What have you done to your Branson today?

K5lwq · Feb 20, 2020

I guess so. I did not even notice till I just went out to take some measurements. My dealer filled the tires so maybe they only went halfway. Just feels a little light on a pull.

Slowpoke Slim · Feb 21, 2020

Used mine to dig and pull out a utility worker that tried to 3 point turn his truck and enclosed equipment trailer in my driveway. Unfortunately, he turned right into one of my ice/snow piles and had his trailer side buried hard into the biggest snow bank. I took pity on him and dug him out with my loader and pulled him free with a tow strap hooked to my draw bar.

He'd have been there all night with his little hand shovel.

Branson Bob · Feb 27, 2020

I started moving some boulders for landscaping using the 3-point to quick attach adapter. When the load was lifted the tractor would sit lightly on the front axle but when moving it quickly started bouncing. At this point I used the split brakes to steer as my front axle wasn't really engaged (I was basically doing a wheelie). Lift/dragging the load helped a bit but I finally put some weight in the front loader bucket to keep the front axle on the ground. I run into this problem a lot when moving the IBC Totes full of water so I think I'll end up making a FEL weight out of some old sonotube, rebar, and old chain. I'll attach the FEL Weight to the FEL with the grab hooks I have welded on.

Granthol · Feb 28, 2020

Those are big rocks. I can see where a little front ballast would be needed. Nice setup for the 3 point to do it. It’s much better on the back. Most people would do that with the FEL and that’s a lot of weight on the front.

Branson Bob · Feb 29, 2020

Granthol said:
Those are big rocks. I can see where a little front ballast would be needed. Nice setup for the 3 point to do it. It’s much better on the back. Most people would do that with the FEL and that’s a lot of weight on the front.

Thank you. Yes, and especially with the top and tilt you can really give the 3 point a good workout. It's easy to position and maneuverable and bears a lot. When I lift stuff like that I always go really slow. Our place is a bit hilly and even though it's a dry winter you still have to be careful moving materials. Herky jerky is bad... smooth and slow is good. Also keep your load as low as possible just clearing the ground. And always remember that dumping the FEL is always a good reaction to losing control.

Cougsfan · Feb 29, 2020

I have the same problem when I go out with my 200 gallon spray tank filled all the way. Steering becomes somewhat unpredictable, especially when going up hill. So I just run over to my gravel stock pile and fill the FEL with gravel before I fill the tank and I am good to go.

Branson Bob · Feb 29, 2020

Cougsfan said:
I have the same problem when I go out with my 200 gallon spray tank filled all the way. Steering becomes somewhat unpredictable, especially when going up hill. So I just run over to my gravel stock pile and fill the FEL with gravel before I fill the tank and I am good to go.

I had a pile of crush and run but used most of it up. I don't always keep a pile of stone products. Maybe I should.

denjen · Mar 2, 2020

Tilled the garden area, tarter 4' and distance between rows is ~5' which is enough for mower and possibly small side-by-side

ptsg · Mar 2, 2020

I've been using my tractor for various random shores. The loader brings much more versatility to the tractor.

Last week, took the rototiller out to till a small vegetable garden and two small orchards for weed control, just to find out the the seal on the rotor has been leaking since I parked it, about 4 months ago.

I bought this tiller used but still in very good condition shortly after I bought the tractor and changed all the fluid in it. Took it all apart on the weekend and found out that the seals wore out and the seal journal on the shaft is all pitted from rust on both sides. The cage on one of the bearings is broken in several pieces, so it's a good thing that I took it apart now or it could grenade it self.

The bearing is a double row ball bearing and it's around 60 to 70$. Luckily I happen to have a new one in stock from a completely different machine and industry.

ptsg · Mar 3, 2020

Finished the rototiller today and it's back up and running again.

Some pictures:

Both seal journals all welded up and read to get machined with the new seals ready to go in:

The rotor on the lathe. Had to stretch every millimeter out of this lathe. The tail-stock was hanging halfway in the bed ways and still had to get fancy with the tooling to be able to machine this.