Paint your chains!

[Fuddy1952]

Wednesday I lost chains pulling posts so today (after wasting a couple hours looking) I painted them. Every 2ft or so alternate chrome, fluorescent red, yellow. Won't be hard to find now!

 

[oosik]

I've lost parts in my lawn when doing repairs. AND - they are usually the "special" parts that you can't get at a hardware store.

About five years ago - I had it - 60 mile round trip to the Kubota dealer for two parts costing $4.95.

I went to the local SCUBA divers shop and got the VERY CHEAPEST metal detector they had - $89.

Now I can easily find anything dropped in the grass. Sure found a lot of other crap also - - mostly old rusty nails.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

A couple years ago I was cutting a tree on the edge of a hayfield. I stopped to change the chain and I dropped the nuts that hold the bar on into the hayfield. They vanished immediately. I went to the local repair shop and they said they were special nuts, have to be ordered from the manufacturer. I bought a cheap metal detector on Amazon for $50 and found them in a few minutes.

I don't always find what I'm looking for but it's paid for itself many times over.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Yes I just picked up this junk from along the old fence line with a magnet. We'll go over it several more times again.

Years ago I bought a nice Whites metal detector. I found Dad's wedding ring he lost. Across the road I was demonstrating it to my farmer friend and thought we found a treasure chest in his front yard! Digging down two feet or so there was about 20 sections of tin roofing someone had buried years ago.

 

[oosik]

Fuddy1952 - - if you would QUIT painting your chains green & tan - probably a lot easier to find. :dance1: :laughing:

 

[Fuddy1952]

Chains were the color of all that junk I found today with a magnet. 4 horseshoes...a crankshaft gear, over 100 nails, wire. Nothing good for horses or tires!

 

[stuckmotor]

A couple years ago I was cutting a tree on the edge of a hayfield. I stopped to change the chain and I dropped the nuts that hold the bar on into the hayfield. They vanished immediately. I went to the local repair shop and they said they were special nuts, have to be ordered from the manufacturer. I bought a cheap metal detector on Amazon for $50 and found them in a few minutes.

I don't always find what I'm looking for but it's paid for itself many times over.

Bar nuts are fairly cheap on ebay. I keep some on hand to fit both Stihl and Husquvarna.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I use one of these. But now that I'm thinking about it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to carry a magnet with you. Just stick it in the tractor somewhere. Handy out in the field somewhere to stick parts to or finding a lost bolt.

 

[oosik]

Having a magnet out in the field - with you on the tractor - now that would probably be a GOOD idea. I drop stuff out there also. Actually - accidentally, I've dropped most everything except my shorts at one time or another. I know exactly the magnet I need. VERY powerful - quite small - easily stuck just about any place on a tractor for safe keeping.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Having a magnet out in the field - with you on the tractor - now that would probably be a GOOD idea. I drop stuff out there also. Actually - accidentally, I've dropped most everything except my shorts at one time or another. I know exactly the magnet I need. VERY powerful - quite small - easily stuck just about any place on a tractor for safe keeping.

It's also handy for holding parts while making adjustments or repairs and for carrying small tools.