Watering with a FEL and cruise control

Cliff_Johns · Oct 25, 2004

I needed to water two bushes throughly before transplanting them. The plants were 200 feet from the spigot. I could have unrolled a lot of hose and then rolled it back up, but I figured I would just fill the FEL with water and drive it out. This worked very well as long as I drove slowly. I don't naturally drive that slow, so I just got moving slowly and used the cruise control and enjoyed the day.

Suprisingly little water was lost and the FEL holds a lot -- though I don't know how much. I had considered getting a special container to put in the FEL or on a carryall just for watering at a distance, but the FEL works pretty well.

I never thought I would use cruise -- I thought it was a silly thing for me to have on a tractor since I didn't mow with it, but I found a use.

Cliff

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

v8dave · Oct 25, 2004

A great idea. We're always putting in new plants. This will work fine for those I can drive to--lots of steep slopes on this property though.

jinman · Oct 27, 2004

Cliff, if you float an old 2x4 about 3' long on the surface it will reduce the slosh a little because it tends to break up the surface wave on the water. I don't remember who taught me this trick, but I learned it when I was a kid and that was long, long ago. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

KubotaSteve · Oct 27, 2004

I planted several Colorado Blue Spruce around my property and needed to water them. I put four 5 gallon buckets in the FEL and filled them with water and filled rest of the FEL with water as well. I then used the reese hitch that I bought at a discount through TBN (Thanks Muhammed) and put the 60" cargo platform from my SUV in it. Then put six 5 gallon buckets on it and filled them up. Worked pretty good. Just another idea without having to purchase a container soley for hauling water. I have also use my small trailer loaded with 5 gallon buckets but that didn't work as well.

thcri · Oct 27, 2004

( I don't remember who taught me this trick, but I learned it when I was a kid and that was long, long ago. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Jim,

Did they even have 2 x 4's back then?? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bad day but I sure feel better now /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks Jim

SPIKER · Oct 27, 2004

JIM yes they had 2x4's back then but try and find one NOW you will not!!! only can get 1.5x3s lol

Markm

Cliff_Johns · Oct 27, 2004

( Cliff, if you float an old 2x4 about 3' long on the surface it will reduce the slosh a little because it tends to break up the surface wave on the water. I don't remember who taught me this trick, but I learned it when I was a kid and that was long, long ago. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Jinman,
Thanks, I'd never heard that. I'll try it next time.
Cliff

jinman · Oct 27, 2004

( Cliff, if you float an old 2x4 about 3' long on the surface it will reduce the slosh a little because it tends to break up the surface wave on the water. I don't remember who taught me this trick, but I learned it when I was a kid and that was long, long ago. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )
Jinman,
Thanks, I'd never heard that. I'll try it next time.
Cliff )

Actually, after thinking about this, it would work better with something heavier than a 2x4. The last time I was watering a patch of wild flowers by my mailbox using my FEL, I just pitched in three or four pieces of 4" diameter firewood. Since you don't have to tilt your bucket very far down for the water to run out (and I have a toothbar) the wood stayed in my FEL bucket and I didn't have to get off the tractor except to fill the the bucket with water. It's not a perfect solution, but it sure does reduce the slosh.

Bird · Oct 27, 2004

Would not a fairly large piece of plywood work even better; i.e., a floating "lid".

frank_f15 · Oct 27, 2004

( Did they even have 2 x 4's back then?? )

back when i was a kid, 2x4's (real 2x4's) was the cheap stuff, 3x3 were normal /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif