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I've been thinking of buying a fake wood stove, an electric stove that looks like a wood stove. I want it to heat a 200 square foot room. I have a propane stove that I have to replace, and we were wondering if the electric stove might even by cheaper. I want a stove that looks like a wood...

My wife and I talked to a guy we know who does a lot of work on agricultural houses. We asked for a estimate for our work and our driveway will cost about $35,000. The driveway is over 4000 square feet and it costs that for blacktop. But he told me that he can do sur pac for $15000 for all...

WE have a propane stove that looks like a wood stove, but the stove has to be space. The propane door is cut across, and I can't find anyone who is able replace the door. We just went to the local stove store and they were selling True North TN24 Gas Stove. My wife and I like it, and it burns...

When I had a goat dairy farm, with sheep, horses and other livestock, I had 2 large pickups with trailers. But recently, I greatly down sized and just have a few livestock pets now. My pick up just died and my wife and I are considering getting a cargo van. Does anyone know how many small...

I'd like to replace a vented propane heating stove that I have in my sun room. The room is not heated and is approximately 10 feet by 25 feet. When I bought the house it had a vented propane heating stove, and we've never had one before. Previously we had wood stoves, but this stove is cleaner...

We have a bunch of large berry bushes that need trimming. My wife and I were thinking of getting a battery powered hedge trimmer. Anyone have one they would recommend or one that we should stay away from? Home Depot has a 60 volt Greenworks Trimmer that looks interesting, and the price was...

I need to replace the battery in my pickup truck, a 2001 GMC Sierra half ton. It's not an everyday driver, I just use it for transporting hay and other farm stuff, occasionally pulling a small trailer. I only use it a few times each month. Is an AGM battery worth the extra price? They're...

I don't have many power outages, but when I do, the gas generator is a pain. Noisy, needs periodic maintenance. I have enough gas engines, I'd love to eliminate one. Besides, if you don't have power in your area, where are you gonna get gas???? Solar generators seem like the way to go...

My wife and I would like to have one of these hand pumps installed over our drilled well. I know they can be installed over the electric pump and can be used in case of power outages. It seems the Simple pump can be connected to your water supply and you can hand pump water into your pressure...

Wanna Relief from Hot Summer & Humidity Wherever You Go? I keep seeing ads for these things on the net. They sound too good, and too cheap to be true, so I figure it's a scam. Anyone know anything about these portable AC things?

I'd like to get a battery powered weed whacker. Does anyone have any they would recommend or any that I should stay away from? Thanks!!!!

We're in the process of moving, and during the move the surface of the screen of our 60 inch flat screen got scratched. I don't know how it will affect viewing the picture, it'll be a while before we have the time to set it up. Is there anything that can be done to remove the scratch? Thanks.

We are finally downsizing our 102 acre farm to a smaller property. The place we are considering apparently has propane heat (we're going to look at it for the first time on Saturday). It has a vertical propane tank, but the stove is electric, so I assume it is propane heat. I've never had...

Harbor Freight has this Lynxx 40 volt lithium chain saw on sale for $149.99. I have a really bad back (I'm going to have my 3rd back surgery), and I thought a cordless electric chain saw might be easier for me to handle for trimming and cutting up small trees than my real chain saw. Does...

My brush hog is really old and has died and isn't worth repairing. A dealer in my area has a Taylor Pittsburgh Model 366 6 foot brush hog with 5 hours on it for $1500. I never heard of this brand, does anyone have any experience with it? Is $1500 a good price? Thanks!!!

I haven't put down a tile floor in years, but my wife and I are considering putting tiles on a section of wood flooring that is just too beat up to refinish. In the past, I never used self-stick floor tiles because the adhesive wasn't very good, and they'd eventually come loose. Are self-stick...

I have a 2004 Subaru Outback, and the headlight lenses have become cloudy. I bought one of those buffing kits to clear it up, and it does clear it up, but it doesn't last, and the lenses become cloudy again. I've been looking online for someplace that sells replacement lenses, but they just...

My wife and I are considering getting a new car for commuting (57 miles each way), and we're considering the Subaru Impreza, because it gets good mileage (38mpg hwy) and is AWD. We have a 2004 Outback that's been great. But I've heard that new Subarus have problems with catalytic converters at...

My wife is getting a new job, and she will have about 100 mile round trip. We need to get her a new car with good mileage. Someone suggested that we get a VW Passat. Does anyone have any experience with the Passat, good or bad? Thanks for an info.

I'm sooo tired of TSC and their stocking issues. When TSC first opened a store in our area, about 15 years ago, my wife and I were thrilled. We had a goat dairy farm, milking 60 goats, and I bought all of my dairy cleaning supplies at TSC, because it was the cheapest place to get them. My...

I'm going to put in a couple of frost free hydrants on my farm. I put in half a dozen on my previous farm, and I had mixed results with different manufacturers. I had several that froze when it got below zero, even after I dug them back up and put more gravel under them. But I had one that...

My wife and I are planning on retiring in the next year, and Knoxville, Tennessee is one of the places that we're considering. Is anyone from that area? We're looking for something for about $150,000, the amount of property doesn't matter, I know we won't be having a farm anymore. We're...

My wife and I have the opportunity to buy some Kunekune pigs. Doe s anyone have any experience owning or breeding them? Does anyone know what the market is for the piglets?

