looked threatening, which it did frequently in the fall, and the skylights had reinforced glass. Those measures were to hopefully prevent large wind borne objects on fire to penetrate.

I got tired not only of the heavy and bulky jack, but also of the very heavy fenders, springs, and wheels. Had a basic trailer jack, cut down a 7K trailer axle I had, bought some normal trailer springs and hangers, then bolted on leftover Ram DRW tires and wheels. Always liked the water...

That's just it, normally it's either one but not both, and most people don't get anywhere near the return on their investments to come out ahead with 0%. With the car loans mentioned earlier it wasn't either or and the money off (some $2K to $4K) were in addition to the incentives and rebates...

That's fully possible, but I don't like owing money. Although, I have swallowed my pride and taken loans to get a few thousand off the price of a vehicle, spending maybe $300-$400 (have to maintain the loan for 90 days) to save ten times that.

Unfortunately, 0% on a crap load of money is still a crap load. I prefer getting low pricing instead of any kind of financing.

Harbor Freight recalls the straps?

Change to lower gears in the rear axle only (and don't use 4WD) and one should be half safe.

I flat towed a very light Jeep with a V8 Dakota once. That trip ranks in the top three worst towing experiences I've had. For the return trip I asked everybody in the group for anything I could add to the load in the bed, even offered to deliver those things once back home. That helped the...

Well, you tell me, please. I only pointed out that the CGVWR changes quite a bit with gearing changes.

Okay, then I'm not legal (or safe) towing what I do with my 3500. But had I ordered 4.10s instead of 3.73s I would've been quite close to legal.

It sure seems so. Of course, I only dug down to about eight inches, but it was in quite well packed dirt and some 4- (driveway). It did lift the rear a little once, but that was more operator error than the Kioti being too light.

Another thing. Apparently the backhoe comes with a 7" bucket, which to me would've been all but useless. Thankfully the dealer was nice enough to give me a 16" one instead, which is just about perfect for my needs.

I like it a lot. As mentioned, it's not even comparable to a BX25D (which has the same HP), but that's mostly due to the extra weight. Now, the Kioti backhoe has many other things I prefer over the Kubota's, like that the levers for the outriggers work in the correct direction - away is down...

No, the engine. It sounds much like an overly advanced diesel, with some "pinging" if you will.

Out of curiosity, did it quiet down any after your tweaking? Not that I really need more power in the 2620 I recently bought. It puts the BX25D to shame just by being heavier, its primary task being backhoe usage. Have only used the Kioti twice so far (still under 5 hrs) and some say it could...

On my New Holland I could open the rear window if necessary.

I thought Tesla had a 2-seater in the early 2000s. Damn, I know more about EVs than I should or want to.

Thanks, BackRoad. My welds can indeed come out good at times, but normally the wind picks up as soon as I roll the welder out. Only once have the Frankenblade crabbed on me, and that was when testing how much it could deal with. At that point some dirt was going over the blade anyway, so it...

There's a reason I hardly ever watch anything on You Tube. Wikipedia has more than enough bad information, and it does't require sound.

Adding overly stout material to a damaged area is a surefire way to create new stress points. It's much better to stick with the flimsy stuff, and use appropriate transitions of material used.

Meanwhile, in California they wanted to register my K-5 Blazer as a "truck" (to get more money). After pointing out that it had a rear seat they caved, thankfully.

It cracked me up when I noticed that the insurance company calls my Jeep JK "Sport Wagon". It's about the least sporty vehicle I own...and that it's a diesel doesn't exactly help.

Yup. Not that people always like it when I refer to mine as a wagon, or station wagon, since the politically correct term is now SUV.

All my loaders have a "cross member" of sorts between the loader arms. They can't operate independently.

And that little one behind the semi trailer is a wagon, too, right? Not to be confused with a station wagon, by the way.

Well, if the engine is off and the transfer case in Neutral, it's not a powered vehicle, is it?

Leave the bucket on, raise the loader and curl the bucket in. Then it might fit. But do support the loader!

You also got one of the three right. A dump trailer was involved.

A pull trailer is still one with (at least) one axle in each end, and a steerable front axle. But you got one of the three right, I did tow it with the M6040.

Pulled a somewhat unusual combination today. Tractor towing a (effectively) pull trailer, towing a semi trailer. First one to guess reasonably close to what the combination consisted of doesn't get a price, but I'm curious what your guesses will be.

Yesterday I spent a few hours trying to straighten out what should've been a gentle 90 degree curve of maybe 3/8" rod on a hay-picker-upper thingy. In retrospect I should've cut it off, beat it into submission, the welded it back on. And if that apparatus turns out to actually function, that's...

That's for sure. I would much rather tow with a late '70s GM 1/2-ton than a '14-up Ram 1500 (don't remember when they came out with the rear coil springs). Heck, GM even had a Heavy Half, not that I remember what those consisted of. Reminds me of the first pickup I bought here, a '76 GMC Bonus...

Had a feeling that mileage would be brought up, and you're correct. With the 3500's diesel it tends to average around 10 mpg, with a very rare occasional fill-up in the low 13s. That may sound dismal, but considering the terrain, that it's always pulling something, and the speeds, it's not all...

Why would I use the 1/2-ton if I don't have to? And as mentioned, I did try. Once with the '14 and once with the '21. Same trailer. First time a 10' culvert as a "load", the second time with about 25 gallons of oil in a drum.

Well, in this case her grocery getter 1/2-ton is actually better at towing than a more basic Ram 1500 like the '14 I had. Not that she'll ever use the tow package it came with, but when I tried with mine I was surprised how well (everything is relative) the TRX did with its squishy suspension...

I don't think overthinking has been a problem, rather people underthink and don't look at their typical trailers as semi trailers. And speaking of "other uses" for con gears, after selling my Pete the only way I can easily move my two commercial style semi trailers is with the con gear. Of...

Yeah, I left out a few things in the interest of keeping it simple. Just including a con gear was a stretch, but it seemed like an easy way to show what a pull/full trailer is. I have no photos of so-called Jeeps, for example, but most have probably seen them between tractors and semi trailers...

It's still legally a converter gear, or dolly, or whatever you want to call them, but technically it's a semi trailer even when by itself. Complete with its own license plate. They have a very low tongue weight for being a semi trailer and is one of the few that you don't need to have the...

Yes, it is. It's not the size of the trailer that makes the difference, it's if part of the load is supported by the tow vehicle or not. Simplest way to provide examples is probably to look at the commercial setups, even thought commercial or regular has nothing to do with it. The pictured...

No, that's not quite how it works. A semi trailer puts a portion of its weight, loaded or not, on the tow vehicle. That's the whole reason its named "semi trailer". A pull trailer supports its own weight, and load, so it doesn't need a jack on the tongue. Okay, con gears (used to convert semi...

Yep, full (or pull) trailers are pretty rare, the ones that support all their weight, except for the minuscule weight of the draw bar/tongue. If they don't have an axle, or axles, in each end they're semi trailers, but watch people being in complete denial when pointing out that their regular...

Yeah, that's probably true. Unfortunately.

Oh, it's a nationwide thing. Probably because most are only semi aware of the trailer concept in general, thinking that a trailer behind a Class 8 is a semi and their pop-up camper is not. Even commercial drivers often claim that they drive a semi, which is odd considering that they...

Looks like high tow ratings helps sales, so I fully understand why manufacturers want them as high as possible. Unfortunately, the consumer generally doesn't question those ratings. Somebody brought up WD hitches earlier, and they are a must for the max tow ratings, also something the consumer...

That's how it is in California, and it's not only tractor trailers that are subject to the lower speed limits. They apply to anything towing something. I'm guessing you're enjoying a Charger?

Well, in real life the semi is what's being pulled by something. That 5th wheel RV is a semi trailer, too. The vast majority of trailers are. Correct, I don't like towing with 1/2-tons, and I think the J2807 ratings are often quite bogus as they tend to concentrate on having power more so than...

Who has claimed that, and why?

Playing it safe and not making the post too long. Here's where the reinforcement for the pivot came in handy. Allowed me to weld a plate to bolt the rear section to. And lastly, the pinned on tongue. Since I put receiver tubing on most of my towables, this tongue is easily extended, but so far...

Okay, better late than never, right? First one is what made this blade become fixed in the first place. The surface area taking the forces and letting it angle was way too small, so it bent. The fix was to increase and strengthen the area, and that ended up coming in handy later when attaching...

There's a reason I order my larger trailers with electric over hydraulic disc brakes. But for small trailers basic electric brakes have served me well. Also, if the trailer has leaf springs with balance beams, brakes on only the rear axle isn't half bad. It's when only the front axle has...

