# Kioti DK4710SE HST



## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

About a month and a half ago while sitting in the hospital from pushing myself too hard I decided that I didn't want to suffer anymore. I cashed out some investments I made a decade ago and today I picked up some real fun stuff. 

The tractor is a 2019 Kioti DK4710SE HST. For now it will just have the blower and loader. Once everything thaws I will get a stump grinder so I can clear space to build equipment sheds for more attachments. My wife and I have some big plans for our 25 acres, so many attachments will arrive over time.

The stihl is a little MS150 TC for limbing and pruning. I wanted to pick up a Kombisystem, but they won't have more for a few weeks. The big saw is a 395XP for a logosol chainsaw mill. I doubt it will see much use aside from Milling. A 24" bar and some ripping chains will be mounted for mill duty.

Tomorrow my log splitter will arrive. It's a Brave 20 ton horizontal double split. I'm excited to see how it works, but it is a local favorite apparently. Over 25 have been sold here locally.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

@thewoodlands I finally took delivery!


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## Jan Pijpelink (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> About a month and a half ago while sitting in the hospital from pushing myself too hard I decided that I didn't want to suffer anymore. I cashed out some investments I made a decade ago and today I picked up some real fun stuff.
> 
> The tractor is a 2019 Kioti DK4710SE HST. For now it will just have the blower and loader. Once everything thaws I will get a stump grinder so I can clear space to build equipment sheds for more attachments. My wife and I have some big plans for our 25 acres, so many attachments will arrive over time.
> 
> ...


Nice! How much did you win in the lottery?


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## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> Nice! How much did you win in the lottery?


Not quite, but I invested some money my grandmother left me when she died. My grandfather was a farmer in his day, so I found it fitting. Originally I saved this money for my retirement, but that happened sooner than I thought and I was medically retired from the army a few years ago.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> About a month and a half ago while sitting in the hospital from pushing myself too hard I decided that I didn't want to suffer anymore. I cashed out some investments I made a decade ago and today I picked up some real fun stuff.
> 
> The tractor is a 2019 Kioti DK4710SE HST. For now it will just have the blower and loader. Once everything thaws I will get a stump grinder so I can clear space to build equipment sheds for more attachments. My wife and I have some big plans for our 25 acres, so many attachments will arrive over time.
> 
> ...


I'm sure you have some jobs that you'll need done once the snow goes, have fun with it. Make sure you have a really good idea where the stumps are before heading into an area, I see a guy bust up the loader on the front end and then blame Mahindra.

It looks like a very nice tractor, it's a big investment so we should treat it that way.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Not quite, but I invested some money my grandmother left me when she died. My grandfather was a farmer in his day, so I found it fitting. Originally I saved this money for my retirement, but that happened sooner than I thought and I was medically retired from the army a few years ago.


Spacebus, thank you for your service.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> @thewoodlands I finally took delivery!


I saw that you're getting into milling, it's a slow process and it can be hard on your saw but you can get some nice boards.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I'm sure you have some jobs that you'll need done once the snow goes, have fun with it. Make sure you have a really good idea where the stumps are before heading into an area, I see a guy bust up the loader on the front end and then blame Mahindra.
> 
> It looks like a very nice tractor, it's a big investment so we should treat it that way.



Yes, I plan to be very careful with it. Daylight was short today so I just pushed back some of the snow and tested out the blower. That thing is serious business, more like a snow destroyer. I'm looking forward to clearing some more usable space once the glaciers recede. Once I get some room I'll get the mill put together, cut some posts, and get some covered parking. I was reading about the lock n lube your posted about in your thread; sounds like a worthy investment. I've been reading about maintenance on the tractor tonight.

Would you suggest a tarp to cover the tractor until I build a carport for it? Once I get some covered work space built I plan on pulling permits for an enclosed pole barn, but that is years off.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I saw that you're getting into milling, it's a slow process and it can be hard on your saw but you can get some nice boards.



Yes, that's why I snagged that new 395XP at a nice discount. With a 24" bar it should stand up pretty well to milling. I'll definitely keep up on maintenance since it will be running wide open for hours.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Yes, I plan to be very careful with it. Daylight was short today so I just pushed back some of the snow and tested out the blower. That thing is serious business, more like a snow destroyer. I'm looking forward to clearing some more usable space once the glaciers recede. Once I get some room I'll get the mill put together, cut some posts, and get some covered parking. I was reading about the lock n lube your posted about in your thread; sounds like a worthy investment. I've been reading about maintenance on the tractor tonight.
> 
> Would you suggest a tarp to cover the tractor until I build a carport for it? Once I get some covered work space built I plan on pulling permits for an enclosed pole barn, but that is years off.


I did have a cover on ours when it was outside along with a battery maintainer with the inline heater plugged in.

I should've bought the Locknlube a few years back, it sure makes the greasing of the tractor easier.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Yes, that's why I snagged that new 395XP at a nice discount. With a 24" bar it should stand up pretty well to milling. I'll definitely keep up on maintenance since it will be running wide open for hours.


I run a 36 inch bar on a Stihl 660,with the Alaskan Mill we have you'll lose  around 3 or 4 inches on the bar just from the setup.

I would get a better idea on how hot your saw might run before thinking about running it hard for a period of time.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I run a 36 inch bar on a Stihl 660,with the Alaskan Mill we have you'll lose  around 3 or 4 inches on the bar just from the setup.
> 
> I would get a better idea on how hot your saw might run before thinking about running it hard for a period of time.



This was the saw recommended by Logosol for the F2 mill. The 395 is so heavy I don't plan on doing anything else with it. Eventually I'd like to get an Alaskan mill and the Granberg rail system, but I don't have any trees big enough for that. The logosol is meant for stuff up to 24", and that's mostly what we have here. I also plan on getting some hand tools and making wood shingles.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> This was the saw recommended by Logosol for the F2 mill. The 395 is so heavy I don't plan on doing anything else with it. Eventually I'd like to get an Alaskan mill and the Granberg rail system, but I don't have any trees big enough for that. The logosol is meant for stuff up to 24", and that's mostly what we have here. I also plan on getting some hand tools and making wood shingles.


Before I had any ideas about milling, we saw that mill in action at the Woodsmen's Days in Tupper Lake, it looked like a very nice setup but I didn't have anyway of lifting the logs up that high.
http://www.tupperlake.com/events/woodsmens-days-tupper


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## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Before I had any ideas about milling, we saw that mill in action at the Woodsmen's Days in Tupper Lake, it looked like a very nice setup but I didn't have anyway of lifting the logs up that high.
> http://www.tupperlake.com/events/woodsmens-days-tupper


I plan on using my tractor and pallet forks. I also thought about ramps and cant hooks or a winch. My goal is to build structures/fences with the trees I clear. There's tons of dead wood full of bug holes for firewood. I don't like to cut down living trees, but we also plan on planting several trees as well. 

After speaking to some folks around town and on here I'm thinking about starting a Christmas tree farm. Worst case scenario is more lumber for projects. Wreath making is huge here, so I could also make wreaths or sell the clippings from the Xmas trees to people that make wreaths. I can't do strenuous work and my immune system is shot so I can't work with people. This tractor will let me do stuff and not have to kill my body. Hopefully the tree farm idea can earn enough to pay for the tractor and supplement my medical retirement pension.

I've also considered getting certified for chimney sweeping, but I don't think my body will let me work enough to pay for the insurance. I've noticed there are a lot of local folks that don't have insurance or certifications for tree work, house repairs, etc. But I can't fathom the risk of damaging a customer's property without insurance. Especially guys that cut down trees, much less sweeping chimneys.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 1, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I plan on using my tractor and pallet forks. I also thought about ramps and cant hooks or a winch. My goal is to build structures/fences with the trees I clear. There's tons of dead wood full of bug holes for firewood. I don't like to cut down living trees, but we also plan on planting several trees as well.
> 
> After speaking to some folks around town and on here I'm thinking about starting a Christmas tree farm. Worst case scenario is more lumber for projects. Wreath making is huge here, so I could also make wreaths or sell the clippings from the Xmas trees to people that make wreaths. I can't do strenuous work and my immune system is shot so I can't work with people. This tractor will let me do stuff and not have to kill my body. Hopefully the tree farm idea can earn enough to pay for the tractor and supplement my medical retirement pension.
> 
> I've also considered getting certified for chimney sweeping, but I don't think my body will let me work enough to pay for the insurance. I've noticed there are a lot of local folks that don't have insurance or certifications for tree work, house repairs, etc. But I can't fathom the risk of damaging a customer's property without insurance. Especially guys that cut down trees, much less sweeping chimneys.


Yes, you better have insurance or you can lose everything if something bad happens after you worked on it.

After always having a real Christmas tree, we went with an artificial  after throwing out one that starting losing its needles not long after we bought it.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 1, 2019)

I'm drooling over root rake grapples right now. My dealer also has a really nice 3 pt winch I've got my eye on. It would be really nice for all of the widow makers on our land


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## Jags (Mar 2, 2019)

That is a darn nice mid size tractor.  I like the specs.  You will like the shuttle shift for loader work, for sure.  45hp at about 3500# and a 2600# lift capacity can do a bunch of work. Keep your expectations realistic for this type of machine and you should have a dandy workhorse.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I'm drooling over root rake grapples right now. My dealer also has a really nice 3 pt winch I've got my eye on. It would be really nice for all of the widow makers on our land


I try and let mother nature take care of the widowmakers, you can't out run those when they cut loose. I have one over a secondary trail that I won't touch, I showed my wife so she doesn't use the trail. I'm hoping this last windstorm  took care of it but if it's still up there, I'll put in a new trail that will take you to that same trail but not near the widowmaker.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I try and let mother nature take care of the widowmakers, you can't out run those when they cut loose. I have one over a secondary trail that I won't touch, I showed my wife so she doesn't use the trail. I'm hoping this last windstorm  took care of it but if it's still up there, I'll put in a new trail that will take you to that same trail but not near the widowmaker.



That's why I want to handle them with the winch. We have a few over our power lines and the power company had been dragging their feet on this. I hate relying on other people


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## Bad LP (Mar 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I did have a cover on ours when it was outside along with a battery maintainer with the inline heater plugged in.
> 
> I should've bought the Locknlube a few years back, it sure makes the greasing of the tractor easier.



I only plug my tractor in to warm the block when I'm going to use it in the winter. Replacing them is a PITA and they don't run for free. The maintainer is a good item but I have yet to install one and the battery has been fine going on 6 years old. I will replace it this year and it will be a John Deere replacement as I've heard the other brands need the cases cut in order to fit properly. Both machines if not being used are kept in the garage.

The Lock and Lube is one of the best grease gun accessories ever invented. I use Lucas Red Sticky grease. It's cheap compared to replacing pins and bushings.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

This thing without even skipping a beat split probably one of the largest rounds I'll find on my property without any issues whatsoever. Honestly it splits everything I have right now just above idle. It splits on either really well. The slot in the beam is great for holding logs and the "wings" as I call them are a great work space. This thing is really easy to move around and quite light for a 20 ton splitter.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

Honestly I think @Ashful would like this splitter quite a bit.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> This thing without even skipping a beat split probably one of the largest rounds I'll find on my property without any issues whatsoever. Honestly it splits everything I have right now just above idle. It splits on either really well. The slot in the beam is great for holding logs and the "wings" as I call them are a great work space. This thing is really easy to move around and quite light for a 20 ton splitter.


It looks like you had a nice day for splitting, I think our high was 35.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> It looks like you had a nice day for splitting, I think our high was 35.


According to my weather station thing it hit 30 today. AccuWeather says 33. It was an awesome day for splitting and I don't feel like sleeping for a week. I had a bunch of stuff we got from a friend that has been sitting stacked in a field for several years, some of it just had to get split a little smaller. I split it way smaller so it will dry out a bit quicker by the stove.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

This will be my cover until I get something built when it warms up. I need some better bunjie cords, but this should work until this weather passes.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> This will be my cover until I get something built when it warms up. I need some better bunjie cords, but this should work until this weather passes.


I used two short bungee cords for the front that went around each axle and one longer bungee cord for the back. Hopefully the weather changes for the better at the end of next week.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I used two short bungee cords for the front that went around each axle and one longer bungee cord for the back. Hopefully the weather changes for the better at the end of next week.


 
I think I will try this method the next time I have to put it up. I only plan on covering it when bad weather is coming. Snow has been forecasted all day but I've yet to see any.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

When the splitter was dropped off the pallet forks came with it. The bucket comes off with two levels and mounting the forks or bucket is super easy. Apparently you can take off the whole FEL assembly fairly easily, but I have no need for that. I was asking about the backhoe and apparently it's not very hard to remove either, despite attaching to the frame. I'll be interested in finding out just how easy when I make room for a backhoe.


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## Woodsplitter67 (Mar 2, 2019)

Wihs you luck with the new gear.. i love equipment ...


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## SpaceBus (Mar 2, 2019)

Woodsplitter67 said:


> Wihs you luck with the new gear.. i love equipment ...


Same here. My wife is probably tired of hearing about it


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## thewoodlands (Mar 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> When the splitter was dropped off the pallet forks came with it. The bucket comes off with two levels and mounting the forks or bucket is super easy. Apparently you can take off the whole FEL assembly fairly easily, but I have no need for that. I was asking about the backhoe and apparently it's not very hard to remove either, despite attaching to the frame. I'll be interested in finding out just how easy when I make room for a backhoe.


I used the pallet forks a lot last year moving pine logs when we cleared where the new garage is, I also used them when I moved all the branches after limbing up the pines.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 3, 2019)

The snow finally started a few hours ago. So far maybe an inch.


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## Woodsplitter67 (Mar 3, 2019)

You will get a ton of use out of the forks.  I use them in the woods all the time to move log lenth. I use them to put the log lenth on stacked pallets and cut them.into rounds. The tractor is great also, lifting the rounds while your splitting.... no more bending over and lifting


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## thewoodlands (Mar 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> The snow finally started a few hours ago. So far maybe an inch.


It's snowing here too but we'll only get a dusting if the local weather person was/is correct.

I did see the coyote on the backhill on our property for the second time this week, we'll see if I can get a shot at it this week.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 3, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> It's snowing here too but we'll only get a dusting if the local weather person was/is correct.
> 
> I did see the coyote on the backhill on our property for the second time this week, we'll see if I can get a shot at it this week.



We checked our driveway and around the house this morning and found a ton of deer tracks along with what appeared to be a cat that came right up to the house. It makes me think a neighbor's cat as it went up the hill towards the house a half mile down the road.


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## salecker (Mar 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We checked our driveway and around the house this morning and found a ton of deer tracks along with what appeared to be a cat that came right up to the house. It makes me think a neighbor's cat as it went up the hill towards the house a half mile down the road.


Buy your self a 20ft seacan to park the tractor in,plus all the attachments.Good doors with locks and all your toys/tools are safe and dry


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## SpaceBus (Mar 3, 2019)

salecker said:


> Buy your self a 20ft seacan to park the tractor in,plus all the attachments.Good doors with locks and all your toys/tools are safe and dry



I'm not familiar, are you talking about a shipping container? That's not a bad idea, but both me and my wife wouldn't like the look. I'm just going to build stuff with the trees on my property.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We checked our driveway and around the house this morning and found a ton of deer tracks along with what appeared to be a cat that came right up to the house. It makes me think a neighbor's cat as it went up the hill towards the house a half mile down the road.


How much snow are they calling for in your area this week?


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## SpaceBus (Mar 3, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> How much snow are they calling for in your area this week?


We got a coating of wet stuff late last night and they are calling for 8-12" tonight.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We got a coating of wet stuff late last night and they are calling for 8-12" tonight.


The snowblower should see some action.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 3, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> The snowblower should see some action.


Indeed it will. I've been clearing stuff from all winter without a snowblower.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 3, 2019)

Has it started where you are? It's not supposed to start here until 0100.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Has it started where you are? It's not supposed to start here until 0100.


No, we're not in for much snow this week unless some lake effect shifts north.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

It's already getting deep and it is only 0730


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## firefighterjake (Mar 4, 2019)

Envious . . . you've got yourself a pile of useful "toys" to play with SpaceBus!


