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  1. Rod in Forfar

    Need help with Massey-Ferguson/TAFE alternator wiring

    My '95 TAFE 351DI just received a new battery, and that did not solve the non-starting problem, though it comes to life easily if I short across the solenoid with a piece of iron. There is a #10 wire coming out of the harness and sliding onto a wide spade connector on the upper bolt on the...
  2. Rod in Forfar

    Setting tension on the throttle (another tractor this time).

    Last winter I asked about the loose throttle on my Bolens G174 installed on a generator in my garage, tight to the wall. Once I understood the situation I leaned over the mechanism and drizzled a quantity of white Thread-Lok down onto the friction mechanism. The messy repair has worked very...
  3. Rod in Forfar

    CaseIH 255 loader is still strong, but lowers roughly after a day moving fill.

    For almost two years my 1989(?) CaseIH 255 has worked very well around the property, used primarily for snow blowing and pushing in winter and bush hogging around 25 acres of trees in summer. When I bought it the hydraulic pressure was too low, so I adjusted it up in keeping with the...
  4. Rod in Forfar

    With a Bolens G174 at which end of the throttle control do I start for a steady generator speed?

    As I first posted here in 2011, I run a 7.5 KW Baumalight generator attached to my 1980 Bolens G174, running in PTO gear 2, which delivers 740 rpm at 2500 on the engine's non-existent tach. With a Kill-a-Watt meter now plugged into a wall outlet dedicated to the generator's output, I can...
  5. Rod in Forfar

    We fixed the 3 point hitch fault on my Case IH 255.

    Since buying the cab and loader equipped 255 I have put 25 hours on it running a 4' bush hog around rows of growing trees and this week, a nightmarish 3 acre plot of pasture with boulders popping up in random locations. This field has destroyed three rotary mowers over the last 18 years of...
  6. Rod in Forfar

    What can you tell me about a Massey Ferguson 1250?

    Today I looked at a very low-hours MF 1250 at a local dealer. He had taken it and another Massey Ferguson in on a trade. I like the idea of having a cab with heater and defrosters and wipers front and back for snow blowing. There is no A/C but the windows fold out and the doors come off. The...
  7. Rod in Forfar

    Bolens G174 coolant loss: head gasket?

    A couple of weeks ago I was mowing weeds with a 4' bush hog in a 5 acre field of pine/walnut rows when my trusty Bolens G174 spurted the contents of its radiator all over the front of the tractor. A tow back to the shop established eventually that a rubber washer on the plastic drain plug of...
  8. Rod in Forfar

    Kioti Mechron PS cigarette lighter a usable power point?

    For many hours I ran a 12v pump spraying weeds with my Ranger TM until the thing quit charging altogether. Turns out the Robin 18 hp engine had a magneto rather than an alternator, and it couldn't take the sustained use. My 2020 Mechron PS has a proper alternator. Is it safe to use the...
  9. Rod in Forfar

    If your Wallenstein chipper has a serial number, it is real.

    The one I bought used from a farm contractor in the Ottawa area was advertised on Kijiji as a Wallenstein 4" pto chipper, and he had it set up for the same Kubota model as mine, a B7510. He said it worked well so I made the deal. The chipper did fit my tractor well and I had a great time...
  10. Rod in Forfar

    Snow  2020 Mechron 2200 PS won't shift into 4WD below freezing.

    Clearly there's something freezing up in the linkage or cable, because it works smoothly the instant it thaws out in the shop. The way the cable is run there is a low point where a drop of moisture could freeze... While I had it on the hoist I noticed that the rad hoses run along the frame...
  11. Rod in Forfar

    Does anyone recognize this air filter off my TADE 35DI?

