Do you feel a connection to your tractor?

[PineRidge]

Do you actually feel the need to connect to your tractor and other machinery that you own or rent or do you simply use it and consider it yet another tool in your inventory?

All machinery, especially the big stuff has fascinated me since I was a young man as I am curious by nature. I enjoy watching machinery working. I have caught myself sitting at the edge of the road watching a baler and tractor in motion or a dozer rough grading a lot. I am fascinated by the sheer size and strength of a trackhoe digging a foundation, or popping out big stumps like they were minuscule. I also enjoy watching the folks that operate that equipment just as much. That machinery is actually an extension of their arms and legs doing much, much more work that their bodies might ever be capable of doing alone. I have a thirst to figure out why and how machinery works, what makes it tick, sometimes even dissecting it in the process.

Yet I have seen other folks that have no apparent connection to machinery whatsoever and merely use it as a means to get the job done quicker. Guess that's what thy mean when they say, "Different strokes for different folks." So I'm curious, what category do you all fit into?

 

[RobS]

I'm 100% with you Mike. I love watching a construction site. This time of year is a blast as the combines are working the fields day and night. Saw some big tillage being drug through the ground last night. My obsession extends into the living room as we have a nice collection of farm/construction videos that my boys and I enjoy. I also have a collection of die cast equipment, mostly cranes and backhoes. Funny though, some of that interest waned a bit once I got my "real" backhoe.

My wife is tolerant but I'm not sure she really understands /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Golfgar4]

I LOVE machinery! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Any machinery - big, small, wheeled, tracked, yellow, green, orange, blue (that's for you Mike! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif) - well, you get the idea.

I love to look at machinery, I love to watch machinery being used, and I especially love to operate machinery. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I truly believe that I made a gigantic mistake by not continuing in the construction industry when I could have. I'm very glad that I've had the opportunities that I've been given over these past 30 years. But in retrospect, I can also say that I was not as happy doing what I've been doing as I would've been if I could have been connecting with my machinery .

I've had the opportunity to operate a wide range of machinery, including dozers, tractors, rollers, dumptrucks, buses, 5,000 gallon fuel trucks, graders, and others. I cannot remember a case where I didn't absolutely love doing what I was doing. Well, maybe the day the shift lever pulled out of the floor in the full water truck I was driving as I was heading down the biggest hill in our city. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif But that's another story.

Anyway, give me a piece of machinery to operate, and I'm one happy camper! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Varmintmist]

"The only difference between men and boys, is the price of their toys"
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I grew up operating equipment and I like running everything except a paver.

As to a connection with the machine, well mostly I feel a pressure on my butt. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Yeah I know what you mean though. The feeling hits hard when you are doing something and it seems that every move you make does work and feels like the bucket/blade/boom is nothing more than an extension of your hands. I got it most running grader. No lazer levels, all of it was done by MK1IBAL (Mark 1 eyeball, round, quantity 2) and reading the grade.

 

[KennyV]

You are definitely right about a grader… there is something about a motorized blade cutting earth and the soil polishing steel… KennyV.

 

[Mark4510]

I am with on this one Mike.
Growing up everything I did involved hand tools:shovel, pick, splitting maul, hand saw, hammer, wheel barrow, digging bar, etc.

Everytime I see what I can do with my little tractor I get a real sense of accomplishment because I know almost exactly what it would have taken to do it by hand. Its amazing to watch the big machines get the job done and I sure love my tractor for saving time on every job.

The other thing I like is watching a really skilled operator. Its like an artist at work.

Good post.
Mark

 

[RonR]

I spent years on a tractors working the wheat field grounds. To me, there is no better smell than fresh turned moist earth. #2 for me is the smell of burning diesel from a sweet running tractor. Like a JD 4020 under a good load!

I am one with my FEL when I'm moving dirt. When the hand motions are automatic, I feel in the grove.

My wife can see it in my eyes, but you can't explain it to a city dude.

Oh, they are constructing a water tower a coupla of miles from here; I drive by it 2 times a day. I like to watch their progress as well.

Someday, for grins, I'd like to run a big dozer or big front end loader..........................

Ron

 

[jjcc246]

I definetly do feel a connection. Many years ago I worked for a contractor that was scab (no unions) so every day I was operating a differant peice of equipment. I would never tell the boss but I probally would have worked for free. There's nothing like taking a big hunk of something and pushing it around until you have a finished product. The power these machines have to just push and pull a mountain until it's flat level ground just amazes me. And the smell of diesel exhaust...... YEAH !!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[MossRoad]

I wear my Power Trac like a pair of broken in jeans and a comfortable T-shirt! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I operate it full tilt as often as possible and am completely comfortable on it. It is fun to get a machine to do exactly what you want it to do. A great feeling. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[OrangeGuy]

Every fall after my farm fields are harvested, my renter lets me work up the fields with the attached tractor. For a farm boy who grew up on Allis Chalmers WDs and Cs, I get a great thrill out of operating this big rig.

OrangeGuy