Can anyone tell me how cost efficient propane heat is compared to oil heat? My wife and I my be moving to a smaller farm, and some that we've looked at on line have propane heat, which we've never had, so we wanted to know how cost efficient it is. .We have no idea what propane costs right...

First of all, Merry Christmas, everyone! My Christmas morning didn't start out so well. As I was putting out a round bale to my horses, a gust of wind blew a gate onto the side of my Kubota L4630 cab tractor. It was a light tubular gate, but as soon as it hit the door, the door just...

Due to health issues for both my wife and I, we are faced with the possibility of selling our 100 acre farm in upstate New York, and possibly moving south. We still want rural property, but we are having problems maintaining 100 acres and lots of live stock. We'd like a small place of a few...

I have a fenced in pen for my dogs to go out, and they like to hang out there for periods of time. I want to enclose the deck part of the pen (it already has a roof on it) to just protect them from the wind, as a couple of them enjoy laying on the deck even in the cold weather. I just want to...

I recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback. The a/c runs nice and cold for about 5 to 10 minutes and then the cold air turns to the temperature of the outside air. When you start it up the next time, the same thing happens. Could it just need more Freon? I've never seen something like this...

I was at a yard sale today with a friend who used to be a welder until she was badly inured on the job. She has been thinking about getting back into it, as it would sure be helpful in repairing our farm equipment. At the yard sale we found a Lincoln Model AC-225-S welder. It looked pretty...

This was our first year on our new farm. We hayed about 60 acres and we were happy with our first cutting yield, but our second cutting yield was about 1/4 of the first cutting. I expected more, but it's our first year, so I wasn't sure. I asked several neighbors, and most said the second...

My wife and I are looking for a couple of used 4WD vehicles for our daily drivers, we just use our pick up for hauling farm related things. We went to a local used car lot that has a really good reputation. He has a 2003 Chevy Tracker, V6 engine, 139,000 miles and he wants $4500. Money is...

Years ago, I fed my horses round bales, and then I switched to square bales, because I thought they were less wasteful. When I fed round bales I used a round bale feeder. At the time, I didn't realize there were different types of round bale feeders, and the type I was using was a cow type...

My wife and I are going to replace the woodstove in our house. We just relocated to a larger farm, and in our previous farm we heated entirely with wood. We are planning on doing the same here. There is a very old woodstove that we will be replacing. The house is about 2600 square feet and...

I'm looking for a manure spreader to use on my farm. We have horses, goats, sheep, alpacas and llamas. Someone has a New Idea 206 manure spreader in my area for sale for $1200. I know it's ground driven and is 95 bushels. Has anyone had one of these spreaders, and have any experience with...

My wife and I haven't owned a TV for over 10 years, and we never missed it. I'd rather do farm work or just play with my animals, and neither of us are ones for sitting around. But I'm recovering from my second spinal fusion, and my sister came to visit and brought us a fairly small old style...

I have a 2001 GMC Sierra half ton pick up. The "service 4WD" light goes on occasionally, and at the same time the ABS light went on. I took it to the garage that I've used for 13 years, with excellent results in the past. They said nothing about the 4 WD came up on the computer, but both...

Most of the time, I wear waterproof work boots, but when I'm feeding and watering my livestock, I like to switch to rubber chore boots. I always get my feet wet when I'm rinsing out stock tanks or cleaning out feed buckets, and rubber chore boots are the most water proof foot gear. Yeah, my...

I'm considering getting a New Holland 634 Round Baler and a New Holland 474 Haybine as part of a package deal. I don't have any experience with either. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? Thanks.

I've been offered a package deal of a 1981 Ford 5610 tractor with an FEL, 1993 New Holland 634 round baler, New Holland 474 seven foot haybine, 6 foot Bush Hog brush hog, a double rake (I can't find a manufacturer on it), a two star hay tedder (can't find the manufacturer on that either), 2...

I thought it might be valuable if we warn each other about tools other than Harbor Freight that suck. Here's my first warning: This past weekend, during this below zero weather I had a flat tire on one of my brand new snow tires. The kid at the tire shop must have put it on TIGHT with an...

Has anyone on TBN ever bought an Amish farm? We really need more property, but we can't afford more land in our own area. We live in eastern upstate New York, and Montgomery County, which is west of us, has the largest Amish population in the USA. We have some connections to the Amish...

My friend has a Craftsman 5.0 22 inch snowblower. The tires are 4.10 - 4. She really needs tire chains on it, but when she went back to Sears for them,they told her that they don't make tire chains for it. Since Sears doesn't manufacturer their snowblowers, we don't believe that's true. The...

My wife is interested in buying a Kitchenaid, architect series slide in range, KESS907SBL. The range is self cleaning, has a convection oven, has touch pads, a warming drawer, does bread proofing and dehydration, and does temperature sensor baking, plus other things. I know nothing about any...

Has anyone had any experience with either the 6ft x 8ft greenhouse (lot no. 47712/69714) or the 10ft x 12 ft greenhouse (lt no. 93358/69893)? My wife and I are considering getting one. How hard are they to assemble, and how do they how up, especially against snow? Any other positives or...

Recently, I aquired several rolls of snow fencing, when it got thrown in with some lumber I bought at an auction. A few weeks ago, I wanted to expand some of my goat pasture, and I decided to use the snow fencing, at least temporarily, since I had it laying around. It worked great, it was easy...