It wouldn't be just for towing. I bought air springs for my '14 Ram 1500 since with just five cases of water in the back I rightfully should have adjusted the headlights for the drive home from the store. Oh well, I sold that car before installing them so they're still in the box. And yes, I...

Maybe I'm overly sensitive, but to me even an empty 18-foot trailer makes itself known behind my Ram 3500, which weighs around 9,500 lbs. And that's not because I'm used to driving it without anything back there - on the contrary, that 18-footer is the least weight it ever pulls, and only three...

You're overlooking an important part in the tractor trailer scenario. Driving an OTR tractor bobtail can be a less than pleasant experience from a stopping standpoint, but once there's a trailer on the back things change for the better. Roughly half of the trailer weight is now on the drive...

Different worlds indeed. Here most people know better than to tow with a little SUV. What I've seen being towed in Europe, and especially in England, by small vehicles scared me. Then again, I'm one of those who refuse to tow with a 1/2-ton pickup, feeling that they're too light and short, and...

Yep. I wondered a few months ago if the V6 Challenger would get better mileage with a 5.7. But that would mean giving up the AWD, which I didn't want to do.

That weight can work against you, I've noticed. Or I'd just pull my XHD170 (or whatever it's called) blade turned 180. Then again, what's smooth to some may not be to others.

Alright, alright, I'll post more, but not until Wednesday at the earliest. I'll be spending some 800 miles on the road tomorrow picking up a commercially built 10' box blade with wheels from a nice forum member. Which I can hopefully improve on by making the wheels independently adjustable and...

No, if anything my driving style should result in dismal mileage. For example, I tend to get just over 22 mpg in my Challenger and generally drive it at 90-100 mph. Then, when catching up with someone, I can't resist flooring it when passing just to hear the glorious sound from the exhaust...

I do indeed mean gaining some 3,000 feet in elevation, most of it along one long grade. Leaving here I can often see higher distance to empty numbers displayed by both gassers and diesels after over 70 miles of driving, but needless to say, the indicated mpg and DTE take a corresponding hit...

Thanks. but it was easy enough to make one. It wasn't until after having converted a box blade along the same lines that I found out they're available already made. Well, at least the box blade version is. One problem with my box blade setup is that it's missing the tilt function, so whatever...

If you want really smooth, make your blade towable and with a really long tongue. Then add an axle to the rear. This is a 3-way blade I had left over and everything is bolted or pinned to the original blade so it could still be used as a normal 3-point blade. Since the offset function isn't...

Well, it hasn't been all poor, thankfully, but I guess I could blame not knowing the intricasies of the English language on being an import and consequently unaware of many things. To me, "resemble that remark" was simply similar to people saying "could of" instead of "could have". Or "I could...

If you resemble it, does that mean you usually wear high heels? Anyway, I'd get a tractor and fix the driveway so I wouldn't need a lifted pickup to traverse it.

It's about seven or eight years since I bought this one, a Case 580 on a Unimog FLU 419. It was bought to be a parts car but turned out to be even better mechanically than the one I already had. Fixed some fuel issues and have been enjoying it ever since. While the supply dried up completely...

I've never understood why people being paid that well had to keep fighting over the same ball. They really should be able to afford one each.

That depends on your location. I wouldn't have to rent one many times before it'd be cheaper to buy one.

Only after '13 if memory serves me.

I use our L3800 a lot. It's a practical small size, I think, and the hydrostatic transmission makes work quick. That price sounds quite good - unless it is a basic stick shift.

Oh, and here are some lithium batteries saving the planet. In California of all places.

I may not haul anything with mine, but it's towing something 99.8% of the time. What may take me a bit over 24 hours (1,600 to 1,700 mile drives) would probably take a week with an EV. And that's if it's not towing anything.

Here the tow company makes good money towing dead EVs. Not that there's a lot of gas stations around, but there are no charging stations. Also, I suspect that many EV drivers severely underestimate what gaining several thousands of feet in elevation does to the range.

Thanks for a good laugh.

On a much smaller scale, this is what I did to have constant power to two users that I didn't want to have working only with ignition or accessory, like the cigarette lighter does. Used the factory 30A connector behind the seat for power and ground, and two entirely different switches, facing...

Got rudely reminded of this scenario last night. Try to watch the local news (weather) before calling it a day, but once again, even with sacrificial programming serving as a 1-hour buffer after a sports event, the news were delayed. How hard can it be to keep a televised sports event within...

Well, a B-train would be much easier to back up than normal doubles. While there are still two pivot points, the length of the first trailer would be quite helpful. With regular doubles and a con gear there's not only an additional pivot point, but the tongue on the con gear is generally quite...

That's basically a home built converter gear. And they're not all that hard to back up with. Then again, there are people who can't back up a single long trailer, so...

It wasn't so much about income as that the "free" care was dismal, to put it mildly. For example, my knees went out completely and there was a three year wait to see a doctor. Thankfully my mother had contacts and got me in with a private doctor in a mere three months. Having insurance (on top...

Having grown up with the European style I can say with certainty which is better.

Compared to just pushing the coupler face against something...in case there's any pressure buildup.

Not an issue with a hydraulic dove tail...if the tail is lowered to the ground like it's supposed to be when loading or unloading.

It broke where the frame goes from strong to weak...whoda thunk? Time for some gussets and other helping pieces.

Bought these for my tractors.

It's not only that Race Ramps must be loaded evenly, they need to be on a nice surface, like concrete, not gravel. That hydraulic dove will lift and support 10,000 lbs. but that doesn't mean I'll trust it to stay in a given position, other than fully up or all the way down. So some sort of...

You wouldn't need the 2-piece really long Race Ramps in the photo. The regular 8-degree ones would likely work just fine with that trailer. But, and this could be important, Race Ramps should be used on smooth concrete or pavement, or they'll eventually crumble. That's one reason I prefer...

I thought about those last night, after posting. The downside is that the Challenger's doors would be blocked with the bed in the down position...which wouldn't matter if the trailer has a wireless remote.

A Durango Hellcat, and a few other vehicles, leaves about an inch per side between the tires and fenders on my little trailer. That doesn't bother me one bit, and a tractor tire... If you go with a deck-over the ramp situation changes quite a bit for Challenger usage. For example, I ordered my...

I resorted to load a car with a very low approach angle by backing it up on the 4-post, then driving it onto the trailer. Of course, that still leaves the unloading part of the equation, but the dealer it was going to has the really long 2-piece Race Ramps, which we used together with my...

To the best of my knowledge, my pedestrian 'Cat has the same approach angle and ground clearance as a Redeye. Either way, I'm not fond of tilt decks (but a huge fan of hydraulic dove tails) so removable fenders might be better in your case than ones you can drive on. Although driving over them...

Your car has a 10 degree approach angle if it's like mine, so about 8 degrees on the ramps would be safe. You can use Race Ramps made for trailer use to add to the effective length and lessen the angles. Using my small 18' gooseneck with a 2-foot dovetail, the ramps don't need to be overly long...

I recently sold a Durango on consignment of sorts, through the dealer I bought it from. Got more for it than I expected.

Maybe it's just me, but that left rear wheel seems to have a bit (or two) of negative camber. And understandably so.

I bought a 3-point unit for my M6040 a few years back. Tried it once, then sold it to a neighbor...who promptly broke it. Okay, that was operator error, but the whole thing was a pain in the butt.

For that to work, a fastener has be be used in the same hole or on the same stud it was removed from.

They're easier to check on some Kiotis than others.

At Deere's prices they should send someone out to check them for you.

Today I got a chance to work a bit with the little CK2620, both backhoe and loader. I'm impressed. It's a LOT more capable than the minuscule BX25D - which was the reason I started looking for another small backhoe in the first place. Yes, all the controls are faster acting than what I'm used...

When I cut down brush I often back up to it, and if it's too tall/thick I raise the brush hog, then lower it down over the brush. Using the hydraulic top link, too, if more lift is needed. Never had anything shoot out the front end when going forwards in normal fashion, but the first year...

Bought my Kioti from a dealer about 550 miles away. It wasn't the closest dealer, but it was one that had a good price on what I wanted, and no problem with me picking it up myself - unlike another neighboring state's policy. In retrospect, I can see why they took $2,000 off for me to install...

A car, tires for it, and a set of of trailer tires. Feels like I've bought at least 20 tires this year, so far.

My New Holland skid steer is amazingly quiet. The Kioti is anything but. Of course, it might settle down over time. With two hours on it that time hasn't arrived yet.

I'll try it. But to me, the longer the lever, the better the precision should be since it takes more hand movement to move the valve a certain distance.

I doubt I'll get used to it. What I am used to is how the three Kubota and two Unimog loaders operate, and it'll likely stay that way. It's bad enough that the skid steer's is overly quick, effectively making jobs take longer since I basically have to stop and very carefully lower its loader.

That was a nice side effect of the long extension I used. The trailer followed almost perfectly in the rear axle's tracks.

Or simply capable of keeping coat hangers, a Pipe Finder, or something similar horizontal. Not that I've tried using coat hangers, but even I can tell when something is reasonably level. Of course, I've also haven't tried using the Pipe Finder when it's windy. I may be dumb, but not quite...

With an 11'3" camper on my pickup I had to use the longest extension Reese offered. It was solid, so no real worries about strength, and I also triangulated to to the frame, in both planes. Still, it was the Reese Dual Cam WD hitch that made it not only possible to tow a small trailer with my...

There has been two instances when professionals located phone and electric lines, but were several feet off. In reality they were right where my trusty Pipe Finder indicated. It doesn't matter if it's an old piece of barbed wire, an empty PVC pipe or one with water in it, or pretty much...

A simple Pipe Finder (about $15 several years ago) will find pipes, wires, just about anything buried within five or six feet, in my experience. It'll find it, but it's up to you to figure out what you found.

I have several left over from when a dealer tried to mask the poorly performing remotes (leaking down) on the then new L3800, and have bought some from Surplus Center since, for other applications. Sorry to hear that in your case it has had practical implications. In my case it's just...

Am I the only one that feels the loader is way quick when coming down? Compared to the Kubotas, mine sure is. Might put restrictors in the down circuit one of these days.

Okay, back then pricing was completely nuts. About the only way to get good pricing was to order a vehicle, avoiding markups and inflated prices of used ones. Case in point, I bought a '20 Trackhawk (ordered) for about $80K, had it for a year+ and sold it to Carvana for a bit more than $8K over...

Using pintle hooks makes it easier yet. Usually there's no need to lock the pintle just to move a trailer around. In other words, I can stay in the seat while moving them.

If the dealer insists on collecting the sales tax (I prefer leaving with the MSO) it'll get sorted out when the vehicle is registered in the home state.

Were the prices competitive?

That sticker makes all the difference.

Well, I've sold vehicles to Car Max, but their pricing is usually up there on what they sell. I could buy a new vehicle of the same make and model (looked at Challenger GTs for a while) for less than what they want for used ones. Also wouldn't want to pay their shipping charges when I can go...

I can't even remember when I last bought a vehicle locally, but at least 20 or so have been bought out of state in the past 15 years. It has all been relatively effortless, until buying a used car a week ago. Guess I can blame it on being a bit tired after the 550-mile drive, and not used to...

That first trailer is a basic dry van that I modified into a toy hauler (once 18 inches were taken off the top) with room for the Jeep in the back. The second trailer was also a dry van, that I bought to take the air suspension off of, but it turned out to be built on a flatbed so I modified it...

Yeah, with two lanes available and a 24-something foot trailer, even Ray Charles could probably pull it off. It's the small single lane roundabouts that can be an issue with longer vehicle combinations. And doubles are much better than a single long trailer in those situations.

Haven't seen one like that yet. Then again, thankfully I don't come across them often.

Even if your vehicle combination doesn't fit between the curbs?

There are a few maybe 100 miles from here, but I'm not sure my best handling car would be good enough to maintain 45 mph through them. Most people probably go 10-15 mph, a larger vehicle less.

I don't really care for them, except to evaluate the cornering ability of a vehicle after having modified something. And I really don't like them in countries with left hand traffic. Having three LHD vehicles that part doesn't bother me, but add driving on the left through a roundabout and...

Uh, oh. I'll be in the same situation at some point once I start using mine. And then I'll probably call the dealer - and likely buy the filters from there, too.

Looks like you should be able to read a part number on that filter.

Or sad, depending on how you look at it.

When I went to the DMV to get a handbook for a commercial license in California they had stacks of them in about a dozen languages. Except in English. Two weeks later, when they finally got some in, what do I read on the very first page? "Must be able to read and speak English". Uh huh...

Email sent, Allen

Yeah, I understand that some tourists wants to admire the views, they are quite nice around here. But selfish me has already seen them many, many times and I want to get to my destination asap, and it's usually at least 400 miles away. Consequently, I don't even want to go the speed limit, but...

That truly sucks when having 10-15K on a 35' foot trailer. My record is seven tightly packed cars on a relatively short section to pass on, but with over 700 hp in a car it was doable.