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## thewoodlands (Mar 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> It's already getting deep and it is only 0730


We received just a dusting of snow overnight, that's good for the deer since they're eating what the wind put down on the backhill.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

Lots of snow today. I broke the shear pin on the blower and there's a foot of snow on the roads. I called the dealer to see if they could bring me one but they are snowed in too. They forgot to bring the extra shear pins with them when the tractor was delivered.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Lots of snow today. I broke the shear pin on the blower and there's a foot of snow on the roads. I called the dealer to see if they could bring me one but they are snowed in too. They forgot to bring the extra shear pins with them when the tractor was delivered.


That sucks big time but you have the bucket on the front end so it still should be easy enough.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> That sucks big time but you have the bucket on the front end so it still should be easy enough.


Honestly I had to take a break. I made a crucial mistake and ran the rops into every tree branch and dumped snow all over myself. I'm going to put it in the lower position and hope it works. My pole manual pole saw is on the way. The dealer should have some stihl pole saws or kombisytems soon. This snow is coming down faster than I can keep up! We are going to fire up the little blower and use the bucket when it slows down.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

The view from my window!


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## thewoodlands (Mar 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Lots of snow today. I broke the shear pin on the blower and there's a foot of snow on the roads. I called the dealer to see if they could bring me one but they are snowed in too. They forgot to bring the extra shear pins with them when the tractor was delivered.


I meant to ask you, did your dealer have to cut the PTO shaft for length?


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I meant to ask you, did your dealer have to cut the PTO shaft for length?



I don't think so?They did everything there and delivered it to me. I think the shaft is specific to the blower, but that's just a guess, I'm still new at this


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## thewoodlands (Mar 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I don't think so?They did everything there and delivered it to me. I think the shaft is specific to the blower, but that's just a guess, I'm still new at this


Here's a good video on how to measure the pto shaft, maybe it doesn't or it might so you don't damage the pto on your tractor.


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## Ashful (Mar 4, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I meant to ask you, did your dealer have to cut the PTO shaft for length?



I haven’t really come across any modern implements that required shaft length adjustments on my tractor.  I could be wrong, but I think it’s more a think of the past, before three point link distances became as standardized as they seem to be, today.

It’s good to check it on each implement you get, but on the four I’ve bought and used, they all landed in the acceptable zone without cutting.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 4, 2019)

Ashful said:


> I haven’t really come across any modern implements that required shaft length adjustments on my tractor.  I could be wrong, but I think it’s more a think of the past, before three point link distances became as standardized as they seem to be, today.
> 
> It’s good to check it on each implement you get, but on the four I’ve bought and used, they all landed in the acceptable zone without cutting.


I never thought much about it until we started talking about buying the spreader/sander, our pto shaft is fine at the level position or just above but above a certain height it's close. I'll be cutting ours down after we're down using it.

I did show my wife so if she has to sand then everything should be fine.

I think that it's 18.5 inches from the back of the spline to the center of where the bar was but I'll need the measurements off the sander.


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## maple1 (Mar 4, 2019)

Lots of shear bolts on hand is a must have running a blower.

We just use ordinary bolts of proper size. A lot less expensive than 'real' ones and any metal grade differences have never caused any issues. Except maybe they don't last quite as long. I'd likely use nylock nuts also.

Couple other things to lessen bolt breakage or weakening, are engage PTO at idle then slowly bring up to speed, before you hit the snow. And once there, leave it at speed while it's working - the momentum of all the spinning metal will lessen the shock to the bolt a bit if you hit a piece of ice or something.

I'd definitely double check PTO shaft length before using an implement the first time. Don't think it would affect shear bolts, but one a little too long could blow apart a U joint when you raise it up. Chances are likely very good it is good coming installed from the dealer - but you never know sometimes....


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## Bad LP (Mar 4, 2019)

My 84" Normand blower uses 5/16 and 3/8  grade 5 bolts. There is a bag of them in the cab with me. Ny locks are a must.

Also keep some calcium chloride around. The melting and freezing of snow WILL freeze the impeller to the housing and no amount of force that I could muster would free it up. Couple of small plastic cups worth and a few minutes had that issue resolved.

You also want to keep a close eye on your wear pads and cutting edge. At the end of this season I'll get the shoes hard faced at the welding shop.


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## Ashful (Mar 4, 2019)

My Woods blower (SB64S) actually spec’d standard hardware for the shear bolts:

Auger = 1/4” NC Grade 5
PTO = M6 x 40 Grade 10.9

This is nice, because a box of 25 or 50 of them cost me less thru McMaster-Carr, than a 3-pack of Ariens shear bolts for my little walk-behind machine.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

I have a bunch of shear bolts for the walk  behind, but they forgot to give me the bolts for the pto blower. No big deal, I cleared the drive with the bucket and the wife used the walk behind. The auto float feature is great for back dragging. My hill is so steep it does like pushing, especially up. Once I have chains this will be much easier.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

I'll check the pto shaft, but it seems all good to me. I used the blower yesterday on some old crusty snow and it was fine. I think I just tried to feed too much at one time.


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## maple1 (Mar 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I'll check the pto shaft, but it seems all good to me. I used the blower yesterday on some old crusty snow and it was fine. I think I just tried to feed too much at one time.



That can happen too. When the snow is really deep and heavy even a 100hp tractor with a big blower on it can outfeed itself in low gear. If it can't keep RPMs up, hit the clutch for a few moments. That can get hard on the clutching too, so careful on the release. Takes a lot of power to move a lot of snow.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

maple1 said:


> That can happen too. When the snow is really deep and heavy even a 100hp tractor with a big blower on it can outfeed itself in low gear. If it can't keep RPMs up, hit the clutch for a few moments. That can get hard on the clutching too, so careful on the release. Takes a lot of power to move a lot of snow.



I learned today! We got 12"+ of wet heavy snow.


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## Bad LP (Mar 4, 2019)

Always run the machine at a speed in which the RPM's are maintained or slightly lower at the rated 540 PTO speed. If you are using the clutch (I forget if you got a manual or hydro trans) to build up RPM's your gear selection is too high.


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## Ashful (Mar 4, 2019)

Can’t imagine buying a loader machine with a manual trans. Please say you didn’t!


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## maple1 (Mar 4, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Can’t imagine buying a loader machine with a manual trans. Please say you didn’t!



True, could be a hydro drive at play here.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

It's a hydro, sorry, I thought I specified. I wanted the hydro shuttle, but they don't offer it. The pto is at 540 when the engine is at 2600. I had it around 2100 RPM and I think I was just going too fast. I'm still new at this.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> It's a hydro, sorry, I thought I specified. I wanted the hydro shuttle, but they don't offer it. The pto is at 540 when the engine is at 2600. I had it around 2100 RPM and I think I was just going too fast. I'm still new at this.


It's in your very first post, nothing to be sorry about.


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## maple1 (Mar 4, 2019)

You likely did, and I didn't see it. Ours are manual so that's just what I was imagining.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

When I test drove it around the lot I had zero doubts on the HST. My tractor does have the PTO cruise which I love. Let off the brake, push the cruise button, and then the RPM goes to the setting I picked. Pus the brake and it goes back to idle. I'll probably have the link pedal installed when it gets serviced.


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## Ashful (Mar 4, 2019)

Cool.  I assume it engages / disengages the PTO down at idle, and not at PTO speed, when using that PTO cruise function?  Mine is old-skool / manual control.

Yes, HST is where it’s at.  You can use a loader or snowblower on a MT tractor, I’ve done it, but it’s not fun.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Cool.  I assume it engages / disengages the PTO down at idle, and not at PTO speed, when using that PTO cruise function?  Mine is old-skool / manual control.
> 
> Yes, HST is where it’s at.  You can use a loader or snowblower on a MT tractor, I’ve done it, but it’s not fun.



It won't diesnegage the pto on its own, you still have to do that. It's more of a hand throttle with a memory function. It still has a regular throttle.


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## Bad LP (Mar 4, 2019)

With the hydro just set the RPM's and adjust your speed accordingly. I never use the cruise function when blowing snow as the conditions change too much. I have used it once in a while with the brush cutter. 

Gear machines have a place. I have one of them as well but snow blowing is a PITA but doable. 20+ years ago the hydros were a toy in a larger frame machine and I was not willing to go that route. Of course back then the machine was bought for heavy field mowing and fancy electronics were not around. 
The use has changed for that machine dramatically over time and I would much rather have my smaller framed JD with the same 56PTOHP rating but there is no way a boom flail mower would ever work on the JD.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 4, 2019)

Bad LP said:


> With the hydro just set the RPM's and adjust your speed accordingly. I never use the cruise function when blowing snow as the conditions change too much. I have used it once in a while with the brush cutter.
> 
> Gear machines have a place. I have one of them as well but snow blowing is a PITA but doable. 20+ years ago the hydros were a toy in a larger frame machine and I was not willing to go that route. Of course back then the machine was bought for heavy field mowing and fancy electronics were not around.
> The use has changed for that machine dramatically over time and I would much rather have my smaller framed JD with the same 56PTOHP rating but there is no way a boom flail mower would ever work on the JD.




The cruise isn't for vehicle speed, it's for pto/engine speed. I still control speed with my foot, which is apparently too fast for 12"+ of snow. The PTO cruise is just nice for going from PTO operating speed to idle and back again.


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## Ashful (Mar 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> The cruise isn't for vehicle speed, it's for pto/engine speed. I still control speed with my foot, which is apparently too fast for 12"+ of snow. The PTO cruise is just nice for going from PTO operating speed to idle and back again.


That's interesting.  As Bad LP was suggesting, most hydro machines (even my 33 year old example) have some sort of rudimentary cruise control to govern ground speed.  A lot of tractoring tasks, such as seeding or spraying, require a controlled ground speed.  The manual gear machines are better here, since they have a published list of ground speeds at PTO RPM for each gear, often listed on a plate on the fender or console.  You can calculate your ground coverage for a given sprayer GPM or broadcast lb/minute rate, and then just choose the gear that hits it, whereas you're always guessing on a hydro machine.

If I had the barn space, I'd own one of each.  But since I only want to store one tractor, it's gotta be a hydro, since most of my use is the loader.  If I were doing more broadcasting and spraying work, then I'd probably find the manual more appealing, but I only do that six or eight times per year.

I've never seen a "cruise" for the PTO RPM, I just manually throttle up according to the tach on each of my tractors.  JD always puts a yellow line on the tach, indicating the engine RPM at which PTO = 540 RPM is achieved.


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## Bad LP (Mar 5, 2019)

I've also never heard of cruise for a PTO.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 5, 2019)

The only difference between using the cruise function and the engine speed lever is that with the cruise it drops to idle if I push the brake. It's really just a sound thing. This is also the quietest tractor I've ever seen.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 5, 2019)

I'm pretty sure the linked pedal function for my tractor will also give it a ground speed cruise control, in addition to the normal link pedal function. If they still offered the hydraulic shuttle, that's what I would have gone with. It's basically a clutchless manual. Well, maybe not after doing loader work with the HST


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## Ashful (Mar 5, 2019)

What’s the pedal arrangement?   Got independent rear brakes?   Separate fed / rev pedals, or a single rocker?


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## SpaceBus (Mar 5, 2019)

Ashful said:


> What’s the pedal arrangement?   Got independent rear brakes?   Separate fed / rev pedals, or a single rocker?



I have a linked left/right brake pedals on the left and forward and reverse pedals on the right. The direction pedals are linked so that when reverse is pressed it really just lifts up the forward pedal. This thing could turn super tight in 2WD using the directional brakes. The turning radius already amazes me. I'll snap some photos in the daylight. I cleaned up the leftover snow from the 15"+ yesterday and got to play with the big blower some more. That thing is amazing.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 5, 2019)

Also, the dealer says the linked forward/reverse pedal really just increase engine RPM like driving a car. Not worth it to me. The only downside to the HST is the difficulty in setting a constant speed. If I were managing acres and acres of crops, the HST probably wouldn't be very fun. For pretty much anything else the HST seems like the way to go. The only transmission I think would be better is the hydraulic power shuttle, but I would have had to step up to a mid size tractor, which is silly for me.


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## Ashful (Mar 5, 2019)

The independent rear brakes will come in handy when pushing snow with the loader.  If you’re like me, you’ll find that taking the time and effort to hook up the blower becomes less appealing over time, and you’ll do more and more snow plowing with the FEL, when it’s not real deep.  Those independent rear brakes are my primary steering when floating a full bucket of snow plow-style down the length of my winding driveway.  

These days, I only bother to hook up the blower when we get more than a foot in a single storm.  I just do all of the smaller nuisance storms with the loader.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 5, 2019)

Ashful said:


> The independent rear brakes will come in handy when pushing snow with the loader.  If you’re like me, you’ll find that taking the time and effort to hook up the blower becomes less appealing over time, and you’ll do more and more snow plowing with the FEL, when it’s not real deep.  Those independent rear brakes are my primary steering when floating a full bucket of snow plow-style down the length of my winding driveway.
> 
> These days, I only bother to hook up the blower when we get more than a foot in a single storm.  I just do all of the smaller nuisance storms with the loader.



I have discovered how difficult it is to steer with the bucket on float. That makes sense with the brakes. I can independently control which side brakes, but it still activates the front brakes which doesn’t matter when I have the bucket on a float.


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## Ashful (Mar 5, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I have discovered how difficult it is to steer with the bucket on float. That makes sense with the brakes. I can independently control which side brakes, but it still activates the front brakes which doesn’t matter when I have the bucket on a float.


Are you sure your tractor has front brakes?  I have to admit, the tractors I have owned are all mid-1980's or older (I think I'm on unit no.6 now), but I have never driven a tractor with front brakes.  Classically, hitting independent brakes locks up the rear wheel on that side, allowing you to turn in place.  I guess the farm guys use this for turning on the spot, or tractor square dancing, I just use it for steering when there's not enough load on the front axle.


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## maple1 (Mar 6, 2019)

I would also be surprised if it has front brakes. I don't know much about Kiotis though...


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2019)

I'm a novice to tractors, so I would be surprised if I were right. I'll have to pay closer attention. It really doesn't need front brakes, especially since the HST basically beings the tractor to a dead stop if I release the forward or fevers pedals. I've just left the brakes linked and don't really use them much. When I used to autocross I always wanted to learn left foot braking. I guess this is my opportunity


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## maple1 (Mar 6, 2019)

Anyone who grew up on 2WD tractors learned quickly how to work the brake pedals. Still comes in very handy with a 4WD if the fronts are breaking traction. Which can happen often when plowing with a FEL. Just tap the break on the side you want the tractor to turn towards. Practice makes perfect.


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## Bad LP (Mar 6, 2019)

Never heard of front brakes on any tractor.

When my rear blower goes on its stays on. Down in MA the blower is a hydro front mounted unit and I frequently sway it out with the bucket.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2019)

Then I stand corrected, and thank you for educating me. I had considered a front mount blower initially, but the high cost dissuaded me. My dealer also said it's a pain to swap the blower on and off, more so than other implements I guess.


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## Ashful (Mar 6, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Then I stand corrected, and thank you for educating me. I had considered a front mount blower initially, but the high cost dissuaded me. My dealer also said it's a pain to swap the blower on and off, more so than other implements I guess.


I also debated the front vs. rear blower decision.  If I didn’t have the loader, I’d have definitely gone with a front-mounted blower, but like you said, it’s a bit of a PITA to switch between FEL and front blower.  The rear blower tag-teamed with the FEL is a handy combo.

I’ll do you the favor of giving you the same warning I received from the seller of my first FEL CUT, as it pertains directly to the discussion of front brakes.  Never head downhill in 2wd with a load in the bucket.  Your rear tires get light when headed downhill, and since those are your ONLY brakes, you will someday find yourself free-wheeling down the hill at high speed.  In my case, it happened on a day when the lawn was wet and slick, and I didn’t have enough weight in the bucket to really concern me, but it was apparently enough to just make the rear tires a little bit lighter.

Always back down hills with a full loader, or at least put it in 4wd if you’re going down forward, the drivetrain will ensure those front wheels can’t freewheel when you apply the rear brakes.

