It's time; either get started or....

[Short Game]

Being on "guvamint" payroll (pension) severely limits one's options, no?

Being on "guvamint" payroll (pension) severely limits one's options, yes.

No cost of living raises for a few years for the vets. Just a war on "entitlements." I ask 'em, "now why do you suppose they call them, 'entitlements?'" If I didn't have this place to hideout in the brush, I'd be stuck with the rescue missions in the city.

Geezo, don't get me started...

Just because I have a tractor in no way means I have much else in common with the average demographic here.

I came here for help with my tractor addiction, and all I seem to find are enablers.

 

[chad22]

looking good Norm. :thumbsup: I've got my backhoe back together just this week. I took a break from it for awhile since I was getting settled into my new "new to me" mobile home. A friend gave it to me, he just wanted to move it off his property. Couldn't turn that down. All he wanted was $30.00 in gas to move it over here.

Anyway a relative of ours is having sewer issues. Got a clog 35 feet from the house. She asked me if I could dig it up for her and get the clog cleared. I told her sure.

She doesn't have much money either so I told her. Just paying for the gas would be enough. It's a win, win. She gets her sewer line fixed and I get to play with my new toy. :thumbsup::laughing:

Her son tried digging with a shovel but gave up after digging down a foot. lol

I tried out the backhoe yesterday and it's working fine. Just got to clean out the carb and might have to put an overhaul kit in it. But then it will be good to go.

I fixed my pivot. Did away with the pipe, and used a piece of the square tube and a pin through it. It works much better and I was able to make a better mount for it.

I got a kit and rebuilt my pump. And instead of the belt I used jaw couplers this time. Much better.

I cut down the stick a bit so the bucket would clear the ground when towing it.

As I get the money I plan to put some wheel motors on the back to make it drive. Then I can put a blade on the front to backfill trenches. And level ground.

I cut my axle into and put the hubs up front. I'll have to get another pic of it once the weather clears up.

Chad

 

[NormL]

Hi Chad:

It's good to see you have your BH in operation again.:thumbsup: I had to chuckle when I read your comment about that lady's son giving up after digging down one foot! Obviously not possessed of the same sort of energy you had when you were in your early teens.:laughing::laughing: Looking forward to the pics you mentioned.

Once I have the renovations to the small corner of my Quonset completed and some heat in there, I plan to get back to the project.:thumbsup: It was a crazy summer this year what with our son's wedding and now our youngest daughter is moving out to the West coast, too. Guess who will be getting to know the drive through the Rockies real well! I suspect that shop time will be at a premium even in the winter months.

 

[chad22]

Hi Chad:

It's good to see you have your BH in operation again.:thumbsup: I had to chuckle when I read your comment about that lady's son giving up after digging down one foot! Obviously not possessed of the same sort of energy you had when you were in your early teens.:laughing::laughing: Looking forward to the pics you mentioned.

I sure am glad to have it back and hopefully for good. That's true he must not be possessed with the energy like I was. He's 20 and I'm 23 gonna be 24 on March 8th.

He's my cousin. I had to laugh the other day when he came by the shop with a friend and told me that he gave up digging. He said I ain't digging that by hand. I'll wait for you to get down to the pipe first. Then dig out around it.

We gotta go down 6 feet before we hit the pipe. I know I couldn't hand dig that anymore.

Hope your able to get some more shop time in. I bet you can't wait to get on that thing and dig.

Chad

 

[Short Game]

I was going to post some pics here of building my trailering rig yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, my computer would not boot up. I borrowed another one and that's what I'm on at the moment.

Anyway, I got the frame welded up to the connecting parts that are pinned and bolted to the backhoe now. That frame is bolted back to the cross-frame that holds the axle. What with voting and getting a computer, I didn't have time to get the tractor out to lift it back off the blocks and set it down on its wheels. When I get that done I can start shortening and refitting the tongue. Some progress, anyway.

Welcome back, Chad.

 

[NormL]

I sure am glad to have it back and hopefully for good. That's true he must not be possessed with the energy like I was. He's 20 and I'm 23 gonna be 24 on March 8th.

He's my cousin. I had to laugh the other day when he came by the shop with a friend and told me that he gave up digging. He said I ain't digging that by hand. I'll wait for you to get down to the pipe first. Then dig out around it.

We gotta go down 6 feet before we hit the pipe. I know I couldn't hand dig that anymore.

Hope your able to get some more shop time in. I bet you can't wait to get on that thing and dig.

Chad

Ah kids these days!:laughing::laughing: Why, when I was your age.... Can't say I blame him, though.

I have been putting in a few hours here, a few minutes there, getting the walls up and the electricity back on so I have lights, and power for the saws. In the interim, winter has arrived. The snow we got is likely going to melt but there will be more coming shortly so I had better move the lumber inside so it stops getting wet. When it's all done I will have an 8 x 20 foot area to work in and be sheltered from the cold. The first project will be to track down the reasons for the no - start problems I'm having with the old garden tractor I bought this past Spring. I used it quite a lot throughout the Summer and I had just hung the snowthrower on it when it decided to balk at the prospect of doing some actual work. I guess if I have to, I'll start a thread on the parts/repairs forum and get some advice there.

As for having to wait to start digging with the backhoe, I know that once I have it operational, the first one hundred hours or so will log on in a hurry. There is soooo much backlogged work for it. Trenching will probably come first. There is several hundred feet of that to do. I hope it will work to use it for sculpting slopes and cutting swails, too. Also, once I have developed some proficiency with it, I expect there will be custom work I can hire it out for. This machine will be able to pass through most garden gates so I can go in where other larger machines cannot. That should be of interest to landscape contractors who don't have their own diggers. Lots of idle dreams and speculations but hey, why not?:licking:

 

[Short Game]

Okay, I got some pics uploaded.

Back at it soon. Rain coming any time now. I wish I had a proper shop. Going to pick it up and set it down on the wheels next.

The trailer was for a really heavy 17' outdrive. I cut it way down. The axle is over 7 feet wide. That will make it tough to get into tight places, but it's what it is.

 

[NormL]

Short Game:

You've probably thought of this already; down the road sometime you may want to adapt that setup onto a tractor. Looks to me like you already have the subframe built.:thumbsup::thumbsup: Looks strong to me!

 

[Short Game]

I actually hadn't thought of that. I'll have to look at some frame mounts to try to get a notion.

I was just out futzing with the tongue. It's quite long, and I was going to shorten it, but now I don't know. I have it back where it was originally bolted on, and I think I like it. It would make it easier to back up. It's got a slight twist in it, as does that frame I have it hooked to, though not much. The boat was given to me while I was away (in other words, the owner knew she couldn't afford to get it seaworthy so she parked it on my place and left me the title). It filled up with rainwater and being on a slight sidehill, it tipped off the trailer, punched a hole in the hull, and twisted the frame and tongue. (Anyone want a boat?)

Anyway, I think I can cheat the twist out of it by welding it in with the twist corrected. If I didn't tell anyone, it probably wouldn't be noticed.

 

[NormL]

I actually hadn't thought of that. I'll have to look at some frame mounts to try to get a notion.

I was just out futzing with the tongue. It's quite long, and I was going to shorten it, but now I don't know. I have it back where it was originally bolted on, and I think I like it. It would make it easier to back up. It's got a slight twist in it, as does that frame I have it hooked to, though not much. The boat was given to me while I was away (in other words, the owner knew she couldn't afford to get it seaworthy so she parked it on my place and left me the title). It filled up with rainwater and being on a slight sidehill, it tipped off the trailer, punched a hole in the hull, and twisted the frame and tongue. (Anyone want a boat?)

Anyway, I think I can cheat the twist out of it by welding it in with the twist corrected. If I didn't tell anyone, it probably wouldn't be noticed.

And,...there's no one on here that would rat on you, is there?:laughing: