Member of the Month: JohnDeere3720
Name: Jake Lorenz; a.k.a. JohnDeere3720
Post Count: 3,812 (#56 of all-time)
Location: Oregon; the Great Pacific Northwest
How long have you been a member of TBN?
I have been a Member of TBN since March 14, 2009. I originally found TBN looking at tractor implements and different projects to do to them. At the time I had around 4 implements and was still working towards my first tractor.
What do you like best about TractorByNet.com?
I like the fact that I can talk tractor to somebody and they can understand what I’m talking about. For me having that ability has allowed me to go further and learn so much about safety information, operation skills, tractor brand news, and mechanical skills to fix machinery and how to identify what is wrong when something won’t work.
What type of tractors do you own?
I currently own two tractors – a Yanmar 169D and a Simplicity 9518. I also have a John Deere L118, riding mower.
How long have you owned or operated tractors?
I started operating tractors when I turned 10 years old. My grandpa had just traded his old Kubota for a John Deere 2210 with hydrostatic transmission – great for me to learn on. Since then, I have run all sorts of tractors and construction equipment and have clocked in thousands of hours of seat time.
What do you enjoy most about tractors?
That I can do so much with them in so little time.
How often do you use your tractor?
Almost every weekend. A little less in the winter, due to the wet ground.
Tell us about your property.
I live between 2 homes. My Mom lives on a 4 acre piece of land with a house, a pole barn, a shed, and a chicken house. My Dad has a 14 acre ranch with the house barn, horse barn, riding arena, and a shop.
Do you have any pets?
I do have two of my own dogs – one at each house. Their names are Annie and CD (Cowdog). Annie is an Australian Shepherd that helps round up the horses when they get loose. CD is my Red Healer who loves to play fetch and follow me when I am on my Yanmar.
What sort of modifications or customization have you done to your tractor?
I have added a custom grill to my Yanmar, bungee corded a shovel to the ROPS, and modified my implements to fit the imatch or make them more versatile.
What sort of tools, attachments or equipment do you use with your tractor on a regular basis?
I use my boxblade, brush hog, and rear blade the most, but the other implements allow me to do even more chores from moving trailers to moving logs to cultivating horse arenas.
What do you mainly use your tractor for?
My tractor was originally used for brush hogging my Mom’s property and grading the driveway but I also use it for snow removal, fire wood harvesting, rototilling the garden, and grading horse arenas and fields.
Do you maintain crops?
We have a garden at my Mom’s every year as a hobby and a way to get organic food from the land.
Do you keep livestock?
My Mom has chickens – one mean rooster, the rest are happy hens. My Dad has horses, I think we are at 6 right now, the number changes often. We had some cattle a while back, but the cost of alfalfa was too high to feed them so they went to auction.
What do you like/dislike about the area you live in?
I like that I never have to worry about poisonous reptiles, the snakes here are harmless. I love the scenic land here, it’s so amazing, and it’s hard to not see a beautiful sunset here – we get them a lot. I don’t like that it rains so much, but if it didn’t, it wouldn’t be the same.
What sort of terrain is common in your area?
It really depends on location. My mom lives on a flat topped hill and my Dad lives on a steep hill, on which the only flat land is where the house and barn are located. The rest is all hillside. In the valley it is nice and flat and the tallest mountains are about 3,000 ft.
What sort of trees and vegetation are common in your area?
Lots of Douglas fir, pine, spruce, maple, etc. We also have the scotch broom plant in the warm months of the year – a very hard plant to get rid of.
What’s something most TractorByNet members don’t know about you?
I love to take pictures, especially of the landscapes & sunsets, and I can’t forget tractors, of course.