With the cost of ammunition, I was thinking of getting an air rifle. I know they come in 22 caliber and even bigger. I'm not a hunter, I just want one for protection of my livestock against occasional predators, and possibly if I have to have to put an animal down in an emergency. Does anyone...

The radio on my 2000 Explorer suddenly starting scanning for station while I was driving the other day. The problem is, I didn't hit the scan button. I don't think I ever used that feature of the radio. When I put the radio on, it stays on one station for a few seconds to maybe 2 minutes, and...

Harbor Freight has their 1.5 horsepower gasoline auger drill (lot no. 67414) on sale this month for $179.99 (usually $249.99). The 6 inch auger bit is the usual $47.99. I'm replacing a bunch of fence posts and this could certainly speed up my work. Does anyone have any experience with this...

TSC has a Job Smart 26 gallon vertical air compressor for $199.00. That's the regular price, but they have coupons frequently. It's not an oil free compressor, so it might not be a bad compressor. Does anyone have any experience with this compressor? Sorry, I couldn't get a link to it to...

I need a new air compressor, and I don't want to spend much, as it isn't going to get heavy use. Mostly to fill tires, occasionally to run an impact wrench when I rotate tires, and to run my pneumatic goat hoof trimming shears. In the February flier, they have 2 small compressors on sale for...

My wife and I live in a rural area in upstate New York. There's no cable here, and cell phone reception is terrible and neighbors have had no luck with various satelite internet systems. We thought we were doomed to live with dial up, and we hate dial up, with our max of 28.8 KBS. Slow isn't...

I did a dumb thing earlier this week. I've been recovering from surgery, and haven't been driving my Ford Explorer. Every week I let it idle for about 10 minutes, to keep the battery charged and everything flowing. The last time I did that, I forgot all about it for about 4 - 5 hours. When I...

In my continuing quest to use the TBN braintrust to help me make decisions on my wife's and my future, here's a question about woodstoves. Since we decided not to move, we need to replace one of our woodstoves. We completely heat out house with wood. We do have an oil burner but we haven't...

Anyone who has been following my thread on sciaticia knows of my medical troubles. (Sorry in advance for typos, I'm still pretty stoned on pain meds) My other trouble is that my household is just my wife and me. Our kids are long gone, and have no interest in our farm, having been born and...

I bought a used 2000 Explorer at a farm auction a few years ago, and it's been one of my best auction buys. Great car, I'm very happy with it. But it only came with one key, and I like to have spare keys. Plus, it's electronic locks sometimes lock the doors by themselves. It's the only...

I've had severe sciatica for several years. I've been down the list of treatments, from physical therapy to various drugs. After a while, it gets too severe for one treatment, and I move on to the next. I've been getting cortisone shots in my back for almost a year now, and they're great for...

My wife and I are thinking of re-doing our kitchen. Any suggestions for places to buy reasonably priced kitchen cabinets? We've already checked with Home Depot and Lowes. There are ones she likes at Lowes, we're just looking to see what other options are out there. We'll be wanting them to...

Next week TSC will have a 5 X 8 mesh floor trailer on sale. It has 13 inch wheels a 4 foot ramp gate and lights. It's on sale for $579.99, $120 off from the regular price. I really don't know trailers, so is this a good buy? Can I get something similar form Home Depot or Lowes? I've bought...

My wife and I are in the market for a new refrigerator. My wife likes the french door refrigerators with the freezer on the bottom. They have double doors on top. My wife likes 25 cubic foot models by Maytag, LG and Samsung. We can get the best price on the Maytag at Home Depot. I know...

I've been offered a nice set of 4 studded snow tires for my 2006 Dodge Caravan. I've heard that studded snow tires are only good when there's snow on the ground, and they're hard to stop on non-snow covered roads. Does anyone have any experiece with them? My wife uses this minivan for...

My wife and I were looking at front load washing machines at several places. So far, the Samsung models appear to have the features that my wife wants. We want to keep it under $900. Anyone have any experience with front load washing machines. Anyone know anything about the Samsungs in...

My wife and I decided to consider buying a new car, that will be used primarily for her to deliver our goat milk (50 miles each way, every 3 days). Right now she delivers milk in our 2000 Ford Explorer which has about 150.000 miles on it. To deliver the milk, we use two 50 gallon tanks that...

I'd like to get a driveway alarm. We have two long driveways on our farm, and sometimes we don't hear someone driving up. Sometimes our dogs don't even hear them. I think Harbor Freight has a wireless driveway alarm. Does anyone have one, or does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks!!!

My house has it's own well, about 200 feet deep. I put in a new well pump about 2 years ago. When I'm running the water in the house or from my outside hydrants, the water pressure will suddenly go down to nothing for a few seconds, and then slowly come back to normal. It will do this every...

I'm thinking of buying a handgun for emergency euthanasia of my livestock (goats and sheep). I haven't found a satisfactory way of euthanizing them in an emergency (terrible injury, etc), short of calling the vet which sometimes can take too long, if she has a bunch of farm calls ahead of me...

Does anyone have solar panels for electricity or a wind generator? If so, how is it working out? Was it worth the expense? Did it raise your property taxes? What was the ball park figure on what you spent? Did you get back tax credits? We were thinking of net metering, does anyone have any...

