I MISS MY TRACTOR!!

irvingj · May 6, 2015

Well, I decided to, uh, how to put this -- "chicken out" -- and gave my tractor to a local, highly-recommended tractor repair guy to replace the broken 4WD control lever. I was also running out of time, as a further rationalization!

But man, do I miss it! Amazing how many things that need doing in the spring I've become accustomed to doing with the tractor, which is no big deal, but a real PITA without it!

Let me count the ways:
1. Haul picnic table from the lower area of the lawn back up to a usable location nearer the house
2. Haul the fire-ring rocks and large stump chairs from their winter storage area back to their summer use spots
3. Clean out the chicken house (wow! smelly!!), spread wood shavings in the woods
4. Till the garden
5. Re-attack the brush pile, load trailer, haul up the hill to the driveway, take to stump dump
6. Drag some of last year's downed logs up for firewood processing
7. Bring now-dry firewood from stack over to cellar bulkhead & load in for next winter

I already hauled (by hand) my summer tires from a storage shed over to garage to swap (and carried the snows back out to the shed for storage)

It just goes on and on. I miss my little red beast!

KevT · May 6, 2015

I would be lost without mine, for sure. How long will he have it?

Thomas · May 6, 2015

Tractor sure makes it a lot easier on ones muscles and bones.

wolftree · May 6, 2015

Tractor hydraulics and three point hitches have turned tractors into true workhorses, far beyond anyone's vision 60 years ago.

Are you using the chicken manure in your garden?

yanmars · May 6, 2015

wolftree said:
Tractor hydraulics and three point hitches have turned tractors into true workhorses, far beyond anyone's vision 60 years ago.

A Off topic. I soloed a Piper Colt over 50 years ago and the TriPacer a bit later. Could that bird be one or the other?

irvingj · May 6, 2015

Wow, lots of responses!

1. Yep, yanmars, a 1956 PA-22-150. Had it three years, been fixing LOTS of stuff. Only about 7 hrs actually flying it so far on a student ticket.

But having a great time learning all that A&P stuff! (I'm one of those who always wanted a PP license --and a plane-- and finally bit the bullet, a bucket list thing. Been wanting to fly since my first ride in a Cub just about the time N4557A rolled out of Lock Haven in the spring of 1956.)

2. Kevin, I stopped by today to look at it and it was all apart, but the fellow wasn't there so I couldn't talk to him. Seems like he'll probably have it done in a day or so, unless he's run into something that wasn't anticipated.

3. wolftree, I use some. Our garden is very small. Most of it I spread in the woods with the bucket loader.

4. Thomas, you know it! That's why I got it in the first place. Robby on Lyme Road is doing the fixing. Nice guy, knows his tractors!

Here's some pics (last pic is the actual transmission cover, from which the offending 4WD lever was removed):

yanmars · May 6, 2015

Not a tractor topic so forgive me all but those rag/tube/fabric Pipers were and are good ships.

irvingj · May 9, 2015

The jury's in, and the verdict: the break in the 4WD control lever is precisely what I had imagined. A poor weld (lack of heat penetration) coupled with frequent use, and it was just waiting to snap. Looking at the weld, it appears that part of the break was old (shiny, worn: upper left) and part of the break looks fresh (crystalline structure still visible). I think that lever was ready to break off for quite some time by the looks of it. New part's weld looks much better.

Tractor is now being reassembled, so hopefully I'll get it back soon! :cool2: