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Sunandsand - you have some good questions here and have demonstrated a willingness to learn. I think you'll do well with you tractor. The Handyman author on the other hand should not the be writing an advice column about operating tractors. Maybe he's knowledgeable about other things, but not...

Only used 30 minutes per year!

It makes you wonder though: What if we started our love of automobiles with electric vehicles when in its infancy (which was a real possibility)? Could you imagine everyone's arguments against petroleum powered vehicles now (if there were a need for them) when 100 years of infrastructure was...

Sorry for your loss Sig. I think you've been an excellent son. Can't say I didn't shed a tear at the end of your post. And good on your Dad for living a great life. As tough as this time is, celebrate his legacy. Sounds like a heck of a guy!

If the tires are ok, just one leaker, I'd throw tubes in both fronts (the other will start as soon as you fix the leaker). If you replace the tire, do both. The tire diameter between the two shouldn't cause much undue wear (front to back is more critical), but again, the other tire will soon go.

Arly - is that a typo? you said in a post above 23.5 mpgs. Either way, not bad for a mid-size 4x4. I see the GM mid size trucks are new for 2023 and using a similar powertrain to complete with the Ranger. I hope they get mid 20's for mileage.

Thanks for the write-up Mike.

My 25Hp machine is great for loader work. It has enough power to spin the loaded tires in low, and enough grunt to move itself and load pretty quickly up scary steep hills (as fast as I care to go). Where it lacks is PTO power. She bogs down in heavy grass with a five ft rotary brush cutter or...

Nice! Is that a boat seat? My vinyl just started to pull from the seat bottom and I have never be happy with the seat ride, vinyl cover and position (need ~ 1 inch backwards).

Nice Dodge! Cummins? Nothing like a small dump truck for general work. Beats the pants off of a regular pick-up truck. I have a baby chipper (rated to 4inches, but comfortable at 3") attached to a DR Field mower. 15 HP, no self feed. But it works great for my own work at home. I like having it...

Check simple stuff first, is the drive belt on correctly? If looped in the wrong direction, it might be spinning backwards.

I agree that people need to do what works for themselves. There is a lot of hookum out there. Over that last few years my weight has been getting out of control because I have a high stress job that involves virtually no activity and love to eat. I've tried the gym and virtually every diet out...

My air filter looked OK, but it was gray with carbon from the exhaust. The L2501 is great because it lacks emissions equipment, but it sucks because it lacks emissions equipment. Besides the lack of power inherent in a 25HP compact tractor, it will smoke slightly when under load and at start-up...

The track loader will run circles around most compact tractors with loaders. But they don't have 3pt hitches and only run PTO equipment out front. Loader-to-loader, you'll be disappointed. What's the likelihood of dear-ole-dad-in-law selling the track loader to you for a family price? You...

I learned the lesson the hard way. I never expected that build-up to harden in there. Took about an hour with the air-gun on each and every fin to get it clean all the way through.

Ha! Actually, it was warm out to me, but I felt relatively comfortable. Wore shorts and white shirt.

The weekend before last, I cut a small 2 acre field that I have cut many times with the brush cutter. This time I used my finish mower, as all of the "brush" is gone and it was nothing more than thick grass. Both the brush cutter (5ft JD 506) and finish mower (Landpride 1872) are oversized for...

This is my daily commute. I have no idea why they do this. It takes very little common sense to realize that along the side of the truck is the most dangerous place to be. True idiots.

Nice setup! Love the cutter!

I stand corrected. I never knew it bolted on so far inboard under the cab. My father had a "triple nickel" for 20 years and i never saw those mounting bolts.

It's basically brand new and a new one has to be close to $30k or more. Is he selling it to pay off the loan? Seems cheap. Good deal if it's all legit.

A rock, and good my coffee cup after it was knocked out of my cupholder. A set of new blades right before. Ugh.

I don't see the Massey photo and know nothing of those TLBs, but know that the Ford is not a removable backhoe. The swing frame is a part of the tractor frame. The swing cylinders are part of it too. I'm sure it could be done, but there is a lot of heavy fabrication to do.

I have a lot of hours on many types of loaders. The bigger, the stronger and better to handle abuse. Our little tractors are not D6 dozers or Cat 980's as much as we want them to be.

I just sold my diesel generator. Nice rig, but way too big and never would start when I need it. Of course as soon as I listed it, I went out to try and see if it would crank. With little hope, I turned the key and Whoom!, started right up. Now if it was raining, cold and the power out, it would...

