What did you do with your Power Trac today?

[Lnk]

Recently used the 12" auger to set posts for grapevines, then again to plant. I use the LMB all the time. I have an occasional stream in my valley, I used the minihoe to dig out some lift limit rocks. Had to roll them out before I could lift with the bucket. Need them for the goats to climb on, helps with hoof care. I also use a potatoes digger to loosen my soil mounds so I can scoop with the bucket. Being able to swap attachments has made my life much easier. Did I mention the grapple? I use that when I am cutting wood, and use it to clean up brush all the time.

I wish I had the forks, may just have to buy them. I can see many uses for them. I also use the rake the PO made that goes into the receiver on a plate to grade my driveway. I also stacked the 4x4 round bales in my building and used it sometimes to feed the round bales. Right at the limit with those too.

Sorry no pictures, never have my phone on me when working on the farm running equipment as I wouldn't hear it anyway.

 

[ponytug]

I picked up a couple of new to me attachments that I plan to modify for PT use. (More posts coming!)

However, I needed to move them in the interim. They are Skid Steer Quick Attach at the moment. I picked one up with forks in its angle iron crate, and got the PT pucker whenever I turned more than ten degrees or so. BTDT, but in the end managed to get it off the trailer and to get it all over to the workshop area yesterday.

Today, I wanted to get it out of the crate and move it out of my hair until parts came in. Out of the crate as a straight lift was OK, but the center of gravity had the adapter plate on my tires, so I wasn’t going anywhere like that.

Behold! The shade tree PT to skid steer adapter;

With the PT plate pulled back, the weight is solidly on the top of the plate and the lower arms. It felt very solid, and enabled me to park the attachment where it needed to be. Not that I would actually use the attachment like that!

All the best,

Peter

 

[BigDaddyEureka]

Used a combo of the front mower and a heavy roller to mow and roll at the same time with the PT-425. It works! - although the rig is pretty long and you DEFINITELY do not want to get on a hillside with it. You also want to take your time turning because if you get the roller swinging the tail starts to wag the dog...

 

[MossRoad]

Used a combo of the front mower and a heavy roller to mow and roll at the same time with the PT-425. It works! - although the rig is pretty long and you DEFINITELY do not want to get on a hillside with it. You also want to take your time turning because if you get the roller swinging the tail starts to wag the dog...

It's like driving a caterpillar, isn't it!

One time I had the mower up front, a dethatcher behind me, and a sweeper behind the dethatcher. It was fun. Got some looks.

 

[BigDaddyEureka]

Planted an orchard today! 25 apple trees initially, 5 species.

My water rig / pallet has a 65 gallon tank and a 12V battery in a waterproof box with a pump fastened to that. I pick it up and carry it with the PT forks. Weight, balance and structural integrity are "marginal."

The tree auger is your buddy when you need to plant 25 trees in a day!

 

[ponytug]

Are you going to use the old well to irrigate or just rely on your PT tanker?

How many gallons do you have in that tank? It looks BIG.

What varieties did you plant?

All the best,

Peter

 

[BigDaddyEureka]

We have two wells Peter (40' and 140' deep), but we also capture rainwater off the buildings. 1000 gallon rain tank plus another 750 in an old cistern that captures off the 100+ year old house. A two inch rain on the 40x80' building will fill the 1000 gallon.

The tank on my rig is 65 gallons. Thought about getting a bigger one but man I'm glad I didn't! Currently planning to use the tanker.

The varieties were chosen so they all blossom at the same time but come ripe over 2-3 months (hopefully).

• Honeycrisp
• Galarina (a more disease resistant Gala)
• Pixie Crisp (a snack size little apple, very tasty)
• Granny Smith
• Golden Hornet (a crab apple...edible but mostly there because it's a good pollinator for everything else)

 

[ponytug]

Sounds yummy! IIRC, the golden hornets are not bad fresh and wonderful when cooked.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Tchamp]

Removed a small ridge on the entrance of my driveway with the rotary tiller attachment by cutting into the ridge and pulling back the dirt therefore cutting down the ridge

 

[smilindave]

I need to take more pics

 

[m5040]

Used my PT018 to lift the cylinder head off my Ranger Perkins diesel. Somebody said it was aluminum, it wasn't!

 

[ponytug]

Wow! I never knew that the Ranger had a Perkins diesel for a few years. I guess that you must really like it.

Good luck with the rebuilding!

All the best,

Peter

 

[Tchamp]

Wow! I never knew that the Ranger had a Perkins diesel for a few years. I guess that you must really like it.

Good luck with the rebuilding!

All the best,

Peter

I like the way you used the chain so the pull wouldnt be directly down on your lift bar, it took alot of downward pull off the bar that way and kept the bar from bending fron the weight. Smart.

 

[MossRoad]

I built some 55 gallon barrel raised planters for my wife and used the PT425 forks to carry them back to the garden area, then dropped the forks and used the small bucket with teeth to get some black dirt and compost from our stockpiles to fill them. Very handy.

We have some sort of horrible grass/weed, probably quack grass, that we have given up on trying to control. Weeding the garden became a large chore. So, we're going to slowly switch to raised planters like this, and other forms of 55 gallon barrel gardening. Hey, it's a hobby!

I got these barrels from a flavoring company. They are food safe. When I hit them with the circular saw, one had grape flavoring and the other vanilla. Man, I've never had such a sweet-smelling project!

Had the 4x4's and 2x4's in our stockpile as well. Pressure treated. Saved some costs there.

 

[ponytug]

I built some 55 gallon barrel raised planters for my wife and used the PT425 forks to carry them back to the garden area, then dropped the forks and used the small bucket with teeth to get some black dirt and compost from our stockpiles to fill them. Very handy.

We have some sort of horrible grass/weed, probably quack grass, that we have given up on trying to control. Weeding the garden became a large chore. So, we're going to slowly switch to raised planters like this, and other forms of 55 gallon barrel gardening. Hey, it's a hobby!

I got these barrels from a flavoring company. They are food safe. When I hit them with the circular saw, one had grape flavoring and the other vanilla. Man, I've never had such a sweet-smelling project!

Had the 4x4's and 2x4's in our stockpile as well. Pressure treated. Saved some costs there.

View attachment 747575

Looks great! How are they fastened to the 2x4s? Do you have a drain hole in the bottom?

All the best, Peter

 

[Lnk]

I built some 55 gallon barrel raised planters for my wife and used the PT425 forks to carry them back to the garden area, then dropped the forks and used the small bucket with teeth to get some black dirt and compost from our stockpiles to fill them. Very handy.

We have some sort of horrible grass/weed, probably quack grass, that we have given up on trying to control. Weeding the garden became a large chore. So, we're going to slowly switch to raised planters like this, and other forms of 55 gallon barrel gardening. Hey, it's a hobby!

I got these barrels from a flavoring company. They are food safe. When I hit them with the circular saw, one had grape flavoring and the other vanilla. Man, I've never had such a sweet-smelling project!

Had the 4x4's and 2x4's in our stockpile as well. Pressure treated. Saved some costs there.

View attachment 747575

What grape cultivar are you growing? Concord should grow well where you are.

 

[MossRoad]

So I cut the 2x4s along the edges to 35", the same height as the barrel. I used drywall screws and washers through the barrel into the 2x4s. Then I used a circular saw to notch the tops of the 4x4 legs to support the weight of the 2x4s. Then measured the outer edge distance across the entire end and it comes out to about 29". Cut more 2x4s to 29 and put them across the inside of the legs to support the ends of the barrels from underneath. 3" deck screws on all of that. Then I shot one more drywall screw with washer straight down through the bottom of the barrel into each of the cross 2x4s just because. For now, I put 3 1/4" drain holes about 2" up in each end. We just had a large rain tonight, so I'll dig down there tomorrow or Friday and see if its working. If not, I'll increase the size of the drain holes to 1/2". I didn't want the drains completely in the bottoms, as I want it to hold a couple inches of water in the soil. It gives the roots about 12" of soil that'll drain but always have a water reservoir at +12" down.

All experimental, of course.

If the barrels start to sag, I'll add a longitudal 2x4 along the bottom of the barrel.

 

[MossRoad]

What grape cultivar are you growing? Concord should grow well where you are.

Those were supposed to be seedless white, red and pink. They all came out to seeded red. In 20+ years, I've only had harvestable grapes twice. They were not as advertised. I just keep them around to feed the critters. But the two times I did get grapes, they made some tasty jam and wine.

 

[MossRoad]

I made another planter last night after work. Takes about an hour once you figure it out, and if the neighbor's dog doesn't come over and say hi!

 

[Lnk]

Those were supposed to be seedless white, red and pink. They all came out to seeded red. In 20+ years, I've only had harvestable grapes twice. They were not as advertised. I just keep them around to feed the critters. But the two times I did get grapes, they made some tasty jam and wine.

I was going to comment on the age, good size so had to be there a while. I am growing muscadine and concord, the wine is great, never tried to make jam. As they produce more, I will give it a try. Waiting for the mulberries to ripen now.