Started to learn to use my tractor today!

[dieselfuelonly]

Well, I just can't even begin to explain how useful (and fun) my little Yanmar has already been here not just cutting the fields but also working around the yard and around the house.

I did a little bush hogging today to clear out an overgrown area of the property that I want to reclaim for... not really sure yet, but it'd be nice to have the space. I'm guessing its about a 3/4-1 acre area. Lots of weeds and those little borderline tree/thick weed things have taken over the area. As usual, the bush hog cut though everything like butter and the tractor didn't even remotely break a sweat. I used 3rd gear low range because I didn't want to miss any stumps or other objects that might have been hiding in the growth.

With about 45 minutes of sunlight left before the week starts back up tomorrow ( I could stay in the seat all day long ) I wanted to fit in just ONE MORE very small project, which was just removing some dirt out by a spigot in the pasture so that the water trough would sit level. I used my dirt scoop for the majority of the work, which was 10x easier than using a shovel. One does not realize how much work that an attachment even as "limited" as a dirt scoop can do until one tries to use a shovel to finish off those little spots right by the spigot that one can't get close enough too with the scoop, as the ground is hard as a rock due to barely any rain in about month!

I think my most-used-implement award goes to the carryall. It really can carry just about anything. I moved some very large logs with it, I would back under the logs if I could, or back right up to the logs and then rock them until I could get just enough momentum up to tip the edge of the log over on to the carryall. There was only one log that that I couldn't pick up, my hydraulics didn't seem to happy (it was screaming at me to stop!) when I tried to lift it so I thought it best to leave that one be for now and chop it up into smaller pieces later on. I have also found the carryall to be very useful for moving debris around, and also for odd jobs, like when I used it to help pick a very rusted/bent gate up off of its hinges so that I could take it back up near the house and bang it back into (a somewhat more gate looking) shape.

Well, thats my update for Labor Day weekend.

 

[r1-er]

Hey diesel,

We have a LOT in common. My name is Dennis too and I just bought a 1401D with a bush hog, tiller, and carry all. I have used it just a couple times so far, but have done some really gnarly bush hogging with it...pushing some 1.5" trees down and going through some vine ridden areas where the tractor pulls the tree tops down with the vines.

I had to have the radiator re-built, but other than that have had no issues.

I have borrowed a sprayer from a friend and will try to figure out what the best way to mount it to the carryall is.

Bush hogging through thick brush is VERY liberating. In front of the tractor is nothing but brush so thick you can't walk through it, and behind is a nice clear trail. My son and I spent some time riding our dirt bikes around the "compound" last night...never had this much land before and I'm really enjoying it.

Congrats on the purchase and I look forward to sharing info as we both learn things about our hardware.

Dennis.

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Get a dirt scoop and mount the sprayer on the carryall and you are going to have no less than the EXACT setup that came with my tractor!

My sprayer was mounted on the carryall by the previous owner and an interesting way... but it worked. He had cut those deck boards, I'm trying to remember what they are called, but they never need to be treated or anything, they almost feel like a very heavy plastic... anyway, he had mounted those on the carryall with bolts that ran through the boards and through the holes on the carryall, and then the sprayer was held down with those ratchet straps. It worked pretty good, but the carryall is much more useful without the sprayer on it!

Congrats on your tractor, I see this is your first post. I know I enjoy using mine almost every day, and I'm sure your Yanmar will give you many years of great service! If I don't have a project to work on, I tend to make one up. LOL.

 

[r1-er]

I haven't taken a close look at the carry-all yet, but I was thinking of using four eye bolts and some ratchet straps in a similar way. If the decking of the carry-all isn't strong enough, I'll drill some holes through some 1" angle and use it on the bottom of the deck to more evenly distribute the load.

If you can, get a pic of the mounting points on your carry-all so I can see how it was done on yours.

I'll get some pics posted up when I get a chance.

Thanks, Dennis.

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Will do!

 

[Spiveyman]

Spiveyman :

I notices in an earlier post you said you put a finish mower behind the 6610. That must be one of the most powerful ride on mowers ever How big is the finish mower?

Hey, sorry I missed this question earlier. First of all, the 6610/finish mower was not a planned event. My granny bought it and gave it to me. Even though I would not have opted for one in my situation, heck, it was a gift, so why not. I'll probably sell it and put the $$ towards a good zero-turn deal some day for the lawn, but I don't want to break granny's heart. She was so proud. It's a Woods, I think it's about 72", but I can't remember right off. Puts one heck of a finish on a pasture just in case we decide to put in a fairway!

 

[Spiveyman]

I was hesitant to post this caution, because one of the last times I mentioned it, I was pretty much told I didn't have a clue about how to use a box blade, so I politely bowed out. Anyone with considerable boxblade experience can probably understand why I posted the caution, as I felt the cost of his lift arms were equal to the cost of his box blade and I knew he didn't want to mess them up. I would have felt bad having thought to post it, and then refrained and the next day he bent his lift arms. Now at least if it does happen, he can tell us exactly the amount of force and the size of the obstacle require to bend a 6610 lift arm and be fairly accurate about it, because I know he will be watching it.
So when are you going to wear off some of that yellow paint?
David from jax

Love the debate! No worries on the lift arms. Sorry to disappoint anyone looking for data on what it takes to bend a set of 6610 lift arms, but there's no way I'm going to chance it. I'm not "handy" enough to fix those suckers, so I'm not going to screw them up!

OK, I finally managed to get a couple hours of seat time last night. I was so anxious to get that thing dirty all weekend, it was frustrating to only get a couple hours in. I'm not sure how much yellow paint I managed to rid myself of, but I did notice the tips of the scarifers are no longer black. Nice shiney color now!!

With literally only a couple hours I didn't have time to get into much. I fixed a path over a culvert that had some major rutts, cleaned up a concrete bridge (safely in dozer mode) that had so much dirt washed onto it we've been having to mow it, and then started in spreading out some piles of dirt left over from cleaning out a pond a couple years ago.

I'll probably start a thread in the owning/operating area so that I don't distract from this one. I did take some pictures, but left the camera on the tractor. Oops. The farm's about 40 min from where we live right now, but I'm going to go back tonight to play, I mean work some more and will try to remember to get it.

 

[Spiveyman]

I haven't taken a close look at the carry-all yet, but I was thinking of using four eye bolts and some ratchet straps in a similar way. If the decking of the carry-all isn't strong enough, I'll drill some holes through some 1" angle and use it on the bottom of the deck to more evenly distribute the load.

If you can, get a pic of the mounting points on your carry-all so I can see how it was done on yours.

I'll get some pics posted up when I get a chance.

Thanks, Dennis.

Not sure if this will help or not, but here's what I did to my carry all. I used pressure treated lumber to create the deck, used a 2X4 to shore up the edges on the deck and the back, then put eye bolts in the 2X4 for that exact purpose - useing tie down straps on stuff.

 

[dieselfuelonly]

Sorry I couldn't get pics of my carryall today, I can't find my stupid card reader which had my camera card in it!

However, I did learn yet another thing about the tractor today:

That will probably be THE EASIEST oil change I have ever done. Not once did I have to lay on my back on a gravel driveway or in a garage with years of oil/slime/goop/whatever you want to call it all over the place. I had 2 gallons of Rotella T 15w-40 that I use for my trucks lying around (one which had mysteriously dissapeared), I decided that I should just go pick up an oil filter and get it over with.

I went to the Napa with the boxes that the previous owner had given me, and they did have the oil filter, but no fuel filter. Guess I will have to order that one online. There was a new air filter in the box that came with the tractor so at least I won't need another one of those.


Anyway, here's how it went:

For some reason or another I couldn't find a wrench to fit on the oil drain cock, so I just used an adjustable wrench. With a few bangs from my hand it came right off and I drained the old oil into a bucket. I also opened the cap at the top figuring it would help the oil drain faster. Then I removed the oil filter, which caused the only "oil spill" during this change because of the way it is positioned sideways instead of straight up and down.

Then I took the new filter and filled it with oil from my one gallon of Rotella T. I rubbed some oil on the gasket and put it on the tractor and hand tightened it and then gave it about an 8th of a turn with my oil filter wrench.

Then I closed the drain cock (whoops) and put oil in the tractor. Surprisingly, I was able to do an oil change on just a little bit less than 1 gallon of oil! Feels good to have that done.

I next cranked with the compression release (well, I always do that regardless) to let the pressure build, ran the engine for about 30 seconds and then shut it off again to check the oil. I added just a little more and that was that! Took all of about 15-20 minutes and my hands didn't even get dirty!

 

[r1-er]

Hey Diesel...

I was out putzing with my tractor tonight and got the carryall mounted. I also got the sprayer put in with some straps just to the angle iron...I think it'll be adequate for what I need it to do. I need to buy a connector for the wiring and I should be spraying in no time.


Took some pics and thought I'd upload them if I can figure out how to put them in a post...