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We normally have a lot of squirrels over the winter making a mess around our bird feeders. This year there are none, zero, haven’t seen a one. This house is surrounded by apple orchard, and we have one barn but is pretty cleaned up. Just wondering what everybody else is seeing this year.

I have a combination wood and coal stove. I have 3 tons of coal stockpiled in the basement (in bags) already. I was thinking about storing 2 or 3 cords of firewood in the basement too. Would bugs be a problem if I do that, I am thinking it could be there 3 or 4 years. I suppose the reason is...

I live in a small town and often shop at a small country store for things such as coffee, newspaper, sandwiches, occasional pizza. I guess I visited the store 3 or 4 times a week for years. Then one day, there is a new employee, a young lady about 25 or so. I went to the register with my coffee...

I drive a 2015 Toyota Tacoma with 6 cylinder engine. Maintenance manual says to use mineral oil but I have used synthetic oil. The service manager says to use mineral oil every 5000 miles. I asked her what is wrong if I used synthetic oil she said I am wasting money to use synthetic oil every...

Hello Everybody, Fifty years ago an Air Force buddy gave me a bottle of Seagrams V.O. When I shipped out. It has never been opened, still has the seal. I may see him in a few weeks and I would like to bring this bottle so we could open it and have a drink. Anyway, I’m traveling through Canada...

This machine has a Kohler ZT740 engine, 25 hp and I store it in a shed over the winter. I used to start it (or try to start it) during the winter. This year I wish to pickle it per the operators manual. The book says to remove spark plugs and mist oil in the cylinders. With what? Can I use...

Hello Everybody, In April I reseeded some areas of the lawn and did nothing else. The areas have now grown, and the yard in general looks kind of rough. I mow and trim but what I mean is there is clover, crabgrass, gone-by dandelions, and other weeds. So, can I apply a weed and feed now? I know...

I am looking for a 3PH airblast sprayer for my orchard. Most have a 100 gallon tank which is preferred size. Can somebody recommend a sales site for new and used sprayers? Thanks.

When I go to start this machine I have the battery fully charged and all it does is groan. I thought it was the battery so I put in a new one this morning and have the same issue. I have proven all safety interlocks work to include control handles, parking brake, electric mower clutch, seat...

We are scheduled for another sloppy snow storm tomorrow night into the day Wednesday. It will snow for 12 hours or so, then the storm will end with sleet turning to rain. I wait for it to stop completely, then go out to remove the snow. Is this what you guys do? Wait?

I recently noticed that someone sent me a private message (email), and I discovered a lot of emails that I did not notice. Some are 3 years old. All I can say is that I am sorry for the oversight, I don稚 ignore anybody as I like the fellowship on this site.

I have been using a certain, national company for doing my oil changes for 20+ years. I serviced my company cars as well as my own without any problems to speak about. I went again to one such place today and it went like this: I drove up to the door where an employee came out to greet me. He...

Two weeks ago I bought a DeWalt Compact Sawzall from Amazon and with battery and charger it was about $220. Yesterday I get a pop up ad which advertised a DeWalt 10-piece cordless tool set with two 18-volt batteries, case, chargers覧-for $77. I bought it on a leap of faith. It may be legit, it...

Hey Everybody: This concerns my Kubota zero turn which is idle in the shed during the winter. Instead of leaving well enough alone, I just had to screw it up. I wanted to install electrical extensions from the battery to a convenient spot on the frame so I can hook up the BatteryMinder (maybe...

I started a thread recently about keeping batteries charged during periods of little use on small power equipment such as lawn mowers and UTVs. Some of the commenters recommended battery minders, some said its a bad idea to run equipment during the winter, that I should just disconnect batteries...

I keep a Kubota zero turn mower and a Polaris mid sized Ranger in a barn out back. Unheated but still closed in pretty good. I go out there quite a bit during the winter, and when I do I start each machine and run it for a while. Neither would start today, and it is mid 30s. Last run ups were...

I will service my zero turn mower before storing it for the winter, and I知 thinking about putting on new blades. I do not have an impact socket so I have to use a 1/2 inch drive ratchet. Is the job doable with this arrangement? Thanks

I drive a B2650 Kubota and am thinking about buying the maintenance manual. Are they any good, and will it be specific to my model? I probably wont do big jobs but it may help me understand the tractor a little better. What do you think?

I am thinking about sending motor oil and hydraulic fluid to a lab next time I service the tractor. I am interested to know if there are wear metals in the samples. The trouble is, what is normal? Would anybresults be able to tell me if components are wearing, or if the metals are from a pump? I...