My old electric hot water heater seems to be dying. I'm going to go check out what Home Depot and Lowes have next week. Has anyone bought an electric hot water heater lately? Anyone have any recomendations? I can only use an electric hot water heater in my house. We don't have gas, and I...

Friday morning, as I sleepily walked into the goat barn to take care of the girls, I heard a strange but familiar sound. At 5:00 AM, I'm still only half conscious, and I just stood there wondering what I was hearing......a kid crying!!!!!!! No one was due until the last weekend in February...

I have livestock blankets that will fit goats, sheep or calves. The size is 26" by 29". They are brand new, black quilted nylon, adjustable with velcro at the neck and adjustable elastic hind leg straps. They are very good quality, and I have used some on my own livestock. They stay on...

Is it OK to post ads for farming, but non-tractor items, such as livestock equipment in the private party ads?

I have no luck with cordless drills. I got my current one, a Hitachi 18 volt, 3/4 drill on sale at Lowes 2 years ago. The batteries don't hold a charge overnight anymore, and haven't for months. But it still worked well, until today, when I grabbed it to repair some metal roofing and the...

In the winter I wear workboots or snow boots when I work on my farm. Once it gets warm, I wear slip on rubber boots that I get at TSC for about $20, I forget the brand, but they hold up pretty well, and give pretty good traction and are comfortable. A real bargin for $20. But once it gets...

My wife and I own a dairy goat farm, and also raise fiber sheep. Up until now, when one of the goats or sheep had to be put down, we'd call the vet to euthanize them. Not that it happens often, but it does happen often enough to get fairly expensive. What do other livestock people do for a...

My wife bought one of those 4" memory foam bed toppers from Walmart. It's supposed to give you better support and make you feel better when you get up. First of all, the dang thing is supposed to be for a full size bed, and it says right on the box that it's only 50". A full size bed is 54 "...

Does anyone have a nutritional analysis of typical dry, shelled feed corn? I've just found a cheap source of feed corn, and am considering mixing it with my goat and sheep feed to save some cost. But I need to know the protein level (and other nutrients, if possible) so that I know how much I...

We just got our power back after losing power for 5 days after an ice storm. We have a portable generator, but I wasn't able to get my well pump on the generator. After losing power 2 winters ago, I changed the wiring on my well pump, so that I could hook it up to the generator, but I still...

I really need to get a reciprocating saw. It's not a tool that I use often, but when you need it, you need it. I had a Harbor Frieght "heavy duty" model, and for my infrequent use on the farm, it was fine, until I had a roofing project, and spent a few hours cutting the edges off of existing...

I've been using Free AVG with no problems for several years, but recently, when I try to update it, it gives me a box saying there's a problem, just as it finishing downloading. So I can't update it any longer. I ran a virus check, also by AVG, and it found a virus that was preventing the...

OK, you guys talked me out of a motor scooter for my 23 mile each way commute. And I'm glad you did. I can afford about $5000 for a used commuter car. I'd like to get at least 30 mpg, and something that I'm not going to be having to repair all of the time. Other than that, I'm wide open to...

With the price of gas at $4.20/gallon, here in upstate New York, I've been thinkling of getting a motor scooter for my 46 mile round trip commute to work ( at least for the warm weather). Being farmers, my wife and I have 2 full size pick ups and a full size cargo van. Our best mileage is our...

I have a Cub Cadet SRC 621 6 speed rear wheel drive walk behind mower that I use for trim work on our farm. Actually, I've never even used it, my wife prefers to do the lawn work herself. While mowing the other day, the blade came off!!! When I checked it, I saw that the bolt that holds the...

Can anyone suggest where I can get a solenoid for an Oliver 1550 gasser? My local Temco dealer doesn't even have it in any of his catalogues. Thanks!!!

Today, for the second time in 2 weeks, the fuse for my radio and dome light blew in my Kubota 4630. It's a 10 amp fuse. Would I hurt anything if I up it to a 15 amp fuse? Thanks!!

I need to put some teeth in the bucket of one of my tractors so it'll be easier to move manure with. It's a real PIA to pick up manure from piles without teeth on the loader. What kind of drill bits do I need to drill thru the steel of a loader? I have seven teeth to put in with 2 bolts each...

Has anyone every bought any factory reconditioned tools? I got this website from another forum reconditionedsales.com and they sell factory reconditioned Hitachi power tools. I have a Hitachi 18 volt cordless drill, and really like it. This website is the authorized Hitachi...

Are there any toothbars that are easily removeable? A toothbar would be handy on one of my loader tractors for moving manure, but I might want to take it off for other uses, like moving snow. I know that most bolt on, and I figure that the bolts would soon become very difficult to get off with...

Does anyone know anything about Masterhand Tools that TSC carries? They have them on sale for 25% off from Dec. 5-9. I'm not in the market for anything in particular, but if the prices are good, and they're good tools....maybe I might get something.

Is there really any advantage in using high mileage oil? I have 2 pick-ups and a cargo van on my farm. My 2001 Chevy Siverado 1500 has about 130,000 miles, my 1999 Ford F-250 has about 95,000, and my 2000 GMC 2500 Cargo Van has about 120,000. I bought the Siverado and Van new, and the F-250...

