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Thanks. You’ve given me some great ideas. A receiver tube in the middle for moving a bumper pull trailer and one on top for my gooseneck. The receiver tube would also come in handy for attaching a bale spear.

I know that my boys when they were in HS 10 years ago had full time jobs in the summer, but during the school year only working on Saturdays at a local feed store and lumberyard. A lot of after school things like sports kinda made it hard for them to work on school days.

IDK. My boys have lots of old HS friends they still keep in touch with. Some went to college, and some are doing skilled trades. And many in trades are making more than my sons. Of course I don’t know about other areas of the country. They just went to state universities, not snotty Ivy League...

Most skilled trades are higher paying than many entry level fields that require college degrees. I still see a lot of young guys doing plumbing, hvac, welding, and carpentry. Usually when we have plumbing or hvac work done it’s always a pair that show up: an older guy and young apprentice.

I find it interesting that those jobs you mention that many of us did in high school are now largely held by adults.

That is no surprise. I don’t know how young families can save anything after housing costs, medical insurance, etc… I know we lived paycheck to paycheck until I was in my early 40s before we could do any serious saving. Rental prices today exceed most mortgage payments on a monthly basis. But...

We send those home with the kids with leftovers after holiday meals.Our styrofoam coolers come with the online veterinary medicine orders.

Meat is very good, prices are not.

I’m not following your logic. If we can’t hire citizens at $15/hour to do certain jobs, how would a lower wage help with recruitment?

I know the farms were talking about hiring workers under the Bracero program in the late 1970s when I worked summers. But they could have just been referring to green card workers with the old program name? Anyway, we need a new program similar to that one. There are too many needs for this.

It was tongue in cheek in case you didn’t catch it. What they did in 1914 wasn’t illegal at the time, but the same thing is now illegal.

Nice. Can you buy a bale spear designed to fit in a receiver hitch or did you fabricate that?

Several years ago my son got a temporary job at a plant nursery that grows garden starts. It is a big operation of a nationally recognized company. They couldn’t find enough local help interested in the fast paced backbreaking work of filling pots with soil and planting seeds on a conveyor belt...

I’m going to have to take a closer look. I was under the impression that mine aren’t removable, just adjustable on a sliding bar. This is the unit I have: https://www.virnigmfg.com/product/rail-pallet-fork-hi-vis/ Apparently they are removable.

No argument. But most drug abusers also have mental health issues that caused them to turn to drugs or alcohol.

Yes, drug abuse, but mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse often go hand in hand.

I see what you’re doing. But it seems like you would have to remove the forks to use the receiver? Mine slide along a rail to adjust but aren’t easily removable.

This is what I mounted to my tractor canopy. One is all that’s needed, and I mounted a small 4” light facing the rear. Mount the center of your ROPs. It would be easy enough to fashion a shade box to put it in. They also sell a compatible wiring harness, direct to battery with a relay and...

Where would you weld a receiver to pallet forks that wouldn’t compromise their use to slide the forks into pallets and under other items?

No doubt, but you are also describing many large cities in America. I saw the same last year in Baltimore and Austin, TX. And I’m currently in Phoenix for my wife’s medical visit. Some beautiful areas downtown and one block away, homeless camps, and crap in the street. When the mental...

CA is a huge state. No doubt that there are disgusting areas in some cities. I’ve also seen lots of immaculate areas and gorgeous countryside. I’ve seen disgusting areas in many large cities around the country, but NYC is kind of perceived as all being disgusting.

That sounds more like NYC or Chicago.

I imagine that it’s awful tempting to leave if you can sell your home for $1.5M, then go elsewhere and buy a nice place for $300-400K, and bank the remainder.

I think that state laws are the determining factors.

I think a lot of SF Bay Area people are leaving. We have friends who moved near us last summer from the Bay Area and they are still working for Bay Area companies teleworking. For $350K they bought a decent newer house; something they could never do in the Bay Area.

IDK, I just heard the rate. Probably a point. But it was locked over a month ago.

Of course we will see another recession. We have had them periodically since the inception of this country.

Then it will be settled

Seems like if people were sure of that interpretation, the SC would be the place to settle that. Yet no petitions have been requested.

