What are you currently working on??

[Sawdust]

This is getting to be an expensive year.
One of those domino effect years where everything around me is falling apart.
The AC is dead in the house, it's 25 yo, and it's gonna have to be replaced with something that I can get freon for in the future, I ain't paying for it to be recharged when it might last the season or might last a week
now this tiller ( something I fortunately haven't had to use much since I had it)
For what a rental would cost I have a line on a TB Horse for a good deal instead. Can use it and resell next week or next month... See many on CL for alot more than asking price on this one. I talked to the seller last night and it sounds like a really good one. Taking a 1/2 day off to go after it today.
And won't have to worry about borrowing anything and potentially having that break and then having to fix or replace that for whoever I would borrow from... I hate borrowing things like that for this reason.
Not sure if I'm gonna put the tractor mount tiller aside for future fix or put it in the scrap pile yet.
Leaning towards scrap pile since I don't do a garden and it's not something I use very often anyway.... I've got way less in it than I've seen them go for anyway. And for something that sits way more than not...... And my list of projects that are more important than fixing something I rarely use is plenty long as it is ...

And as has been typical the last handful of years my wife is gonna be missing at least a month of work again, starting in a month/ for heel spurs surgery, mom is in hospice, what next
We slept in the camper last night in the driveway for the AC, will again for at least the next few nights. I just came in from there and it's 81* in the house and it's only 5:45 in the morning... All the ceiling fans are going for the 2 cats.
Last year we got to go camping once a month during the warm months, a record for us. We've been out once this year and we're talking about a weekend outing just before the wife's foot surgery and the 4 days we have paid for in October already and that's gonna be it for that this season, about 1/2 the number of outings as last year. I ain't going anywhere once the wife is in a boot after her foot gets fixed. She is suggesting it but I can't do that to her ..

Hang in there DT last year was like that for us. We had all kinds of expenses, water heater, furnace and heat pump replaced, head gaskets blew on Carols Jeep, not to mention the problems I had keeping a grass cutter and tiller operating without having to work on it.

 

[Sawdust]

I didn't actually do the work yet, but maybe tomorrow. Got these 3/4" roller bearing thrust washers in the mail today.
View attachment 82891

Going to try that "poor man's power steering" on the Craftsman GT5000. I have always thought that for having a hand hydro it steered too hard for one hand. I could do it but didn't like it. Loree stole the tractor while I was out of town and mowed the yard. She had a hard time working the hydro lever and steering at the same time. Said her left arm hurt pretty bad the next day!

Then the MF1450 will get a set too if there is room on the spindles. It steers fine until I put the front weights on it. Gets to be quite a chore then. At least it is a foot hydro so both hands are available.

Have a couple extra sets too if needed elsewhere.

DAC

I’ve done the poor man’s steering on three tractors with hood results. My concern too is how to keep them clean.

 

[MFDAC]

I’ve done the poor man’s steering on three tractors with hood results. My concern too is how to keep them clean.

Felt better when I mowed Friday. Will probably just blow the debris off the outside and use a needle to pump some fresh grease into them occasionally.

Worked on the MF12G while the first part of the race was on today. Lubed the zirks and inspected things. The lock tip with the 90* fitting in it makes it where I can get to the steering box and deck spindles. Would have to pull the deck to get at the steering box before this method.







I welded a crack on the rear deck roller mount a few years ago. I see now, the crack just moved to the outside of the weld. Looks like I will have to clean that up and lay another glob of weld on it.



I also use a needle to pump grease into the bushings on the rollers, front and rear.

There was a discussion somewhere about Predator engines. This one has been in this tractor for 8-1/2 years now. By far a superior engine than the HH120 that came out. Never needed any parts for it so far.


Will do some mowing with this in a week or so but will mow a small hill in the back yard sooner as this is the only tractor that can do it due to the floating deck. The small hill is where I can back a pickup up to one side and drive a tractor into the box.

DAC

 

[TAHOE]

Good looking garden Marty I didn’t know you were involved in gardening. I really believe if you sit on a bucket watching beans long enough you could see them grow. I haven’t posted ours yet will be doing that soon. We had a big bean problem I hit the pole beans mixed up with the bush beans

I do garden, mostly for everyone else. This year my son and girlfriend wanted veggies and my sister wanted to plant. She never got out here so over half the garden is empty.
I've got 2 tomatoes plants that were fine yesterday, today they are wilted and look like they are dying, not sure what is going on, plenty of water.

 

[BMaverick]

Not sure if I mentioned owning the Aldi push mower before.
Made in Poland, model XSS51K.
What do you do when the blade gets bent due to one of the kids mowing the front ditch at the culvert. You cry cause looking up the blade, it has to be imported for $89.


I happen on some other UK website listing universal blades. One said Oregon had 3 types being in the 19-7/8 thru 20. Well, the blade is METRIC. It had to be minimum 505mm or max 508mm. So no more than 20-inches.

Menards has a 20-inch universal for $22+tax. I got it with the 11% rebate going on right now.

Yep fit perfectly.




Told the kids NEVER use this mower way up front, ever. This is for around the house. The Beasty LawnBoy gets that task up front.

 

[BMaverick]

I do garden, mostly for everyone else. This year my son and girlfriend wanted veggies and my sister wanted to plant. She never got out here so over half the garden is empty.
I've got 2 tomatoes plants that were fine yesterday, today they are wilted and look like they are dying, not sure what is going on, plenty of water.

View attachment 83069
View attachment 83070
View attachment 83071

My corn is now waist high and it's not the 4th yet.





Mine doesn't have all the green yous shows. I run the weed trimmer thru it each day right down to the dirt.

over at my tractor lean-to, the peppers are started.

 

[dodge trucker]

My neighbor came over to see what I'm doing tilling up my front yard. Well I had a tree taken out last year, and they left me a hell of a crater, 8-10' diameter. Leading up to this crater the whole yard sloped uphill from all directions. And that crater doesn't take into account all the divits left by (I'm guessing) some kind of outriggers as I wasn't home when the tree crew was here. They did grind the stump below ground, hence the crater. But the tree was only about 2' diameter not the 8-10' that the crater is. I'm tired of my mower getting caught and stuck around the edges of the crater. So I dug up about 1/2 of the front yard, just eyeballed approximately where the rise to the edges of the crater started and marked it off with whatever rattle can of paint I grabbed .. I'm guessing the size is about 24'x32' or so.
I did about 1/2 of that with my rear PTO tractor mount tiller, that I pulled out of some guys yard buried to the time shaft while the tractor it was connected to was buried to the axles in dirt. I have no idea how long it had sat before I got it. I'd only used that tiller a few times before I tried to do this job with it and that was a couple of years ago, as well. So it has done aLOT of sitting in the elements over the years. At about the halfway point of this till job, the secondary chain busted a link but once I got it apart to verify what broke I noticed alot of pitting among the other links, probably a combination of no lube(I didn't help that situation as I didn't know there was a lube point TO lube that chain, i found it by default as I tore it down a couple of weeks ago when it first broke.
I went to CL and bought a Horse for what I thought was fair (compared to others of the same model that were listed at the time) but I got it home, put it right in the dirt and it had like NO power. I found an exact twin to the original engine by luck, and quite cheaply to boot that neither me or the seller knew whether it ran.
A new set of points and condenser, plus the starter and carb from the original and it started easy and ran decent. Even if it did double as a mosquito fogger.
Well yesterday I ran that tiller about 3 hours and today I ran it about 11 hours (solid!) and finally done. This includes re tilling the ground I did 2 weeks ago. I tilled it parallel to the driveway first, as I'd started with the tractor tiller, starting where the big one busted. Then I went crossways and re tiller the whole thing again.
I can't tell you how many times I killed it, how many times I launched it, how many times I held on for dear life while it danced on a root til it got past it. I mean a few times my feet were completely sunk in the previous tilled soil as it pulled me and I hung onto the handles to keep it from launching.... At which time I'd back up to just before it launched and dig in and HANG ON..
The old ads showing someone walking along one of these barely hanging on with one hand definitely had to have been staged at best, or at least re tilling previously broken ground. No sod busting, no rocks, no roots. The tree was about in the center of that area, and the swipe about 2 tiller widths from the edge on the side in the pic and 2 tiller widths from the near side had to have been the worst for launching and catching on roots. There was a couple spots dead in the middle (probably caught on the stump remnants) that also gave me fits.
The weird part was that where the tractor tiller broke was probably the least root infested part of the job, about inline with where I m at in the pic but closer to the sidewalk end... Well after I had already been thru the worst of the roots, like a couple of tiller widths away...
I've about got it raked out, it got dark on me. Hopefully I can finish that rake out tomorrow after work before it crusts again,(supposed to rain Tues) and seed ..... I had another neighbor ask what I was planting/ growing..... I think I confused him with my answer... Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and maybe a little bit of ryegrass