    I'm having trouble locating a replacement. Thanks, Rod in Forfar, Ontario
  12. Rod in Forfar

    New Mechron 2200ps questions of other owners

    I went into the local Kioti dealer for an air filter for my Bolens G174 and saw this diesel UTV outside. We discussed price and my 2004 Ranger TM as trade in, and that was that. I like the machine, though I am a bit bothered by gear noise on the road at middle speeds. Is it normal to get...
  13. Rod in Forfar

    Buying Advice  Seat needed for Bolens G174

    My Bolens/Iseki has gotten along well with its original seat until I started using it with a dump box to carry the 25 gallon garden watering tank and pump (with balancing weights on the front). The pan is crumbling to where it needs replacement. The new seat must pivot forward, of course, but...
  14. Rod in Forfar

    Robin/Subaru 18 hp engine in my Polaris Ranger TM

    My 2004 TM 2WD has over 1000 hours on it and the maintenance book calls for an overhaul at that point. The carb is causing difficulty in that the high speed part no longer works, though it starts and idles normally. It no longer charges the battery so I have gone put-and-take with the trolling...
  15. Rod in Forfar

    Snowblower  Auger repair on 60" Lucknow snowblower

    The auger wasn't engaged when I slipped off an icy road and slid backwards into the ditch, hitting the auger full-on, though not very hard. The spiral parts of the auger weren't damaged, just the centre shaft, which was deflected almost an inch. Before I put the blower away I tried to pry the...
  16. Rod in Forfar

    Shipping an SUV from Vancouver to Eastern Ontario

    This may be a little off-topic for a tractor site, but I'd like to pick your brains if I might. My son picked up a 2004 SUV for me in Vancouver (no winter driving) and he'll drive it there until they move back to Ottawa at the end of July. Then he'll ship it to me in Portland, ON. I've...
  17. Rod in Forfar

    Oil & Fuel  How important are 300 hour HST oil changes for Kubota B7510 used as a mower?

    Coming up to 600 hours on my Kubota B7510 which runs a 5' belly mower and a 4' bush hog. When I changed the oil and filters at 300 hours there was no evidence whatever of anything but pristine oil and clean drain plugs. Have all of those old HST Kubotas really had their oil changed every 300...
  18. Rod in Forfar

    3-Point Hitch  Draft control built washboards into driveway with box blade.

    About 500 of the 700 feet of our driveway needed filling up, so I ordered 28 tonnes of 5/8 gravel in a belly-dump trailer for ease around the overhanging trees. The operator knew his job and left a very clean spread. Then it was up to me to do the final grade and compaction with the toys at...
  19. Rod in Forfar

    Bolens G174/Iseki TX1500 fuel leak, tire replacements

    Ever since I removed the float bowl to clean the filter, the thing has leaked a bit. Then it drained the tank and my neighbour ran it dry, so off it came again. I tightened it carefully with a channel lock wrench. No go. Last night I assembled the thing and tightened it gently against the O...
  20. Rod in Forfar

    Leaking fuel filter on my Bolens G174

    Ever since I removed the float bowl to clean the filter, the thing has leaked a bit. Then it drained the tank and my neighbour ran it dry, so off it came again. I tightened it carefully with a channel lock wrench. No go. Last night I carefully assembled the thing and tightened it gently...
  21. Rod in Forfar

    Overturned G174. No damage but engine won't turn over because of oil in cylinder

    What's the best way to let the compression out? Time sensitive. I need to get the thing back to work. Basically I was towing an empty wide tandem trailer and one wheel hooked an old stump while the tractor entered a steep side hill. Gear too high. Flipped me off down the sloping mowed...
  22. Rod in Forfar

    Massey 35 Perkins with water in oil

    The old Massey Ferguson 35 gets few hours any more, restricted to loading the odd log and powering the winch on its hitch. Without indoor storage for it, I'v learned to deal with a flooded air filter from time to time. A big knot of duct tape upstream of the air filter has largely kept the...
  23. Rod in Forfar

    Front-End Loader  The advantage/disadvantage of a canopy on a loader tractor

    A pair of oak planks bolted to the bottom of my 5′ loader bucket makes it into a very usable fork lift for small jobs. Today I moved 13 pieces of scaffold to re-pile it by the simple expedient of sticking the forks through the bunch of leaning scaffold and lifting it to a new location. Once...
  24. Rod in Forfar

    How to fix corrosion from leaking battery cap?

    When I bought my low-hours 2005 Kubota B7510 two years ago it had a piece of tape over one hole in the battery. Eventually I replaced the cap, but in the interim the fan drew a bit of acid as far as the screen. Of course the HST cooling tubes lie between the battery and the mesh. Now they're...
  25. Rod in Forfar

    Buying a used Kubota in Ontario, Canada

    What documents can one expect the owner to produce regarding ownership and loan payment/lien clearance? This is a bit time sensitive. I'm inquiring for a friend. Thanks, Rod
  26. Rod in Forfar

    Ranger TM hot weather electrical question

    The 2004 TM (730 hours) gets a lot of use in summer around the property. The only annoying trait is that it takes several tries on the ignition key for the starter to engage, after which it starts and runs normally. I have replaced the switch twice and cleaned battery terminals and topped up...
  27. Rod in Forfar

    48" Braber rotary mower cuts better on Bolens G174 than on Kubota B7510 HST

    I recently put a couple of tanks through the Kubota B7510 trimming around 15,000 tree seedlings with the 48" Braber rotary cutter. As long as the grass wasn't too long it did a good job. When I tackled a one-acre hay plot, however, it did a lousy job. The tractor's wide turf tires flattened...
  28. Rod in Forfar

    Just changed the hydraulic oil in my B7510 HST for the first time.

    I just finished changing the hydraulic oil in the Kubota B7510. It's quite a job. I'm told HST machines live or die on the condition of their oil, so it needs doing every 300 hours. The previous owner told me he had done it just before I bought the tractor at 210 hours, but he apparently went...
  29. Rod in Forfar

    Loader  Say I want to buy a FEL for my B7510?

    When I bought the B7510 (with 5' mmm) last year it was primarily for use as a mower: 2 acres of lawns and 25 acres of trees on a 48" bush hog (shared with a 35 hp tractor on a 60" Rhino). But I chose the tractor because it had a set of remotes installed. The remotes drive my block splitter...
  30. Rod in Forfar

    Which box blade for a B7510 with turf tires?

    I have the price sheet before me and I need some input before I pull the trigger on a purchase. Candidates are a lightweight 4', a lightweight 5', a hd 5' and a hd 6' which I would use with my 35 hp 2WD loader tractor. The task is to shape sand fill and distribute topsoil on a 250' X 150'...
  31. Rod in Forfar

    Which tractor for the box blade: 35 hp 2wd or 21 hp 4wd?

    My TAFE 35 hp 2WD has a good loader with a leveling feature and 5' bucket. It has loaded agricultural rear tires and the Massey Ferguson float system on its 3 pt hitch. My Kubota B7510 HST has no loader, turf tires, 4WD, and up-and-down 3pt hitch control. I use chains to the corners of...
  32. Rod in Forfar

    Dirt Moving  The little Bolens G174 that could

    The problem was a set of footings for my friend's new house, surrounded by the edges of the excavation. Vertical rebar for styrofoam/concrete walls prevented the use of a larger tractor. Faced with a 16 yard pile of washed stone and a deadline, we pressed into service my little Bolens G174...
  33. Rod in Forfar

    Low speed chase in Alberta

    One of the readers of my blog sent this account of a jewel and gun thief fleeing the Mounties in a John Deere 6400. Stolen tractor halted in low-speed chase in rural Alberta - The Globe and Mail
  34. Rod in Forfar

    Is this a pathology?

    Ever since I test drove a Kawasaki Mule on tracks I have been getting stuck in the still-deep snow on the farm in Leeds County, Ontario. Yesterday I buried my friend's 4WD Polaris Ranger, and then bogged the Massey Ferguson 35 when I went with the winch to get the Ranger. After a nice rest in...
  35. Rod in Forfar

    Walter George Bruhl's obituary

    This funny self-penned obituary has gone viral this morning. It's worth a read. Grandfather Pens Hilarious Self-Written Obit Before Passing Away | iVillage.ca
  36. Rod in Forfar

    Any idea what this is?

    My friend Tom took this photo near Reading, PA today. We're trying to figure out what it is.
  37. Rod in Forfar

    The Phil Robertson Special

    Duck Dynasty t-shirts are turning up all over the place as the popular reality show gradually colonizes the North American culture, but I'm just sitting back counting my money as I wait for the collectors to come calling, for I own the exact model of TAFE tractor which Phil Robertson uses on his...
  38. Rod in Forfar

    Snow  B7510 keeps surprising.

    My 2WD tractor could barely move without chains in the 8" of wet snow which fell overnight, so I decided to try the Kubota I had bought privately last June. So far it has outperformed my other tractors on lawn mowing, bush hogging (4') and block splitting, so I decided to try it on the Lucknow...
  39. Rod in Forfar

    64 hertz and a Kill-a-Watt

    Portable generators, not connected to a utility system, need not tightly regulate their frequency, because typical loads are insensitive to small frequency deviations. Wikipedia Yesterday I tried connecting my Bolens G174 (15 hp PTO at 740 rpm) to my newly-acquired BAUMALight 7.2 KW PTO...
  40. Rod in Forfar

    Has anybody run a PTO generator with a Bolens G174?

    I just bought a BAUMALight 7.2 kw pto generator for use as backup power for the twin houses on the property. The main generator tractor will be the Kubota B7510 with its 540 rpm pto and tachometer. But the G174's the garage queen, spending its winters largely nestled beside the box stove in my...
  41. Rod in Forfar

    Comparison  What's best for standby power?

    My Honda EM5000 wouldn't start the water pump during a recent wind storm, though it was showing 250 volts on the meter. The dealer said the windings are toast and it's not worth fixing. So this raises the question: what should I get as a replacement? Situation: Large, double house in Leeds...
  42. Rod in Forfar

    Splitting the G174 Part II: 7 Rules for the Complete Idiot

    The second day of the project has provided a series of lessons: 1. When you have bolted everything back together and you are all ready to do the triumphant drive around the yard in your recently-repaired tractor, the battery will be dead. 2. If the hydraulic pump makes a horrible noise when...
  43. Rod in Forfar

    Splitting the G174

    My trusty old Bolens G174 stripped a few cogs on its output shaft boss the other day, and sat there sounding like an annoyed pencil sharpener instead of pulling my trailer. A session in the garage revealed that it had stripped a spline boss on the shaft which transfers power from the engine and...
  44. Rod in Forfar

    Bolens G174: input shaft spline

    They don't break if you don't use 'em. Yesterday the Bolens G174 hauled several loads of hardwood blocks out of rough terrain in the woodlot and dumped them in the yard for splitting. The Kubota B7510 with its remote works very well on the 3 pt. hitch splitter, btw. Today as I pulled away...
  45. Rod in Forfar

    Banjo bolt needed

    Three years ago I had my neighbour remove the remotes mounted on the fender of my Bolens G174 because they were in the way and I had no use for them. This week I tried to put the unit back on and discovered I have lost a critical banjo bolt, the one with a 7/8" wide shoulder which goes through...
  46. Rod in Forfar

    Hot spot on engine block

    A few months ago my Bolens G174 set off its engine temperature warning light. I got all in a flap (even buying a Kubota) but relaxed when the light quit coming on. The engine seemed cool throughout the whole process, but I drained and replaced the coolant, gave it a new fan belt, and blew the...
  47. Rod in Forfar

    The problem of the overly well-endowed hoist:

    I bought this Walco Renegade lightweight dump trailer today, but I'm a bit intimidated by the size and capacity of the hoist cylinder, despite my wife's fondness for this photo. At rest the B7510 HST's dip stick showed a half-inch over full. With the hoist up, the dip stick is dry. Halfway...
  48. Rod in Forfar

    Rotary Cutter  Easy height adjustment on 48" rotary mower

    When I bought a 48" offshore rotary mower for my Bolens G174 I didn't know any better but to use the same system of chains it used on the 48" Woods 3 pt hitch finish mower. I just added a couple of appropriate chains to the front corners of the bush hog and away I went. When the Kubota B7510...
  49. Rod in Forfar

    Why it's a bad idea to put your tractor on a car hoist

    This one's for the archives because when I went looking, no one had written anything on the subject. Why it is a bad idea to raise a Kubota tractor on a car hoist | Walnut Diary
  50. Rod in Forfar

    Kubota B7510 on car hoist?

    After 15 hours of mowing our rather rocky green space, the blades on the mid-mount mower of the Kubota B7510 I recently brought home need service. The centre blade came loose yesterday and I was able to find a 30 mm socket and breaker bar to reach in and tighten it. I also touched up the ends...
  51. Rod in Forfar

    Mowing  Bush Hogging with the B7510

    Today I prepared the B7510 for mowing around some of the 15,000 little trees on the farm. That involved removing the five-foot mid-mount mower and hooking on the 48" rotary mower. The off-brand mower normally mounts on my Bolens G174 where height control is achieved by means of a pair of...
  52. Rod in Forfar

    Getting used to the new (to me) B7510

    I've spent the better part of the last week getting adjusted to the '05 Kubota B7510 I picked up privately last weekend and towed home. So there are some notes and a few questions. Feel free to comment where you have information to ad. - Towing: A few years ago I built a tandem trailer for...
  53. Rod in Forfar

    How much pressure is too much?

    Just bought a '05 Kubota B7510 HST with 210 hours. It has a remote attached to the ROPS. I changed the fittings to try my 3 pt hitch log splitter, which it ran well. But when I put a gauge on the line it read 2850 pounds and the manual says 1950 pounds. Previous owner used it briefly on a...
  54. Rod in Forfar

    3-Point Hitch  Is it worth changing the fittings on my log splitter to fit B7510?

    New to this forum. Last weekend I bought and hauled home a 2005 B7510 with 210 hours, 5' belly mower, and a remote mounted to the ROPS for use on a post hole digger. The fittings on the remote are a bit smaller than those I use to connect to my 35 hp TAFE. TAFE's have lazy pumps, but I've...
  55. Rod in Forfar

    Bolens G174 heat warning light

    Since I bought the G174 three years ago the cooling system has never uttered a burp. It was as if the thing didn't have one. Then while I was picking up a little cherry tree in the woods with the dump box, the overheat light winked on faintly. I shut off and checked the coolant. All fine...
  56. Rod in Forfar

    Old Rangers: 2WD vs 4WD in snow

    Yesterday my friend brought his 2003 Ranger 500 to the farm in Eastern Ontario and drove it around the trails in the woods I had established with my Massey Ferguson 35 and winch for hauling out logs. The wide body on full-sized Rangers may be a pain to fit onto a trailer, but the wheels fit...
  57. Rod in Forfar

    Chains on the Bolens G174

    In the barn I found a pair of tire chains my dad had for his 1968 Kaiser Military Surplus Jeep. They looked about the right size, so I tried them over the turf tires on the back wheels of the Bolens G174. It took four of those 2 1/2" ID twist-on links and two additional links from an old horse...
  58. Rod in Forfar

    G174 to the rescue

    The season's first snowstorm hit Eastern Ontario over the last couple of days. In anticipation I had fitted tire chains onto my TAFE 351DI whose loader I use for snow removal until things get really deep. Then I add a snowblower to the back. First trip out the 600' driveway with the TAFE went...
  59. Rod in Forfar

    Firewood handled only twice

    Ironwood (hornbeam) is an inconspicuous weed tree which grows beneath the maples, walnuts, and towering beeches of the forest crown. It fills in sunlit spaces if it can, and if not will stretch up forty feet until it eventually dies from root disease and falls over. Its cadavers litter the...
  60. Rod in Forfar

    Polaris Ranger 500: how old is old?

    My friend asked me to look at a 2002 Ranger 500 at the local Polaris dealer. He was attracted by the price, but put off by the torn seat and a dent in the skid plate at the front. Once I learned about the interlock on the brake, it started and ran very well. The choke cable hung out of the...
  61. Rod in Forfar

    Alamia.us complaint

    Short version: Don't order a chain for a Husqvarna saw from Alamia unless you know exactly what you are doing. Longer version: I learned of Chain Saws at Alamia: Outdoor Equipment, Husqvarna Chain Saws, Wood Chippers, Chippers from this forum, and when I decided to buy a new saw, their price...
  62. Rod in Forfar

    Ice storm morning

    A good indicator that it's going to be a difficult day is when you wake up to the sound of the County sanding truck stuck in the ditch at the end of the driveway. You know when that little voice in you pleads for a rope half-way down a black diamond ski hill? That's what the 2' descent over...
  63. Rod in Forfar

    Synthetic oil hard to burn?

    A couple of days ago I had to light a fire in a box stove in the garage when there wasn't any kindling nearby, so I poured a small amount of used engine oil onto the cherry blocks and started the fire. The fire built slowly, but I thought little more of it. Today I tried a couple of ounces...
  64. Rod in Forfar

    Generator  Mitsubishi KE 75 torque band question

    I'm looking at a 7 kw pto generator for possible use on my Bolens G174 which produces a nominal 17 hp. No problem so far. But while a small Kubota runs 540 on its shaft, my Iseki/Bolens offers a choice of 472, 752, or 1177 at 2700 rpm. That means the gauges should level out at about 1950 rpm...
  65. Rod in Forfar

    Ever run a generator with a Bolens/Iseki?

    My 5 kw Honda generator's in the shop, so I'm thinking about a 7 kw pto generator to attach to my Bolens G174. The engine is strong and might be a good match for the generator. The setup appeals because of the Bolens's low fuel consumption when under load. But according to the manual 1st gear...
  66. Rod in Forfar

    What are the odds?

    My son located a large pile of used, good quality fluorescent lights taken from a drugstore undergoing renovations. Desiring an ample supply of lighting for his new garage, he bought the contents of the large pallet, estimated at between forty and fifty eight-foot lights, each with four thin...
  67. Rod in Forfar

    New toy gloat: dump box

    I found this at the local farm implement dealer: a lightly-used version of an idea which had yet to take full form in my mind. I have a timber winch which is very effective, but it loads its victims up with grit unless there's heavy snow cover. It's hard to make firewood out of sandy logs...
  68. Rod in Forfar

    How to change the belt on an old Woods mower

    I've had a couple of private messages asking for this information, so I decided to post a link where TBN's search engine can find it. Rod How to change the belt on Woods mower #RM48YM-2 Walnut Diary
  69. Rod in Forfar

    Equipment shed erection question

    Guys: We're set to start assembling a 20X30 garage/equipment shed tomorrow on a pad we poured last fall. The catch is that the panels will be studded with 12' 2X6s. I want to apply the 7/16" OSB while the panels are on the floor. The other garage last summer had a 9' ceiling, so I left off...
  70. Rod in Forfar

    Mowing  Wet turf and the Bolens G174

    This morning at 5:30 three robins, two starlings and a blue jay converged around a dry puddle on the driveway and acted as though they couldn't believe their fountain had dried up. It was quite a show as the thirsty birds did their best despairing tricks, peeking among the pebbles for just one...
  71. Rod in Forfar

    Seat on 1981 Bolens G-174 is too hard!