This morning, we had no water, our well pump wasn't working. I called a friend who installs them and he came right over. When he checked it out he found that the pump was fine, but the wire to the pump had a break. Obviously we had to pull the pump to replace the wire. We re-installed it...

Does anyone have any experience using alfalfa to increase the production of dairy animals? I've recently started feeding my dairy goats hay that is 1/3 timothy, 1/3 clover and 1/3 alfalfa. It seems to be increasing milk production, but I haven't been using it long enough to really calculate it...

I need a toothbar for my Kubota L4630. It has a 6 foot bucket, and I need the toothbar to move manure from my goats and sheep. Where can I get the best deal? I know this subject has been discussed extensively. Thanks!!!

I've always changed my own oil in my vehicles and equipment, but I find that I just don't have time to constantly be changing oil on three trucks, three tractors, two garden tractors, power mowers, genrator, etc. So I figured that I'd have my oil changed, at least on my trucks. I asked several...

Amazon.com has the Skil 9250-01 8 Amp Variable Speed Reciprocating Saw for $70.90. It has the quick blade change feature. I need a reciprocating saw for occasional use on my farm, and I don't feel like spending $300 for the Milwaukee. I had a Harbor Frieght "heavy duty" reciprocating saw, and it...

After much shopping and price comparsons, my wife and I bought an L4630 GSTC, with a cab (with air and heat) an LA 853 loader with quick attach 6 foot bucket, GST trans, extra rear lights, and a radio. We paid $28,500. We got it at Salem Farm Supply, and this was, by far, the best deal that we...

I've pretty much narrowed down my new tractor to one of the two listed below. I'm leaning towards the L4630 because it's a little more powerful, and I think the powershift transmission will be better for my use, which will be loader work (maintaining manure), brush hogging, snowplowing my 1/4...

I'm seriously considering buying an L4630. When I was at the dealer the other day, another customer told me that he's been having trouble getting some parts for his Kubotas, and he's seriously thinking of trading them in for another brand. Has anyone else had any trouble getting parts? This...

A local dealer has offered me a 2006 brand new left over MF 1533, with 4wd, a factory cab (with A/C and heat) and factory loader for $23,750. I think I can get him down more, because he admits he wants to sell it soon. Is this a good price? I'm upgrading from vintage equipment on my farm, and...

I got the following offers from my local dealer. Can you guys tell me if these prices are good, and what you think about these models? model L4630 2006 left over with powershift transmission and cab air ect ...46hp and LA853 loader with cupler ...$29675 sale price and available 1500$ cash...

A dealer has offered me a 2006 JD3520 with a factory cab (with A/C and heat) and a factory loader for $22,000. It has 130 hours on it. It also has bar tires, and I really need ag tires for the mud and snow in my pastures. Is this a good price? Any ideas on how I can get him to change to ag...

I just saw the following ad: 1998 1620 Massey, 4x4, 40HP diesel, w/frt loader & forks, 400hrs, mint cond, $13900 There's a picture with the ad, and it looks mint. Does anyone know anything about this tractor, good or bad? Is this a good price? Thanks!!!!

After working outside this morning trying to get either of my vintage tractors (Oliver 1550, Ferguson TO-20) operating to start plowing our three foot snowfall, and failing to get either moving (Fergie won't start, Ollie's brakes are frozen), I'm finally ready to buy a brand new, or at least new...

Yesterday, my 1999 Ford F250 had a dead battery. It was the original, so I wasn't upset, until I remembered that I lent my buddy my socketwrench set, and I couldn't get the old battery out. Then I remembered that Advance Auto Parts installs batteries for free. I had been getting Interstate...

Does anyone have one of those cell phones that come with a card for minutes instead of a regular cell phone plan? My wife used to have a cell phone for emergencies, but it was ridiculous paying about $20/month for something that we very rarely use, so we got rid of it. We both HATE cell...

Both batteries for my Porter Cable cordless drill won't hold a charge anymore. In the past few years I've had Porter Cable, Dewalt, Bosh and Black and Decker cordless drills. Plus I keep a Harbor Freight one in the house for my wife to use, it works fine for light duty work. The batteries...

The latest Northern Tool catalogue has a wireless intercom that they claim has a range of up to 1000 feet. I really need an intercom between my milkhouse, my goat barn and my house. It's several hundred feet between my house and the two buildings. It's not uncommon for me to need help with...

I was at Home Depot today, and there was a sales rep from Ridgid Tools today. He was giving out 10% rebate forms, and he claims that Ridgid powertools have a lifetime warranty if you register them on-line. He claimed that if you have problems with the tools, all you have to do is bring it to a...

I need about 40 two inch #10 or #12, flat head, stainless steel woodscrews. I thought I could order them from Graingers, but they don't carry them. I even e-mailed them to see if they could order them for me, but they either can't or won't. Does anyone know where I could order these screws...

I will eventually be looking for a skid steer to use to clean my barn. I saw an ad for a New Holland LS125 skid steer. It says that it's only 36" wide, which would make it able to fit through all the narrow areas in my barn. It has only 700 hours and they want $7900 for it. I have no idea of...

I need a skid steer to clean my goat barn, which is a 200 year old dairy barn. I need a skid steer that is less than 5 feet wide, including the bucket, and I need the cage to be as low as possible, too. I'd prefer to buy one used. It's not going to get much use other than barn cleaning, as I...

