am I hurting my tractor?

jbrumberg · Sep 5, 2007

BarneyZ:

I agree with John as to your lesson learned. We all have had our own learning curves; some curves are more accelerated than others

. Now we can help you spend your hard earned money on attachments

! Figure out what you think your "priorities" are and we will help you with suggestions for the "justifications" to convince the "Comptroller"

of the "need". Keep the posts coming- Jay

patrick_g · Sep 5, 2007

ToadHill said:
Rather than damage the Tractor, I'd take a trip to the rental stor and rent a trencher for about $100 a day. You can easily do 500' in a day.

Toad, I find myself in a quandary over my preferred buy instead of rent attitude and the wisdom to know when to shift gears and rent.

I have rented a diesel powered "RIDE-ON" DitchWitch and trenched 600 ft or so in just a few hours. It was in the heat of the summer but the unit had lights so I did it at night and got a cheap "overnight rate" by taking it after 4PM and returning it before 9:30 (I think.) I trenched at the max depth the unit would do, about 3 ft or so.

Some rental outfits have special rates for weekends. Here in the Bible Belt lots of places are closed on Sundays. If you pick up equipment Sat PM you can return it Monday morning and pay for one day.

If the only tool you have is a hammer you try to make every job look like a nail. Sometimes it works. Sometimes you might want to rent a screwdriver.

Pat

Soundguy · Sep 5, 2007

patrick_g said:
If the only tool you have is a hammer you try to make every job look like a nail.

Pat

Yep.. that's where CUT's excel.. while not 'great' at every task.. they are acceptable for a huge range of tasks.. and are really good at a few things.. etc..

Soundguy

jeffinsgf · Sep 5, 2007

barneyZ said:
I did that 2 years ago for the front yard sprinklers. I learned that trenchers don't like rocks, and I've got lots of rocks. I also spent $12k on a tractor so renting equipment depresses me. I'd rather take that c-note and put it towards a new attachment. Now, I just have to decide on a field mower, snow plow, tiller, rock rake...

Don't forget as well that when you trench, you have to back fill. Pulled pipe has much lower impact on the existing landscape.

I trenched my front yard, but I am going to pull my back yard -- much as barney is doing -- next Spring.

Volfandt · Sep 6, 2007

Yep.. that's where CUT's excel.. while not 'great' at every task.. they are acceptable for a huge range of tasks.. and are really good at a few things.. etc..

Mowing is their main strength, inwhich they have no peer. Lite weight to high power output = great cut (cool play on words

) and less tuff compaction.

Now if they ever develop a ZTR that can tow it's weight and mount an FEL & BH then CUT's & SCUTs will be in trouble