I drive a 2015 Tacoma and it does not have a directional compass. It痴 a nice truck with good radio but there just is no compass anywhere. I can navigate just fine without it, but I would every now and then like to know my direction reference to where I am and where I知 going. When I fly I am...

Last spring I decided to resend my lawn rather than apply crabgrass fertilizer, and it shows. My lawn now is dominated by crabgrass it seems, and plenty of clover too. Weather is starting to feel like fall so what should I do now? reseed with good grass, or apply crabgrass and clover herbicides?

I have a small orchard and am having trouble with bugs on my apples. I did spray NEEM oil, captan, and Fruit Tree Spray. I read about an IPM Integtated Pest Management program but I am too small for that? when I see bugs it痴 usually too late to spray them. What do orchardists do?

My wife and I recently visited our son and DIL in Utah. We started playing darts and we discovered it痴 a cool game. Our son taught us the scoring and what was needed to close out the game. Anybody else play? I don稚 know why I never had interest before.

I went on a trip and left my truck in a commuter lot for 5 days. When I returned I found the passenger window open and it rained while I was away, now the seat is wet. Is there anything I should do to dry it so it won稚 get moldy? It is pretty humid in Maine this season. Thanks.

I wrote a children’s book about flying. It is titled The Magic Of Flying With Grandpa and is available on Amazon. It is about Grandpa taking his two grandkids on a scenic flight around the east coast. Early indications are good, kids really do like it. I think it is pretty entertaining for young...

I am as patriotic as they come but I never liked fireworks. I don’t seek them out, don't even look up when they are launched. It could be that I don’t like summer. I don’t claim PTSD, it’s not a phobia, never had an accident with fireworks, and I am not anti-social —-just plain and simple...

I have a Kubota Z125S zero turn mower which I really like. It mows great, and is comfortable to operate. I had been having an issue with the mower belt coming off. The Kubota dealer, M-B Tractor in Eliot Maine got involved and they fixed it. The factory was actually involved with a design change...

I bought 8 acres of a former orchard and built a house. I am in the process of restoring the orchard, which had been idle for 15 years. I severely pruned about 25 trees that are closest to the house. I began spraying them this year with dormant oil, fruit tree spray, and captan. The trees are...

I am thinking about getting a couple of hives. I have a small orchard and thing bees would be a benefit, possibly selling honey would be a plus too. Any advice?

Hi All, I have a Kubota B2650HST with FEL bucket. I need to remove about 150 apple trees and replace them with newer varieties. I can cut the trees into larger brush lengths and cut the trunk to 18 inch lengths. I have plenty of room to push brush with the FEL bucket. I don稚 want to buy a...

I was moving some brush around the property today. I ran over a small stump (the stump was free, already dug out) and it struck the suction filter. A few minutes later I noticed fluid puddled on the ground. I headed for the garage but the tractor stopped and would not move so I shut it down. I...

I have a stool in the shower that is made of wood on an aluminum frame. The wood is very dense, stained and varnished. The varnish is coming off, a result of being in water every day. I took it out and it is dry, now what kind of finish would I put on it to not happen anymore. The stool is good...

I bought a nice granite post for a sign on my property, and I broke it. It’s 6 inch x 6 inch x 9 foot and I broke it in two pieces about 4 ft x 5 ft. I did mount the bottom 4 footer in the hole and compacted it with gravel. I’d like to place the top on that, cemented, and have it hold a small...

Hi Everybody, My wife and I were talking this afternoon and we wish to visit Nova Scotia. We will be driving, so from Moncton area we'll head to the island. We don't have a plan, and I think it will stay that way. Just looking at sites, will visit stores and restaurants, stay in hotels. This is...

Lately I have been seeing more and more people bringing their dogs into Lowes while they shop. They are not service dogs, just regular pets. One guy was picking lumber, and his dog crapped all over the floor in a number of places. I was going to buy some 2x but not that day. I'm not anti-dog but...

My Kubota Z125S has 27 hours and has had the mower belt come off 7 times. It started at 4 hours, then 7 hours, then more frequently. Last week the drive belt (HST belt) snapped while I was mowing. I called this dealer (not where I bought it) looking for the drive belt and we started talking. He...

I wish to paint my garage doors to match the house trim. They are 2 years old, steel, with factory painted white finish. I want to paint them off-white. Exterior paint on the house siding and trim is Sherwin Williams Duration. If you know that paint, it is latex with its own primer, and it is...

My Stihl saw is in the shop because of an old fuel problem. I think I will buy and use the pre-mixed stuff you see around now. I have a gallon of fuel/oil mix. Can I just put that into my truck to get rid of it?