Has anyone had any experience with vinyl, three board horse fencing? I need to replace most of my fencing in my paddock and horse pasture. I have poor drainage in a lot of areas, and even locust posts eventually rot. I was hoping that the vinyl fencing would last just about for ever, unless it's...

This fall, I'm going to be shopping for a used skid steer to use to clean my main barn. It's a 200 year old dairy barn, that will be used to house my adult Nubian goats. Eventually, I'll have at least 100 goats in there. This fall, I'll have at least 30 in the main barn. It's just too time...

I need to get a hot water heater for my new milk house, and we're thinking of replacing the one in our home. We're deciding between an A. O. Smiith or a Marathon. We'll get a 30 gallon heater for each. These two brands are supposed to be the most efficient. Does anyone have any experience...

I've posted before that my wife is hard on riding lawn mowers. In the past I've bought several used machines, and fixed them as she damaged them, until they couldn't be fixed anymore. But now, our farm has expanded to the point where I just don't have time to work on old mowers, and I'm tired...

I need a pressure washer. I need to paint my barn, and parts are peeling, and I'd rather pressure wash than scrape. I could also use it to clean mud from my tractors and ground engaging implements, to clean plastic calf hutches and all sorts of other farm uses. BUT, I just don't feel like...

Here's my stupid trick of the year.. .. I like to keep backblades on both of my tractors this time of year, so they're both ready to plow snow. Last week, I took the back blade off one of my tractors so I could hook up my manure spreader to fertilize the pastures. Stupidly, I left the blade...

I need a new battery for one of my trucks. I've always used Interstate Batteries for both my trucks and tractors, and have had good luck with them, but someone told me recently that Walmart's own batteries are made by Interstate, and are exactly the same. I'm not above saving a few bucks, so...

As our dairy goat herd increases, so do our expenses, and we've decided that a major way to cut expenses is to start buying feed in bulk by the ton. So, we're going to need a galvanized feed tank. We're thinking of getting a smaller one, in the two ton range. Does anyone have any suggestions on...

Does anyone have any experience with guard llamas or guard donkeys? Our goat herd is rapidly expanding, and we'll soon have to house some of them in pastures that are further from our house, and my wife and I feel they would be safer with a guard animal. It would be tough for us to have a guard...

Does anyone know where to find the serial number on a horse trailer? I bought an old horse trailer that I fixed up, and now I want to register it. I need to get the serial number, but so far I haven't been able to find it. I suspect it's long gone, but maybe I missed it. Thanks for any ideas!!!

My wife may be getting another job that is 12 miles further than where she works now, making her commute about 35 miles each way. She usually drives our pick-up truck, and I usually drive our cargo van. Having a farm, we never wanted any passenger cars, how could we haul farm supplies...

Does anyone own one, and have any good or bad experiences with them? Normally I use a two bottom plow and then a cultivator on our large garden. But my wife wants to put in some small specialty gardens with permanent fencing around them, which will be difficult to get a tractor into. She...

I just got a new computer, and new e-mail address. Luckily I had my TBN password written done, but I lost my CBN password. When I log in on CBN, and hit "forgot password" I get a screen that a temporary password has been sent, but I never get it. How do I get back on CBN?????

Please read this link. This is a very serious threat to small family dairy farms in America. http://www.nmpf.org/newsFlash/index.cfm?sectionsCode=PR&nfID=172

I just got my latest copy of Countryside magazine in the mail yesterday. My wife and I both noticed that Cindi (alias C. J. Mouser) has had her SECOND article published in Countryside!!! Way to go, Cindi!!!

The newest Harbor Freight Tool catalogue has a 4 ton electric log splitter. It cuts up to 14 1/2 inch logs, with up to 12" diameter. It has a 2 hp motor. Its hydraulic, and looks like a smaller gas operated log splitter. It's only $269.99. This is an awful lot cheaper than a gas operated or...

Is there any difference in different gas line anti-freeze? I notice the ones with methyl alcohol are cheaper than isopropyl alcohol. Is there any difference? Is there anything besides the alcohol in them? Could you just buy bottles of isopropyl rubbing alcohol and use that, since it's cheaper?

The other thread on anti-freeze made me think of my own situation. My own tractors are older gas engines from the 1960's and 1950's. They take ethylene glycol anti-freeze. Is there any difference between Prestone and generic. They're both ethylene glycol with rust inhibitors. So is it OK to...

Does anyone make a cordless electric string trimmer that's powerful enough for farm use? I've had several gas ones, and they're always so hard to start, and I hate mixing the oil with the gas. It's one thing to have to do that with a chain saw, but there's gotta be a better way with a string...

Having owned an antique shop, my wife and I have been going to auctions for many years. Now that we're into farming, we go to more farm auctions than antique auctions. This past weekend we had a chance to go to both types at once. A farmer near us was retiring and moving to an apartment. He...

Does anyone know what horsepower and vintage a John Deere 170 riding lawn mower is? Also does anyone know anything about their dependability? Thanks!!

I'm thinking of buying the log splitter that Tractor Supply Company carries. They sell it for $575. Does anyone have one or know about them? Is this a good price? Thanks!!