    It's the original seat, in good condition, but it's missing the rear pad which sits underneath to cushion the seat pan from the frame, so it's harsh enough that I add a pair of pillows when working on rough ground. Someone here suggested a new seat, so I tried today at TSC. That was an...
  72. Rod in Forfar

    Winches  When wives take photos

    We waited until the snow conditions were right and then cut up and skidded out a substantial black walnut which a wind storm took down in the centre of the woodlot. My recently-retired wife took some photos and circulated them to her friends with a note bragging about her prowess with a logging...
  73. Rod in Forfar

    Wide vs narrow Rangers

    Had a thought today while heading back to the woods with the chainsaw on my 2004 Ranger tm . There's still a lot of snow on the ground, but I can move around with the 2WD utility vehicle because its track is the same as the 35 hp tractor I use on the logging winch. A narrow-format UTV would...
  74. Rod in Forfar

    This one you can try at home.

    My wife and I live in an old stone house attached to a larger Victorian brick number which dumps its snow onto our roof next to a dormer. It's a trap for snow and an eventual ice dam. Climbing up there is hard on the roof and dangerous, so some years ago I developed a technique for dealing...
  75. Rod in Forfar

    Cure for sore neck from snow removal

    My neck was getting so sore from owling around backwards while moving snow that something had to give. I arrived at the junkyard just when the crew was preparing to "kill" a school bus. The owner offered me the mirrors for $50. What I took home consisted of two banks of two mirrors, a flat...
  76. Rod in Forfar

    Another garage door

    This one's home-made of local oak. My wife and I just popped it into place before supper. I think it should go an inch deeper into the cavity before I foam it in. Walnut Diary
  77. Rod in Forfar

    Matching a PTO generator to compact tractor

    How much PTO generator could I run with a 17 hp diesel tractor? With a 35 hp? We're looking at laying one in for occasional welding rather than paying $600/year for a second electrical service for the garage. Thanks, Rod
  78. Rod in Forfar

    Garage door installation SNAFU

    Last summer we built a garage. Then I bought a very nice 10 X 7' "Mahogany"(hemlock with luan raised panels) door. Today the time had come to install it. All went well until I wound up the spring. I wonder if I had it in backwards. It took six turns and then it had had enough and hopped up...
  79. Rod in Forfar

    Massey Ferguson 35 Diesel Mystery

    My old 1960 MF35 started up well enough in the cold, but it wouldn't rev up. I gave it more throttle but it wouldn't accelerate. Soon I noticed a cloud of dark smoke behind. It didn't improve, so I put it back in the garage. Yesterday I needed the loader, and it was no better, though upon...
  80. Rod in Forfar

    Bolens G174 slight howl in front end

    The tractor is a 4WD, 17 hp Iseki/Bolens, 1981. The problem seems cold-related, and bearing-related, insofar as it only zings when the clutch is out. Otherwise I'd say it's from the hydraulic pump, as that's where the sounds seems to originate. Seeking water in the fluid I drained the tranny...
  81. Rod in Forfar

    Buying Advice  Google Earth Pro

    Don't download the 7 day trial of Google Earth Pro until you have some heavy lifting to do, because when the seventh day ends and your screen goes blank, you'll feel like Aladdin when they took away his magic carpet. It costs $400. to get it back for a year. So why am I mentioning this on a...
  82. Rod in Forfar

    Scary wheel failure

    In the CTC parking lot in Smiths Falls today I saw a wheel hop off a horse trailer and follow the truck along over the speed bump before it stopped at the entrance to bay 2. The driver didn't believe me when I told him he'd lost a wheel, but he sent his wife back to check. As he passed I had...
  83. Rod in Forfar

    Winches  Skidding with my Bolens G174

    I had to try it. When the mower came off the Bolens I backed it up to the mid-sized Wallenstein skidder (8800 lb) and discovered that if I adjusted the top link correctly, it could pick it up. Off to the woods where three years ago an improvement cut had left a lot of small timber lying...
  84. Rod in Forfar

