Spring carnage on the tree farm

[spruce Deere]

As in all businesses, there is ups and downs. Farming is no different, well maybe worse...

Had a record rash of things busting and or suddenly not wanting to work this spring.

First was the 790. I was tilling with the 790 one field with a long gentle slope on one end. Been using the 4wd to help keep the tractor straight on the slope then just as I only had a few passes left, I had no front assist to help pull me straight, lost power to the front tires. Finished out tilling and marking rows with a 2wd 790. After there was time to look at the 790, turns out the bolt that fastens the yoke to the diff shaft had worked its way out and let the yoke slide off the splinned shaft.

Next I was cultivating in a different field with my danish tine cultivator and the LS. I was again just about done and then a loud SNAP.... one tine broke off and was hung up in the rest of the tines. 'Power for the course' I said out loud. Finished cultivating minus one tine.

Next, i was sub-soiling with the LS to break up a field small field that had not been worked in 5 or 6 years. Right at the half way point of being finished a 'feel' it threw the tractor, resounding heavy 'clunck' sounded. I instantly stop and see the one inch thick hitch beam lof the sub-soiler completely broke in two from the sub-soiler.

Out of all of this malarkey, the LS just was plain reliable threw it all. Did not get a pic of the busted danish tine, was not in the mood... blue line in sub-soiler pic is blotting out 'desciptive' words

 

[Hay Dude]

I dread this happening to me. Just rebuilt some things on my Massey 7495. Leaking PTO box and fuel tank. Set me back quite a bit. They were still working, but ticking time bombs, so over the winter, I blew up some of my savings fixing them.
This is my constant worry. Do I fix something now, when it might work another year, or wait and save my money for something that breaks unexpectedly?
Farming generally does not allow money for both. Spring months are especially lean on money.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I have found when its a brown day I just go back into the house. Brown day... You know when everything you touch it seems turns to, uh brown stuff...

If I go back into the house or fishing/hunting at least there is less expensive stuff to go bad.

 

[EddieWalker]

The biggest surprise to me with my small farm is how much time I spend being a mechanic.

 

[spruce Deere]

Yep. One almost must be part McGeiver part mechanic and good at guessing what the future holds.

Have to push forward, there will be not good days and good days. Hopefully more o.k to good days.

I spend a good portion of winter working on equipment or at least going over it to curb or eliminate catastrophes.

 

[JohnT3383]

spruce,
Thanks for sharing: other than just saying, 'I get it,' I can't help you. Remember, what you're doing is a different choice from having a factory job for 30 years that you have to drive 15 miles each way in traffic to get to.
maybe could be worse.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yep. One almost must be part McGeiver part mechanic and good at guessing what the future holds.

Have to push forward, there will be not good days and good days. Hopefully more o.k to good days.

I spend a good portion of winter working on equipment or at least going over it to curb or eliminate catastrophes.

Scheduled maintenance aside, I have found that to be more wishful thinking than reality.
I have tried to guess what was going to break, only to see that part last years, while something I thought would give me no trouble go belly up quickly.

 

[spruce Deere]

Thanks john. Like Hay Dude says, things things you think might break last for years. Winter time maintenance almost seems pointless sometimes when things bust, like a sub-soiler hitch....