You’re going to wonder why folks can’t just drop the bucket when their machine starts freewheeling down a hill, and I that’s exactly what I did, but it’s amazing how long it will take you to get that bucket on the ground when the tractor starts into a high-speed downhill thru the trees.


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## Kevin Weis (Mar 6, 2019)

Yep, found that out many years ago I got a small Kubota BX with the loader.  Dealer said right off never go down hill with a load in the bucket in two wheel drive.  Found out quickly why. got buck down enough to slow it down no harm no fowl.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2019)

Nobody has mentuoned the loaded bucket thing to me, so thank you. We also have loads of ice on our driveway, but I've be going down backwards with the blower going while back dragging. My chains came in today, but there's not enough daylight left to install them, so tomorrow. I've pretty much just left it in 4WD since everything is so slick here. I found out quickly not to go down my driveway in 2WD using the brakes after the ice started. My truck has a granny low first and combined with 4x4 I have to accelerated down our driveway, same with the tractor. I haven't attempted going down with the tractor in 2WD with this ice, but it didn't go well in my truck. A friend got his plow truck stuck off the side of the driveway in the trees a few weeks ago. My truck got stuck trying to get his out, so we had to call a wrecker. AAA paid for that bill! Studded VBar two link chains will live in my truck soon.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2019)

I also bought a 3pt skidding winch today, I'll probably have them deliver it Friday. There are loads of widowmakers and our trees are very tight. The locals seem to think we won't have any more snow over an inch or two at a time, so I should be safe to dismount the blower. I'm excited to start taking down some of the widow makers and make some paths for the tractor.

A stump grinder and root rake grapple are next. After that I'll snag a grading blade, post hole digger, and the backhoe. That should about do it for the rest of my life for this tractor. Any advice on where to search for the grapple besides everything attachments? My dealer said to get it shipped there and they would do the third function for me.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2019)

This seems like it would rip through the top soil pretty well and it has two lids.  http://www.therakeshop.com/LIGHT_Class_Tractor.html

I'm pretty sure my tractor qualifies as "light class"

Edit: another contender if I want a single lid 

https://www.highrockattachments.com/66-root-rake-grapple/

The everything attachments root rake grapples have really short tines/scarifiers


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## SpaceBus (Mar 7, 2019)

Studded diamond chains are mounted on the back, but I ran out of light, and I'm frozen. The skidding winch is getting delivered on Saturday since we'll be out of town tomorrow. Maybe I'll get the front chains mounted tomorrow after we get home.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 7, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Studded diamond chains are mounted on the back, but I ran out of light, and I'm frozen. The skidding winch is getting delivered on Saturday since we'll be out of town tomorrow. Maybe I'll get the front chains mounted tomorrow after we get home.


What did you have for temps? I think our high was 14 but the wind made it feel colder.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 7, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> What did you have for temps? I think our high was 14 but the wind made it feel colder.


It might have gotten up to 20 today. My outdoor thermometer says  15 right now and the humidity has been super high lately. Spring is coming, and I think it will be cold and wet.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 7, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> It might have gotten up to 20 today. My outdoor thermometer says  15 right now and the humidity has been super high lately. Spring is coming, and I think it will be cold and wet.


I hope it's wet, our neighbor down the road burns pallets every year during the NYS burn ban.

It looks like we'll be in for another wind event.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 7, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I hope it's wet, our neighbor down the road burns pallets every year during the NYS burn ban.
> 
> It looks like we'll be in for another wind event.
> View attachment 242055



Wow, that's pretty serious wind. I don't think it's been that high here, and as are right on the water.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 7, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Wow, that's pretty serious wind. I don't think it's been that high here, and as are right on the water.


That's for Saturday night and Sunday, Buffalo NY could see 70 - 80 again.


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## wilsoncm1 (Mar 8, 2019)

Why the industrial tires over ag tires?  I had the dealer put ag tires on and never regretted it for a second.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 8, 2019)

wilsoncm1 said:


> Why the industrial tires over ag tires?  I had the dealer put ag tires on and never regretted it for a second.



They work better with chains, have tougher sidewalls, and don't tear up the ground/soil/grass as bad as Ag tires. Certainly the Ag tires have superior traction in most situations, but I will probably use chains most of the time.


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## Bad LP (Mar 8, 2019)

wilsoncm1 said:


> Why the industrial tires over ag tires?  I had the dealer put ag tires on and never regretted it for a second.



Ag's really suck in the snow and will tear up the lawn in short order. R4 offers the best all around all season use but also have their downfalls on the turf. They have the toughest construction in the sidewall and tread areas. Turfs are also suitable for lawn (obviously) and OK on snow and ice but the sidewalls are not that strong.


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## Ashful (Mar 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> They work better with chains, have tougher sidewalls, and don't tear up the ground/soil/grass as bad as Ag tires. Certainly the Ag tires have superior traction in most situations, but I will probably use chains most of the time.



Good arguments have been made for all three types.  Once you chain up, it really doesn’t matter what type you’re running, you might as well be running turf tires under those chains, from a traction perspective.

The comments on sidewall construction are mostly true, but you can find heavy wall turf tires in most sizes.  I am running some on the front of my machine, due to the heavy loader.  Not as gentle on the lawn as a standard turf tire, but better than ags or R4’s for lawn use.

I went with turf on the Deere, since I use the machine on my lawn a lot.  In the woods, I usually have my buddy’s Ford with Ags.  Once I put chains on all four corners of that 4wd Deere, the traction is probably no worse than the Ford.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 9, 2019)

The skidding winch should be here this morning. I'm going to try and get my front chains mounted after I help the wife get to work. I should have a good six hours of solid daylight today if not eight if the clouds stay away. We haven't had a day this nice in weeksm


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## Ashful (Mar 9, 2019)

I ended up having to chain up today to push my wood wagon (uphill in reverse on saturated mud).  In this case, I just did the rears, which was good enough, I didn’t want to bother with all four.  







Here’s how I’ve been tensioning, I threw the stupid tensioning chain that came with these springs in the trash after two uses.  






I own and race sailboats, and this is the knot I use for all of my cover ties, so I can tie it darn quick.  It has a 2:1 purchase, and comes undone with a simple pull of the pigtail.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 9, 2019)

Ashful said:


> I ended up having to chain up today to push my wood wagon (uphill in reverse on saturated mud).  In this case, I just did the rears, which was good enough, I didn’t want to bother with all four.
> 
> View attachment 242129
> 
> ...




I can't fathom why a ratcheting tire chain tensioner doesn't exist. I was looking at my chains after running the tractor for while and I could probably get them a bit tighter. A few springs don't even have coil separation.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 9, 2019)

The skidding winch was delivered, but the pto shaft was too long. We strapped it to a pallet and I'm picking up the pto shaft on Monday


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## Ashful (Mar 9, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I can't fathom why a ratcheting tire chain tensioner doesn't exist. I was looking at my chains after running the tractor for while and I could probably get them a bit tighter. A few springs don't even have coil separation.


Meh... I've never had an issue.  I'm not exactly running this thing at highway speed.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 10, 2019)

It seems that most grapples are made to order. I found this one on Fleabay for $1,300 shipped. 60" root rake grapple with 19" tines. I've been looking for something with 12-18" of ground engagement depth, but everything like that has a tube linking all of the teeth. The rake shop makes them without the cross tube, but they are over 24" long, and that's probably not going to be good geometry for ripping top soil. It's between this and the 66" extreme root rake grapple on EA. I like the idea of the grapple being narrower than my rear tires for ease of maneuvering around trees, and this ebay grapple is $1,000 less than the EA grapple. Supposedly the ebay grapple is made in Alabama, so that's cool too.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 10, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> It seems that most grapples are made to order. I found this one on Fleabay for $1,300 shipped. 60" root rake grapple with 19" tines. I've been looking for something with 12-18" of ground engagement depth, but everything like that has a tube linking all of the teeth. The rake shop makes them without the cross tube, but they are over 24" long, and that's probably not going to be good geometry for ripping top soil. It's between this and the 66" extreme root rake grapple on EA. I like the idea of the grapple being narrower than my rear tires for ease of maneuvering around trees, and this ebay grapple is $1,000 less than the EA grapple. Supposedly the ebay grapple is made in Alabama, so that's cool too.


Do you like where the hydraulic lines run on the one made in Bama? Were getting some freezing rain at the moment, I'm not sure if it's headed your way but I thought that I would tell you. They say we're in for 0.25 of rain too.


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## Ashful (Mar 10, 2019)

SpaceBus, what's the weight and hp of your machine?  Lifting whole logs with a grapple is not normally the domain of 2000 lb. CUT's.  They get tippy, fast.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 10, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Do you like where the hydraulic lines run on the one made in Bama? Were getting some freezing rain at the moment, I'm not sure if it's headed your way but I thought that I would tell you. They say we're in for 0.25 of rain too.
> View attachment 242178



I think they just have the hoses wrapped around the hydraulic cylinder, but I noticed the same thing.



Ashful said:


> SpaceBus, what's the weight and hp of your machine?  Lifting whole logs with a grapple is not normally the domain of 2000 lb. CUT's.  They get tippy, fast.



My Kioti is 3500 lbs without the loader, plus whatever the chains weigh. I plan on skidding most logs with the forestry winch, so the grapple is mostly for clearing brush, breaking ground, and grabbing large odd objects.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 10, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I think they just have the hoses wrapped around the hydraulic cylinder, but I noticed the same thing.
> 
> 
> 
> My Kioti is 3500 lbs without the loader, plus whatever the chains weigh. I plan on skidding most logs with the forestry winch, so the grapple is mostly for clearing brush, breaking ground, and grabbing large odd objects.


The picture didn't come out the way I copied it, it runs across the whole front on the inside pretty close to where you attach the grapple to your tractor, I was talking about to the right of the cylinder.

Maybe I'm just a worrywart.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 10, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> The picture didn't come out the way I copied it, it runs across the whole front on the inside pretty close to where you attach the grapple to your tractor, I was talking about to the right of the cylinder.
> 
> Maybe I'm just a worry wort.



You make a valid point. I assumed the hoses and such would be protected there, but I have far less experience than you. I'll look at some other models and see if they are all like that.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 10, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> You make a valid point. I assumed the hoses and such would be protected there, but I have far less experience than you. I'll look at some other models and see if they are all like that.


I don't have a grapple so there goes any experience out the door. I think in 2020 I'll be looking for a grapple.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 10, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I don't have a grapple so there goes any experience out the door. I think in 2020 I'll be looking for a grapple.



After looking at some other designs, I don't like that the ebay/Alabama grapple has a solid back plate. That's going to catch a lot of soil and debris and make it hard for the rake to move through the ground. Like most things, if it's too good to be true, it is.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 11, 2019)

I took down a few widowmakers today with the winch. What an amazing tool! Aside from putting the choker chain on the log, you don't have to be anywhere near it. My wife certainly appreciated it.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 11, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I took down a few widowmakers today with the winch. What an amazing tool! Aside from putting the choker chain on the log, you don't have to be anywhere near it. My wife certainly appreciated it.


Nice work @SpaceBus , what type of pine is it?


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## SpaceBus (Mar 11, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Nice work @SpaceBus , what type of pine is it?



It's a Balsam fir, not really prime firewood, but it had to come down anyway. I'm probably going to take a few more down tomorrow and over the next few days.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 11, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> It's a Balsam fir, not really prime firewood, but it had to come down anyway. I'm probably going to take a few more down tomorrow and over the next few days.


We have a bunch of dead or dying white pine we season for a year and then we burn it for shoulder season wood, are you going to use the balsam fir for shoulder season wood?


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## SpaceBus (Mar 11, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> We have a bunch of dead or dying white pine we season for a year and then we burn it for shoulder season wood, are you going to use the balsam fir for shoulder season wood?


Ha, I'll burn whatever's dry at this point. Most of my property is Balsam Fir and spruce with maybe 10% hardwoods. I got half a cord of birch from a friend I use for night burns. I'm medically retired and home every day so burning soft woods is fine with me.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 12, 2019)

Tried to get some more ice/slush out of the parking area and driveway. I also pulled down/out another widowmaker. There's still two more left in the are this came out of. There are hundreds on our property and the skidding winch was worth every penny. I can get so much more work done much easier when I don't have to buck the logs in the forest.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 12, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Tried to get some more ice/slush out of the parking area and driveway. I also pulled down/out another widowmaker. There's still two more left in the are this came out of. There are hundreds on our property and the skidding winch was worth every penny. I can get so much more work done much easier when I don't have to buck the logs in the forest.


Nice work @SpaceBus , I use the pallet forks to get the log off the ground when bucking it up, you can't do the whole log on the forks but it's a back saver.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 12, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Nice work @SpaceBus , I use the pallet forks to get the log off the ground when bucking it up, you can't do the whole log on the forks but it's a back saver.


I have been using the bucket to move the rounds lately. Can't get the logs to the splitter and I don't want to move it every time. I wanted to use the forks to lift the logs, but then I'd have to swap it for the bucket to move the rounds. This is where a side by side comes in handy I imagine. Once this snow is gone and I expand our gravel parking area, this will be much easier.


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## sloeffle (Mar 12, 2019)

Ashful said:


> I could be wrong, but I think it’s more a think of the past, before three point link distances became as standardized as they seem to be, today.


I bought a wood chipper from Woodland Mills and we had to cut about 3" off of each shaft. My tractor is new too, so the 3 point arms should be of "standard" length. This is the first shaft I've had to cut out of the four or five PTO driven implements I have.

I wonder if some manufacturers ship their attachments with longer PTO shafts so they know they will be compatible with any machine out there.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 12, 2019)

sloeffle said:


> I bought a wood chipper from Woodland Mills and we had to cut about 3" off of each shaft. My tractor is new too, so the 3 point arms should of "standard" length. This is the first shaft I've had to cut out of the four or five PTO driven implements I have.
> 
> I wonder if some manufacturers ship their attachments with longer PTO shafts so they know they will be compatible with any machine out there.



I was really looking hard at the 8" machine they sell. Looks like a solid unit.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 14, 2019)

Pete's Easy Change adapters came in today. Unfortunately I probably won't be changing any attachments for a few weeks. Soon I'm going to order the grapple, post hole digger, land plane, chipper shredder, and stump grinder. My dealer is going to be installing a third function for the grapple and a second remote for the stump grinder. Once we start getting into digging out vegetable gardens I'll get a backhoe, and the wife wants a mid PTO mower deck, so that will probably happen soon.


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## TreePointer (Mar 14, 2019)

Have you seriously investigated the pros/cons of a mid-mower deck vs a dedicated mowing machine like a ZTR? 

Some mid-mower owners end up with a dedicated lawn mowing machine after realizing the tractor/mid-mower's limitations.  (Of course, you know your land and budget, and a mid-mower may be best for your situation.)


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## SpaceBus (Mar 14, 2019)

TreePointer said:


> Have you seriously investigated the pros/cons of a mid-mower deck vs a dedicated mowing machine like a ZTR?
> 
> Some mid-mower owners end up with a dedicated lawn mowing machine after realizing the tractor/mid-mower's limitations.  (Of course, you know your land and budget, and a mid-mower may be best for your situation.)



We don't have nearly enough grass to justify a ZTR. Most of our land is covered in scraggly crab grass, blueberries, and other random stuff. I'll snag a push mower for around the house.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 14, 2019)

Just placed the order for my grapple and stump grinder.


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## Ashful (Mar 14, 2019)

TreePointer said:


> Have you seriously investigated the pros/cons of a mid-mower deck vs a dedicated mowing machine like a ZTR?
> 
> Some mid-mower owners end up with a dedicated lawn mowing machine after realizing the tractor/mid-mower's limitations.  (Of course, you know your land and budget, and a mid-mower may be best for your situation.)



Ditto.  I had both, but only ever used the ZTR.  I eventually sold the mid mount mower.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 14, 2019)

Actually my tractor doesn't have a mid mount mower available, I was mistaken. I guess a 3Pt mower is happening


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## TreePointer (Mar 14, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Ditto.  I had both, but only ever used the ZTR.  I eventually sold the mid mount mower.



I've never owned a mid-mower on a utility tractor, but I've used one and wasn't a big fan.  I keep kicking myself for waiting as long as I did to get a ZTR.  Best looking cut, much easier to maneuver, and the job gets done much more quickly.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 14, 2019)

Man, I just don't know if the cost is worth it for us. We don't have beautiful manicured grass here. It's more like a meadow/untended field, and my wife wants to keep it that way.


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## TreePointer (Mar 14, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Man, I just don't know if the cost is worth it for us. We don't have beautiful manicured grass here. It's more like a meadow/untended field, and my wife wants to keep it that way.



Yeah, a ZTR is a big expense and isn't worth it for some of my neighbors.  I regularly cut a lot of grass with multiple obstacles (trees, buildings, rock walls, etc.), and a ZTR makes the most sense for me.

I also cut a large field with a Woods 84-inch 3-point finish mower (got a good deal on one a few years ago).  If it were up to me, I'd just cut that field a couple times a year with a brush cutter, but my mother wants to look out the kitchen window to a nice green field (gotta keep Mom happy).  It does a great job because it's blade tip speed is actually faster than my ZTR; however, it's not the right implement for a field with a lot of uneven ground because of it's width.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 14, 2019)

TreePointer said:


> Yeah, a ZTR is a big expense and isn't worth it for some of my neighbors.  I regularly cut a lot of grass with multiple obstacles (trees, buildings, rock walls, etc.), and a ZTR makes the most sense for me.
> 
> I also cut a large field with a Woods 84-inch 3-point finish mower (got a good deal on one a few years ago).  If it were up to me, I'd just cut that field a couple times a year with a brush cutter, but my mother wants to look out the kitchen window to a nice green field (gotta keep Mom happy).  It does a great job because it's blade tip speed is actually faster than my ZTR; however, it's not the right implement for a field with a lot of uneven ground because of it's width.



Good pointers, my field is pretty bumpy with some marshy spots. Seems like a smaller rough cut pull behind might be the right tool. My wife suggested I get into landscaping with all of the attachments I'm getting to landscape our own place. If I ever pursue that maybe a ZTR mower would make sense.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 15, 2019)

Just got my shipping notification on the stump grinder. It should be at the dealer by Thursday. They are picking the tractor up this coming week to get the hydraulics ready.


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## Ashful (Mar 16, 2019)

To me, the ZTR is about speed, more than anything else.  I can do my very hilly and highly-manicured 4 acres of lawn, with numerous garden roundings and maybe 75 trees poked in the lawn, in under 2 hours on the ZTR.  With any 3-point mower, it’d be twice that time, and then I’d have a ton of manual trimming left to do.  The ZTR can mow closer to and and around more objects than any mid mount mower, and I couldn’t even imagine trying to use my 3 point mower around the house.  I have owned all three, but as I mentioned, I have only kept the ZTR for the lawn and the 3-pt mower for trails in the adjacent woods and fields.  

You’re retired, so maybe taking all day to mow the lawn is not such a bad thing.  But 3 point mowers can be mighty tough to maneuver near the house or landscaping.  Hide the garden gnome, before you decapitate him.

BTW, saying ZTRs are bad on uneven ground is BS.  Mine is only 60”, it does great over hill and dale.  If I have a serious pothole in the yard, I drop some dirt and seed into it, problem solved.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 16, 2019)

Ashful said:


> To me, the ZTR is about speed, more than anything else.  I can do my very hilly and highly-manicured 4 acres of lawn, with numerous garden roundings and maybe 75 trees poked in the lawn, in under 2 hours on the ZTR.  With any 3-point mower, it’d be twice that time, and then I’d have a ton of manual trimming left to do.  The ZTR can mow closer to and and around more objects than any mid mount mower, and I couldn’t even imagine trying to use my 3 point mower around the house.  I have owned all three, but as I mentioned, I have only kept the ZTR for the lawn and the 3-pt mower for trails in the adjacent woods and fields.
> 
> You’re retired, so maybe taking all day to mow the lawn is not such a bad thing.  But 3 point mowers can be mighty tough to maneuver near the house or landscaping.  Hide the garden gnome, before you decapitate him.
> 
> BTW, saying ZTRs are bad on uneven ground is BS.  Mine is only 60”, it does great over hill and dale.  If I have a serious pothole in the yard, I drop some dirt and seed into it, problem solved.


When I go back out to run the splitter I'll get some more photos.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 16, 2019)

The skidding winch has become my favorite attachment for the tractor so far, but really I only have a few anyway. I've pulled out five widowmakers from along my driveway in the last five days, one of which was hanging over my power lines. So far all of the trunks have been good firewood with no rot or punk, aside from their broken bottoms which were on the ground.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 16, 2019)

The deck side of the house faces south, so the photos take you on a "clockwise" tour around the house. My wife wants to kind of zero scape garden all the way around the house, so there is zero need to finish mow anything. I'm more focused on keeping the south facing hill short enough to walk through in the summer with my dogs. I think a flail mower will do the job very well with decent maneuverability. I'm also planning on clearing a few acres of trees to start a tree farm, so it will be handy managing those areas as well. 

 The house is under a surprise renovation, so please pardon all of the plastic


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## SpaceBus (Mar 16, 2019)

Well, the photos didn't go up in the order I wanted, but you get the point.


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## Ashful (Mar 16, 2019)

Yeah.  I’d be shopping a small (eg 48”) zero turn for those spaces around the house and shed, mowing that close to buildings with a 3-point mower is no fun.   If that field is getting planted with rows of Christmas trees, I’d be shopping a small rotary mower (brush hog) for that.


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## TreePointer (Mar 16, 2019)

+1 on the ZTR for the reasons _Ashful_ mentioned.

I think I see some slopes/grades, too. A ZTR has two transmissions (one for each drive wheel) which give it significantly more ability to climb hills/slopes than typical riding mowers/lawn tractors.  Today's big box store lawn tractors have "unserviceable" single transmissions (transaxles) that provide disappointing torque for slopes and often need replacement around 500 hours or fewer.  That's easily a $1000+ expense just for the replacement part.

A ZTR mower can be light with wide tires just like traditional riding mowers/lawn tractors that won't tear up or make ruts/mud tracks when lawn needs to be mowed when a little damp.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 16, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Yeah.  I’d be shopping a small (eg 48”) zero turn for those spaces around the house and shed, mowing that close to buildings with a 3-point mower is no fun.   If that field is getting planted with rows of Christmas trees, I’d be shopping a small rotary mower (brush hog) for that.


None of those sheds are going to be there for more than a year. That's an area my wife wanted to "zero scape" with gravel and stone and some garden areas within the gravel. The open field will most likely stay open and then I'm going to clear some of the wooded acres on the western side of our property for a tree farm. We like to watch the deer and other critters browse the field for blueberries, Alder buds, etc. The east side of the house is the closest to the property line and will be almost entirely gravel to the treeline, which will probably get filled in with wood chips after I clear enough room to store a three point chipper shredder. I think at most I'll be using my propane torch and a trimmer to maintain the drained gravel we plan on putting around the house. A three point bush hog or flail mower should be fine for our minimal cleared land. Eventually we are going to cut some trails into the property and there should be more than enough debris to cover them in wood chips.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 16, 2019)

This makes it all worth it. Our first winter here was really difficult and the nice equipment arrived right at the end. The ground near where I was processing firewood today thawed and I didn't realize it before putting a giant rut in the ground... My wife will not be happy about that, hence the zero scaping idea. Things will still be pretty annoying until I clear some space for covered parking. Baby steps!


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## sloeffle (Mar 17, 2019)

Beautiful country @SpaceBus

I agree with @Ashful about the ZTR too. I mowed with a 3 point pull behind mower for about 7 or 8 years. I bought a ZTR about 5 years ago and I wouldn't go back to the 3 point mower if you paid me. It is good for open ground but it just isn't conducive to mow close to stuff.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 17, 2019)

I'll keep an eye out for a small used ZTR, but it's not a priority right now. Tomorrow I'm going to start felling trees. I wish I could take advantage of this beautiful weather today, but I don't like felling trees alone and my wife is at work. Unfortunately my dogs can't operate a car or phone. 

It's a beautiful day, but I've run out of trees to process that are not buried in the ice and snow.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 20, 2019)

Just ordered a Land Plane from EA, it's going to be a long six weeks! I'm about to pull the trigger on a chipper shredder as well. There are piles of evergreen tips and branches growing very quickly now that I have an easy way to get trees out of the woods.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 29, 2019)

Chipper Shredder is on order, probably another month until I see it. 

The dealer is picking my tractor up on this coming Tuesday to put the third function and second remote on. Then I'll be able to use the grapple and stump grinder. 

I've starting looking into backhoes. I found a used one across the state, but I'm still considering new. I'm still considering my mower options, but it seems that the majority of my yard is actually just blueberry, so I might not even need to mow it?


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## thewoodlands (Apr 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Chipper Shredder is on order, probably another month until I see it.
> 
> The dealer is picking my tractor up on this coming Tuesday to put the third function and second remote on. Then I'll be able to use the grapple and stump grinder.
> 
> I've starting looking into backhoes. I found a used one across the state, but I'm still considering new. I'm still considering my mower options, but it seems that the majority of my yard is actually just blueberry, so I might not even need to mow it?


Did your tractor go in today?


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## SpaceBus (Apr 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Did your tractor go in today?


Yep, I should have it back Thursday or Friday with the grapple and stump grinder. This weekend looks like it will have some really nice weather for working outside.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Yep, I should have it back Thursday or Friday with the grapple and stump grinder. This weekend looks like it will have some really nice weather for working outside.


That will keep you busy with the S.G. & Grapple.

I took the rhino in today for it's annual oil and grease job, I should have it back tomorrow. I finally sharpened about eight chains of different lengths today, 16,18 and 20.

I'll see how much snow is left in the area the ash are on Thursday, we might have some high wind gust tomorrow afternoon so I'll wait another day or two before starting to cut.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> That will keep you busy with the S.G. & Grapple.
> 
> I took the rhino in today for it's annual oil and grease job, I should have it back tomorrow. I finally sharpened about eight chains of different lengths today, 16,18 and 20.
> 
> I'll see how much snow is left in the area the ash are on Thursday, we might have some high wind gust tomorrow afternoon so I'll wait another day or two before starting to cut.



I have plenty of cutting to do soon as well. I also got a Pete's quick attach setup to make swapping attachments easier. I'm trying to get my wife to make up her mind on where I can put the mill. I've also been thinking about a dolly setup for logs so I don't have to drag them across my driveway and yard.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I have plenty of cutting to do soon as well. I also got a Pete's quick attach setup to make swapping attachments easier. I'm trying to get my wife to make up her mind on where I can put the mill. I've also been thinking about a dolly setup for logs so I don't have to drag them across my driveway and yard.


Why not just use the pallet forks.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Why not just use the pallet forks.


I want to keep the logs fairly long and I have a narrow path to bring the logs through. Skidding them works the best when getting them out of the woods.


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## Ashful (Apr 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I want to keep the logs fairly long and I have a narrow path to bring the logs through. Skidding them works the best when getting them out of the woods.


I like log tongs hanging from a drawbar best for skidding.  Lifting the front edge of the log slightly puts the weight on the rear of the tractor and improves traction.  I also have a hook welded to the top of my bucket for hanging tongs there, but you lose the weight advantage, and skidding backwards gets old fast.

Of course, a plain old choker chain on the drawbar works fine, too.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 2, 2019)

Ashful said:


> I like log tongs hanging from a drawbar best for skidding.  Lifting the front edge of the log slightly puts the weight on the rear of the tractor and improves traction.  I also have a hook welded to the top of my bucket for hanging tongs there, but you lose the weight advantage, and skidding backwards gets old fast.
> 
> Of course, a plain old choker chain on the drawbar works fine, too.



A choker chain on my log winch works extremely well. I can get them very high off the ground, but then I'm dragging the ends. It's not so bad when the tops are still on them. A little two wheeled cart to put the ends on, like a small log trailer, would be really handy and wouldn't Mar anything


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## Ashful (Apr 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> A choker chain on my log winch works extremely well. I can get them very high off the ground, but then I'm dragging the ends. It's not so bad when the tops are still on them. A little two wheeled cart to put the ends on, like a small log trailer, would be really handy and wouldn't Mar anything



Sounds like you want a log arch.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 3, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Sounds like you want a log arch.


Yes, that's absolutely what I want. I just didn't know what it was called!


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## SpaceBus (Apr 3, 2019)

If I hadn't had the tractor picked up, it probably would have rained here today. Of course it's a few inches of snow and still going now that the tractor is at the dealer...


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## thewoodlands (Apr 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> If I hadn't had the tractor picked up, it probably would have rained here today. Of course it's a few inches of snow and still going now that the tractor is at the dealer...


We had wind with a hard rain when I left so I could pick the rhino up, the further north I went, the better it was. On my way back, I ran into a hard rain,sleet,small hail and then snow which lasted about one mile. Once I was home taking the rhino off the trailer we had a huge clap of thunder but nothing after it.

The rhino checked out good, all we need is some nice weather so I can get cutting.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 6, 2019)

The shop at the dealer had an issue with folks showing up to work, so it will probably be Tuesday before the tractor comes home... When it comes back the dealer is going to give me a quote on a backhoe with manual thumb. Kioti is offering a ton of rebates on what is a Woods 80X Backhoe with kioti labels. I shopped around for an aftermarket BH, but I don't trust the 3PT hitch mounted backhoes with the stony ground here.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 7, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> The shop at the dealer had an issue with folks showing up to work, so it will probably be Tuesday before the tractor comes home... When it comes back the dealer is going to give me a quote on a backhoe with manual thumb. Kioti is offering a ton of rebates on what is a Woods 80X Backhoe with kioti labels. I shopped around for an aftermarket BH, but I don't trust the 3PT hitch mounted backhoes with the stony ground here.


Are you in for any snow from this new system coming through around Tuesday or Wednesday?


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## SpaceBus (Apr 7, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Are you in for any snow from this new system coming through around Tuesday or Wednesday?



Allegedly 2-4" of wintery mix.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 7, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Allegedly 2-4" of wintery mix.


We're in for a bunch of rain starting tonight through Tuesday, 1.25 inches of rain which should get rid of most of the snow.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 10, 2019)

The dealer called me yesterday, they didn't check the stump grinder and grapple instructions before doing the remote and third function. This means they didn't notice until Monday the fittings on the grapple are too big (flat faced fittings for a combine or something) and the stump grinder didn't come with any fittings. I was a little agitated, so they decided to pull their heads out of their asses and get some fittings locally. The tractor will be here this afternoon or tomorrow morning.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 11, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> The dealer called me yesterday, they didn't check the stump grinder and grapple instructions before doing the remote and third function. This means they didn't notice until Monday the fittings on the grapple are too big (flat faced fittings for a combine or something) and the stump grinder didn't come with any fittings. I was a little agitated, so they decided to pull their heads out of their asses and get some fittings locally. The tractor will be here this afternoon or tomorrow morning.


Lets get a picture of the stump grinder on your tractor since you have it back (if you don't mind) how did you like the way it worked?

It looks like the gully where most of my ash is near still has enough snow that I'll wait about three days before felling more.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 11, 2019)

I'll get some tomorrow in the sun. I just didn't get arond to taking any today.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 14, 2019)

I put the stump grinder back on today after moving some trees I cut down. I probably have one or two more trees to fell in this spot. When my land plane comes in I'll level this spot. Eventually it be a parking area for my implements and tractor. Some day I'd like to put a barn up to keep everything dry.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 14, 2019)

@thewoodlands the stump grinder is huge. Bigger than I had imagined. So far it has destroyed the small-ish soft wood stumps at just half speed. I have lost a tooth due to a hidden stone, so I don't go very deep anymore. I'll rake the area out with my grapple and see if there are still any high spots. The PTO shaft is crazy long and a bear to get into position. The quick connects on the bottom links were definitely worth it. The skidding winch has a super short PTO shaft and is very fast to switch to with the quick connects. The stump grinder takes a little longer because of the hydraulic fittings and the top link has to be pretty far out. Once I get better at parking the stump grinder I'm sure it will be much easier to get it on, especially once I've done it more.


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## TreePointer (Apr 14, 2019)

We're pic & vid junkies, so it's all good.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 14, 2019)

TreePointer said:


> We're pic & vid junkies, so it's all good.


I'll have to upload the video to YouTube. Maybe I'll make a better one with a camera person and a larger stump. So far everything I've ground up has been small.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 14, 2019)

Here's the video!


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## thewoodlands (Apr 14, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> @thewoodlands the stump grinder is huge. Bigger than I had imagined. So far it has destroyed the small-ish soft wood stumps at just half speed. I have lost a tooth due to a hidden stone, so I don't go very deep anymore. I'll rake the area out with my grapple and see if there are still any high spots. The PTO shaft is crazy long and a bear to get into position. The quick connects on the bottom links were definitely worth it. The skidding winch has a super short PTO shaft and is very fast to switch to with the quick connects. The stump grinder takes a little longer because of the hydraulic fittings and the top link has to be pretty far out. Once I get better at parking the stump grinder I'm sure it will be much easier to get it on, especially once I've done it more.


It will be like anything else, once you've had it for some time it will get easier putting it on, the hoe is the same.

Nice vid.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 14, 2019)

We'll see if these post in order. Some more photos of the area I'm clearing. There's a story about the grapple that will hopefully become funny some day. I broke the relay board attached to the third function valve. It sticks out kind of far and this area was tighter before I took down another 8 trees. So right now it doesn't work and I can't take it off. The coupling is under too much pressure and I can't get it too release. I ordered the part already and I'm just waiting on UPS to deliver it to me. I'm trying to figure out how to shield this thing.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 14, 2019)

Where is the relay board located, near the front or on the third function control itself?

Is that in front of your foot pedals for forward and reverse?


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## heavy hammer (Apr 14, 2019)

Sorry to hear about the relay board how did it break a tree get it?  Nice looking attachments looks like a fun project.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 14, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I put the stump grinder back on today after moving some trees I cut down. I probably have one or two more trees to fell in this spot. When my land plane comes in I'll level this spot. Eventually it be a parking area for my implements and tractor. Some day I'd like to put a barn up to keep everything dry.


Nice work @SpaceBus , the trails around the house were made for walking and then widened for the rhino and then made wider for the tractor, they're never wide enough.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 14, 2019)

The relay board is under the black plastic cover on the third function solenoid valve thing (technical terms). You can see it in photo 190210 and 190203, the bottom two photos in my most recent post above this one. A tree or my body caught it. I did not realize there were any sensitive parts on the valve, but now I know. Perhaps a piece of pool noodle foam would protect it? 

More paths will happen in the future. I'm hoping that with the land plane and the chiller shredder I won't need any gravel or infill material. There's tons of rock in the soil. The attached photo isn't oriented in a convenient way but there's a piece of ledge in the bottom right area that I had to stop for on this stump. It's probably worn down enough to come out with the grapple when the new solenoid board comes in.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 15, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> The relay board is under the black plastic cover on the third function solenoid valve thing (technical terms). You can see it in photo 190210 and 190203, the bottom two photos in my most recent post above this one. A tree or my body caught it. I did not realize there were any sensitive parts on the valve, but now I know. Perhaps a piece of pool noodle foam would protect it?
> 
> More paths will happen in the future. I'm hoping that with the land plane and the chiller shredder I won't need any gravel or infill material. There's tons of rock in the soil. The attached photo isn't oriented in a convenient way but there's a piece of ledge in the bottom right area that I had to stop for on this stump. It's probably worn down enough to come out with the grapple when the new solenoid board comes in.


Back on our property I do most of the firewood cutting on has a good base to the trails so I use bark,pine needles,leaves,chips and a few times even straw, it was all free except for the work on raking it up except for the straw we had against the foundation of the house but we don't use the straw anymore.


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## maple1 (Apr 15, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Here's the video!




About the '540e'. To go with that, you should have a two speed PTO lever. One is geared higher so max PTO speed is reached at lower engine RPMs - the '540e' spot. We had a Landini once upon a time that had that setup.

EDIT: Or, maybe the 2 speed PTO thing is an option you don't have, but they use the same tach for all models.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 15, 2019)

maple1 said:


> About the '540e'. To go with that, you should have a two speed PTO lever. One is geared higher so max PTO speed is reached at lower engine RPMs - the '540e' spot. We had a Landini once upon a time that had that setup.
> 
> EDIT: Or, maybe the 2 speed PTO thing is an option you don't have, but they use the same tach for all models.



Interesting, I'll reexamine the manual and see what I can glean. I don't recall there being a two speed PTO, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Either way, it shreds these soft wood stumps just fine at fairly low RPM.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 15, 2019)

Oh, now I see it's for the mid PTO. I thought originally this tractor was available with a mid mower deck because it has an option of  Mid PTO. I wonder what it's for.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 15, 2019)

Could also be for European market and I think they do have two speed pto gearboxes


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## Ashful (Apr 15, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Oh, now I see it's for the mid PTO. I thought originally this tractor was available with a mid mower deck because it has an option of  Mid PTO. I wonder what it's for.


Might also be for a front-mounted blower.  Deere's use the same mid-PTO for mid-mount mower and front blower.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 16, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Might also be for a front-mounted blower.  Deere's use the same mid-PTO for mid-mount mower and front blower.


I assumed it was hydraulically driven, but that makes way more sense. The more I learn about tractors the more I learn how much I don't know.


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## Ashful (Apr 16, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I assumed it was hydraulically driven, but that makes way more sense. The more I learn about tractors the more I learn how much I don't know.



Can’t speak for your model, but Deere CUTs of my vintage use the mid PTO for front mounted blower auger drive, and the loader hydraulics to lift blower and rotate chute.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 17, 2019)

I had some fun today with the nice weather and pulled some boulders out of my work area. Needless to say this was very fun. Unfortunately I do have a leak on one of the lines coming off the grapple and the other line won't come out of the fitting no matter what I do. I've tried releasing the pressure,  multiple positions, tapping it with a rubber mallet, and it just won't let go. I called the dealer and a guy is coming  by in the morning to check out the leak and stubborn fitting. Everything else is working flawlessly. I cut a few trees, winched them down, stacked them, and moved them with the grapple. The stump grinder is aweseome ballast, but quite long. I figured the winch would be plenty, but that huge rock was very heavy and I couldn't get it out of the uneven work area without the stump grinder. There's a few more large rocks I have my eye on and I want to rake the area to try and smooth it out a bit. Once the chipper shredder comes in I can backfill with chipped up branches.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 17, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I had some fun today with the nice weather and pulled some boulders out of my work area. Needless to say this was very fun. Unfortunately I do have a leak on one of the lines coming off the grapple and the other line won't come out of the fitting no matter what I do. I've tried releasing the pressure,  multiple positions, tapping it with a rubber mallet, and it just won't let go. I called the dealer and a guy is coming  by in the morning to check out the leak and stubborn fitting. Everything else is working flawlessly. I cut a few trees, winched them down, stacked them, and moved them with the grapple. The stump grinder is aweseome ballast, but quite long. I figured the winch would be plenty, but that huge rock was very heavy and I couldn't get it out of the uneven work area without the stump grinder. There's a few more large rocks I have my eye on and I want to rake the area to try and smooth it out a bit. Once the chipper shredder comes in I can backfill with chipped up branches.


Once your tractor was off, did you release the pressure by using your curl/uncurl function, you can also release the pressure by  lowering or even raising the FEL , if that doesn't work you can take a crescent wrench to unloosen the fitting.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 17, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Once your tractor was off, did you release the pressure by using your curl/uncurl function, you can also release the pressure by  lowering or even raising the FEL , if that doesn't work you can take a crescent wrench to unloosen the fitting.


I don't think I could have released any more pressure. I'd rather not have to remove the hose from the fitting every time. I've had pneumatic equipment give some resistance at the couplers, but they are much smaller.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 18, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I don't think I could have released any more pressure. I'd rather not have to remove the hose from the fitting every time. I've had pneumatic equipment give some resistance at the couplers, but they are much smaller.


You don't have to remove the hose from the fitting, where the quick release threads on just back it off some which should release the pressure, I had to do it once since we owned the tractor.


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## maple1 (Apr 18, 2019)

Usually lowering everything to the ground so to put it at rest, shutting down, then moving the levers back & forth will release any pressure enough to uncouple. If that won't do it, you might have a bad/sticky coupler.

Another thing that can cause problems with some implements and attachments is parking everything, then sun & heat hitting stuff after parked for some time. That can cause pressure to build up. But moving levers back & forth (with tractor still off) should get rid of that pressure too.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 18, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> You don't have to remove the hose from the fitting, where the quick release threads on just back it off some which should release the pressure, I had to do it once since we owned the tractor.


Ah, gotcha. The dude from the dealer will be here soon with Hydraulic fluid. I would rather he do it since I did pay several dollars to this business to make this whole system work because they told me they could.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 18, 2019)

Ha, the coupler was a pull instead of a push! The dude tried the same thing I did and couldn't figure it out. Nobody suggested it on the phone when I called the dealer. At least nothing was broken. The leak was a hydraulic fitting that wasn't tight enough.


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## EODMSgt (Apr 18, 2019)

Just saw this thread. Very nice addition. I've had a Kioti CK27 HSTwith a backhoe since 2013 and it's amazing what you can do with them. I've found that pressure build up is a natural thing. Every time I park it, I just wiggle the FEL to release some of the pressure. I've also found that if the backhoe is detached for any length of time, hooking up the hydraulic lines can be a groan due to pressure build up on the tractor. Just part of the joy of owning another piece of equipment. Congrats.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 18, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Ha, the coupler was a pull instead of a push! The dude tried the same thing I did and couldn't figure it out. Nobody suggested it on the phone when I called the dealer. At least nothing was broken. The leak was a hydraulic fitting that wasn't tight enough.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 18, 2019)

EODMSgt said:


> Just saw this thread. Very nice addition. I've had a Kioti CK27 HSTwith a backhoe since 2013 and it's amazing what you can do with them. I've found that pressure build up is a natural thing. Every time I park it, I just wiggle the FEL to release some of the pressure. I've also found that if the backhoe is detached for any length of time, hooking up the hydraulic lines can be a groan due to pressure build up on the tractor. Just part of the joy of owning another piece of equipment. Congrats.



I am looking forward to the backhoe. My dealer got me a quote with a mechanical thumb. I've just been clearing space for more equipment lately. I've felled and removed probably 30 trees in just a few weeks with the skidding winch. The last few days I've been playing with the grapple, mainly moving boulders.


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## heavy hammer (Apr 18, 2019)

Glad to hear it was something simple to correct.  I have had a few leaks from fittings not being tight enough or the need for a little pipe tape.  The joy of owning a new piece of equipment.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 18, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> Glad to hear it was something simple to correct.  I have had a few leaks from fittings not being tight enough or the need for a little pipe tape.  The joy of owning a new piece of equipment.


I found a dribble after several hours of use. When I change the fluids I'll take the fitting apart and try again with some extra pipe tape.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 18, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Ha, the coupler was a pull instead of a push! The dude tried the same thing I did and couldn't figure it out. Nobody suggested it on the phone when I called the dealer. At least nothing was broken. The leak was a hydraulic fitting that wasn't tight enough.


We could be in for two inches of rain tomorrow night, that


SpaceBus said:


> I found a dribble after several hours of use. When I change the fluids I'll take the fitting apart and try again with some extra pipe tape.


If the weather channel is correct, we have two inches of rain coming in starting tomorrow, that should get rid of the rest of the ice and snow in the woods.


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## Ashful (Apr 19, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> Glad to hear it was something simple to correct.  I have had a few leaks from fittings not being tight enough or the need for a little pipe tape.  The joy of owning a new piece of equipment.



Just make sure those are NPT fittings, and not another type.  Other than some homeowner upgrades on antique Fords, I’m not used to seeing NPT lines on tractors.  Most are ORFS or ORB, and these seal with an o-ring, which can get damaged by a sloppy installer.  In this case, replace the o-ring, just a few pennies, don’t gum up your fittings with tape!

When I work on equipment for friends, I find tape on everything from JIC to compression fittings, and not only does it almost never work, it makes a mess to clean up.  Pipe tape or dope is for NPT taper threads, only!


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## SpaceBus (Apr 19, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Just make sure those are NPT fittings, and not another type.  Other than some homeowner upgrades on antique Fords, I’m not used to seeing NPT lines on tractors.  Most are ORFS or ORB, and these seal with an o-ring, which can get damaged by a sloppy installer.  In this case, replace the o-ring, just a few pennies, don’t gum up your fittings with tape!
> 
> When I work on equipment for friends, I find tape on everything from JIC to compression fittings, and not only does it almost never work, it makes a mess to clean up.  Pipe tape or dope is for NPT taper threads, only!



Thanks for the heads up. Generally I try to be minimal on PTFE tape, it's just a thread lubricant. I tried explaining it to my wife, but she still insists it's used to seal threads. 

So the shop at my dealership really only exists to service the equipment used by the logging company that's co-located with the tractor/equipment dealer. Both sides of the house are owned by the same person, but the shop's priority is the logging side of the business. This means work started say on my tractor might have to go on pause until a log truck or skidder is fixed. You could see how dumb things could happen.


I was taking Automotive classes in NC. I think I'm going to cash in some more GI bill benefits to take some heavy duty diesel classes, probably small engines too.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 19, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> We could be in for two inches of rain tomorrow night, that
> 
> If the weather channel is correct, we have two inches of rain coming in starting tomorrow, that should get rid of the rest of the ice and snow in the woods.



We just have mist and fog today, maybe real rain coming tonight. There are still frozen areas in our woods, mostly gone now though. I still run across areas of frozen soil with the stump grinder!


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## maple1 (Apr 19, 2019)

I haven't seen the ground frozen like this before in all the years I have lived here. There is a low spot in the field right behind my house that can hold a little bit of water in a wet spell. It has been full now for weeks, and there are frost heaves around the edges of it that have it looking like a sink hole is opening up - even some soil falling in around the sides. It's solid ice at 6" depth still. Anyone who has to work the fields is in for a long wait - try to walk across it and you're up to your ankles in spots all of a sudden, in places that have always been hard.

Ooops - carry on.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 19, 2019)

maple1 said:


> I haven't seen the ground frozen like this before in all the years I have lived here. There is a low spot in the field right behind my house that can hold a little bit of water in a wet spell. It has been full now for weeks, and there are frost heaves around the edges of it that have it looking like a sink hole is opening up - even some soil falling in around the sides. It's solid ice at 6" depth still. Anyone who has to work the fields is in for a long wait - try to walk across it and you're up to your ankles in spots all of a sudden, in places that have always been hard.
> 
> Ooops - carry on.


My front wheels went into the Grassy area and I got stuck and had to winch out. Anywhere on the downward slope south of my house is soft and saturated. Anything with trees is frozen solid.


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## maple1 (Apr 19, 2019)

A layer of mud on top of a big layer of ice.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 19, 2019)

maple1 said:


> A layer of mud on top of a big layer of ice.



Well, in our case on the coast it's a big layer of granite and ledge. In the cleared area lower than the house the dirt is so saturated it just parts for the tires. I've never seen anything like this. The pole contractor stopped by today to start our estimate, he lives a bit further south than us on the coast. He's never seen anything like this either.


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## spudman99 (Apr 19, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Just make sure those are NPT fittings, and not another type.  Other than some homeowner upgrades on antique Fords, I’m not used to seeing NPT lines on tractors.  Most are ORFS or ORB, and these seal with an o-ring, which can get damaged by a sloppy installer.  In this case, replace the o-ring, just a few pennies, don’t gum up your fittings with tape!
> 
> When I work on equipment for friends, I find tape on everything from JIC to compression fittings, and not only does it almost never work, it makes a mess to clean up.  Pipe tape or dope is for NPT taper threads, only!



While I have no personal experience on such equipment, I read threads like this to learn and live vicariously.  I found this information on a different website that may also help those who like to learn/are geeky.

"Okay, if you want the down and dirty scoop, here it is. Hydraulic fittings can be, 1. Pipe thread- NPT or NPTF 2. Boss (oring sealed)
 3. JIC (37º flared) 4. Autoclave - for extremely high pressure (like 10,000 psi) 5. SAE (45º flared for low pressure like 1,000 psi or less) 6. Tube fittings - like swagelock etc...