    Getting the rear remote to work again

    Last week I bought a used 3pt hitch block splitter, brought it home and hooked it to my TAFE 35DI. It has a pair of remotes described in the manual as a tipping lever. It wouldn't work, so I took it to my neighbour. He tested the line and found pressure, then monkeyed around with it until...
  85. Rod in Forfar

    Price Check  1978 Bolens G174 for sale on Kijiji

    Very nice mid-mount mower and loader installation. Bolens Diesel tractor/loader - Ottawa Farming Equipment For Sale - Kijiji Ottawa Canada. $4.3K CDN
  86. Rod in Forfar

    Trailer hitch for Bolens G174

    When mowing season ends I plan to use the Bolens G174 to tow a 4X6 utility trailer for woodlot duties. I'm concerned that it's a bit light in the front end for heavy loads, even with three suitcase weights, so I'm reluctant to hitch off the end of the 3 pt hitch. Some compact tractors seem...
  87. Rod in Forfar

    Dumbest trick I've pulled in a while

    These things go in threes. Seems a couple of days ago I shut the Bolens G174 off without turning off the key. Came home today bushed from a 7 hour drive with a new garage door. Went to back it into the garage but the Bolens was in the way. Battery completely flat. Pushed tractor out to...
  88. Rod in Forfar

    Bolens G174 now repaired

    In frustration I loaded the tractor onto its trailer and hauled it to Feenstra's Farm Equipment, a reputable local dealer (Kioti) with a background in Massey Ferguson service. The boss changed the fuel filter and had the starter rebuilt. Now it's fine.
  89. Rod in Forfar

    Tell me about injection pumps.

    1981 Bolens G174/Iseki TX 1500F Engine KE75. It's been getting harder and harder to start, the more I use it. So far I've put about fifteen tanks of diesel through it on a finished mower and 48" rotary mower. The trouble seems to have started about the time I began running the engine at...
  90. Rod in Forfar

    Ag tires for Iseki TX-1500 4WD

    I don't know how useful this Bolens/Iseki will be in winter, but the turf tires which are on it don't offer a lot of grip. Would there be a gray-market source for inexpensive ag tires (and rims) accessible to me in Ontario? I believe they're 6:12's and 8:16's. What kind of price for a used...
  91. Rod in Forfar

    Iseki 1500X getting harder to start

    I've put between 30 and 50 hours of mowing on the Bolens G174/Iseki 1500X since I bought it this summer. It started well until I bought the 48" rotary mower, but then it faced 11 acres of mowing around little trees, and I had to keep engine rev's down to avoid exceeding the 540 rev requirement...
  92. Rod in Forfar

    Rear Finish Mower  Another belt!

    That's the third in two weeks, and I only have one left. The mower is a 1987 Woods RM48**-C attached to the back of my 17 hp Bolens diesel. It's mowing the lawns (2 acres) and a 6 acre patch of new tree seedlings which ended up with rows too narrow for my larger tractors. So it's been getting...
  93. Rod in Forfar

    Mowing  Mowing with high speed pto

    When I bought my Bolens G174 the guy told me to run the Woods pto finish mower in pto speed #2, and 4th gear (1st high) at middle rpms. It works quite comfortably at that speed, but the Woods manual calls for me to run the mower at much higher revolutions, recommending 1000 rpm at the pto...
  94. Rod in Forfar

    Buying Advice  Finding scarce belts

    Two weeks ago I bought a Bolens G174 with a Woods 3pt hitch finishing mower attached. Since then I have run through two belts over many acres of mowing. The local sources had no listing for the Woods belt, a 5.8 X 126.7" beaut. The local Woods dealer kept me waiting and waffled, not sure...
  95. Rod in Forfar

    New to site

    Hello. Just looking for a discussion on how to build a canopy for my 1995 TAFE 35DI. Walnut Diary
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