Hmm That's a fire truck...according to someone I know who wants to buy a John Deere.

As I recall, that's how it is on my HiJet, too.

They ride even better after removing the rear anti sway bar.

At first I was looking at getting a pursuit model, which comes with the 5.7 V8, but even though it's a designated beater car I decided to go with a nicer version, and a V6. Its controls are basically identical to my Challengers', paddle shifters and all, so it should be completely familiar...

I just bought a '19 Durango GT AWD Plus.

Mirrors?? That's so 2017. Backup cameras is where it's at.

I wouldn't want to rely on only a pusher, but after plowing snow away from between parked vehicles and a carport in an area where it's about 100 feet to where the snow can be pushed off to the side, the pusher is great. It's so much quicker to move the snow away with than a plow or a bucket.

While messing with this Kioti I also installed a switch on the base of the seat to avoid having the engine stop whenever I get off the seat. In Off position the seat nanny works as intended, but when turned to On I can lock in the Quick Tach levers and do other things without going through the...

In case anybody decides to install remotes (CKA111) on a Kioti, this one photo might be more helpful than the absolutely miserable instructions. Okay, easy for me to say, perhaps, since I just finished the task.

Chain and straps helped with bias tires, but can't do much when dealing with radials.

Wouldn't hurt to use one when using ether. I've seen 150+ lb. wheel and tire assemblies land some 15 feet from where they were lit.

That's because the 1/2" sizes (22.5, 24.5, etc.) doesn't have safety beads on the rims. They'll just seat, there's nothing to make them "pop".

Sorry, didn't remember the number of the new spec, but yes, it's MS-A0921. Anyway, out of curiosity, what is the BS? I've been keeping up on the MS-12633 for a few years, but am not fanatical about the subject so there's likely something I've missed.

I lucked out. The nice blue '68 is a 3-speed and w/o air conditioning. Not that I need air, but I'd prefer an automatic.

Thanks, Fuddyduddy! Except your post may cost me money.

Illegal or not, when the manufacturer specifies MS-12633 and there's only one oil meets that spec, there's not much choice. Although, it looks like people have found at least one other oil that meets that spec, and I think the manufacturer recently added another approved spec.

I don't worry about it either, but try not to change brands unless I have to. Of course, in some cases there's only one approved brand and grade to choose from, and they claim that using anything else will void the warranty. Plus, it has to be changed every six months, even if the vehicle...

That first oil change, which I generally do at about 500 miles, can indeed be a switch of brands if the manufacturer and/or dealer refuses to let you know what oil the factory fill is. Thankfully I know what most vehicles came with, and if I later use an oil that's different from the factory...

I'm improving. Instead of buying cars I ordered a set of tires and wheels today. Probably shouldn't mention that it's the third set in less than a year...for a car with about 1,300 miles on it.

If that trailer only weighs 1,500 lbs. I wouldn't want that load in it. When I (mistakenly) had about that much gravel in mine I thankfully didn't use my 2500 but the Peterbilt. Also because there's a somewhat steep climb leaving the pit, and it's paved so I couldn't use 4WD low range. As it...

One coolant sealer that seems to really work is the Justice Brothers. Had a water pump start leaking (as much as the weep hole could produce), and figured "What do I have to lose?" It kept spitting out green slime and coolant for a few minutes, then stopped. Ordered a new pump, which is still...

Oh, I can relate, especially to the "pair" part. We have one each Ram 3500, Challenger, Challenger GT, Ram 1500, Can-Am, and HiJet. Then I have other vehicles, and so does she. Just sold my Jeep and some $8K in various parts, but still have enough left to build another one. Now maybe it makes...

It's okay. I need another car like I need another hole in the head.

Not all engines drain as completely as others, so the results can vary. I just can't see switching brands unless it's necessary for some reason.

I tried to buy a '68 El Camino, but failed.

Well, I watch very little You Tube, but "The Motor Oil Geek" sure seems to have more than enough credentials and knows what he's talking about. If he recommends against it, that's good enough for me. And I'd guess that mixing them mattered much less in the old wives tales days, when the oils...

It's not really good to switch brands. The additive packages don't always play well together. Unless, somehow, all the old oil is out of there.

Hate to say it, but a hose worn to the steel usually doesn't leak. No more than a radial tire worn down to the steel belts does. What keeps the hoses from leaking is inside that steel sheating.