Pipe thread fittings - are either NPT or NPTF. The NPT do require some type of sealant like teflon tape or pipe dope to get a seal, as they only get a root to crest seal on the threads. NPTF (originally made for the fuel industry thus the "F") make up root to crest and cheek to cheek on the threads. these fitting are made to seal with out any sealant of any kind. A lot of company's now only make NPTF pipe thread fittings, so check with the manf and see what type you are buying. 

Now concerning what type of sealant you use - Teflon tape is high cause of many of hydraulic failures, but only cause it is installed improperly, always start with the third thread when putting it on, as the fitting is tapered and the first 2 threads do not really make up real tight to get a good seal anyway. Pipe dope - Made for hydraulic systems is fine for use, the biggest mistake here, is applying too much. 

 Remember, just use sealant on NPT fittings. Do not put on flared fittings or oring seal fittings. 

 Just my 2 cents from almost 30 years in the fluid power industry. "      credit to sawmillcreek.***


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## thewoodlands (Apr 19, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We just have mist and fog today, maybe real rain coming tonight. There are still frozen areas in our woods, mostly gone now though. I still run across areas of frozen soil with the stump grinder!


They dropped the rainfall estimate to 1.79 inches, things were just starting to dry out. It looks like the rain will start anytime.


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## Ashful (Apr 19, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Thanks for the heads up. Generally I try to be minimal on PTFE tape, it's just a thread lubricant. I tried explaining it to my wife, but she still insists it's used to seal threads.


Actually, in this case, your wife is right!  If you study the actual NPT profile specification, there is not a sharp crest, but a flat top to the thread crest.  This creates a “spiral leak path”, and the tape is specified to fill that path.  Use a good 2 turns on half inch and smaller fittings, three turns on 3/4” NPT.


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## Ashful (Apr 19, 2019)

spudman99 said:


> While I have no personal experience on such equipment, I read threads like this to learn and live vicariously.  I found this information on a different website that may also help those who like to learn/are geeky.
> 
> "Okay, if you want the down and dirty scoop, here it is. Hydraulic fittings can be, 1. Pipe thread- NPT or NPTF 2. Boss (oring sealed)
> 3. JIC (37º flared) 4. Autoclave - for extremely high pressure (like 10,000 psi) 5. SAE (45º flared for low pressure like 1,000 psi or less) 6. Tube fittings - like swagelock etc...
> ...



Exactly.  But only skip the tape when using new NPTF with new NPTF.  If you’re mixing NPT with NPTF (as most do), or re-using fittings, go with the tape.  

I happen to know the author of that blurb, I contributed to one of his other projects many years ago.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 19, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Exactly.  But only skip the tape when using new NPTF with new NPTF.  If you’re mixing NPT with NPTF (as most do), or re-using fittings, go with the tape.
> 
> I happen to know the author of that blurb, I contributed to one of his other projects many years ago.



Sometimes when I think I'm detail oriented, I read works by engineers.


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## heavy hammer (Apr 19, 2019)

I agree with what you said Ashful, I did the pipe tape on the incoming line to the rear spools because the tractor mechanic said to, just a little to help seal it up.  When I had the two rear spool kits put on the main feed line from the tractor to the spools always just had a small drip or seep.  The mechanic at the tractor dealer recommended tightening or when changing the fluids take that apart and pipe thread it.  I did the pipe thread and it worked great.  Just a small wrap around the threads.  I figure with use and just the way fitting are having a small drip here or there is normal but I'm sure like most I want no leaks or small drips if I can avoid it.


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## Ashful (Apr 20, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> I agree with what you said Ashful, I did the pipe tape on the incoming line to the rear spools because the tractor mechanic said to, just a little to help seal it up.



I also usually use tape on every taper pipe thread, whether NPT or NPTF.  My main reason for this is that I have drawers full of fittings, and don’t sort NPT from NPTF.  I also don’t trust most suppliers to properly segregate, or not mix them up.  I think the only time you really need NPTF without tape is when working with corrosive fluids that will dissolve the tape, which is not something I really run into into typical household and hydraulic applications.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 20, 2019)

The pole contractor came yesterday, we hope to get a quote soon. They can't do the work for another month since they are the only guys in the area. This gives me time to order the backhoe and dig a trench so we can vury our line from the pole. So I'll be stopping by the dealer and leaving a check today on the way to get the groceries


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## salecker (Apr 20, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I found a dribble after several hours of use. When I change the fluids I'll take the fitting apart and try again with some extra pipe tape.


The best product for fixing leaks is hemp
It needs a little extra work to apply,but the beauty of hemp is if the thread still leaks the hemp swells when in contact with liquid and stops leaking.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 20, 2019)

salecker said:


> The best product for fixing leaks is hemp
> It needs a little extra work to apply,but the beauty of hemp is if the thread still leaks the hemp swells when in contact with liquid and stops leaking.


Is there a brand or type you recommend? I assume you can't just use random hemp fibers in the threads.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 20, 2019)

The BH is on order. I'm pretty stoked!


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## SpaceBus (Apr 20, 2019)

While checking the grease points on my equipment the other day my wife pointed out I'm missing a tooth on my stump grinder. Initially I could only find them from the manufacturer for $50/ea. Then I found them from a Ford dealer (?) for $25. After some more digging I found a thread by another Shaver SC-50 owner and he found them for $7.00 with lock nut, they will even put new carbide tips if I manage not to lose the whole tooth. This significantly reduces the cost of use for that piece of equipment and makes me less nervous using it around my rocky soil. There seems to be more boulders than roots in the dirt!


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## heavy hammer (Apr 20, 2019)

That is a big difference in cost.  Tractorbynet is a good place to go as well for some tractor an implement advise I know Thewoodlands is on there as well.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 20, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> That is a big difference in cost.  Tractorbynet is a good place to go as well for some tractor an implement advise I know Thewoodlands is on there as well.


The teeth on our backhoe bucket cost 50 per, I ended up buying five extra after cracking on.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 20, 2019)

Felled some more trees today. I'll move them tomorrow if the weather holds. Half of them were dead and I just pulled them over with the winch. I used the winch for all of them to be 100% sure my hinges worked.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 20, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Felled some more trees today. I'll move them tomorrow if the weather holds. Half of them were dead and I just pulled them over with the winch. I used the winch for all of them to be 100% sure my hinges worked.


Nice work @SpaceBus , you'll have that extra room real quick the way you're working.

I was reading a thread on a tractor forum about grapples, some of the cylinders on some bota's bent, this response is from a epic contributor. I'm sure this could happen to any tractor.

The below info was posted by ovrszd.

A Grapple increases the chances of doing it. Curl the bucket forward, grab an object that's grounded or heavier than your FEL should handle, reverse the tractor. Now the resistance is trying to open the Grapple. Pull hard enough and you bend the ram from compression force.

Be real careful about putting yourself in this situation. A Grapple puts tremendous stresses on an FEL that it's not designed to handle.

If you have a good hardware or AG supply store near you might check with them. They can take the dimensions of your cylinder and order a replacement. Probably at considerably less cost than going thru Kubota


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## SpaceBus (Apr 20, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Nice work @SpaceBus , you'll have that extra room real quick the way you're working.
> 
> I was reading a thread on a tractor forum about grapples, some of the cylinders on some bota's bent, this response is from a epic contributor. I'm sure this could happen to any tractor.
> 
> ...



I don't like to use the tractor itself to pull things out. If it doesn't come up with the FEL, then I try another way. I also read on another thread on TBN not to use the top lid of the grapple to pull things. I have been considering a ballast box, but if something doesn't lift with the stump grinder or BH (when it arrives) on the back of the tractor, I don't have any business trying to lift it. I definitely keep you words about not using the tractor as construction equipment at the front of my mind when using the tractor. The bulk of my work so far has been skidding trees/logs and a few rocks.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 20, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I don't like to use the tractor itself to pull things out. If it doesn't come up with the FEL, then I try another way. I also read on another thread on TBN not to use the top lid of the grapple to pull things. I have been considering a ballast box, but if something doesn't lift with the stump grinder or BH (when it arrives) on the back of the tractor, I don't have any business trying to lift it. I definitely keep you words about not using the tractor as construction equipment at the front of my mind when using the tractor. The bulk of my work so far has been skidding trees/logs and a few rocks.


I think that we get on the tractor and just want to go without thinking the job through, that can get us in trouble.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 20, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I think that we get on the tractor and just want to go without thinking the job through, that can get us in trouble.



I definitely like to get off of it and look at the work area before I use ground engagement stuff. Today I just set the snatch block on a good sized tree that I'm keeping and guided several trees down with the winch. The tractor didn't even move. In fact I don't think I even sat in the seat!


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## SpaceBus (Apr 22, 2019)

Yesterday I missed the frozen ground. I had to drag some logs out of my work area and they gouged the gravel driveway. I usually leave the tops on when I drag trees, so not much of an issue, but these were way too big for that. Fortunately it was easy to rake the gravel back where it is supposed to be. Today I'm going to use the tractor to get all the rounds over to the splitter. Unfortunately the area I just cut is too Rocky to put the splitter closer to the rounds.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 22, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Yesterday I missed the frozen ground. I had to drag some logs out of my work area and they gouged the gravel driveway. I usually leave the tops on when I drag trees, so not much of an issue, but these were way too big for that. Fortunately it was easy to rake the gravel back where it is supposed to be. Today I'm going to use the tractor to get all the rounds over to the splitter. Unfortunately the area I just cut is too Rocky to put the splitter closer to the rounds.


If you can fit the tractor back there, you can get the splitter there.  I've been raking up dead grass and some leaves today which went back in on  our property I do most of the cutting on, it's drying out nice back there.


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## salecker (Apr 22, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Is there a brand or type you recommend? I assume you can't just use random hemp fibers in the threads.


Most old plumping shops will have it.It is probably the same as hemp rope
If you are considering using it this is the procedure taught to me
-Take a shape chisel and score the threads at a 90 degree or close making lines 1/4" or so apart,these scores will hold the hemp and help pull it into the threads as it is being tightened.
-wrap hemp around the fitting in the opposite way of the threads,then the tail of the hemp is pulled as apposed to being pushed.
-wrap enough around so the threads are covered,and apply a light coat of some pipe dope to hold the hemp to the fitting.
-install and tighten then forget about it
-next fitting.
A bit of a pain,but worth it when i built my boiler system i had one out of over 150 threaded fitting leak,it was a reused fitting.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 22, 2019)

salecker said:


> Most old plumping shops will have it.It is probably the same as hemp rope
> If you are considering using it this is the procedure taught to me
> -Take a shape chisel and score the threads at a 90 degree or close making lines 1/4" or so apart,these scores will hold the hemp and help pull it into the threads as it is being tightened.
> -wrap hemp around the fitting in the opposite way of the threads,then the tail of the hemp is pulled as apposed to being pushed.
> ...


I'll have to find a pumping shop.


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## Ashful (Apr 22, 2019)

salecker said:


> Most old plumping shops will have it.It is probably the same as hemp rope
> If you are considering using it this is the procedure taught to me
> -Take a shape chisel and score the threads at a 90 degree or close making lines 1/4" or so apart,these scores will hold the hemp and help pull it into the threads as it is being tightened.
> -wrap hemp around the fitting in the opposite way of the threads,then the tail of the hemp is pulled as apposed to being pushed.
> ...



I’m not going to argue with your method, I have no experience with it.  But I will say I have the same or better failure rate with regular Teflon tape, at a whole lot less work.  My failure rate with gold ‘ol Rectorseal No.5 dope is even lower.  In hydraulic applications I use tape or a dope made specifically for hydraulics (Loctite makes one available to consumers, and your tractor dealer likely stocks it).  This hemp thing seems to be going to the extreme, and I doubt it’s necessity, in most normal applications.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 22, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> If you can fit the tractor back there, you can get the splitter there.  I've been raking up dead grass and some leaves today which went back in on  our property I do most of the cutting on, it's drying out nice back there.


Ha, I got the tractor stuck on a stump today. I had to get the farm jack out, lift the tractor, cut the stump, and set it back down on some smaller rounds just to be safe. It's messy now. I'm going to have to cut the stumps and rake it out once it fully thaws.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 22, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Ha, I got the tractor stuck on a stump today. I had to get the farm jack out, lift the tractor, cut the stump, and set it back down on some smaller rounds just to be safe. It's messy now. I'm going to have to cut the stumps and rake it out once it fully thaws.


I did another three loads of leaves and pine needles which I put on some trails that needed it, the peepers are going strong. I'll finish raking the backyard tomorrow and maybe the front.

You didn't hurt your tractor did ya? Before we had the tractor with the hoe, I spent a bunch of time cutting the stumps flush with the ground near the trails, lets just say I had a mudder chain after I did five stumps.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 22, 2019)

Of course I forgot to take a pic of the whole cord, but you get the idea. It took me a while  but I finally found a way to store my firewood that isn't ugly or space consuming. Eventually I'll make coverings for them. By the time I'm done it should be about a cord and a half.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 22, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I did another three loads of leaves and pine needles which I put on some trails that needed it, the peepers are going strong. I'll finish raking the backyard tomorrow and maybe the front.
> 
> You didn't hurt your tractor did ya? Before we had the tractor with the hoe, I spent a bunch of time cutting the stumps flush with the ground near the trails, lets just say I had a mudder chain after I did five stumps.


 No, I just high centered it. I'll grind all the stumps down on Wednesday or Thursday.


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## salecker (Apr 23, 2019)

Ashful said:


> I’m not going to argue with your method, I have no experience with it.  But I will say I have the same or better failure rate with regular Teflon tape, at a whole lot less work.  My failure rate with gold ‘ol Rectorseal No.5 dope is even lower.  In hydraulic applications I use tape or a dope made specifically for hydraulics (Loctite makes one available to consumers, and your tractor dealer likely stocks it).  This hemp thing seems to be going to the extreme, and I doubt it’s necessity, in most normal applications.


I did a test myself because i was skeptical as well.
So when i started to build my system i built a stand with 2 500 gal propane tanks where i had to weld some extra ports to .So i plugged all the openings and used
-just teflon tape
-just pipe dope
-hemp and dope
I had one fitting with Teflon tape that i couln't tighten enough to stop leaking.the pipe dope ones were tightened to be leak free,the hemp ones need nothing.I was testing system to  to 80 psi,normal working pressure is up to 30 psi.
 Over the years i have had enough leaks without using hemp.
 Now i have time to do it right,instead of the extra time it takes to do it twice.
 Just like the saying "There is never time to do it right,but always enough time to do it twice".


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## heavy hammer (Apr 23, 2019)

With what you said about not thinking about before the job.  Equipment still has its limits most take them to far that is how things get broken.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 27, 2019)

The chipper shredder made it to the dealer yesterday, but they were too busy to bring it here. It should be showing up today or Monday. It's pretty windy and rainy today, so I won't he surprised if it comes Monday.


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## Ashful (Apr 27, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> With what you said about not thinking about before the job.  Equipment still has its limits most take them to far that is how things get broken.



I find I’m always traction and weight limited, on all the tractors I’ve ever owned.  I’m more likely to flip the machine and break *me*, before breaking any equipment.

That said, I’ve always owned older stuff, which due to a lack of economical engineering, is usually comically over-built for its intended purpose.  Modern equipment may be more engineered to “just good enough.”


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## thewoodlands (Apr 28, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> The chipper shredder made it to the dealer yesterday, but they were too busy to bring it here. It should be showing up today or Monday. It's pretty windy and rainy today, so I won't he surprised if it comes Monday.


The suns been out today so that's helping things dry up some, the river still running high especially the houses that are just above the rivers normal water height. I did see one home with sandbags around three sides.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 28, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> The suns been out today so that's helping things dry up some, the river still running high especially the houses that are just above the rivers normal water height. I did see one home with sandbags around three sides.


We are having sun today too, finally! Our ground is so saturated, I can't do much of anything with the tractor right now.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 28, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We are having sun today too, finally! Our ground is so saturated, I can't do much of anything with the tractor right now.


