Another new B7800 owner

[skod]

We usually get relatively sensible snows around these parts- 6" to 8" at a time. But that's only "usually": a year ago spring we got 5.5 feet in one night, and it took a couple of days before a neighbor with a Bobcat dug us out. The almanac says that we average 160 inches a year, but haven't seen that in the past several drought years.

My knees are telling me that his winter might just be different, though: it's been a wet July and August, and we're actually caught up with our yearly average rainfall now, for the first time in many years. It was down to 38degF last night, and there was snow in the mountains. So it's coming, and soon.... I may go prowl around the local dealers and see if there's a beat-up but restorable blower out there for a shop project.

Meanwhile, after looking at the quality of cut that a neighbor got with his hog a few days ago, I changed my mind, called up my dealer, and changed my deal to go with a finish mower instead- it just added a couple hundred dollars to the price. I have a lot more smooth, easy cutting than rough cutting to do, and his hog left a lot of weeds standing- it really needed two passes... Besides, my neighbor who is getting the hay gear has a 5' hog that he says I'm welcome to borrow any time, but he doesn't have a finish mower. Since we're combining forces here, it seemed to make a lot more sense to not duplicate implements.

 

[skod]

Took delivery last night, and put 2 hours on it right away, grading some erosion damage on the drive and moving dirt and pea gravel at the site for the new barn. They just trenched in the electrics for the barn yesterday, so I'll be doing the backfill this afternoon: it couldn't have shown up at a better time... My, that is one stout little machine. Large smiles all around!

 

[skod]

Just hit 10 hours. I updated from the 7800's turnbuckle 3-pt stabilizer links to the much stronger telescoping version from the B2910. I like the telescoping stabilizers much better for quick implement changes. I also have the headlight assembly from the B2910 to install, once I get the appropriate stub wiring harness at the back of the lamp sockets (didn't know that it was different, so that'll have to wait). By going from the 7800 headlight cluster to the 2910, the headlight wattage goes from 18W to 23W, and the beam is spread out into a more usable pattern - and I have some 35W and 50W single contact halogens that I intend to try in there for even more light. The harness is wired with 16AWG, so it should certainly handle the 35W lamps...

I have a bumper-pull car hauler and a gooseneck horse trailer that I move around the property a lot, so I got a Flexpoint 3-pt hitch adapter for that- I've now jockeyed them around all over the place. Hitching up with the 3-pt is much nicer, and *unbelieveably* quicker, than backing up the pickup and grinding on the hand jacks when a trailer needs to move. I just leave 'em down, and let the 3-point do the work.

Moved a bunch of dirt, finished the backfill and wheel-packing on the trench for the electrics, mowed stuff I'd never attempted before. Still a happy camper...

 

[Archdean]

Please let me know how the shroud around your new wattage bulbs Handel the heat! It could get very expensive! I am looking to do the same thing to my new B7510........
Thanks,
Dean

 

[skod]

That's the fun part. If I melt the 2910 headlight assembly, which I don't think is too likely (since I'll mostly be using them for snow plowing in subfreezing ambient temps), I can just switch back to my perfectly-good 7800 assembly with the stock 23W lamps from the 2910 assembly. It has steel reflectors, not plastic.... I have a Plan B!

I'll stay with the 35W halogen lamps to start, since the total load would then be ~6A on the 10A-fused headlight circuit. That should give me more than twice the light output.

But you can bet that I'll let everybody know how it works. That machine can definitely use some more brightness out front...

 

[fastwalker19]

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