Regardless of the current rate, prices are at a new normal. This is the case in most of the first world countries. Covid and supply change disruptions and tariffs have changed prices everywhere. It’s not even valid to compare pre-pandemic prices to the changed world of today. Deflation isn’t...

I’m on vacation this week and plowed the road yesterday, so I’m a man of leisure today. In 1914 they just came here, no immigration permissions required, so yes today they would be considered as illegal immigrants. My grandmother was born in 1917 on US soil, so birthright citizenship.

I guess that I don’t understand your statement that high interest rates were early in the administration? 1987 was year 7 of the administration. For reference, current inflation is 3.9%. For PNVT calculations, economists have been teaching to use 4% as a baseline. For many years.

The assets you’re referring to must be something different than accounts and stock shares? All I had to do as a personal representative was to present my representation letter and death certificate to the bank. Then all assets were transferred to an estate account with me as signatory. It took...

Agree. Anything can be solved over a few beers; all the world’s problems. Now that you have me thinking about it, my grandmother was an anchor baby when her parents (illegally) immigrated here from Slovakia in 1914. But they didn’t have benefits such as EBT at that time. Maybe it’s not the...

I don’t understand your response. That provision has been in the constitution since the 1800s, post civil war. Ignoring an unpopular law isn’t an option. Trying to amend an unworkable law is the appropriate approach. But nobody of either political party tries to amend/ replace unworkable laws...

Anchor baby has far proceeded current times. It’s been in the constitution a long time and would require an amendment to change.

My understanding is that there is considerable documentation required to get those cards, and it’s unlikely that too many illegals have those. It’s the lazy citizens that are abusers.

I see that too, but most of those people paying with EBT are US citizens.

Very true, but the contractors who cannot find enough help will take anyone willing to work and train them. One thing that is different today is the retirement of the baby boomers and not enough younger people to replace them. Our economy was built on a workforce that doesn’t exist today.

There’s a bit of exaggeration in that theory. I see lots of immigrants from poor countries regularly, legal and otherwise. They are the ones who show up every day to do the hard labor jobs. They make up the bulk of farm and ranch labor and they are the ones running chainsaws to do forest...

I keep hearing from my contractor friends that they cannot find help. In my field we cannot fill jobs in the more remote locations, just in the popular communities. I spent a couple days in the recruiting booth back in October at a professional meeting interviewing recent and next semester...

Do you remember Gerald Ford’s WIN (whip inflation now) buttons? Also I remember the huge defense buildup spending during the Reagan years, so you can’t attribute this to just domestic spending. The defense buildup did result in collapse of the Soviet Union, so maybe the inflation was worth it.

Agree. I have tried to use the equipment until nearly empty, then let the motor run dry. I guess an inline drain could be installed with a little ingenuity.

Makes sense. Mine is HST

My buddy? I was in grade school during Carter days. But my 1987, it was Reagan/Bush for 7 years. The entire WORLD has been in post covid inflation and the U.S. has lower rates than most of the world today. Current interest rates are around a desirable level for economic stability. The mortgage...

Are you suggesting that Reagan/Bush in the 1980s caused high rates? My son and his wife closed on a house last week in Baton Rouge. 4.5% fixed rate mortgage, 30 years.

You can run the tank dry before long term storage and that works too.

Well I guess things are different in California. At least the Bay Area. You just will have to run ethanol gas and run the equipment dry before you store it for the season. That works also.

I guess they have different policies at different small airports. I go to our local small airport, pull up to the pump, and fill the can. Credit card self service pumps.

Have you checked local small airports? Most have E0 100 octane at the pumps.

Go west young man…

I agree. My father passed earlier this year in Arizona. I was the executor. Since he had a will and my brother and I were the sole beneficiaries, I handled informal probate myself without an attorney. I filed the papers for appointment as personal representative with the court, set up an estate...

Actually there is a lot of growth in the skilled trades. And new growth in tech/chip manufacturing. In my area Intel is adding an additional 40% manufacturing capacity. Of course there has also been lots of boomer generation retirements in the past 5 years. Regardless, jobs are currently plentiful.

