What did you do with your tractor today?

[Sawdust]

They really hacked the frame to make room for the oil filter when there is a relocation kit available for about $30. I have on new in the box if got when I was putting a B&S twin in my IH 1650 but didn't need it. I had one that had the old L head that smoked terrible. Gave it away a few months ago.

I really haven’t had the time I wanted for this tractor other than rebuilding the deck. That frame area needs a little reinforcing or like you mentioned installing the conversion kit would be a better solution. My drive pulley coming off the rear end I think is bad. I want to take that one and the one coming off the right angle drive unit off to see what I need. It’s got one of the lowest first years I’ve ever been on and when in fourth you better hold on because it fly’s. I want to designate it a grass cutter.

 

[Propane1]

I cut the grass, one last time, with the Case 224. Jumpins it cuts good. For a old tractor with worn out deck linkages, blades and belts it works some good. I never changed either belt that was on it. It was sitting outside for five years. I never sharpened the blades. And I don’t on any of my mowers.
So cut it shorter than normal. Lowered the deck one notch. Weed whacked all around house and garage, then cut with the Case. Hopefully it helps keep the mice and what ever away from the house. May not too. But worth a try and I got seat time out of it. I am hating weed whacking more and more. Not sure what I’m gunna do next year with that.
Any way, my other plan was to change the oil in the tractor after cutting the grass, would be good and hot. Had the pan right there and loosened the plug, shut her off and took plug out. Oil dirty but not much milkiness. Only 7 or 8 hours on the oil, but when I got the tractor, I changed the oil and it was very milky, so wanted to flush it out again, should be good now.

Noel

 

[KennyP]

Looks good from here!

 

[IHCubCadet147]

My Sears has been sitting for almost a year since I took the fuel tank off to fix a leak. It should have been done in a couple nights, but every time I wanted to work on it something else came up and it kept getting pushed aside. Friday night I finally got it back together and running. Also put a better seat on since the old one was rotted and about to break off Yesterday I tested it out cleaning the leaves out of a ditch along our road. It ran better than I remembered. All I have for it is the plow, I need some more attachments for it. I don’t really like the way these plows are designed.

 

[Propane1]

Grocery getter today.

Back was hurting today so I used the MF 12 loader tractor to haul the grocery’s to the door. Hehe.
I wasn’t really hurting that bad, just want to have some fun. But I did have two bags of potting soil to take to the garage, which I could of carried, but the tractor was right there, so I used it. I’m gunna try growing oak trees, from the acorns. Just some hibrrrnation entertainment.

Noel

 

[Lance Skene]

my back has been out of whack for over a week now so I bought a $100 Obusform seat cushion to put in the school bus to see if that will help... its an '07 bus so the seat is not in good condition... and Im a little guy so sink into it like some old couch that I cant get out of.

... which is also why Ive been hangin around the forum too much lately.Lol

 

[Propane1]

sink into it like some old couch that I cant get out of.

Jumpins, I don’t like those types of couches, even some new ones are like that.

Noel

 

[dodge trucker]

got a new fuel pickup coming for the LT166/ for $24 and a couple days wait right from Deere, not worth trying to make one out of brake line.... had to do that on my Ariens..... and being how rusty the original was, I am not sure I got the whole thing out... did sound like something rattling around within. if I duplicated what I got out might not have reached the bottom, and hard to tell how much longer I'd have had to make one.....

the guy I got this LT166 from, said it seemed the stock fuel pump was weak..... he jerry rigged a small electric pump onto it to try and get it to run.
I had it running on a makeshift gravity tank I held above the engine back when I had gotten it.