Rich\'s House AKA Wampecack Creek Farm By popular demand, (thanks Cindi, Bob and Paul) I'm starting this thread on our house construction and improvements to our farm. I don't yet have construction pictures, but I'll post before pictures, and hopefully this week I'll get some construction...

On an earlier thread, several members suggested that a New Idea Cutditioner was an economical hay cutter and conditioner. I have a few questions about it. I know of someone selling one who claims it is in good condition. He is asking $500. Assuming it is in good condition, is that a fair...

Here in upstate New York, it was so cold this winter, that none of our snow melted. That is until now that it's FINALLY getting warmer. The trouble is, usually there are some midwinter thaws to get rid of some of the snow, and this year there weren't any. So...we have RIVERS of melted snow...

I can\'t get into \"My Home\" Well I still don't get responses on my "real" e-mail, even when I mark the thread as a favorite. But now, when I click on "My Home" it tells me to log in, even though I am already logged in. So I log in again, and it still tells me to log in!!! I've got a...

My friend owns a Bolens G-274. It's 4 wd, and he needs to replace the tires. He wants to get R-1's (ag tires). Does anyone know what size tires they would be? Presently it's got turf tires on it. Will he need new rims? Thanks!!

I may have to start taking the keys out of my tractors after reading this... Check this out... http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3661356.html

How come I no longer get an e-mail when someone responds to my posts? I checked "my home", and there's no category to click on that you want to be notified when someone reponds to your posts. Am I missing something?

This appears to be a joint venture between Hoover Vacuum Cleaners and John Deere...

Ferguson won\'t start Last night, I went to start my Ferguson TO-20 to do some snow plowing. It started up on the first try as usual, and was running fine. I was going to let it warm up for a while before I started plowing. It ran for about 5 minutes, and then abrubtly stalled, which it...

Does anyone know a source for magnetic battery powered flashing lights that you can stick on your tractor. This weekend I have to dig out part of my driveway that I haven't plowed. I'll be doing a lot of work while I'm on my road, I'll have all my lights on, but I want to be VERY visible. I...

Well, here in upstate New York, the weather forecast is for 1 - 2 feet of snow on Christmas Day!!! I guess I'll be spending Christmas Day getting a lot of seat time plowing!!! A day on a tractor is NEVER a bad day, no matter what the weather!! I've got my backblade on my 3 point hitch, and...

My buddy has a 750 3ph backhoe, and needs a manual. Does anyone know where to get one? Thanks!

This may sound REALLY stupid, but does anyone else have trouble with the pin on their top links coming off while brush hogging? I've lost several pins, that came off of the link on the brush hog side, but this weekend, for the first time it came off on the tractor side. That caused one side of...

My firend is buying a Bolens G274 tractor with a Bolens quick detach loader. It has an Iseki 3 cylinder 30 hp diesel, and it's 4 wd. Does anyone know anything about this tractor? I didn't know that Bolens made compact tractors. Are parts available? He's planning on putting a 3ph backhoe on...

A friend of mine is considering buying a Yanmar 336, with a loader. He's got a few questions: 1. Are parts readily available. Can you get them from a John Deere dealer? 2. He wants to put a 3 ph backhoe on it. Does anyone know if it would work well with a backhoe? 3. What would a...

Last night, my wife and I were driving on our road, in our pickup truck, and arrived immediately after a terrible accident. A pickup truck rear ended a tractor. The tractor looked like a Farmall Super M, and was driven by a man who had his son riding on the drawbar. (We all know how dangerous...

Here are a bunch of shots of my vintage tractors in action. My 1967 Oliver 1550, my 1951 Ferguson TO-20, and also my 1960 something John Deere manure spreader.

There have been a couple of tractor accidents in the papers in my area (upstate NY), that I found surprising. Both happened to experienced and respected farmers. One happened right down the road from my farm, and it was a tractor rollover. It seems the farmer (who I know) was square baling...

My buddy is considering buying a B7100HSD with a backhoe. I'm a vintage tractor guy, and know little of Kubotas, so here are his questions: 1. How easy is it to get parts for this unit? 2. Is this unit too small to run a backhoe? He's going to use it for landscaping and digging trenches for...

I had my local farm mechanic go over my friend's square baler that we were going to use, and as I expected, it's a wreck not worth fixing. So I'm in the market for a used square baler with a kicker. I've gotta go as cheap as possible. My mechanic suggested I stick with either New Holland or...

My full time farmer friends advise me to paint the wooden deck and chains of my manure spreader with waste oil, to protect the wood and lubricate the chains. It seems to me, that the waste oil will contaminate the manure, and then contaminate my hayfields and pastures. My friends tell me the...

I had to use a digital camera for my job, but had time to take a few fun shots of my 1951 Ferguson TO-20, and my 1967 Oliver 1550. These are my work horses. I've had Fergie for over a year, and Ollie for only a few months. I couldn't be happier with both of them, and I give them pretty heavy use!

Nothing is as simple as it seems! I was planning on spreading some manure on my hayfields this weekend. The manure is not fresh, so I'm not worried about parasites. One farmer neighbor told me not to spread any more manure until right after the first cutting. Another farmer neighbor told me...

Yesterday morning I caught a neighbors dog in the act of killing one of my chickens. We've lost six chickens in the past several months, and I suspected the culprit was a dog, and now I caught him in the act. Of course, he ran away when I saw him. My wife called the police who put her in...