Not sure how that could bother you. Would've thought you'd be too scared by the way I drive to worry about it. But if it helps, when I really drive fast I don't hear the radio (if it's even on) since there's no attention to spare to use for changing channels.

From what I understand, after having read it and from experience, is that a low charge (1-2 A) over a longer period is the best way to try to recover a "dead" battery. Once/if the battery shows signs of taking a charge the amps can be upped. With smart chargers/maintainers it's often possible...

I'm sure their counsel has thought about it. But I'm not so sure that smaller oil companies in general necessarily meets, let alone exceeds, any standards before claiming their product is suitable for a given application.

You can always add a larger tank to the system. I have a 60(?) gallon compressor that can be tied to an 80 gallon tank in the opposite end of the garage, mostly to get good pressure when working in that area. Yes, you can still run out even with a larger tank capacity, but it'll take longer.

No, I think there are several good options, but not that Lucas is necessarily one of them. Apples and oranges to some extent, but when Lucas consistently places towards the bottom in fuel additive tests, I suspect that its other fluids may not be among the best, either. After all, there's much...

Well, saying it's suitable isn't quite the same as actually meeting spec in many cases. Amsoil is probably the most common example of that debate.

Buy enough and it'd be well worth it. I've been thinking about bringing extra fuel if I ever go to CA again. Then sell it there and have it pay for the trip.

Whoever wants to go out of business first. Only the government can operate at a loss and still stay afloat.

Should they be sold at a loss?

I take mine to the post office quite frequently, which is technically not allowed - unless putting a triangle on it and staying under 35 mph. About 65-70 mph is as fast as it'll go, and that's under ideal circumstances.

More than your knees could hurt if you hit the brakes hard enough. People have made even the van versions lift the rear tires. Also, I really don't want to hit an elk or deer with mine. Or anything much larger than a prairie dog.

Ours have dump beds, but they've never been used. On the other hand, the Can-Am Defender Pro Limted's dump bed gets used daily. Its long bed is the perfect size for a day's worth of manure. Everything else is handled with dump trailers, a 10-foot and a 16-foot, or (very rarely) a little King...

Yeah, as tacticalturnip concluded, it's the base engine in Challengers. At a measly 305 hp it's still quicker and faster than many of the original muscle cars, and (in my mind) a bargain compared to that JD UTV. Even though it doesn't come with a winch.

Didn't read but the first two posts, but it does baffle me that people will pay $40K plus for a JD UTV when you can buy a new Challenger for $22K. Okay, that's a V6 with few options, and getting AWD is another $1,500, but still.

No, the Hunter road force balancer I use will tell me exactly where to place the tire relative to the wheel - if match balancing will help. That feature has helped quite a bit with these particular tires and made-in-India wheels. Then again, I won't settle for less than perfect balance even on...

Oh, there are no stores around here so I Googled it. I get most everything shipped anyway, just need to find the best product at the best price.

Poked around a bit today looking for HST oil, and that 424 was available at several places.

I've had two dealers send me parts, one GM and one Ram. For tractors, the Kubota dealer is close (150 miles), so when the remotes on the L3800 didn't work right, I took it there. Of course, they still didn't work right since those have really crappy valves. And stacking four restrictors on...

That leak wasn't there when I picked it up with 0.4 hrs on it, or I would've noticed the fluid on the trailer deck. When I get to installing the remotes and backhoe it'll get a complete checkup of everything. Somewhat like what I do when getting a new (or new to me) vehicle. They go directly...

Oh, I do have trailers. That's how I got it home in the first place. With some luck the gland nut isn't tight, but I suspect that excess paint at the end of the rod took the seal out. Next time it's started up I'll check if full steering makes it move that far, and if everything is tight...

It's leaking at the gland nut, where the rod and cylinder "meet", unfortunately. And there are no nicks or damage to the rod. Not sure where the closest dealer is, but with any luck I can get a new assembly sent to me.

Just noticed today that my CK2620 has a leaking steering rack - after two weeks and 1.4 hours. This could get interesting, especially with the dealer being some 400 miles away.

Ordered four 235/80R16 all steel construction trailer tires, since many of the nine that came with the trailer were rejected by the balancer. Got six more tires and wheels from the manufacturer, which unfortunately are even worse. Oh well, looks like there are a couple of good (round) wheels...

Thanks for the heads up. I finally got off my butt and ordered a 20X20, but from Home Depot for a bit less. Now all I have to do is figure out where to put it.