I have the tank out, poured out some pretty rancid gas.... about 1/2 of which, I added not long ago. I pulled the fuel pickup out, was clogged solid/ and rusty the whole length. I tried blowing it out with my air compressor and found 2 holes along the length of the fuel pickup tube, before it blew out what was clogging the end.... when I added gas a couple months ago and couldn't get any out by siphoning at the other end when disconnected at the engine I knew something was wrong back there....
I also filled the (plastic) tank with E85 gas last night and put it in a pan, drove to work with it in bed of my truck today, to slosh it all around.... seems to have done the trick in cleaning the insides of the tank walls....... I put a couple of other different things in it last night, that didn't seem to touch it though (one of the things I tried) was muiatic acid, I didnt want to leave that in there for long, as I dunno what muriatic might do to that exact kind of plastic.......

 

[Sawdust]

got a new fuel pickup coming for the LT166/ for $24 and a couple days wait right from Deere, not worth trying to make one out of brake line.... had to do that on my Ariens..... and being how rusty the original was, I am not sure I got the whole thing out... did sound like something rattling around within. if I duplicated what I got out might not have reached the bottom, and hard to tell how much longer I'd have had to make one.....

the guy I got this LT166 from, said it seemed the stock fuel pump was weak..... he jerry rigged a small electric pump onto it to try and get it to run.
I had it running on a makeshift gravity tank I held above the engine back when I had gotten it.

I have the tank out, poured out some pretty rancid gas.... about 1/2 of which, I added not long ago. I pulled the fuel pickup out, was clogged solid/ and rusty the whole length. I tried blowing it out with my air compressor and found 2 holes along the length of the fuel pickup tube, before it blew out what was clogging the end.... when I added gas a couple months ago and couldn't get any out by siphoning at the other end when disconnected at the engine I knew something was wrong back there....
I also filled the (plastic) tank with E85 gas last night and put it in a pan, drove to work with it in bed of my truck today, to slosh it all around.... seems to have done the trick in cleaning the insides of the tank walls....... I put a couple of other different things in it last night, that didn't seem to touch it though (one of the things I tried) was muiatic acid, I didnt want to leave that in there for long, as I dunno what muriatic might do to that exact kind of plastic.......

I put a hand full of pea gravel or lock washers in a bad tank with some gas then shake it awhile it’s always worked good for me.

 

[dodge trucker]

I've never dealt with this on a plastic tank before. The E85 seems to have done what I had hoped, so far. Now to dump the E85 slosh a little real gas around in it, and dump it out, put it back in.

 

[dodge trucker]

I don't think putting gravel, nuts or whatever would be a good idea for this tank. The way the fill spout is offset from the main body of the tank and then necks down between the fill and the main body if be afraid I wouldn't get it all out.

 

[Sawdust]

I don't think putting gravel, nuts or whatever would be a good idea for this tank. The way the fill spout is offset from the main body of the tank and then necks down between the fill and the main body if be afraid I wouldn't get it all out.

I thought you were working with an older metal tank. What is E85

 

[dodge trucker]

Corn gas. 85% alcohol and 15% gas /not available at every station. Can run it in your car if it is "flex fuel".
I've had decent luck with this crap dissolving varnish before, was just hoping it wouldn't also dissolve the tank.

 

[Propane1]

More branch clean up today. MF 12 loader sure is helpful. That’s about 8 branches like that, that I’ve done today. Trying to get some of the branches that are hanging over the garage. But only can get up so high. And I not gittin on the roof. Use hand saws for all of it, so far. Get some exercise that way. But power saw is there just in case.

Noel

 

[chieffan]

Started the IH 1650 to get the snow thrower mounted. My main mower was down waiting on parts so use the 1650 to finish up the mowing with. Blocked the mule drive on the thrower up and eased the tractor right into it. Got it first time. Slip the belt on and tighten it up and saw hydraulic oil dripping from the front of the hydro. Pulled the tunnel cover off and on valve was pushing fluid out the top. Pulled two valves out of a spare rear end. First one was bad also, second one was good. Have 3 to send in for rebuild now. Will probably just do two and put both in the 1560. If I need one for a mowing tractor can borrow on from the 1650 for summer use.

