Well, the tractor came back two days ago. The 3pt issue is fixed and engine valves checked/returned to spec. The culprit for the 3pt was confirmed as suspected. Little bugger runs $600+. Total service bill came right to $1200, which included pickup and delivery. Ouch. I will again say that I have no beef with the tractor over this. Just happy to have it back and working like it always has. Now, I have a heap of Bush hogging to do that I normally would have already done. Not looking forward to it. Hooked it up this evening and greased everything.
I understand-got about 2 weeks behind my bush hogging waiting for my tractor. As you know, just have to go slower in the tall growth.
Tractor back/neck is what I'm dreading. I do a lot of woods type cutting where you are constantly backing and maneuvering. Lots of time with neck craned around to see what is going on back there.
I took Monday off and tedded three hayfields for a neighbor and then bush hogged some logging roads for a friend. I brought my saw, which was a good thing because I had to clear off several downed trees.
Did a little more ground work yesterday. Several stumps and more rocks than I can count including some good sized ones. This one was a rockberg... That’s the only direction I could get it to roll after digging it out and that’s where it’s staying.
That's the thing about woods bushogging...bound to run across some btus! Big old red oak that lost its top a couple years ago. A little punky, but there's splits there.
No picture for proof, but got caught bush hogging yesterday by a MEAN afternoon storm that the weather man failed to warn me about. 1 mile up the road from shelter and 1/2 mile back in the woods when the sky went dark. I had to put my phone under the tractor hood to keep it from being drowned. Was up top of the hill and saw a lightning strike about 2 miles away...sounded much closer. Hauled azz down the hill, found a healthy red maple and took cover under it. The canopy wasn't much help for the 15 minutes of monsoon rain that came. The storm left almost as quickly as it showed up. Had to wring my clothes out (bet I could've filled a milk jug) before getting in the truck to head home, needing my sunglasses for the 2nd half of the drive home. Fun fun! Tractor did get washed though. Ever just sit, motionless in hard rain because you have no other choice? Had me checking my perspective on things.
Spent some time cutting various sized btus as we continue to thin out back behind the coop. Forks coming in handy piling up brush to move.
Switched from bush hogging to haying over the weekend. We hire friends with bigger equipment to do it, but I get to play. I did all the mowing with their equipment, and gathered the round bales for wrapping with mine. They prefer to wrap at the field and then haul it about a mile to our stacking area as we have time. I took the afternoon off today and hauled 50 bales using their tractor to load and mine to unload. My truck, and another friend’s trailer. Still have another 70 to move home.
Looks like you could really use a chipper! Instead of burning all that brush turn it into mulch for the garden and pathways. I just can’t get enough chips now that I started using them.
Seriously in the market for either a new L3301 or L3901. The only Ford 1920 is a great unit but it's time to upgrade. I've been at all the local dealers shopping and I've got a price and an exact build. 3301 or 3901 4x4 HST (still thinking about Gear even though I know HST is the cats meow) LA525 loader w/ quick attach bucket and forks BH77 backhoe R4 industrial tires - loaded with washer fluid or beet juice Cruise control for HST. Looks to be right around 33k - less for 3301. Trying hard to talk myself into signing on the line. Hard not to with 0% interest. My application: Approx 20 acres of relatively flat land with the expectation of doing side jobs Skidding logs Loader work Moving pallets of firewood Brush hogging Box grading Land leveling and repair Some tilling but minimal Digging trenches/stumps And whatever else come up along the way