 

[Jazz]

Wow Jazz that’s a mess hope it cleans up good. That’s a nice looking wood stove you got in the back

Some of the bearings are shot..priced a bearing kit..$260USD…im rethinking this project…

 

[TAHOE]

My corn is now waist high and it's not the 4th yet.

Mine doesn't have all the green yous shows. I run the weed trimmer thru it each day right down to the dirt.

the farm up the road has corn that should start tassling soon, it's 6 to 7' high already.


My garden is extra green, I was on vacation for 2 weeks and haven't been able to do weed control.

 

[Sawdust]

Some of the bearings are shot..priced a bearing kit..$260USD…im rethinking this project…

Have you shopped on Amazon for your bearings. I’ve bought several spindle bearings with good results.

 

[chieffan]

My one garden of vining plants, Big Moon pumpkins, some green pumpkins? ?, and some mini pumpkins. Most decorations and jack-O-Lanterns for the grandkids and neighbors' grandkids. Other small garden has 3 nice size tomato plants doing very well, several broccoli and cauliflower plants, some coming back from darn rabbits, and two rows of onions that are buried in 12-14" high weeds. Weeds took over once the rains started and could never dry up enough to get in there to do anything. Had it all cleaned up good once, then the rains came. Going to spray the onions. I they survive I'll call it a win. It they don't I will still call it a wind as I gotr rid of the weeds.

 

[CRF6179]

Brought home an old Snapper rider Monday morning. A barn find that been sitting for a few years. The engine would turn over and had compression. The first thing was to remove the shroud and clean out the mouse nest of insulation. Discovered there was no fire at the plug. After tracking down the kill wires and making sure they were not grounding the coil, still no fire. Mouse urine had probably ruined the coil, so I took one off the shelf and installed it. Voila it fired up and ran on carb spray. I then cleaned the gas tank, flushed the fuel lines and installed a new filter.
Added some gasoline and pulled the recoil. The engine fired up and ran good. All 4 tires were flat the rears are holding air but the fronts were replaced with a pair of rims/tires off the parts rack. It pulls itself around and I mowed part of the yard with it. It then got pressured washed.
The hubs got greased and any points of contact that moved got lubed. It actually works pretty good for its age (1995). The blades were even sharp. I will get a new air filter tomorrow. I listed for sale and have two people wanting to come tomorrow to check it out and hopefully buy. If the first guy buys it, I will be sure to call and let the other one know.
No before pictures.

 

[Sawdust]

Brought home an old Snapper rider Monday morning. A barn find that been sitting for a few years. The engine would turn over and had compression. The first thing was to remove the shroud and clean out the mouse nest of insulation. Discovered there was no fire at the plug. After tracking down the kill wires and making sure they were not grounding the coil, still no fire. Mouse urine had probably ruined the coil, so I took one off the shelf and installed it. Voila it fired up and ran on carb spray. I then cleaned the gas tank, flushed the fuel lines and installed a new filter.
Added some gasoline and pulled the recoil. The engine fired up and ran good. All 4 tires were flat the rears are holding air but the fronts were replaced with a pair of rims/tires off the parts rack. It pulls itself around and I mowed part of the yard with it. It then got pressured washed.
The hubs got greased and any points of contact that moved got lubed. It actually works pretty good for its age (1995). The blades were even sharp. I will get a new air filter tomorrow. I listed for sale and have two people wanting to come tomorrow to check it out and hopefully buy. If the first guy buys it, I will be sure to call and let the other one know.
No before pictures.

They would be fun to drive

 

[chieffan]

Those are good mowers and have been for years. We used to run the wheels off them mowing in the parks. Steering bushings and drive disc were about the only maintenance items. Both easy fixes.

 

[IHCubCadet147]

Last week I was mowing my neighbors yard with my 882 diesel, and it started bogging down, I shut off the deck and it recovered. I mowed a little more, and it did it again, and stalled this time. It started back up and I made it home, and got the old reliable 126 to finish.

My first thought was a bad fuel pump. You could always hear it running with the key on, but when I first went to start the tractor, I thought it sounded quieter than normal. I ordered a $15 one from Amazon. I wasn’t about to pay $150-$500 for an OEM one, at least until I was sure that’s the problem. That is not a typo, Cub Cadet wanted $455 plus tax and shipping . While I was waiting for it to come in, I changed the two fuel filters. I didn’t really expect that to fix it, but I already had them and was planning on changing them soon anyways. I put the new pump on and that didn’t fix it. Oh well, now I have a spare. It ended up being the screen on the fuel shut off was blocked with dirt. I’m surprised it ran at all. I cleaned that and the tank, and got it back together. I mowed with it a little bit today, and so far it seems to be fixed. I ran out of grass to cut, so I will have to wait a few days to give it a longer test.

 

[Sawdust]

Last week I was mowing my neighbors yard with my 882 diesel, and it started bogging down, I shut off the deck and it recovered. I mowed a little more, and it did it again, and stalled this time. It started back up and I made it home, and got the old reliable 126 to finish.

My first thought was a bad fuel pump. You could always hear it running with the key on, but when I first went to start the tractor, I thought it sounded quieter than normal. I ordered a $15 one from Amazon. I wasn’t about to pay $150-$500 for an OEM one, at least until I was sure that’s the problem. That is not a typo, Cub Cadet wanted $455 plus tax and shipping . While I was waiting for it to come in, I changed the two fuel filters. I didn’t really expect that to fix it, but I already had them and was planning on changing them soon anyways. I put the new pump on and that didn’t fix it. Oh well, now I have a spare. It ended up being the screen on the fuel shut off was blocked with dirt. I’m surprised it ran at all. I cleaned that and the tank, and got it back together. I mowed with it a little bit today, and so far it seems to be fixed. I ran out of grass to cut, so I will have to wait a few days to give it a longer test.
View attachment 83213View attachment 83214

I have that same valve on my MTD 990 and it caused me similar issues but it was the valve that had a tiny piece of debris caught in it. Once I took it apart and cleaned it no more problems. Glad you got yours fixed and an extra part for later lol

 

[dodge trucker]