 

[Sawdust]

Yesterday I took ole faithful the Sears SS15 which I keep the yard trailer hooked up to all the time and finished cleaning up the garden. We got one 48’ row of potatoes left to dig that will have to be soon. My wife finished picking her heirloom beans I put on trellises then I pulled all that out. I cleaned out the chicken run and put that in the compost bins along with some leaves I mowed and bagged up. I wanted to rebuild my compost bins this year but didn’t have the time. I wouldn’t suggest building these from pallets they only lasted three years. The one on the far left is rotting near the bottom. I have three piles going at the same time this year so I’ll have plenty of compost for next year. I had two bales of Alphalpha hay got wet so I hauled that to the garden and spreaded that out. I put my cover crop of crimson clover in too late this year it’s barely sprouting. It was a good day.

 

[KennyP]

Looks like a productive day.

 

[chieffan]

I tried to compost a couple times but all I got was a bunch of vines growing all over the place. Obviously I didn't know what I was doing so gave it up as a bad investment.

 

[Propane1]

Yesterday I took ole faithful the Sears SS15 which I keep the yard trailer hooked up to all the time and finished cleaning up the garden. We got one 48’ row of potatoes left to dig that will have to be soon. My wife finished picking her heirloom beans I put on trellises then I pulled all that out. I cleaned out the chicken run and put that in the compost bins along with some leaves I mowed and bagged up. I wanted to rebuild my compost bins this year but didn’t have the time. I wouldn’t suggest building these from pallets they only lasted three years. The one on the far left is rotting near the bottom. I have three piles going at the same time this year so I’ll have plenty of compost for next year. I had two bales of Alphalpha hay got wet so I hauled that to the garden and spreaded that out. I put my cover crop of crimson clover in too late this year it’s barely sprouting. It was a good day.
View attachment 44299View attachment 44300View attachment 44301View attachment 44302View attachment 44303View attachment 44304View attachment 44305View attachment 44306

Jim, I wondering about how many pound you would get out of the row of potatoes, and what type they are ? And how do you dig them. If it’s a tractor attachment that does the digging, could you show pictures. Plus, do you mix up the compost at some point and how do you do that ?
Sorry for all the questions, just interested.

Noel

 

[Sawdust]

Noel my first pic is where I planted the potatoes three 48’ rows of Keenebec, Yukon Gold, and Norland Red. My potato count for each plant was very good 6-12 for each plant but they were very small this year. Most were slightly larger than a golf ball. They did go in a little late but enough time for maturity, I did water enough, I normally top dress them with 10-10-10 slow release granulated fertilizer but it wasn’t available this year all I had was a small amount from last year. Before planting I mixed in some three year old cow manure and some one year old chicken bedding which is a lot of pine wood chips with their manure. I’m thinking maybe my nitrogen level was too high because the plants and flowers looked good. I only dig as we need them up to about now. I store the rest in plastic ventilated bins slid back into a dark cool crawl space across from one end of our basement.

I dig with a shovel which isn’t that bad with the amount I put out. I have been building a tool bar for the tractors with a few different attachments for digging a furrow and a few discs for covering the dirt up for about two years now. I’m hoping to finish that because I want to put out a lot more potatoes next year.

Roger and Noel The compost I start out with about 8” of rich composted soil from the woods that have a lot of worms as the base. I then start layering it with grass clippings, leaves, aged chicken or cow manure, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds with the paper filters, garden scraps, etc. nothing with grease like cooking oil. We keep a five gallon bucket on the back porch we keep kitchen scraps in. I empty that about once a week or so then I spread that out then turn the compost pile a little just to bury that. If you layer it good that prevents a lot of turning. I check it during warm weather so it don’t get too dry. I raise the lids sometimes when it rains if it’s looking too dry. This year I had to water it down with the garden hose twice for lack of rain. I don’t compost tomato vines, cucumber vines or potato plants because of diseases or blight. I keep a cheep machete inside the bins for chopping things up everynow and then.

What would be your opinion on what would cause the potatoes to be so small. The skins are very thin you can almost just wash or scrub to peel. My wife has been giving a lot of recipes that’s ok to leave the peels on