My first mortgage in 1987 was at the prevailing rate of 10%. Current rates are still relatively low even if they are higher than last year.

Every employer in my area is hiring and most aren’t getting enough applicants. The job market is red hot if someone has relevant skills and/or education. I hear this throughout the region, not just in my state.

Most of my regens seem to happen while I’m grading the road or rotary cutting. I just raise the rpms and keep working.

I sure do love mine though. I never run out of HP and the stability is a noticeable upgrade.

Just pump some E0 into your vehicle first, then fill your cans.

I know the octane is higher than needed, but it’s a close by source of ethanol free gas.

I just discovered that a small air park close to me has 100 octane E0 gas. The person there says they use it in small engines such as mowers. The E0 I used to buy was 90 octane. Would there be any problems using the 100 octane fuel in my small engines?

EO is sold at pumps, but they are few and far between.

Crusher fines would be better than smooth pea rock. And cheaper. The angular edges on the crusher rock sticks into the snow/ice.

Definitely better. But I see a lot of people doing even shorter than 6’, so that was my caution. I have a single h at all my corners and 1700’ stretches. But they are welded pipe braces set in concrete. Been holding tight for 16 years. Woven wire doesn’t require as much bracing as high tensile...

That sounds like it will work fine.

Make sure the crosspiece in the h brace is long. About 6’. Most people make them too short, then the wire tension pulls them.

I have used Redhead brand and a high tensile brand woven wire fencing. First, every 100’ is way overkill for h braces. For only 1300’ feet, I would only use 2 h braces in line and of course at the corners and gates. The Red head will work fine for your intended use. High tensile is amazing in...

Just drill a few holes in the bottom.

A dead blow hammer comes in handy for many things.

That would also work.

Sitting still at a green light because the fool at the head of the line is fiddling with his phone or asleep.

No but I’m still going to install a bale spear bracket to my forks.

Rags, WD40, gloves

Not to say it will happen to everyone, but there have been more than one person stacking round bales with pallet forks and have the bale fall backwards, causing injuries and damaging the machine. The spear prevents this.

I’m planning to make a bracket that bolts to the rack on my pallet forks that has a single bale spear in the center. That way the forks support the bottom of the bale and the spear keeps it from sliding off. You can buy a single spear on Amazon fairly cheap and fabricate a bolt on bracket that...

Yep, but it works ok in fuel injected engines.

I buy the container 2 cycle gas at Hone Depot and Lowe’s. It’s not cheap, but only use a few gallons per season in my weed wacker.

The Midwest corn lobby and their bought politicians keep the ethanol gas thing going.

It is for me. There might be a better method, but now I have all my implements dialed in and know how they can be adjusted to perform best.

Each hole changes both the lift height and arc of the lift. I have found that I use different top link attachments for different implements.

My Liberty has IFS. Handling is very good, but it’s racking up the miles with over 270k. Still runs great, but I typically sell at around 300k miles. My next Jeep will be a Wrangler with all the quirks you describe. Why? Just because I’ve always wanted one. I’ve had 2 Liberties and one Cherokee...

Sounds like a business opportunity.

There are a lot of different Jeep models besides the Wrangler. The short wheel base models are a niche for off road driving. The Wagonneer is a long wheel base, and Grand Cherokee and gladiator are mid sized .

They have changed a bit in the past 30 years.

Value is what people will pay.

In my area, about 1 in five vehicles are Jeeps. They are very popular and hold a high resale value.

I participate on that forum and most of us aren’t BX owners. I find the discussions to be on par with this forum, but of course focused on Kubota.

I was just responding to your thoughts on what is considered old in terms of US communities. But on the subject of old lumber, the grade simply can’t be beat with current lumber. That high grade old lumber came from very old trees that aren’t common in most of our forests today.

A lot of electrical engineering science was needed to create the hardware. Science is all around us. It is what makes us an advanced society. Medical treatments, agricultural science, fluid and chemical sciences, earth and life sciences. We would be living like the 1850s without science...

If it wasn’t for the science geeks, we wouldn’t be discussing on this forum.