Someone asked about my insurance company in a post above (page 7 or so): Next Insurance. OP - please post after you complete the job and let us know how you first paid job goes. I cut a customer property yesterday. He is my favorite customer by far. His field is just under 2 acres. He wanted...

From where I'm sitting, it sounds like a LX or L with backhoe would be just right for what you want. But - I'll caveat that the initial post question about bucket size will never be perfect. Bucketing is the slowest, most repetitive way to move material from A to B. Soon you'll want a Cat 980...

Does the housing have relief plugs? They look like small pipe plugs where grease fittings could fit, but on opposite sides of the actual grease fittings. Mine has the plugs and according to the manual, the plugs need to be removed, then you can grease the joint. Excess grease comes from those...

A small Italian sub at Santoro's in Lowell, MA. With mayo. By far the dirtiest place I've ever been in and you take your life in your hands in the parking lot (junkies and such). But the subs are worth it. So good.

Is the loader up or down? If down, you might be able to do all of the tasks with a couple of engine hoists. If its up, I'm not sure. If you disconnect the hydraulic lines you will have an uncontrolled fall of the loader. Not good. Could you temporarily seal the hole in the timing cover to run...

RIP JC Whitney. I had many sets of crappy "off-road" lights from there. Almost bought a train horn too.

I would give your little welder a workout (and/or grinder if you weld like me!). You could make some really simple rectangular patches, cut, and weld them in. All nice flat surfaces. The cutter looks to be in great shape otherwise. Definitely worth repairing. I would even say its worth taking...

Pay off mortgage, cancer and Alz related charity, siding, windows, pool repairs & fence. Remaining would be split to bolster emergency fund and retirement funds. Wife and I would take jobs that we want instead of jobs that we need.

Thanks for the photos Haydude and Snobdds! Something about a nicely cut field that looks so clean and inviting.

Jeff is going to pop up and mention that you need to put your location in your profile. Which, for a question like this is important. Up here in the Northeast, good used tractors with loaders and 4x4 are hard to find and command a premium. Higher prices than other areas. Jump onto Tractor...

Hmm- that's strange. It allowed me to pick the tasks and excluded tree clearing and removal, excavation and a few other items that I don't do. My renewal came with a letter stating that they changed the terms. It disallowed any and all tree work in general and gave a list of those tree related...

OP - that splined shaft is meant to run a hydraulic pump or other direct drive piece. These engines are used for many different things. Cutting it off might make life easier now, but I wonder if it could cause a balance issue.

Landscaping. It will ask for your general tasks in checklist form and mowing is the closest.

I'd say a mild steel cutting edge should be fine but you would have to touch up the tooth-bar with a grinder pretty often in comparison to a harder steel. And eventually it will be worn out. But unless the wait time is too much, I think you'll have more in time and materials that the cost of...

What soured you on NH? Seemed like a decent rig, but I have never operated them. Lacking features? Reliability?

Snobdds - does your guy have a lot of acreage to cut? Or is it Mr. Snobdds that does the work for Mr. Snobdds? Or both? For what it's worth, my customers typically have enough acres to cut as a field, but not enough to hay. Typically 1- 6 acres and the ones that have the larger properties are...

I cut small fields as a side business (I have insurance and run under a licensed business name, so not a side "gig") and echo Haydude's and LD1's advice. Couple of items from my point of view with small equipment like yours and here in the Northeast: - Always walk the property first. The...

I agree on hiring it out. Even with a new Ventrac or other specific slope mower, it sounds like you'd be in a tough bind if you ever had to ditch or bail out. Could you find someone to mow it once per year? Sell one of those $$$ side-by-sides and you'll pay for many years of mowing. I know it...

If the ring and pinion are locked, you should be able to spin one tire and watch the other one turn in the opposite direction with the front axle off of the ground. Does that work or is each wheel locked?

Nice rig!

First, I think the bulk of the clutch job was the R&R the cab. And that was sometime in the past. This is crazy times and now you have a junk cab to remove and replace with new. So instead of nice easy bolts to remove, he may be estimating some fight from it. I'm no tractor mechanic, but it...

What is truly amazing is the utter destruction of the trailer. Tires popped, axles bent, frame disintegrated, and floor collapsed. If it had working lights, that would be all you could salvage. Lucky for the owner he did not bother investing in them.

That log would make about 50 really nice tables!

For what it's worth, I plow with a 7.5ft repurposed Meyers plow on a QA mount. I cut the A frame down to get it closer to the tractor, as I pin the pivot (usually angled left). No problem pushing wet snow or up to 12" of light snow. Before the Meyer plow I actually used a 9ft Western that I...