MissouriThunder takes message boards by storm

[missourithunder]

irvingj,
Well there were no reports of tornados in Columbia this weekend so your wife should return home on time and undamaged. The Kirksville area is a beautiful part of the state. How about posting some pics of your Massey Ferguson ? Those are some mighty fine looking tractors. Yes, I'll be nursing the foot and shoulder back to health for the next few weeks. I hope to have my Kubota back this Thursday. The grass desperately needs cut. Take care.

MissouriThunder

 

[irvingj]

Hi- I'm waiting to hear if her brother's place got hit. One year when we were out there we just missed one, driving from Brashear to Kirksville. Passed by a "trailer park" and saw lots of scrap sheet metal....

Here's some shots of my little beast- in winter garb, and ready to work this spring. You'll notice how the 3PH stores right behind the BH on these tractors; no need to store, find & install. Helpful for those of us who forget where we put stuff!

I got the M-F largely due to 0% financing, but also felt the 2310's BH was a bit more robust, tractor a bit heavier.... but was very close to getting a BX24.

Just took off the BH to make it easier to check the ^%$# sight glass. (Yeah, it's a bit hard to see with the BH in the way!) Fortunately, removing BH is about a 5-minute job!

Thumb has been great for lifting & carrying logs (surprisingly powerful!), and makes a handy holder while cutting to shorter lengths for splitting.

I suppose it's ready now, but I haven't yet mowed any grass. This year I get to try out my used MMM on the tractor! Later--

 

[missourithunder]

irvingj,
Wow !!! What a great looking tractor. And you've got the winter and summer set up. I love your snow blower but love the backhoe even more. I don't think it matters that you chose the Massey over the BX 24. They are both great tractors. What's a thumb and how do they work ? I thought I saw a thread somewhere on here showing a front attachment (thumb ?) litterally picking up a log and squeezing it in half. Does yours do this ?

MissouriThunder

 

[irvingj]

Wife's brother's farm survived... only some roofing materials blown in from somewhere in one of his fields. Guess her flight out was routed all over the place last Friday because of heavy winds/rain, but she made it, 6 hrs later than planned. (Kansas City by way of Lincoln?) Better than the alternative!

There are two types of thumb, mechanical and hydraulic. Mine's mechanical, meaning its position is set with a top link, and stays put (though it will, with removal of the top link, fold up & out of the way). The bucket curls up and into it to grab things. Try holding your thumb still and curl your fingers into it to grab something.

On a hydraulic thumb, both the bucket and thumb can be moved, using a piston in place of the manually-adjusted top link. There are also thumbs which mount on the backhoe, and (larger/wider) thumbs which mount on the FEL's bucket. Of course, a hydraulic thumb is much more expensive, if you don't build your own.

The first time I used mine to pick up a log off the ground, it did begin to crush it. Log was about 8' long (partially rotted), and I couldn't position the tractor in a nice, perpendicular attitude at its center, but decided to try it anyway...

I was shocked when the backhoe/thumb grabbed it, promptly snapped it to attention in a military perpendicular manner, and picked it up with ease. Log was about 200 lbs, I'm guessing, and around 17" in diameter at the butt end. Also reminded me to put the stabilizers down, as the tractor tipped quite a bit when I began to lift the log... I'm not a large person, so I can see where this thumb thing is going to come in REAL handy. Very powerful, in my opinion, even on a SCUT. Later----

 

[missourithunder]

irvingj,
I get it now. These thumb attachments could come in handy for a number of projects. Thanks for the insight. Glad to hear your bother in-law's farm survived the tornado. Today I sit at the chrome shop and wait...and wait...


Oh I forgot to ask you, what was your MOS when you were in the mlitary and where did you serve ?

MissouriThunder

 

[irvingj]

098G Chinese Mandarin; 14th ASA Field Station, Hakata, Japan, '70-'72. Still use the Chinese almost every day at the middle school where I work, as it's a college/hospital town and we have a lot of foreign folks around; several Chinese students every year in our school. Base was emptied & given back to Japan in '72. Also did some guard time back here as a tanker in an old M-48 (gas)/48A1 (diesel).

 

[sunspot]

MT, A little OT but what the heck. I see that you were in Ft Hood twice. My Son-in-Law is on his second time there. He was in the 6/6 Calvary(?) before they sent him to the sandbox . He is a pilot/gunner on an Apache. The Army also sent him to Germany for a few years. My Granddaughter got to be a world traveler as a nice side benefit.

He got out and works for the Guard now. He's back in Ft Hood for more training and then he will deploy to Afghanistan.

 

[MJPetersen]

There are two types of thumb, mechanical and hydraulic.

Actually there are three types that I know of. What you refer to as a "mechanical thumb" should actually be called a "fixed thumb" meaning that its position is stationary when you are using it (very often the position can be changed, but it does not move during in operation. The "mechanical thumb" moves in conjunction with the bucket curl through the means of a mechanical linkage connected to the bucket linkage. I will include a couple of pics to show you what I am talking about. There are a couple of guys here on the forum who have made their own mechanical thumbs. The red one is by 3RRL and the yellow is DFKrug. the link are of their builds.

Mike

 

[missourithunder]

irvingj,
A linguist eigh ? Not an easy job. Wish I had the smarts to learn another language. Ft Leonard Wood still has some old Patton tanks (M48) on display throughout the base. You wouldn't believe how small they are until you pulled it up beside today's tank, the M1A2 Abrams. Still holds a crew of four, just a lot bigger.

sunspot,
I'm currently stationed at Ft Leonard Wood for a second time. 6-6 CAV is a battalion within the 1st Cavalry Division. I was in 2-12 CAV battalion in 2002-2003 when we lived at Ft Hood. And thanks to your son for serving. Being an Apache pilot takes great skill and courage. God speed on his 3rd deployment to Southwest Asia and a safe return home.


MJPetersen,
How in the heck did you end up in Wasaw, Poland ? Where you from in the states ?

MissouriThunder

 

[MJPetersen]

MJPetersen,
How in the heck did you end up in Wasaw, Poland ? Where you from in the state ?

I am an independent Baptist missionary and I have been in Poland for almost 15 years with my family. I have a small Yanmar that I use at the church grounds and around home.

I grew up in Alaska. Have you had the opportunity to go to Fort Wainwright or Fort Richardson in AK? All my family still lives there. We moved there in 1959.

Mike