Newbie questions about my new FX24D

[roxynoodle]

I still back up close to my implements but then use the dolly to shift them left or right or forwards or backwards to hook/unhook. Although this also provides me a way to keep implements in front of each other. I can push the one in front to the side to get the one behind it. It may also help to loosen your sway chains before you hook up, then tighten them once it is on.

As for your ROPS, try soaking in Liquid Wrench a couple of times, then if it still is hard to get off, use a socket wrench and slip a piece of metal pipe over it to try to get it loose. If it still won't pop loose, you could try heating it with a propane torch a little. Heat is kind of a last resort for me though.

 

[Fredster]

Yeah, my first thought about the dolly solution was that I'd be able to do little rolls instead of doing what I call "bumping" it, where I lift and slide a little at a time. Plus, it'll make it easier to line them up in the shed, because it's not a big shed and the tractor + loader will take up about half of it.

As a city person who's never dealt with tractors before, I have to say I never realized how powerful they are. Just something I never thought about, I guess. It's amazing to me how much I struggle to move one side of an implement a couple of inches, then see the tractor lift the whole thing 18 inches off the ground with no real effort.

I'm going to play around with the drive line on the post hole digger today and see if I can extend it. All the other drive lines for the other things are much shorter and readily telescope (to the point of falling in two, necessitating a very frustrating session of "fit the pieces back together"), whereas this one didn't do that. That, coupled with how long it already is, and I didn't even think about giving it a good tug to see if it would telescope out any.

 

[Tom_Veatch]

...
All the other drive lines for the other things are much shorter and readily telescope (to the point of falling in two, necessitating a very frustrating session of "fit the pieces back together"), whereas this one didn't do that.
...

If the "falling in two" gets to be too big a hassle for you, here's something that cures it.

It may be common, but I hadn't run into it until I tried to shorten the PTO shaft on my generator. It would NOT come apart. Then I noticed there was a wire rope through the center of the shaft looped around a roll pin through the body of the U-joint on each end of the shaft.

The "snubber" was about 3/32" flexible wire cable with a loop on each end and just long enough allow the shaft to extend to it's maximum safe length but not long enough for the shaft to completely disengage. Driving out the roll pins disconnected the snubber and allowed the two halves of the shaft to disengage.

I thought that was a fine idea and after shortening the shaft, I shortened the snubber about the same amount and reinstalled it.

Something like that should keep you from having any more of those frustrating "fit the pieces back together" sessions.

 

[Fredster]

Thanks for the tip, Tom. So far, it's only happened when I wasn't paying attention.

I'm pleased to announce a successful hookup of the post hole digger. The drive line did telescope, once I put a foot against the tire for leverage and really leaned into the pull. My big project for the weekend was to get a mailbox put up, and that's exactly what I accomplished today.

Here's a picture of my tractor, proudly showing off its handiwork:

 

[roxynoodle]

Very good! Mine transported bags of cement today and mowed. You will have to post a pic of the new mailbox.

 

[Fredster]

This mailbox?

 

[roxynoodle]

That mailbox! Looks nice!

 

[kenmac]

be careful with that post hole digger. Make sure there are no under ground utilities ( water ,gas , phone etc,line) where you'er going to dig !

 

[Fredster]

be careful with that post hole digger. Make sure there are no under ground utilities ( water ,gas , phone etc,line) where you'er going to dig !

Yep, I called Alabama One Call and had them mark everything first. Only thing in my yard (other than water) is a Bellsouth line. There's no gas out there, and all the others are either above ground or on the other side of the road.

 

[spyder2]

Congratulations on your new tractor. It sure is pretty! You get used to the process of hooking up implements. At least the implements these tractors use can be moved by hand.