Rick I seen your ad for the Forrest Gump mower,
on CL last night. For that kind of price id be surprised if you still have it at this point.
Well the expensive year continues.
Guess what I get to do after work today?
I gotta go dishwasher shopping. Great. Our current one is 8-10 years old kitchen aid.
And it's leaking like a sieve. A couple of weeks ago we woke up to a soaking wet kitchen floor, and it started at the bottom left corner of the dishwasher. We mopped it up, and I told her to pay attention and see if it does it again. It didn't for like a week and a half, then did it again. We were there to keep up with it that time. Then a few more days and it was fine.
Well yesterday it did it again.
I pulled the innards out and found the drain plugged with bits of plastic from those pods she likes to use. Cleaned that out, reassemble, try again. Really pouring out. Hurry up, get to the valve on the hot water tank and shut off. This time I was laying next to it and watching, I took the end of the cabinet off so I could see, it's leaking along the back edge of the door and running down the toe kick panel. I didn't see a problem with the door gasket, there was a crust built up right next to where it seals, where you can't see it but can only feel it... I cleaned that up (old food the dishwasher washed away over the years) and no improvement. I'm tired of messing with it, it's gone. What else can break this year? My tax guy is gonna love me next Feb when he finds out how much I took out of the 401k to pay for the new HVAC system.... I've got 2-1/2 years to 59-1/2 where I don't have to worry about that damned penalty. But we gotta have AC in the house.
That's supposed to be put in next week when the HVAC guy gets back from vacation. I'm 2nd on the list for a new install next week. "Only" 2-1/2 times what the system he's pulling out cost me in 1999.... We don't owe Lowe's or Menards anymore, but we will owe whichever one has a better deal on a new dishwasher. . Probably Lowe's. Good thing for their 0% for a year thing...

Earlier in the day i was working on the "new"(to us) 03 Durango. The rear section of floor that opens up to store the spare tire tools had disintegrated. (Particleboard) So I cut a new one from real plywood and went to replace it like I did in the 01 Durango a couple of years ago. I dug all the staples out of the carpet so I could re staple it to the new board.
I got my brad nailer out (mine is air powered) and saw that I had less than a 1/2 of a row of 1/2" staples, but a whole box of 1". So I decided to staple it on the edge once I ran out of the short ones which I was applying underneath the edge like the original had been. When I got to the 1" long ones and was pulling the carpet around the new board I started stapling the carpet to the edge,
Well I missed the edge of the board with 1 leg of a staple and that leg that missed the board found its way into my thumb that I was holding the carpet tight with. Right in the end, that didn't feel good.

 

[TAHOE]

Ouch, I did that in college working summers in a steel factory, shot #16 nail right through my finger as it hit a knot and came out the side.

 

[CRF6179]

Rick I seen your ad for the Forrest Gump mower,
on CL last night. For that kind of price id be surprised if you still have it at this point.
Well the expensive year continues.
Guess what I get to do after work today?
I gotta go dishwasher shopping. Great. Our current one is 8-10 years old kitchen aid.
And it's leaking like a sieve. A couple of weeks ago we woke up to a soaking wet kitchen floor, and it started at the bottom left corner of the dishwasher. We mopped it up, and I told her to pay attention and see if it does it again. It didn't for like a week and a half, then did it again. We were there to keep up with it that time. Then a few more days and it was fine.
Well yesterday it did it again.
I pulled the innards out and found the drain plugged with bits of plastic from those pods she likes to use. Cleaned that out, reassemble, try again. Really pouring out. Hurry up, get to the valve on the hot water tank and shut off. This time I was laying next to it and watching, I took the end of the cabinet off so I could see, it's leaking along the back edge of the door and running down the toe kick panel. I didn't see a problem with the door gasket, there was a crust built up right next to where it seals, where you can't see it but can only feel it... I cleaned that up (old food the dishwasher washed away over the years) and no improvement. I'm tired of messing with it, it's gone. What else can break this year? My tax guy is gonna love me next Feb when he finds out how much I took out of the 401k to pay for the new HVAC system.... I've got 2-1/2 years to 59-1/2 where I don't have to worry about that damned penalty. But we gotta have AC in the house.
That's supposed to be put in next week when the HVAC guy gets back from vacation. I'm 2nd on the list for a new install next week. "Only" 2-1/2 times what the system he's pulling out cost me in 1999.... We don't owe Lowe's or Menards anymore, but we will owe whichever one has a better deal on a new dishwasher. . Probably Lowe's. Good thing for their 0% for a year thing...

Earlier in the day i was working on the "new"(to us) 03 Durango. The rear section of floor that opens up to store the spare tire tools had disintegrated. (Particleboard) So I cut a new one from real plywood and went to replace it like I did in the 01 Durango a couple of years ago. I dug all the staples out of the carpet so I could re staple it to the new board.
I got my brad nailer out (mine is air powered) and saw that I had less than a 1/2 of a row of 1/2" staples, but a whole box of 1". So I decided to staple it on the edge once I ran out of the short ones which I was applying underneath the edge like the original had been. When I got to the 1" long ones and was pulling the carpet around the new board I started stapling the carpet to the edge,
Well I missed the edge of the board with 1 leg of a staple and that leg that missed the board found its way into my thumb that I was holding the carpet tight with. Right in the end, that didn't feel good.

I’ve not gotten legitimate response from CL or marketplace.
I’ve done the sideways nail out of framing gun. DID NOT like it at all!
Worst I know about is a guy in the shipping department was in a semi trailer nailing wheel chocks around the tires of a load of Hysters and nailed his foot to the trailer floor!

 

[Sawdust]

Rick I seen your ad for the Forrest Gump mower,
on CL last night. For that kind of price id be surprised if you still have it at this point.
Well the expensive year continues.
Guess what I get to do after work today?
I gotta go dishwasher shopping. Great. Our current one is 8-10 years old kitchen aid.
And it's leaking like a sieve. A couple of weeks ago we woke up to a soaking wet kitchen floor, and it started at the bottom left corner of the dishwasher. We mopped it up, and I told her to pay attention and see if it does it again. It didn't for like a week and a half, then did it again. We were there to keep up with it that time. Then a few more days and it was fine.
Well yesterday it did it again.
I pulled the innards out and found the drain plugged with bits of plastic from those pods she likes to use. Cleaned that out, reassemble, try again. Really pouring out. Hurry up, get to the valve on the hot water tank and shut off. This time I was laying next to it and watching, I took the end of the cabinet off so I could see, it's leaking along the back edge of the door and running down the toe kick panel. I didn't see a problem with the door gasket, there was a crust built up right next to where it seals, where you can't see it but can only feel it... I cleaned that up (old food the dishwasher washed away over the years) and no improvement. I'm tired of messing with it, it's gone. What else can break this year? My tax guy is gonna love me next Feb when he finds out how much I took out of the 401k to pay for the new HVAC system.... I've got 2-1/2 years to 59-1/2 where I don't have to worry about that damned penalty. But we gotta have AC in the house.
That's supposed to be put in next week when the HVAC guy gets back from vacation. I'm 2nd on the list for a new install next week. "Only" 2-1/2 times what the system he's pulling out cost me in 1999.... We don't owe Lowe's or Menards anymore, but we will owe whichever one has a better deal on a new dishwasher. . Probably Lowe's. Good thing for their 0% for a year thing...

Earlier in the day i was working on the "new"(to us) 03 Durango. The rear section of floor that opens up to store the spare tire tools had disintegrated. (Particleboard) So I cut a new one from real plywood and went to replace it like I did in the 01 Durango a couple of years ago. I dug all the staples out of the carpet so I could re staple it to the new board.
I got my brad nailer out (mine is air powered) and saw that I had less than a 1/2 of a row of 1/2" staples, but a whole box of 1". So I decided to staple it on the edge once I ran out of the short ones which I was applying underneath the edge like the original had been. When I got to the 1" long ones and was pulling the carpet around the new board I started stapling the carpet to the edge,
Well I missed the edge of the board with 1 leg of a staple and that leg that missed the board found its way into my thumb that I was holding the carpet tight with. Right in the end, that didn't feel good.

Don’t buy an LG. We got a whole new LG kitchen five years ago and it’s all been a nightmare. DW had to have a new control panel right after the three year warranty was up at $180. just a ten minute plug and play install. Fridge compressor went out as most all do after five years. Warranty paid for the compressor because of a class action law suit but we had to pay the mandatory $600. labor. Digital numbers on the high dollar range we got some work some don’t. DW needs to be rebooted at least twice a month to keep it going. I hear Samsung is the same way. Do your research and buy the extended warranty.