Ideas Needed for YouTube Channel/Website http://asktractormike.com.

[Mike Wiles]

This is my first post, but I love this website. My name is Mike and I've been in the tractor business for over 20 years. The past 11 years I managed a dealership that sold tractors to many folks who had moved to the country but had no equipment experience. They really needed a resource to help them with the safe use of tractors and one night when driving home it occurred to me to go to the Internet to see what was available. There wasn't much. There were a lot of people trying to SELL tractors and equipment, but almost no one offering training, the kind most of us received from our dads growing up on a farm. So I started asktractormike.com, to offer tractor tips and education done mostly with video, and the response has been overwhelming. I'm stepping up my efforts to make the website relevant and to answer pertinent questions that new owners might have. If you have a minute, please visit the site and see what's there, and I'd really love input on topics to cover in future videos. Thanks for responding and thanks to the folks that maintain this great website!

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Mike - you described ME ... city boy with no country know-how.

I am always looking for an education on all things tractor/implement - along with how to manage hay pasture. I'll check out your site. Thanks!

 

[phiferpharm]

You might want to visit this site to make sure your not duplicating something that is already available:

Tractor Attachments And Skid Steer Attachments For Any Tractor Or Skid Steer

 

[Mike Wiles]

Thanks KiotiKowboy. I look forward to your input and advice. Is it raining every day in your neck of the woods? We're drowning in SW MO.

 

[Mike Wiles]

I watch him all the time, he does a great job. He and "Peanut". Yeah, I'm trying to cover different things, he does mostly attachments, and he is trying to sell his stuff. It all looks like quality equipment and he is really good at showing the proper operation of it.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

We've had record rainfall but it appears to be calming down with summer approaching. Our hay cut was delayed several weeks, and a driveway project was on hold for quite some time.

I've learned a lot from watching the ETA videos but, like you say, they are implement oriented. It would be good to see, additionally, things more "tractor" oriented ... both maintenance and use.

 

[k0ua]

Hi Mike, this is James down in Branson, I bought my tractor from the dealership when you were there, I have followed and enjoyed your videos for some time. I didn't realize who your were at first in the videos's but I noticed the company logo on some of the tractors, and realized who you were. I have met and spoke with you a few times. I have learned a lot here, even though I have owned 5 tractors over a 20+ year period.

Welcome to the site. A lot of great folks here.

 

[jbwilson]

Mike

Your site covers a good range of topics and is well presented. Tried to make a comment under "Leave a Reply" but couldn't see a Send button.

John

 

[John_Mc]

Do any of your videos touch on safety around hydraulics?

There are some obvious ones: Don't leave loader or attachments up in the air when tractor is not attended (great way for the neighborhood kids to get injured if something fails, or one kid hits the release while the other is around the implement in question). Likewise, don;t count on the hydraulics to keep things up when you are working on the tractor (I cringe when I see a landowner working under a raised loader because that lets him reach hos oil dipstick or a grease zerk a bit easier).

Something that may not be so obvious: don't put your bare hand out to check for a hydraulic leak (likewise, don;t stick out your habd to see what that odd "mist" is that's coming off your tractor). The pressures involved with tractor hydraulics can easily inject hydraulic fluid through your skin. Sometimes this happens without obviously breaking the skin. That bruise you picked up might really be damage from a hydraulic injection. This can be a pain in the neck to treat, and can cause gangrene if not taken care of promptly.

It's a good idea to wear tough gloves when working around hydraulics which may be pressurized. If you want to test for leaks, hold out a piece of cardboard or a scrap of paper over the suspect area. It's also a good idea to relieve residual pressure before connecting or disconnecting quick disconnects (e.g. lower the connected implement to the ground, shut of tractor, then move hydraulic controls back and forth to depressurize the line).

 

[vanguard]

I'm fairly new to tractors and I wish there was a better way to figure out which tool is best for the job. A bit about me, I think I've watched every video you've made and I'm a youtuber myself with 1.2 million subscribers and over 300m views. I think I can be a pretty good source of advice here. I'm always stuck on the implements.

For example, I just bought a land grader to maintain my driveway. The salesman tried to sell me a box blade. Some people online use a scraper blade. Others think a chain harrow or back dragging the front bucket is just fine. This sort of comparison would be so helpful to somebody new to tractors.

Another example, would be mowing. It seems that finish mowers, flail mowers, and bush hogs are the big three for cutting normal fields. I'd love to see examples of the grass they leave behind, the traveling speed for each one, and the capabilities of each one for rough terrain. (Specifically, flail mowers and bush hogs can both handle saplings. Where does the flail fall behind?) HP requirements are all over the place. Does 45HP stop at a 6' bush hog or a 12' bat wing finish mower?

To me, you've covered the tractors really well but there is a world of implements out there that leaves noobs like me baffled.