What did you do with your tractor today?
- Thread starter MFDAC
- Start date
Best looking tractors out there. I have a 12H that Carol claims and reminded me the other day it wasn’t meant to be in boxes. I have a 7G that hasn’t seen the light of day in8 years. I cut two acres of grass with the 12 for 12 years at another place we use to have with no issues at all except a new belt a couple of times.
No mowing here yet but they started mowing a big field of CRP this afternoon. Don't know what they have in mind. Makes very poor hay, just filler mostly. May be coming out of the program for nest year too?? Not good ground at all. Needs to be fenced better & put in to permanent pasture.
I didn't mow today, so no Mowing Monday report! Sorry Noel! That little MF7 looks like it does a great job!
I can vouch for Noel, Jim! It is a pleasure to mow with the MF12G. The results are always so much better than any other mower that's ever been used on this acre. I think that striping roller on the rear of the deck is part of the reason why.
DAC
Looks good! I was thinking of cutting grass with mine Sunday, but got rained out. Maybe next weekend.
I had almost a 9 hour day today. I started out pulling up the corn stalks and loading them in the yard cart. I took down the vinyl mesh fencing around the potato/corn garden. I unloaded the stalks in my utility trailer for later when the girls bundle them up for Fall decorations.
I drove up to the chicken coop and emptied out the wood shaving bedding and the hay bedding in the run. I hauled that back out to the garden and spread that out. I have one more row of potatoes to dig up this weekend then I’ll till all this under. We have some rain moving in on Monday. I’m really tired but very happy all that’s done.
I drove up to the chicken coop and emptied out the wood shaving bedding and the hay bedding in the run. I hauled that back out to the garden and spread that out. I have one more row of potatoes to dig up this weekend then I’ll till all this under. We have some rain moving in on Monday. I’m really tired but very happy all that’s done.
Just tired me reading this. Isn’t it kinda early to dig the potatoes out Jim. Is it not to hot to store them. I have to wait two to three weeks yet before digging. For two reasons. Russets still need to grow some yet. Still a bit small. And it’s to hot to store potatoes here yet. Not that is real hot, but need the cooler weather to store. Day time highs still low twenty degrees Celsius. Best if it was mid teens to start storing.
Noel
What a bunch of work, Jim! A productive day makes a person tired, but it feels good, too. I see the 'coon trap in that second pic. I love that sign on the chicken coop---LOL!
DAC
When all the vines are dead not much more I can do but dig them. I waited as long as I could and lost a lot that rotted. We’ve been eating them for about three weeks now. A lot of volume but just like last year too small.
It was tractor LOVE day.
Spent a few hours working on upgrades to the tractor.
- Sanded and primered a small garden trailer frame, the F-FX tool box to fit between the ROPS, and the support bar to hold the tool box in place.
- Got one of those rear work lights from Harbor Freight. Got it mounted. Next is a fuse and switch.
- Replace the alternator with a 1973 Datsun (Nissan) 1200 for a mere $56. All the tractor parts places want about $90 or more. The OE Hitachi no longer makes these. Mitsubishi and Denso still do. Mine is now a Mitsubishi.
- Same goes for the VR-550. its the same used in the Datsun. (used in many other Japan vehicles too.)
Spent a few hours working on upgrades to the tractor.
- Sanded and primered a small garden trailer frame, the F-FX tool box to fit between the ROPS, and the support bar to hold the tool box in place.
- Got one of those rear work lights from Harbor Freight. Got it mounted. Next is a fuse and switch.
- Replace the alternator with a 1973 Datsun (Nissan) 1200 for a mere $56. All the tractor parts places want about $90 or more. The OE Hitachi no longer makes these. Mitsubishi and Denso still do. Mine is now a Mitsubishi.
- Same goes for the VR-550. its the same used in the Datsun. (used in many other Japan vehicles too.)
I cut the whole yard for the first time with Hoopdy for around an hour and a half. All the other times I used it I just cut the level areas and used other tractors for the hilly areas. I was impressed how well it stuck to the ground. I did notice after I cut for awhile it got a little sluggish in reverse. I’m sure this tranny is sealed but most can still be serviced from what I’ve read…another winter shop project.
You are so right on the reverse and needing to service. My old DYT4000 with the Peerless 2000 sealed tranny was the same way. There wasn't any info on what to fill it with. So I chose the synthetic ATF+4. It worked so well, the machine felt like new life was breathed into it. I had to flush with diesel 3 times to get the gooey original fluid out.
Bret I found out mine has the Hydro Gear tranny. I haven’t searched this particular tranny but some have plastic plugs and others have went as far as drilling fill and drain holes in order to bring new life to these sealed units. Thanks for your info.
I didn't get a pic of the tag evidently, but that "Gardenway" (MTD) I fixed for a friend last spring had a Hydro Gear transaxle. It has a plastic tank but that cap felt like it was going to break off when I tried to remove it. Tractor was probably built around 2000 give or take a couple of years.
DAC
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Thanks Doug I didn’t know it might have a tank. That might be a good thing. Was your fuel tank beneath the seat, mine is. It was also built in 2001-2002.
No, Jim, the fuel tank was the style up front that was used in probably millions of the MTD built lawn tractors. Probably a completely different setup in yours then. The battery is in that hole where I took the pic from of the transaxle.
DAC
Carol spent the day out with our two daughters today my plan was to watch some Netflix but decided to do that tomorrow because of a lot of rain for the weekend. She’s been wanting her sunflowers pulled up and I dread this every year so I did that, pulled up her little fence up that borders these to keep the rabbits out, then I tilled it.
