Yanmar tug of war

Smoody · Mar 21, 2012

It snows in southern California??

clemsonfor · Mar 21, 2012

I cut my weeds last weekend, should of done it sooner. Anyway my St. Augustine is now taking over and growing faster than the cool season weeds. I will need to cut my grass again by this weekend; if i get the mower going. I hope i got the problems licked. Bad spindle, where pully kept coming off. welded it back on till it got off center at end of last season, replaced spindle about a month ago. Then chewing up belts so i had to adjust the tensioner spring that engages the blade. Now its randomly cutting off. Pulled carb looked clean put back togeather and trerrible again, so pull it apart, blow it out and blow the seat out of carb with compressed air so i had to buy a kit. Then i noticed a pulse line or something is all cracked, so i am siliconing that up. ITs a tecumseh engine so not even sure if i could buy that molded hose anymore (probly NOS around still). Changing oil all while waiting on the kit to arrive. Life with an old mower!

kenmac · Mar 21, 2012

Smoody said:
It snows in southern California??

As the song says. It never rains in California. Doesn't say anything about snow:laughing:

I was wondering the same thing

284 International · Mar 21, 2012

Smoody said:
It snows in southern California??

Apparently it does! :laughing: It's not really a significant amount compared to other parts of the country, but it's a matter of what one considers normal. This is an area, after all, where a rainstorm brings out breathily anxious news reporters to the streets.

My palm trees are immune to heat and wind, but snow? Nope. In spite of me clearing them off, many fronds eventually succumbed after I went to bed.

This was the fourth snow we got this year, and before the one that frosted up all the blossoms:

Last year, on April 8, after quite a bit had melted, I took this picture:

Unfortunately, there was corn, potatoes, strawberries, asparagus, squash, melons, and peas under there.

The crops were, needless to say, pretty much annihilated.

When I was a child, it used to snow here a couple times a year, but would rarely stick; snowfall was usually nearer to mid January. We're moderately high (~2800') and the area used to produce commercial amounts of peaches, cherries, and some apples. Another 1000' up the hills, apples and some berries were grown commercially. I am certain the climate here has changed; it has certainly much drier overall, until last year, and hotter in the summer than it must have been to support fruit orchards 80 to 100 years ago when the big orchards went in. Having said that, last summer was quite mild. I'm hoping this one follows suit.

clemsonfor · Mar 22, 2012

We did not even get the firt flurry here this year.

Last year we has 2 big (for this area) snows and maybe another dusting or two? The biggest one stuck for like 5 days in the north facing shadows.

Car Doc · Mar 22, 2012

WOW nice sized garden there 284 I am impressed! I bet you guys can a bunch of stuff when mother nature cooperates! :thumbsup:

284 International · Mar 22, 2012

Ironically, after warning everybody not to try this for themselves, I find myself repeatedly checking to see if anyone else has tried the tug of war yet, perhaps with different results.

Winston, did your friend settle on a tractor yet?

winston1 · Mar 22, 2012

284 International said:
Ironically, after warning everybody not to try this for themselves, I find myself repeatedly checking to see if anyone else has tried the tug of war yet, perhaps with different results.

Winston, did your friend settle on a tractor yet?

He was leaning toward the 1500d but I have no word on whether he went with it or not. He did state he had more farming than mowing to do so that was what was making him lean that way. I have asked if he has made a decision and will post it if and when I find out.

Pete Judd · Mar 22, 2012

If I remember right the State of Nebraska used to test tractors for draw bar horse power. I wonder if they still do this. It would solve the issue once and for all.

284 International · Mar 22, 2012

They still do the tests, but not on anything small. The YM240, 226, 276, and 336 were all tested though, so reliable information about peak drawbar pull, fuel consumption, engine and PTO speeds, weight, and so forth are available. A caveat, though: the manufacturers prepare the tractor for the testing, then hand it over to the engineers. This means the machines are optimized for peak pulling power in the tests, and in a manner sometimes not in accord with the operator manual.

For example, the YM240 was given 430 lbs of cast iron ballast for EACH rear tire, plus had them filled with liquid. The manual says not to fill and add iron weights. The mass added for the test is, I recall, something like triple what Yanmar calls for per side. The result is that the tractor is markedly heavier than what anybody can reasonably expect. This doesn't affect the engine tests, but skews the drawbar pulling power and force upward.

I wish the rigor of these tests was produced now for smaller machines, and for automobiles as well.