It’s a bit misunderstood. NM was a Spanish colony from 1598 to 1821, and only part of Mexico for 29 years (from 1821 to 1850). It became a U.S. territory in 1850 and state in 1912. The capital city Santa Fe) has flown 5 national flags: Spain, Mexico, US Territory, Confederacy ( short time), and...

Not really on the west coast, but my state capital city is the oldest capital city in the United States. 1625. Spanish colonial.

Agree that outliers can occasionally have discovered something new. That’s how science advances. However, the science community is going to go with the preponderance of peer reviewed studies until others examine the outlier studies and also find similar conclusions. Science is about testing...

In my profession, there are lots of published papers, and a small percentage of outliers (science differs from the preponderance). Typically the outliers turn out to be junk science, but occasionally the outlier publications advance the science and knowledge base. That’s why I would be...

I did the deer battles for years and, starting with motion activated lights and sprinklers, chaining dog in garden at night, electric fencing, baited electric fence; all to no avail. I gave up and finally constructed an 8’ woven wire fence about 6 years ago. No problem since then. A lot of work...

No it’s not, that’s why I’d like to hear the thoughts of a geologist on some of these outlier science papers that people are citing. Are you a geologist?

My dealer used a new product named Bioballast. Non corrosive, won’t freeze and less messy than beet juice.

7.3 was the most bulletproof powerstroke.

When my BIL’s nearly new 6.0 powerchoke blew the engine at 30K miles, I gave him a ride home in my Dodge after the tow truck took the Ford away.

Fossils aren’t just dinosaurs, plants can also be fossilized. But I think the term is more general in that it refers to very old organic matter. Your market assumptions seem logical. We’ll see how it plays out.

I would be interested in hearing the thoughts from a geologist on this discussion. I know that I read outlier science and theories from people who publish about forest and fire ecology on a regular basis. Geology isn’t in my field of expertise.

These leases are the accumulation of years of leasing and it always stays around ten million acres. You can go to the BLM website and see acres under lease and where they are.

Ok, so in a couple of million years there will be new oil. You win.

Reality? The argument is esoteric. Oil replenishment is something that occurs over eons that is irrelevant to human society.

The ones you posted were consistent with the preponderance of science. There is no rapid production of oil by earth processes. It’s not renewable on a human time scale.

Not arguing with you. You can take your theories up with the geology and chemistry professors. Im going with the geology and organic chemistry textbooks. I’ve had both classes, but it’s not my field of expertise. I do however respect the opinions of who do have expertise in those fields.

You have the 7.3 powerstroke, the very best version. Other versions have a checkered reliability history.

Geologic science, organic chemistry, and petroleum engineering are university majors that have been mature science for a long, long time. You are correct. And fossil fuels like oil and coal are indeed organic matter of many origins compressed under extreme heat and pressure for eons of time. Yes...

U.S. companies currently hold ten million acres of federal lands permits that they have yet to drill. Because they are making record profits producing more profitable oil field like the Permian Basin and Gulf Coast. And surprise, the most profitable oil fields are on state and private land, not...

My .357 is usually loaded with snakeshot. For shooting snakes. And during big game hunts, with hollow points for a backup gun. My .270 when not hunting game is ready for stray coyotes and lions. My 12 gauge for quail hunting. And my CCW 9 mm for two legged troublemakers.

We all have opinions. I have experienced none of those issues with my Dodge and wouldn’t own a powerchoke. My opinion. Your critique of these trucks seems to reflect the 1990-early 2000s models.

You are simply following political rhetoric, not facts. Read WM75guy’s factual information. You simply think that if a politician says petroleum companies can drill more acres, they will jump to it. Saying that drilling on the Alaska north slope is permitted doesn’t mean there’s industry...

Ram cabs aren’t removable and unnecessary for the I6 motors. 12 quarts of oil in my 5.9.

The fenders are raised along with the cab. Tell me that your powerstroke maintenance is cheap.

Thanks for posting facts. I want to add that drilling and production haven’t been shut down on most federal lands. Companies hold leases on over 10 million acres of federal lands, and there’s a lot of current activity on BLM lands in the Permian Basin in New Mexico.

The new Ford powerstrokes are extremely high cost for maintenance. The fenders have to be removed to do many services. One of my BILs has one and told me it’s usually close to $1K when he leaves the shop. I have 5 BILs in the ranching business. Slowly they have converted from Ford to Dodge...

I agree completely. But exporting petroleum products are a private industry decision. Congress authorized these exports in 2015 and the U.S. is now a primary player on the world market. And world market traders determine pricing levels.

IDK how other people handle their finances. Not my business.

Copenhagen in my youth. Quit 30 years ago when an older friend passed from mouth cancer.

That’s an insanely cheap price. At that price it’s a no brainer to give it a try.

I still think that any good auto upholstery shop could take a metal seat pan of any OEM seat and build it up with a high quality dense foam and cover with a good cordura fabric for far cheaper and maybe build better than a custom replacement seat.

I just bought a cordura fabric Durafit seat cover soon after I bought my tractor. The cover was less than $40 and protects the seat from UV and keeps the seat cool in the sun.

Industry is going WOT and in fact has labor shortages limiting current production. The industry has largely soured on Alaska oil due to high production costs and has chosen to go WOT in the Permian Basin and gulf coast where oil production and transportation to refineries and markets is more...

There are no counters to actual production reported by industry. This is simply a fact.

There is more domestic oil production in 2023 than ANY previous year. This talk of “restoring oil production” is simply nonsense. If DJT would “restore “ production to 2019 levels, the U.S. would be producing less oil than we are currently.

I have to agree, not about your medical statements, but the remainder of your comment.

I’m not defending the current or any past administration, but let’s not base our discussion on misinformation. Especially since oil production is largely dependent on industry business decisions and world markets, not presidential influence. There was no reduction in domestic petroleum supply in...

I said that traded commodities (petroleum and more) are not included in my statement that prices are at a new normal, and this applies primarily to consumer products. Yes wage increases can be inflationary and this has been one of the causes for the recent price increases. But higher wages and...

Prices for most products will never be the same as in 2019, no matter who or what party is in leadership. Wages are now much higher and wages never decline. Current prices are a new normal. Maybe commodities that are priced on the world market will decline some, but wages are baked into most...

Yep. Good idea. Any auto upholstery shop should be able to rebuild the seat and add a better foundation cushion. And maybe the new armrests for the MX6000 could be added.

Thank you. That is what I remembered. We are currently back to the 2019 prices (after higher prices in 21-mid 23).

True for many places. The current prices I’m paying are on par with 2019 for my location. They have been higher for the past 2 years, but are now about the same. We have been seeing price drops weekly for the past 2 months. And that’s surprising considering that world market prices are still high.

This is definitely sub-regional, because we’re seeing prices reported all over the place. I know that in my area $2.49 is about what we were paying pre-covid and certainly don’t remember any prices below $2 for the last ten years except for when there was oversupply during the COVID shutdown.

Your chart doesn’t seem to be consistent with this: ““U.S. regular retail gasoline prices averaged $2.60 per gallon (gal) in 2019, 11 cents/gal (4%) lower than in 2018. Gasoline prices rose steadily during the first quarter of the year, rising from $2.24 on January 7 to $2.90/gal on May 6...

The U.S. average in 2019 was $2.60. I also saw $1.18 during the Covid shutdown in 2020.

Are you referring to when GWB was president? Because that’s the last time that fuel was less than $2 (for awhile). And during Covid shutdown.

I suggest getting a Fred Cain multi-shank plow instead of a moldboard plow for smaller tractors. They work great and are easier to pull and use than a moldboard plow. https://www.everythingattachments.com/Fred-Cain-9-Shank-Field-Cultivator-Ripper-p/fc-field-cultivator-cain-9.htm

Fuel prices are so variable by region. Here’s what diesel is today in Albuquerque. Where I live, prices are about 15 cents higher, but nothing like your area.

$2.49 at Costco and Sam’s in Albuquerque. Up to $2.74 at other places

High, or a new normal? I remember 5 years ago some people asking for a $15 minimum wage. Today, no matter what the states set as a minimum wage, even fast food is paying $18+ and other wages are up as well. Prices aren’t going to decline because wages never go backwards.

I saw gas down to $1.18 during May 2020 during the Covid shutdown period, but I can’t remember $1.68 gas before Covid, unless you’re talking about 10 years before Covid. “U.S. regular retail gasoline prices averaged $2.60 per gallon (gal) in 2019, 11 cents/gal (4%) lower than in 2018. Gasoline...

This is what I found: “The first Ferguson TE20 tractor, affectionately known as the 'Vaaljapie' in South Africa, rolled off the assembly line in Coventry in the UK on 6 July 1946.” So it’s a gasoline tractor and likely a simple mechanical motor.

I sure do appreciate the extendable lift arms on my MX, especially when I’m attaching heavy cat 2 implements. Most of the time it’s easy with those extendable links but my 6’ digging bar does get used occasionally when I fail to follow my own advice and detach it where the ground is somewhat...

Correct most of the time, but if the ground isn’t perfectly level…

That’s awful. What would be the appropriate price in USD?

Connecting 3ph implements. A few tips: 1. Be on the flattest ground available. Concrete is ideal. 2. Get a 6’ iron digging bar to use as leverage to nudge the implement around as needed when attaching.

There’s no doubt that transcontinental rail freight is up and increasing. The main line BNSF southern CA to Chicago line is double stacking containers and according to the local office is averaging 43 trains per day, up from 29 trains 5 years ago. Another interesting fact that was presented is...

This statement shows how U.S. freight transportation is changing. Last year I attended a conference focused on transportation of forest products. There was a presentation by BNSF railway. Their presentation focused on an ambitious infrastructure investment plan to become the favored...

My credit union is now doing auto loans at 5.99% and mega CDs at 5%. A much thinner margin than most banks.

I know you are replying to Scotty, but once again I have to say that your observations in the Midwest about business and freight slowdowns don’t match what we are experiencing in much of the west. I still see more trucks on the interstates than previously and the freight train traffic on the...

It’s obviously different in different regions of the country. Business is brisk near me. Contractors are booked up for months, stores are full, and new businesses and housing starts are everywhere. It appears that the rust belt isn’t doing as well as the south and west. I had about a 50%...

Wow. A big difference. We do have several in-state refineries, so maybe that’s the difference or local fuel taxes?

Today’s prices locally to me.

I have shifted in the past ten years from using checks to only writing one every few months. A profound shift. Stores will hardly take checks anymore, and online direct pay or debit cards have mostly replaced checks.

Few people do purchases with cash anymore. A credit card purchase doesn’t mean it is a debt situation. Some of us use them regularly for cash back and fraud protection, then pay the card off each month.

CA CA Bay Area real estate prices have never been attached to the real world.

Gasoline is only $2.54 where I live. It’s up more than 40% from the low point of the Covid shutdowns, but certainly not as much as 40% more than the pre-covid prices. Edit: just checked gas buddy. Regular gas is now down to $2.49

You shouldn’t need a chain as an addition to your 3ph to use an implement. Yes, the lift arms will put tension on the lynch pins when adjusted to minimize sway. And no, your lynch pins are not likely to break.

I funded my CD in 2023, when inflation is significantly lower than 2022.

My Kubota purchase was heavily influenced by a couple of factors: local service and parts availability and a long term reputation for quality. I also have seen what my neighbor has gone through with his less common tractor brand. It has performed ok, but he has a very difficult time getting...

The roofing company put slide stops above the doors on my house when they installed the steel roof. Placing them strategically is important.

Yes, but Yander is correct. Some things like whiplash or other things often don’t show up for awhile. Take your time before signing any settlement.

I heard the same thing.

I might try that too. Report back on how that works.

Yes. But speaking from experience, Do your homework and research the selling values of a comparable vehicle of the same year, model, condition, and mileage in your local area plus or minus 250 miles. Look on Autotrader and sites like that and save the links to each one you find. When the...

We haven’t had an Amazon driver ever come to our house. They always deliver to our local post office and the post office makes the final delivery to our house. I can’t complain though because the packages always show up in a few days after I order.

As long as there isn’t any medical involved.

I guessed that, but your herbicide suggestion might be better than 2-4-D.

24D will not kill grass. It is only active on broadleaf plants. Roundup (glyphosate) will kill any green growing plant including grass.

I never had gophers until this past year. It must be a huge population boom everywhere for them. I was fighting them and ground squirrels all last summer.

All I will say is the new Jeep Wranglers are a huge improvement over the old CJs. And I’m on my third Jeep, the prior 2 sold with close to 300k miles and only routine maintenance and minimal repairs. My current Jeep Liberty only has 140K miles, so barely broken in.

Not my experience. My two sons did play high school sports, but they also learned math and science, Spanish, and went on to Masters and PhD in college. They didn’t need remedial classes in college. A small rural public high school with poor facilities but good teachers.

Every state has one of those. And then at the national level.

Then I think it’s overwound. How does it spool out again after being wound so tight? All of that wire comes in large diameter coils to avoid kinking.

These don't compete with the Pacific coast trees, but they are large Douglas fir for the interior west. This grove of large Douglas fir is found on the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona. The large ponderosa pine that I'm measuring is from the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico (Santa Fe...

I think you could wind a softer wire like smooth twisted or barbed wire that tight, but it wouldn’t work for high tensile wire. Something the makes a large loop wind like a spinning Jenny is what is needed for high tensile wire.

If that’s what you want, it would be simpler to get SSQA pallet forks for loader and a carryall for 3ph.

Buy standard SSQA forks, then weld or have fabricated a mount for top link and lift pins.

A 180’ sugar pine in the CA Sierra Nevadas:

A spinning Jenny is the answer. This is the best way to both install and remove high tensile wire. It’s how the professional fence people handle high tensile wire. You might be able to rent one, but they don’t look too expensive...

Yeah, the large great horned owls get the cats.

Yeah, I’ve given up on barn cats. Coyotes get them sometimes. And owls get them at night.

Order them online from TSC

Yes, but use them in the bait station boxes. They are deadly to dogs and other animals.

I’m trying to think of a reason why I would want to unload my rear tires? 🤔

You won’t be happy with a 5’ blade because consider that you should cover your rear wheel tracks even when the blade is angled.

HF has been upgrading their products. Maybe we are talking about two different periods of manufacturing?

I use the cheesy steel clip HF racks. They work for me and are no different than the cheesy steel clip racks that I bought 25+ years ago from Sears/Craftsman.

True about the weight of back blades available for cat 1 tractors. But the longer length does make a superior fulcrum for ballasting the loader and relieving front axle weight. My uses are opposite than yours. I have both and always use the rear blade for road work and seldom use the box blade.

It depends on the back blade. Mine weighs 1025# and is certainly not light duty.

It seems to affect pines more so than hardwood trees.

Yes, and is hell on trees. On some of our mountain highways, all the pines are dead within about 100’ of the highway shoulders. Due to de-icing chemicals.

In my area the highway department uses mostly fine crushed volcanic cinders or sand. If cinders aren’t available in your area, maybe consider crusher fines.

I bought a Case pocket knife. It had that known to case cancer by the state of California label inside the box. 🧐

Interesting. I’ve never seen one in the Rocky Mountain west.

I have a rear blade that is heavy (1025#) and a rotary cutter. Both of these offer good ballast but actually have a purpose, unlike a ballast box. But I can see a ballast box if someone needs to use the loader in tight spots.

There are plenty of backwoods and rural areas in CA where it’s doubtful that anyone would enforce a gas power equipment ban. It’s just simply not going to happen in those areas.

Oil furnaces? Those are an east coast thing. I’ve never heard of an oil furnace anywhere in the western U.S. Most people who live outside of natural gas service areas heat with either wood, propane, or electric.

The radon companies all install those liquid radon meters.

I would add that even if you don’t have snow, a good rear blade is a versatile implement and great for dirt or gravel road maintenance. It’s a far more versatile implement than a landscape rake.

Agree with everything except the oats. I have seen oat cover crops persist for decades. If you want a good cover crop for native grass species, cereal wheat or barley are short lived and don’t reseed for too many generations, allowing the native grasses to become dominant. Barley is probably the...