I've been keeping the tractor off the trails for the same reason, it's been drying out pretty good back here so after tearing up the trails last year with the tractor, I'm staying off them.

I have a few things that I need to attend and then I can get back working on felling the ash.

I did make the boss some spaghetti sauce yesterday with some pork chops browned in the pan before I made the sauce.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 28, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We are having sun today too, finally! Our ground is so saturated, I can't do much of anything with the tractor right now.







The fluctuating temperatures in the northern mid-Atlantic will result as storms continue to track through the Northeast, causing rounds of rain and thunderstorms to keep pestering those with outdoor plans in the Northeast.

Snow may also re-visit the interior of northern New England on a couple of occasions.

"If the storm late in the week follows a more northerly track, then winds would turn from the west and briefly end the spring chill across New England on Friday," Andrews said. "However, a more southern track can keep the chill in place."

Regardless of that storm's track, an end to the summer warmth over the southern mid-Atlantic will come in its wake.

Temperatures next weekend throughout the northeastern U.S. should be near to slightly below normal.


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## heavy hammer (Apr 28, 2019)

The temps for the next week are supposed to be warmer but a chance of rain almost every day.  I did cut some wood this weekend five truck loads of locust with one more still to get at the bottom of the hill I was cutting at but the ground is to wet to take a truck on now.  I put it up on some other log pieces till I can get to it this summer.


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## heavy hammer (Apr 28, 2019)

Like you guys said the yard is way to wet to use the tractor.  I want to move the wood to the woods but I'll wait till it dries out a little.


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## thewoodlands (Apr 29, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> The temps for the next week are supposed to be warmer but a chance of rain almost every day.  I did cut some wood this weekend five truck loads of locust with one more still to get at the bottom of the hill I was cutting at but the ground is to wet to take a truck on now.  I put it up on some other log pieces till I can get to it this summer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice job @heavy hammer , that's some nice firewood.


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## heavy hammer (Apr 29, 2019)

Thanks I worked for this stuff.  It was on the side of a hill, I had to cut it smaller so i could carry it.


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## SpaceBus (Apr 30, 2019)

The chipper shredder is on the way still in the crate along with a stihl 131r kombi system power head along with an extension and the pole saw attachment. At some point I'll get a string trimmer, blower, and probably a 20" scythe


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## SpaceBus (Apr 30, 2019)

I got the crating off, but didn't get all of the fasteners tightened up before it got dark. We'll see how the weather goes tomorrow.


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## Ashful (May 1, 2019)

Looks like a lot of equipment sitting outdoors?  I hope you have a barn for this fleet of toys!  Nothing eats equipment faster than sunlight and weather.


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## SpaceBus (May 1, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Looks like a lot of equipment sitting outdoors?  I hope you have a barn for this fleet of toys!  Nothing eats equipment faster than sunlight and weather.


It's in the works. Need the equipment to make room for the barn. I have several large canvas tarps for the equipment until the barn comes.

I ran the Wallenstein BXM42 today and it is awesome. It didn't come with a PTO shaft so I'm borrowing one from the winch until a new one gets here. I ordered a slip clutch protected shaft from Agri Supply. My dealer will probably still have to cut it.


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## SpaceBus (May 2, 2019)

I've never been so sore after cutting. Yesterday before I ran the BXM42 I used the new Stihl Kombi System with the pole saw/pruner. Although I only ran one tank of fuel through it, I'm super beat, especially my shoulders. It was my first time using such a tool, but man are my shoulders sore!


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## SpaceBus (May 2, 2019)

I ran the stump grinder for a few hours today. The ground thawed as I ground out stumps and now the work area is very soft and muddy. I'm finding that as I remove the stumps the remaining roots become very mobile and the ground just parts for the tractor. The green moss we have everywhere seems to insulate the clay and keep it frozen. I found a large patch of frozen clay under some loose top soil. This place amazes me. As of today we've also been here in Maine for six months.

A few or the pics show all of the branches and limbs I took off. I'll have to snap a pic of the massive pile of wood chips and mulch from those limbs.


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## heavy hammer (May 2, 2019)

I know how you feel SpaceBus, that is how I felt after cutting and splitting this past weekend.


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## SpaceBus (May 2, 2019)

This area I'm clearing is going to be additional parking and will eventually lead to the planned barn. I'm praying the ground will dry out more, but I think the top soil is just too loose. I'm not quite sure what to do now actually. I know to properly build a road I need to excavate a few feet down and put down sand, large gravel, and then layers of increasingly smaller gravel. Obviously there's a lot I'm glossing over, but you get the point. Am I already to that point after clearing all of the stumps? There's obviously loads of roots, branches, and stone in the dirt I have to get out regardless of what I do.

A better question would be what's a good place to read up on this?


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## SpaceBus (May 2, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> I know how you feel SpaceBus, that is how I felt after cutting and splitting this past weekend.



Thankfully the hydraulic splitter takes the work out of most of it. The husky 460 still gets really heavy after bucking several trees. Buying the tiny Stihl 150-TC helped a ton for prepping the trees for bucking. Limbing with the 460 is a test of will power.


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## thewoodlands (May 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I ran the stump grinder for a few hours today. The ground thawed as I ground out stumps and now the work area is very soft and muddy. I'm finding that as I remove the stumps the remaining roots become very mobile and the ground just parts for the tractor. The green moss we have everywhere seems to insulate the clay and keep it frozen. I found a large patch of frozen clay under some loose top soil. This place amazes me. As of today we've also been here in Maine for six months.
> 
> A few or the pics show all of the branches and limbs I took off. I'll have to snap a pic of the massive pile of wood chips and mulch from those limbs.


Nice work @SpaceBus , it's looking better every week.


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## SpaceBus (May 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Nice work @SpaceBus , it's looking better every week.



Thank you. This forum makes me take photos which I forget to do normally.


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## thewoodlands (May 2, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Thank you. This forum makes me take photos which I forget to do normally.


They say we'll get over half an inch of rain from this tomorrow, it looks like Saturday might be my next chance to get some firewood work done.


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## SpaceBus (May 2, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> They say we'll get over half an inch of rain from this tomorrow, it looks like Saturday might be my next chance to get some firewood work done.
> View attachment 243849


We might just avoid it.


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## heavy hammer (May 3, 2019)

I'm sure every tractor owner here has been dealing with the rain and the mud.  I know it is still early but the amount of rain so far has been making things difficult to get done.  SpaceBus try tractorbynet, I know thewoodlands is there as myself.  Maybe you could get some others opinions about your projects.


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## SpaceBus (May 3, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> I'm sure every tractor owner here has been dealing with the rain and the mud.  I know it is still early but the amount of rain so far has been making things difficult to get done.  SpaceBus try tractorbynet, I know thewoodlands is there as myself.  Maybe you could get some others opinions about your projects.



I found a guide from the Maine.gov website, but it confirmed that I should really excavate the whole thing. I'll give it some more time, perhaps it won't be as bad as it seems. At least the stumps are gone!


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## thewoodlands (May 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I found a guide from the Maine.gov website, but it confirmed that I should really excavate the whole thing. I'll give it some more time, perhaps it won't be as bad as it seems. At least the stumps are gone!


I read your post on building your road/parking area, it sounds like what they did here when they built the house. 

You'll have plenty of roots from all the trees you took down, they can be a pain in the arse.


----------



## SpaceBus (May 3, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> I read your post on building your road/parking area, it sounds like what they did here when they built the house.
> 
> You'll have plenty of roots from all the trees you took down, they can be a pain in the arse.



Our driveway is decent and was built correctly when the house was built. It needs to be resurfaced, due to age and non use, but I don't think the driveway will need much if any material added. We are now hoping this cleared dries out so we can pack it all down and build up rather than excavate. It would take an incredible amount of fill material if I were to excavate the area. We are already planning a 120' trench for our power lines. That excavated material will then be used to backfill a different cleared area.

Here's some pics I took this morning. Grinding out stumps really turns up the top soil. There are stump shavings everywhere.


----------



## salecker (May 3, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> This area I'm clearing is going to be additional parking and will eventually lead to the planned barn. I'm praying the ground will dry out more, but I think the top soil is just too loose. I'm not quite sure what to do now actually. I know to properly build a road I need to excavate a few feet down and put down sand, large gravel, and then layers of increasingly smaller gravel. Obviously there's a lot I'm glossing over, but you get the point. Am I already to that point after clearing all of the stumps? There's obviously loads of roots, branches, and stone in the dirt I have to get out regardless of what I do.
> 
> A better question would be what's a good place to read up on this?


For your road...
You can build the base with clay,no need to dig down.If you dig down in clay and fill with gravel you are actually making a pond under the road bed you can't see.The clay makes a great road,you just need the water to leave right away.Good ditches and no ponds near the road,a good crown.Then all you need to buy is some crush for a cap or even fine gravel.Spreading some of the ash on the top after will turn it into a concrete like surface.In the winter use the ash for traction and it will slowly firm up the gravel.
 We live on top of 300 ft of lake bottom clay.All my roads,pads,building sites have had no clay removal,just a good drainage on the original grade then cover with gravel.


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## SpaceBus (May 6, 2019)

salecker said:


> For your road...
> You can build the base with clay,no need to dig down.If you dig down in clay and fill with gravel you are actually making a pond under the road bed you can't see.The clay makes a great road,you just need the water to leave right away.Good ditches and no ponds near the road,a good crown.Then all you need to buy is some crush for a cap or even fine gravel.Spreading some of the ash on the top after will turn it into a concrete like surface.In the winter use the ash for traction and it will slowly firm up the gravel.
> We live on top of 300 ft of lake bottom clay.All my roads,pads,building sites have had no clay removal,just a good drainage on the original grade then cover with gravel.



This post really did give me some hope about our plans the other day.


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## SpaceBus (May 9, 2019)

The slip clutch pto shaft came in today. It's just barely short enough with my quick attach lower links. I'll cut a few inches off each end when my vise comes in. I filled half of this wooden box I made over the weekend today with pruned branches and debris from clearing trees. Before I started chipping today I dumped the box from yesterday, it was full. I'm using the chips to back fill the first area I cleared so I can actually drive through there with the tractor. I'm hoping between the wood chips and warmer weather it will be drive able soon.


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## SpaceBus (May 9, 2019)

Does anyone have experience with Hydraulic top links? I'm considering one for the Everything attachments land leveler when it gets here.


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## heavy hammer (May 9, 2019)

I have seen a couple video's.  How are you planning on tying into your hydraulics?  I would call or message everything attachments see what they recommend.


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## SpaceBus (May 9, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> I have seen a couple video's.  How are you planning on tying into your hydraulics?  I would call or message everything attachments see what they recommend.


I figured just tie into one of my two rear remotes with quick couplers. Ideally I would like a "third function" type setup so I can have hydraulic top link and use both remotes for the stump grinder. The third function route sounds expensive.


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## heavy hammer (May 9, 2019)

where are you getting the hydro top link from?


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## SpaceBus (May 10, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> where are you getting the hydro top link from?


Possibly agri supply company, that's who I got the slip clutch PTO from. I figured I'd shop around a bit for the right length


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## heavy hammer (May 10, 2019)

Is it an option to install more remotes instead of a third function valve?  I have seen some with three and four remotes.


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## maple1 (May 10, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> Is it an option to install more remotes instead of a third function valve?  I have seen some with three and four remotes.



Should be. At around the same cost. Generally speaking.


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## SpaceBus (May 10, 2019)

maple1 said:


> Should be. At around the same cost. Generally speaking.


Yeah, I found out when I had the third function for the grapple and the second remote installed by the dealer. Their labor rates are less than palatable. Perhaps I will be learning how to do it myself.


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## SpaceBus (May 10, 2019)

A quick Google search does not reveal anything about adding a third remote. The manufacturer literature only covered the single remote that comes standard with a second optional remote (which was added). Adding the second remote unfortunately required the removal of a wheel and fender. My house currently doesn't have any really solid surfaces (working on this) that I trust to hold up my tractor with a jack stand while I work on it. Our parking area and driveway haven't been maintained since 1975... Which leads me back to the hydraulic upper link.


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## maple1 (May 10, 2019)

It could be that your specific make/model can only do 2 remotes?

We just went thru a shopping/horse trading exercise with the Kubota dealer last month. Round numbers, he was talking $1k for 3rd. function out front and 'about the same' for a 3rd. remote out back (Canabucks). That was for an M6. Likely quite a variation in options & prices between makes & models.


----------



## SpaceBus (May 10, 2019)

maple1 said:


> It could be that your specific make/model can only do 2 remotes?
> 
> We just went thru a shopping/horse trading exercise with the Kubota dealer last month. Round numbers, he was talking $1k for 3rd. function out front and 'about the same' for a 3rd. remote out back (Canabucks). That was for an M6. Likely quite a variation in options & prices between makes & models.



I'm sure some kind of electro hydraulic third function type of setup could be added to one of my remotes to run a hydro top link. It's not like I'll need to use the remote and top link circuits at the same time. I was eyeballing a pto cement mixer and saw it used a hydraulic top link to make the drum empty. This got me thinking that a hydraulic top link could be really handy for ground engagement type tools.

I guess with the exchange rate I paid about the same for my setup with the third function and second remote. At some point the BH will arrive and I'll pay for that too....


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## maple1 (May 10, 2019)

We don't have any hydro top links, but one would definitely be handy.


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## SpaceBus (May 10, 2019)

maple1 said:


> We don't have any hydro top links, but one would definitely be handy.



https://www.agrisupply.com/top-link-cylinder-cat-1-20-to-28-in/p/90599/

This is the cylinder I am looking at. They also have the best price on the cement mixer, but other projects come first. Once this rain passes I'll measure and see if it will work. If not, I'm sure I can find a double acting cylinder with barrel swivel ends in the right length.


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## heavy hammer (May 10, 2019)

I'm sure if you were to add additional rear remotes they would be after market.  It is usually the bigger tractors that have more than two remotes, the ones our sizes that have three or more were done by the  tractor owner.  Do you know anyone who knows hydraulics?


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## SpaceBus (May 10, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> I'm sure if you were to add additional rear remotes they would be after market.  It is usually the bigger tractors that have more than two remotes, the ones our sizes that have three or more were done by the  tractor owner.  Do you know anyone who knows hydraulics?



No, unfortunately not. There is space on the left side of my seat for another lever at least. I'd like to avoid seeing the dealer, but I'm new to stuff like this. I'm trained in automotive, so I'm sure I could learn about tractors and heavy equipment hydraulics.


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## heavy hammer (May 10, 2019)

I hear you SpaceBus I wanted to try installing my own rear spool kits but I'm new to hydraulics as well.


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## SpaceBus (May 11, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> I hear you SpaceBus I wanted to try installing my own rear spool kits but I'm new to hydraulics as well.


I'd like to do a spool, but more likely it will be some kind of electro hydraulic third function since I don't need all three going at the same time.


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## heavy hammer (May 19, 2019)

You figure out what you are going to do to run your hydro top link?


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## SpaceBus (May 19, 2019)

heavy hammer said:


> You figure out what you are going to do to run your hydro top link?


I'm waiting until my land plane arrives (should be here any day) then I'm measuring all of my attachments to get the right one. I'm hoping the unit from ASC will work. For the short term I'll probably just run it from one of my two remotes. Eventually an electro hydraulic setup or a third valve body will happen.


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## Bad LP (May 19, 2019)

For multiple functions off a single lever (in my case the thumb switch on the joy stick) I'm using a Fasse valve. I was not willing to spend stupid money adding factory John Deere rear remotes to run my Normand snowblower. Only one function at a time is possible but I can live with that. 

The factory rear remote is plumbed into the duel Fasse valve (I should have done a triple) with a pair of hydro lines from the rear remotes. The new valve then has the quick disconnects. The valve assembly is bolted onto a 1/4" aluminum plate that I machined and the plate is bolted into the rear of the tractor. It's a very slick set up and very professional looking. 

Sloan Express had some very good pricing and free shipping. I think you can gang up to 5 of these in a row.


