At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

I needed to remove the backhoe so I've had my eye out for some simple backhoe tasks to accomplish while the backhoe is attached. I probably takes me 45 minutes to remove the box blade and 3 pt. hitch and attach the backhoe. It takes another 30 minutes to remove the backhoe and re-attach the 3 pt. hitch. So I don't swap the backhoe on and off very frequently and like to make good use of it when it is attached.

I didn't like where I've been parking my 5x8 trailer because it is in the way. Thus I removed a stump so I could park the small 5x8 trailer beside the large trailer. The stump has been there a while so the root system was not strong. I pushed around on the stump a bit to see if I could tell where the roots were most firmly entrenched. I was able to just dig on one side of the stump and then push it over and pull it out. I was surprised at the length of the tap root. The tap root was in a section of deep top soil so it was easier to dig out than I expected. If the tap root had been surrounded by red clay, that would have been a different story.

Now I can park the small trailer out of the way in the woods beside the big trailer. It's funny how I can get such satisfaction out of some seemingly small accomplishements. But somehow, removing that stump just improved my quality of life in a noticeable way.

 

[Obed]

IMO, I wouldn't worry about the septic tank with that little tractor (assuming it is concrete), but you should avoid driving on the drain field to avoid compacting it.

Dave,
I hope you are right. With the backhoe attached. the tractor weighs about 5000 lbs. In addition I was carrying a FEL bucket full of dirt to add a few more hundred pounds.
Obed

 

[Obed]

I had one more small task to perform before I removed the backhoe. I dug up the end of this septic pipe that used to be connected to the camper while we were living in it. This section of the septic pipe no longer works because my wife and the grading contractor accidentally dug up the downstream section of pipe last fall.

 

[Obed]

Mower Problem - Sort Of

Yesterday my lawn mower wouldn't start and had me scratching my head. When I cranked it, it immediately acted like is was starting for about 2 seconds but then immediately died. Further cranking failed to have any positive effect. The mower immediately died like something just broke, maybe a safety switch for the seat or parking break or something similar. I was going to pull my log splitter with the lawn mower but gave up and used the tractor instead. Today while riding in the car, I had an idea of something to try. As soon as I got home I tried my idea and the mower started right up. What was my idea?

I put some gas in the tank. Yes, that's all I did. I checked the gas tank and it was bone dry. By some odd coincidence, the tank had had barely enough gas in it to pull the mower into the garage last week. I apparently had emptied the gas tank pulling the mower into the garage. Yesterday it didn't occur to me that the mower could have been out of gas.

What can I say?

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Mower Problem - Sort Of

Yesterday my lawn mower wouldn't start and had me scratching my head. When I cranked it, it immediately acted like is was starting for about 2 seconds but then immediately died. Further cranking failed to have any positive effect. The mower immediately died like something just broke, maybe a safety switch for the seat or parking break or something similar. I was going to pull my log splitter with the lawn mower but gave up and used the tractor instead. Today while riding in the car, I had an idea of something to try. As soon as I got home I tried my idea and the mower started right up. What was my idea?

I put some gas in the tank. Yes, that's all I did. I checked the gas tank and it was bone dry. By some odd coincidence, the tank had had barely enough gas in it to pull the mower into the garage last week. I apparently had emptied the gas tank pulling the mower into the garage. Yesterday it didn't occur to me that the mower could have been out of gas.

What can I say?

You aren't the 1st to do that....Funny how they need fuel to run.

 

[dave1949]

Dave,
I bought a ladder stabilizer last year. Combining the stabilizer with the levelers should make my gutter cleaning about as good as it will get.
Obed

I'm glad to hear that, 'cause, you know the TBN Safety Patrol never sleeps :laughing:

 

[radioman]

Dave,
I hope you are right. With the backhoe attached. the tractor weighs about 5000 lbs. In addition I was carrying a FEL bucket full of dirt to add a few more hundred pounds.
Obed

it probably is 5k -- but its spread out over the 4 wide tires. Its not like you are putting 5k of weight in one spot- so I wouldnt worry too much about it.

 

[Obed]

Snap a picture of this spout if you could. I don't have any and am wondering what I am "missing out on".

To pour out gas, first remove the small red cap. Then, in order to allow gas to come out of the spout, you have to pull the red outer sleeve toward the gas can to open the nozzle and let gas flow out. Part of the problem is there is not a separate air vent on the can so you can't control how much gas surges out of the nozzle after each "gulp" of air enters the can through the nozzle. Desiring to fill my chainsaw's gas tank completely, sometimes a huge surge of gas comes out of the nozzle when I just want a small amount to top off the tank. In addition, both of your hands are now completely monopolized so you are limited in your ability to adjust things as you pour gas into your device.

I'm mostly just whining.

Obed

 

[clemsonfor]

When hauling off the red clay, I forgot about the septic tank and drove over it about 3 times. Yikes! I hope I didn't damage it.

View attachment 288300

yea wont hurt with that tractor

My wheelbarrow got retired the day I got a FEL.

yea I would almost never use one if I had a fel!! also I would never go to all that trouble to plant flowers, your a better man than me. I would either put more soil ontop of that and make a mounded dirt or just put them in the clay, its actually can hold plenty of nutrients and grow fine flowers and veggies.

Snap a picture of this spout if you could. I don't have any and am wondering what I am "missing out on".

oh man you better keep the ones you got, there bringing good money on ebay, look it up. The new ones cost $16-20 and are a pain, there are about 3-5 different designs these days.

 

[clemsonfor]

I needed to remove the backhoe so I've had my eye out for some simple backhoe tasks to accomplish while the backhoe is attached. I probably takes me 45 minutes to remove the box blade and 3 pt. hitch and attach the backhoe. It takes another 30 minutes to remove the backhoe and re-attach the 3 pt. hitch. So I don't swap the backhoe on and off very frequently and like to make good use of it when it is attached.

I didn't like where I've been parking my 5x8 trailer because it is in the way. Thus I removed a stump so I could park the small 5x8 trailer beside the large trailer. The stump has been there a while so the root system was not strong. I pushed around on the stump a bit to see if I could tell where the roots were most firmly entrenched. I was able to just dig on one side of the stump and then push it over and pull it out. I was surprised at the length of the tap root. The tap root was in a section of deep top soil so it was easier to dig out than I expected. If the tap root had been surrounded by red clay, that would have been a different story.

Now I can park the small trailer out of the way in the woods beside the big trailer. It's funny how I can get such satisfaction out of some seemingly small accomplishements. But somehow, removing that stump just improved my quality of life in a noticeable way.

would it not just have been easier to cut it flush with the ground and drive over it. I try and do things the fastest and easiest way possible though.