Hi Everyone, I have been spending a lot of time this winter troubleshooting my heating system, and I may just have found something that needed correcting. I am in a new house, moved in last March, and the propane boiler shows 1863 hours of run time and 3300 cycles. In my opinion, this is...

The walks, patios, and fire pit is now installed at the new house. Great job, looks terrific. Now, my snow removal activities will require a snow blower that I walk behind, at least to do the back area. I can still plow the driveway my normal way. Been shopping online, and I really like the...

Hey Everybody, Hope all is well with you all. I own 8 acres of apple orchard, and I also have some pumpkins growing, and plan to install 60 blueberry bushes in the spring. I will prune the apple trees over the winter, and wish to buy a wood chipper. I will make the saw cuts (aggressive...

We may get some rain in the next few days so I may burn some of my brush piles. The piles are dry, stacked since fall. My question is how should I light the piles? The actual brush is small with some larger limbs 4 inch or so. One pile is about 16 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 5 feet high. I have...

Hey Everybody, I recently bought a box blade with 6 rippers for plowing my pumpkin patch. I worked about 1.5 acres and planted pumpkins and they are growing pretty good. Next spring I wish to increase the size by one half acre, as well as plant about 40 blueberry bushes. The blueberry bushes...

Did a water test when the house was new and found a few things that needed correcting. Shopper around and found a guy that I liked so we had the talk about "this had better work or you WILL fix it at your cost". It was above $6000.00 so I was not going to have that much into it and still have...

Hi Everyone, Did my first oil change yesterday and I thought it was difficult. I am not a mechanic but have done many oil changes in the past. Maybe it's just the small size of the vehicle, but seems like it was hard to reach the filter and drain plug. I also looked at the transmission and...

I am doing the 50 hour service today. Engine oil is not a problem. I am unsure where the drain points are for the transmission and hydraulic fluids. I do know that there are 2 plugs under the axles, but are there others? Thanks for the help.

Hi Everyone, Just about finished the house, one more week or so and we will move in. I am pretty much still in construction mode, and thinking about the driveway this summer. It is 250 feet by 12 feet with a turnaround. I am thinking about using pavers ---probably the grey concrete color but...

We are just finishing construction on our house in an apple orchard. It is only 8 acres but was part of a working 15 acre orchard a few years back. Last fall the trees were loaded with apples but I am not sure how good they were. It is just a hobby, and we're going to start slow in terms of...

Hi Everybody. Just posted a thread about buying wood stoves. Probably will buy one, so I am wondering how I will get it into the basement. It may weigh up to 900 pounds. Access to basement is by "dog house", door is full 36 inches wide, 8 steps. I have a Kubota B2650 with a hook welded onto the...

I am thinking of buying a stove from DS Machine. I think the model Max 160 would suit me fine to heat 1600 square feet from the basement. Also heard that Hitzer is a good stove. Just wondering if any of you own these stoves.

Recently took delivery on the B2650. I bought it a month ago but had the dealer hold it until I could park it inside at the new house. We had about 6 inches of snow, so the initial test was to plow using the bucket only. Driveway is about 300 feet long with a slight grade up from the road. I...

Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope you health and prosperity going forward. I am building a new house, and it is weather tight now. The temperatures here have ranged from 30s to 70s, no freeze at all even through the night. This coming week will see a drop in temperature from low to mid 30s...

Went to a Kubota dealer yesterday and looked at these two models. I will plow snow and do light maintenance on the property. The brochures for both models talk about "newly introduced" and "newly designed", and how they bring simplicity, versatility, power and comfort to tough jobs. Maybe it is...

Found a JD 2520 for sale and have questions about its prior care. Built in 2008, total time 369 hours. Last oil change was in 2009 with 109 hours with nothing since. So, with 260 hours and 6 years since last oil change, what should I look for? Engine is filthy, coated with lime. Been used to cut...

My wife and I are thinking about moving out of state to a warmer climate. Our present house has a steep driveway going up from the road. The land levels out nice once on top and has plenty of room for turning and getting into the garage. The driveway is 800 feet, paved, in good condition, and a...

I have been researching wood/coal furnaces on line, now going shopping for one. My present wood stove is not keeping up. House is 1500 feet, one story with full basement. The basement floor is insulated because of the radiant tubing fed by the propane boiler. I have a hood over the stove with an...

i have spent too much time indoors during the past two winters (since retiring), and am thinking about buying a snowmobile. My area usually gets plenty of snow, and there are a lot of trails around here. Some people have told me that a UTV might be a better option because it's more handy year...

Just changed fluids and filters on the tractor for normal maintenance. I changed the hydraulic suction and HST filters and drained all hydraulic fluid. I put in three gallons of Super UDT2 fluid and ran the system by turning steering wheel max both directions and cycled the bucket numerous...

I want to clear a yard area 60 x 60 feet that is hilly and rocky. I cannot get my B2320 in there because of possible tipping. The area has small brush growing-- about 1.5 inches max. The plan is to landscape with plantings such as small (5 foot) pine bushes, ground cover and mulch. I have a...

I was in a gardening center last weekend and saw an equipment kit for hydroponics gardening. Grows vegetables inside over the winter using media in tubs for plant rooting and lights to help growth. The lady said her customers grow fresh tomatoes and lettuce all winter long. Has anybody tried...

Hello All, My garage floor is 26 x 30, 4 years old and in solid condition (no cracks or spalling). Floor does not seep water but a few spots will get darker gray after heavy rains, I built the house and drainage is known to be good. A commercial concrete company compacted and poured the floor...

My buddy called me today. Sears lawn tractor with Kohler 25 Pro. He turns the key and hears the starter spin but the tractor won't start. He took off the shroud cover and can see the cog gear pop up to engage the flywheel, and the starter sounds like it's spinning but the cog gear won't spin...

I will keep trying to separate my SB51 snowblower fan from the gearbox shaft. I think if I stand the blower up on the auger end I can spray the penetrating oil so it drips into the coupling better, then soak it over a period of days. What is a real good penetrating fluid to use? I have some...

Well, I thought I was doing the right thing to service my Meteor SB51 snowblower before putting it away for the season, but I broke it. While changing the gearbox oil on the Comer gearbox, I stripped the threads on the gearbox plug hole (the plug threads are but the gearbox hole threads are...

I have a Stihl 029 Super with a 20 inch bar, and have used this saw for 20 years. Just serviced it with new filters, fuel line, and spark plug. Since it runs so good I will keep it in service as my only chainsaw. However, I am thinking about buying a shorter bar, maybe 16 or 18 inch. I have a 9...

Just wondering. Every now and then I see a reference to aviation in the posts. I've been flying for about 15 years just for fun, not work. I keep a working mans Cessna at a local airport. When we talk about costs I have an easy formula: Kubota dollars are 3x regular dollars, Cessna dollars are...

I have been thinking about buying log length firewood. I could get easy delivery and off-load at the bottom of my hill, but after cutting would have to haul up the hill to split and stack in the shed. Also, I would need to rent a splitter once a year for about 3 cords at a time. What is your...

The best money I spent this year was $70 for a pair of insulated bibs. Never had a pair before even though I worked outside. Very comfortable, especially when kneeling in deep snow to change shear pins and such. Easy to get in to and out of too.

I have a two flue masonry chimney, 6" and 8" round. Wood stove is connected to the 8" and the 6" is unused. Should I use caps on these flues to keep out birds or weather? Have not had a problem other than wet residue when I do the annual cleaning. Don't know why I'm thinking about this now...

Story on CNN says a 37 year old pregnant woman in Brooklyn NY was killed by a Bobcat tractor plowing snow in a grocery market parking lot. She was transported to the emergency room within 6 minutes, and the doctors saved the baby but the mother died. Apparently she was loading groceries into her...

I am not understanding how the 1/4 inch valve function works on this tractor. I move the lever to the position shown in the operators manual and the 3PH raises rapidly several inches. I operate the lever to the stop very quickly but it still raises too high. Is there an adjustment or different...

I recently snugged up my parking brake on the B2320. Maybe I tightened it too much. Before the adjustment, it was slipping when I set the brake on a slope. After adjusting, it stops immediately when I let off the HSD pedal. Is there such a thing as too tight, so that it may be engaged slightly...

My B2320 seems to have less power than before. Tractor has 420 hours. Here's what it does: power set to 2000 rpm or so, then I push the HSD pedal forward to go up the driveway and as I climb the grade the tractor seems to really slow down to a crawl. Increasing RPM will move it faster, but 2000...

I have burned firewood for 20 years and am thinking about switching to wood pellets. My house is single story with full basement, and the wood stove is in the basement. The basement ceiling is insulated (hot water radiant floor heating under floor between the floor joists), so I have a hood over...

I bought rear wheel spacers and tire chains for B2320. The spacers are 1.5 inch thick and come with long wheel studs. How do I remove the original wheel studs so I can install the new ones? Thanks