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## SpaceBus (May 19, 2019)

Bad LP said:


> For multiple functions off a single lever (in my case the thumb switch on the joy stick) I'm using a Fasse valve. I was not willing to spend stupid money adding factory John Deere rear remotes to run my Normand snowblower. Only one function at a time is possible but I can live with that.
> 
> The factory rear remote is plumbed into the duel Fasse valve (I should have done a triple) with a pair of hydro lines from the rear remotes. The new valve then has the quick disconnects. The valve assembly is bolted onto a 1/4" aluminum plate that I machined and the plate is bolted into the rear of the tractor. It's a very slick set up and very professional looking.
> 
> Sloan Express had some very good pricing and free shipping. I think you can gang up to 5 of these in a row.



Wow, that's actually pretty neat. I can't imagine ever needing more than one, but you never know. Could you post some photos? Sound sspendy, but less spendy than an aftermarket remote. Do you think this is something a car mechanic could accomplish? I've never dealt with hydraulics aside from brakes on a car.


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## Bad LP (May 19, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Wow, that's actually pretty neat. I can't imagine ever needing more than one, but you never know. Could you post some photos? Sound sspendy, but less spendy than an aftermarket remote. Do you think this is something a car mechanic could accomplish? I've never dealt with hydraulics aside from brakes on a car.



It's very simple to do so yes, anybody with light mechanical abilities can do it. Wiring is straight forward and how it ends up looking is on the installer. I still haven't settled on the switch placement in the cab so it's wedged in the side console for now. It was a lot cheaper than installing 2 more rear remotes and valves. Kit was 400 and another few hundred in hose and fittings. I'm well under $1K. 

My biggest hurdle was getting the proper disconnects. I have a very good hydro hose maker 45 mins away so dry fitting the layout and marking the hoses for length then bringing these back to the shop to install the ends took the longest amount of time. I missed one hose length by about 1/2 inch but I'm not anal enough to make another one. Truth is I was the only person who knew till now. LOL 

I'll take some pictures when I get back up there as the blower is still on the machine waiting for mud season to dry up. I deleted the ones on my phone.


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## SpaceBus (May 19, 2019)

Bad LP said:


> It's very simple to do so yes, anybody with light mechanical abilities can do it. Wiring is straight forward and how it ends up looking is on the installer. I still haven't settled on the switch placement in the cab so it's wedged in the side console for now. It was a lot cheaper than installing 2 more rear remotes and valves. Kit was 400 and another few hundred in hose and fittings. I'm well under $1K.
> 
> My biggest hurdle was getting the proper disconnects. I have a very good hydro hose maker 45 mins away so dry fitting the layout and marking the hoses for length then bringing these back to the shop to install the ends took the longest amount of time. I missed one hose length by about 1/2 inch but I'm not anal enough to make another one. Truth is I was the only person who knew till now. LOL
> 
> I'll take some pictures when I get back up there as the blower is still on the machine waiting for mud season to dry up. I deleted the ones on my phone.



I'm horrible at taking photos and my phone does weird stuff in my pocket. The camera is also crap now that I cracked the lens cover. Tomorrow I'm getting a flip phone and a nice waterproof camera is on the way. Hopefully now I'll remember to get more photos. I need to get a chest mount for my go pro so I can do videos. Maybe I'll even get paid for it!


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## SpaceBus (May 20, 2019)

Here's the review I posted to Chippers Direct, since they offered me $5 to do so. 



Many may balk at the high initial price, especially when compared to overseas units. This machine does not have any kind of assisted feeding mechanism like the less expensive overseas units, but none offer shredding capability. If you want to quickly reduce a wooded area into chips, this is NOT the tool of choice. Landowners who are looking to primarily chip and shred small organic material will be interested in this machine. So far I have chipped and shredded a few yards of material and the results are fantastic. Shredded material begins composting shortly after being processed, so great for garden beds, mulch, etc. The chipped material is about quarter to half dollar sized and packs down nicely. The material I processed, items were both chipped and shredded, is being used to cover a tractor path through the woods. The processed material is holding strong to over 5,000 lbs of tractor (with full loader and BXM42 attached) and has been great during Mud Season. 

Now, there are a few downsides to the machine. The shredding attachment will absolutely rip material out of your hand as you feed it into the machine. I have mentioned in the "cons" section there is a learning curve, this is what I am talking about. In the video by the manufacturer (if you can keep your eyes open long enough because it's hilarious) the operator is very careful and handles the material quite gingerly when feeding it into the shredder, you will learn why. I have smacked my hand into the hopper a few times from the quickness at which the machine takes the material. It's not going to drag you in, I'm sure your wife imagines if you watch the video with her (mine did), but it's not pleasant all the same. There are "assists" (I think the manual calls them) that can be opened to let material fall into the shredder. This is only partially true, but you will get the hang of it. This technique is difficult to describe in text, I am no Edgar Allan Poe. 

Another "con" is the so called "self feeding" chipper hopper. I find this to only be partially true. Sometimes you have to push larger stuff through. Not all the time, but it is worth noting.When items are short and pass beyond the flap, then it's up to the machine. When feeding something like a four foot branch, usually the chipper starts to pull the whole thing in. Sometimes when long branches or limbs have too many twigs or other branches, then you have to push the item through. Once the item has passed beyond the flap, generally the chipper will just take it from you and it feeds fine. Sometimes small pieces of debris bounce against the chipper wheel and the flaps until they are totally gone. 

Ideally this machine would get 4.5 stars, but that's not an option. The addition of some kind of belted mechanical or hydraulic feed would make this product absolutely perfect, even with the violent shredder. The price is steep, but this is really the only option available if you want a PTO wood chipper with a shredder. Yeah, I'm sure you are saying "but there's another option out there",  but you would be wrong. This one other option only dumps the material right on the ground, where it is useless. This machine has a 360 degree angle adjustable chute that will blast wood debris where ever you want it to go. Right now I am using a rudimentary box made of disassembled pallets to store and transport the wood material. You can't do this with the other so called "other choice" of PTO chipper shredder.


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## SpaceBus (May 22, 2019)

I had to crop the photo so it would upload, but here's the EA Land Plane. I flipped the shanks so it would sit flat for measuring the third link. I should be able to use the off the shelf ASC hydro top link without any issues. It's kind of embarrassing, but I'm afraid to use this on my driveway, which is the whole reason I bought it. I want to just go for it, but I'd hate to mess up our only parking area...


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## thewoodlands (May 22, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I had to crop the photo so it would upload, but here's the EA Land Plane. I flipped the shanks so it would sit flat for measuring the third link. I should be able to use the off the shelf ASC hydro top link without any issues. It's kind of embarrassing, but I'm afraid to use this on my driveway, which is the whole reason I bought it. I want to just go for it, but I'd hate to mess up our only parking area...


Looks like a well built unit. Even if you messed the driveway up some, you can fix it.


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## SpaceBus (May 22, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Looks like a well built unit. Even if you messed the driveway up some, you can fix it.


I mean, I can't make it much worse I figure. I guess worst case scenario I'll be really poor and pay someone to fix it for me. After watching some more videos, and rewatching others, I'll try it out tomorrow if it's decent. 

After measuring the grader and some other stuff, I'll be at the end of the ASC hydraulic top link if I keep the Pete's quick attach stuff on, which I do really like. I guess I could find something that's four inches longer?


----------



## Hammy (May 25, 2019)

How did it work out for you @SpaceBus? I have never run one but I have heard multivple times that they make the task pretty easy compared to other methods.


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## SpaceBus (May 25, 2019)

Hammy said:


> How did it work out for you @SpaceBus? I have never run one but I have heard multivple times that they make the task pretty easy compared to other methods.


I ended up posting photos here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/work-done-in-2019.173240/page-12#post-2362792 on page 11 and some on 12. It was pretty easy, but I'll probably go over it again once it dries out. I could touch up the edges a little bit.


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## thewoodlands (May 25, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I ended up posting photos here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/work-done-in-2019.173240/page-12#post-2362792 on page 11 and some on 12. It was pretty easy, but I'll probably go over it again once it dries out. I could touch up the edges a little bit.


It looks like we have some heavy rains with lightning coming in, it has been another wet day but it did stay dry long enough for me to get some flowers planted before memorial day on a family grave.


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## thewoodlands (May 25, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I ended up posting photos here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/work-done-in-2019.173240/page-12#post-2362792 on page 11 and some on 12. It was pretty easy, but I'll probably go over it again once it dries out. I could touch up the edges a little bit.


Just before the storm is hitting we lost internet and the cable for the TV but it came back within five minutes, a sign of things to come.


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## SpaceBus (May 25, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> Just before the storm is hitting we lost internet and the cable for the TV but it came back within five minutes, a sign of things to come.


It was beautiful here today. High of 70 with a breeze. The black flies overwhelmed us a few times, but we just kept moving.


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## thewoodlands (May 25, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> It was beautiful here today. High of 70 with a breeze. The black flies overwhelmed us a few times, but we just kept moving.


It was ok until about 1 pm and then the rain started, this last system that moved through dumped a pretty good amount of rain in a short time with some lightning but nothing for winds.


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## SpaceBus (May 25, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> It was ok until about 1 pm and then the rain started, this last system that moved through dumped a pretty good amount of rain in a short time with some lightning but nothing for winds.


This storm doesn't seem like it will make it up here with any strength


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## thewoodlands (May 25, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> This storm doesn't seem like it will make it up here with any strength


This coming at us, flashlights with the genny are ready.

The National Weather Service in Burlington has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  West central Franklin County in northern New York...
  East central St. Lawrence County in northern New York...

* Until 745 PM EDT.

* At 708 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Rensselaer
  Falls, moving east at 50 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind
          damage to trees and powerlines.


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## SpaceBus (May 25, 2019)

thewoodlands said:


> This coming at us, flashlights with the genny are ready.
> 
> The National Weather Service in Burlington has issued a
> 
> ...



Wow, that's serious. I guess we are lucky all the way out here.


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## Ashful (May 26, 2019)

Severe thunderstorms here today, as well.  Waiting them out in the cabana bar at the local country club, with a Tanqueray and tonic.  No stove needed, it’s 86F.


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## SpaceBus (May 26, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Severe thunderstorms here today, as well.  Waiting them out in the cabana bar at the local country club, with a Tanqueray and tonic.  No stove needed, it’s 86F.
> 
> View attachment 244497



It hit a lovely 70 here yesterday, I had on shorts and flip flops. It rained all night and now it's 49 and foggy/misty. I'll have to light the stove, again, in a little while.


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## SpaceBus (Jan 29, 2021)

Anyone else having a rough time with flat faced connectors in the cold?


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## heavy hammer (Jan 29, 2021)

we have some issues with our equipment in the winter.  you know how it is nothing likes to work easy in the cold.  Have you tried letting the fluid warm up a little?  Maybe try a little warm water.


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## SpaceBus (Jan 29, 2021)

heavy hammer said:


> we have some issues with our equipment in the winter.  you know how it is nothing likes to work easy in the cold.  Have you tried letting the fluid warm up a little?  Maybe try a little warm water.


I had to use my butane torch to get one coupler to close, it was frozen in the open position. I had to loosen a line to get them unhooked, and this was on a warm tractor that had been running for a while. They were much easier in the summer, that's for sure! Maybe I could have cycled the grapple a few more times.


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## heavy hammer (Jan 29, 2021)

On our tracked buckets we have problems with the aux hydraulics.  spraying them with WD-40 helps a little.  it seems if they are not used all the time (connecting and disconnecting).  They get stuck/frozen.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2021)

Tried to hook up the grapple hydraulics yesterday and today, but they won't move. I'm hoping that with the high of 32 and full sun the fluid will work with me later.


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## heavy hammer (Mar 6, 2021)

Was the tractor running when you were trying to connect the hydraulics?


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2021)

heavy hammer said:


> Was the tractor running when you were trying to connect the hydraulics?


I connected the grapple couplers to each other to keep the dirt out when I'm not using it. Those couplings won't even separate, much less connect to my tractor hydraulics. I can get by without it today, but if push comes to shove I can release the pressure by breaking open the connectors. This is not what I want to do, since I changed to these flat face connect under pressure couplings because I wanted less fluid to leak between coupling changes and have an easier time in the winter...


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## heavy hammer (Mar 6, 2021)

Carefully maybe try some channel locks or 2 sets of big pliers.  Sometimes the connections become froze or stuck.  Maybe try a different approach when not in use so they do not become stuck.  They make connection covers they are just plastic or rubber nipples that go over the ends with a band that fits around the hose.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2021)

heavy hammer said:


> Carefully maybe try some channel locks or 2 sets of big pliers.  Sometimes the connections become froze or stuck.  Maybe try a different approach when not in use so they do not become stuck.  They make connection covers they are just plastic or rubber nipples that go over the ends with a band that fits around the hose.


I have the rubber covers and usually use them. The grapple side couplers let go today, but can't get them to connect to the tractor. I may go back to pioneer style couplings after all of this hassle.


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## heavy hammer (Mar 6, 2021)

On the female fitting sometimes you can get a small regular screwdriver in between the connection pieces to relieve some pressure watch you will have some fluid spit out.  Did you leave the grapple all the way closed when you disconnected it?


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## heavy hammer (Mar 6, 2021)

Also maybe try messing with the third function valve control button or switch once the tractor is off to try and relieve some pressure on the tractor side.  If that side is a problem.  Just trying to throw out some ideas and help, not sure if I'm giving any.  I know how frustration it is to not get the connectors to come together.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 6, 2021)

heavy hammer said:


> Also maybe try messing with the third function valve control button or switch once the tractor is off to try and relieve some pressure on the tractor side.  If that side is a problem.  Just trying to throw out some ideas and help, not sure if I'm giving any.  I know how frustration it is to not get the connectors to come together.


In warm weather I don't have any issues and really can connect these flat face connectors under pressure. I'll try and find a good plastic or wood tool to press the rings, hadn't thought of that. A bit over a month ago I had to use hot water and a butane torch. 

I did leave the grapple all the way closed last time I unhooked it, is this part of my problem? Come to think of it I usually don't have as many issues hooking my stump grinder, but it has small pioneer connectors as well.


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## heavy hammer (Mar 7, 2021)

Maybe try leaving the grapple lid or lids in a semi loose position.  When I park my tractor for the day I lightly squeeze the grapple around the bucket, once the tractor is parked where it sits for the night I turn it off.  With the tractor off I push the third function button and move the joystick around to have the grapple lids release the fluid out and close lightly down.  I can go out right now and move the lids up with the tractor off.  I think the grapple lids or lid being closed tightly is making the connections difficult in the cold.  Once the fluid warms up it makes it a little easier.  Just a thought give it a try and let me know.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 7, 2021)

heavy hammer said:


> Maybe try leaving the grapple lid or lids in a semi loose position.  When I park my tractor for the day I lightly squeeze the grapple around the bucket, once the tractor is parked where it sits for the night I turn it off.  With the tractor off I push the third function button and move the joystick around to have the grapple lids release the fluid out and close lightly down.  I can go out right now and move the lids up with the tractor off.  I think the grapple lids or lid being closed tightly is making the connections difficult in the cold.  Once the fluid warms up it makes it a little easier.  Just a thought give it a try and let me know.


I'll give it a try. Whenever hooking/unhooking I follow the same routine of letting the pressure release with the tractor off, but never left the grapple open.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 9, 2021)

Yesterday it warmed up enough to get the grapple hydraulics to attach. After getting the grapple hooked up I parked it wrapped around the bucket and the couplings worked as they are supposed to. After using the forks to move some firewood I put the grapple back on. After using some sticks to push the connector rings open to relieve pressure they connected right back up. I suspect if it hadn't been cold it would have gone even easier.


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## heavy hammer (Mar 9, 2021)

I'm glad it worked out maybe have some kind of heater or a way to warm up the connections without burning them.


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## ClintonH (Mar 10, 2021)

heavy hammer said:


> I'm glad it worked out maybe have some kind of heater or a way to warm up the connections without burning them.


Halogen worklight or an IR lamp is a good option.  Maybe a shroud or a cover of some sort to hold some of the heat in.


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## SpaceBus (Mar 11, 2021)

I do have a spare brooder heat lamp I could use. Seems like winter is mostly done, so I hopefully won't have to deal with this again till next winter, but I will know what to do now.


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