Member of the Month: Don87
Member Name: Don87
Post Count: 2,608 (#159 of all-time)
Location: I live in southwestern Pennsylvania high atop the mountains, in an area known as Flat Rock.
How long have you been a member of TractorByNet.com?
I’ve been a member of TBN for almost 2 years now. I found the site after purchasing my Massey, and wanted to find out as much as I could about it. TBN a great place to hang out.
What do you like best about TractorByNet.com?
I think the thing I like most about TBN, is the extent of knowledge in this community. Although TBN is a tractor community, there is so much more that is covered on the site.
What type of tractor do you own?
I own 2010 Massey Ferguson GC2400. Great little machine for the typical homeowner with only a few acres to manage.
How long have you owned or operated tractors?
I’ve been operating tractors for several years, and learn more about the capabilities of them each time I use one.
What do you enjoy most about tractors?
The thing I like most about tractors is the versatility. With proper attachments, and a little thought about the project at hand, there is little that can’t be accomplished.
How often do you use your tractor?
I use my tractor as much as I can. I really enjoy it. Whether it be mowing, tilling, moving snow, dirt, rocks, & mulch, or just riding around my property looking for more projects.
Tell us about your property.
I have 2 acres, half of it is wooded, and I’m located at the top of a hill. I have a 2 bedroom house, a 1.5 car garage and a small barn. The barn is being used for storage, although it is setup for pigs on one side and chickens on the other.
Tell us about your vehicles.
I own a 1998 Dodge Dakota. Nothing fancy, but it hauls my coal and wood and gets me to work and back. I also have a 2001 Monte Carlo. It’s been a pretty reliable vehicle, and we just can’t see getting rid of it.
I did own a Suzuki 4 wheeler, but I recently gave it to one of my nephews. I couldn’t seem to run it enough to keep the carb from gunking up, so it was time for it to have a new home.
What sort of modifications have you done to your tractor?
The only modifications I’ve done to the Massey, is to add more lighting, and an amber strobe for when I’m clearing snow near the roadway in front of my house.
What sort of tools, attachments, or equipment do you use with your tractor on a regular basis?
I have an FEL, a single bottom plow, a one row cultivator that has been modified with hilling discs, a 4 foot rototiller, a front mount snowblower.
What sort of terrain is common in your area?
High hills, deep valleys, and lot’s of rock on top.
What do you like/dislike about the area you live in?
I think the poor soil conditions is the thing I dislike the most. Although living in the snow belt can be trying at times. The things I like best are that summers don’t usually get extremely hot, and there’s almost always a breeze.
What sort of trees and vegetation are common in your area?
Lots of Oak, Cherry, Poplar, Locust, and Pine trees. Mushrooms, ramps, berries grow wild most everywhere around the vicinity.
Do you maintain crops?
I plant a garden every year. I generally plant beans, corn, melons, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage, zucchini. Root crops aren’t doing so well. The first soil sample didn’t show the problem, so I’m going to get a more extensive test done.
Do you have any pets?
I have two dogs, one outside and one in. And I own an inside cat as well.
I guess we could call the fish “pets” as well. I built a 19×22 foot Koi pond about 8 years ago, and we have about 30 Koi in it—8 generations of Koi. The largest Koi are about 36 to 40 inches in length.
What’s something most TractorByNet members don’t know about you?
I’m basically a “jack-of-all-trades” but a master of none. I’ve done everything from logging to truck driving, mechanical to cooking in restaurants, working in a sawmill to home building, cleaning toilets to operating skid steers, dozers, and knuckle-boom loaders.