My Belgian fillie will be a year old in a few weeks, and I'd like to be able to let her in the pasture with the three horses that live at our place that belong to my friend. The three adults are a 10 year old Arabian gelding, a 10 year old Morgan mix mare, and a 24 year old Thoroughbred mare...

Well, I got my 50+ hp loader tractor! I got a 1967 Oliver 1550, with an Oliver loader on it, at an auction on Saturday. I spent a little more than I originally intended, but it was in real nice shape. It's got a six cylinder gas engine that purrs. As hard as it may be to believe, I prefer...

We've done well with our chickens in the past year, thanks to advice from Boondox and other TBN'ers. We have a small egg business and supply eggs to the local health food store, as well as several private customers. We started with 26 baby chicks, and have only lost three in the past year...

In my continuing quest for a tractor with a loader to run hay equipment, I saw an ad from a dealer in Vermont for a Ford 4400 with a loader. I know it's an industrial tractor. I called them and it has a three point hitch (not all industrials do), and they say it runs well and is in good shape...

This past Friday, I had to travel down to Manhattan for a monthly meeting that I have to attend. The meeting is on Fifth Avenue, which is one of the fanciest sections of Manhattan. I got there early, and was sitting on a bench in front of a park, killing time, when a brand new John Deere Gator...

In my quest for a 50+ hp tractor with a loader, last week I looked at a Fordson Major with a loader. It ran nice, and the loader (not a trip loader) worked well. But all four cylinders for the loaders leaked hydraulic fluid. It also badly needed a paint job, was missing the breather stack and...

I'm thinking of going to look at an Oliver 770 with a loader this weekend. It's being offered at $3000. I would be considering it to run a square hay baler among many other things. I also really need a tractor with a loader. Anyone have any experience with this tractor? It seems like a...

I think this is a simple question. What horsepower tractor do I need to run a square baler? Mine doesn't have a kicker, but I'd like to eventually get one with a kicker. I was thinking I needed 50-60 hp, but one of my neighbors told me that I could go smaller. I don't think he's right. So...

Now that we know that many of the Farm and Family stores are becoming TSC stores, I was wondering if those of you who have TSC's can tell us about them. I wonder if anyone has been to both, and can compare them. In the short time that I knew about Farm and Family, I loved them. The...

We have this sign on our driveway. It pretty much sums up the philosophy of our farm. Rich "What a long strange trip it's been."

John Miller and I are on a quest to show everyone that New York does not mean New York City, and that upstate New York is beautiful!! I'll have to come up with some pictures of the foothills of the Dacks (Adirondacks to non-upstaters) and the Green Mountains. In the meantime, here's a shot of...

Whenever I try printing a thread from TBN, the right end is always cut off. Does anyone know why that is happening, and how I fix it? Thanks! Rich

We presently heat our two story, 200 year old farm house with a woodburning stove in our family room, which is in the middle of the house. Surprisingly, it heats both floors of the house well, even in the coldest weather. We do have an oil burner, but it almost never comes on, last year we...

Here's my 1951 Ferguson TO-20, with my Landpride finishing mower. Our henhouse is in the background. Rich

Here's my first attempt to post a picture. My three pals are Patti, the St. Bernard (brown and white) Mulder the Mastiff, and Scully the 9 week old black lab/Australian Shepherd mix. Rich

A friend of mine, who owns a dairy farm was talking to me yesterday, about my continuing quest to make money with livestock that you don't have to send to the slaughterhouse. He suggestted that I raise heifers and breed them, either naturally, or with artifiicial insemination, and then sell...

As many of you know, I'm planning on putting up about 50 acres of hay with my friend. He's putting up most of the land, and I'm buying equipment, or paying to have his fixed. I looked at his sicklebar mower yesterday, and it's so rusted, I don't know if it's worth fixing. I was thinking of...

I've spent the greater part of the past 2 weekends brush hogging what will eventually become a 50 acre hayfield. Part of it (approximately 8 acres) is on a 25 degree slope, which is not a problem. But when brush hogging this overgrown field, I discovered that there are trenches running through...

Someone I know has offered me a six foot wide set of disks for $425. Two of the disks need to be replaced. I have 2 questions: 1. The obvious one, is this a good price? 2. I want to use the disks to work in manure after spreading it on hayfields. Are disks enough to do this? Thanks!!! Rich

I am about to begin preparing about 50 acres for growing hay. Obviously I will need a place to store the hay. I will be producing square bales. I have a 200 year old wood barn, that my horses and goats live in. It has two large hay lofts. My concern is I have read that if the hay has any...

I am planning on turning at least two dozen acres of pasture that has not been maintained for about 3 - 5 years into a hayfield. I know I will need a manure spreader, but I know almost nothing about them, so I have some questions. Can I use the manure and urine soiled straw from my horse stalls...

Well, we finally got our new foal. She's a PMU foal, most of you know about PMU foals from my earlier post. She's a full blooded Belgian, and she's beautiful. She's 4 months old, we named her Rosie. Within her first 20 minutes with us, she climbed out of the window of her box stall, into the...

If anyone knows anything about a John Deere 111 riding mower, pleasse read my post under Lawn and Garden. Thanks!! Rich

I'm looking for a small riding mower to mow the areas that are too tight for me to get to with my tractor's 60" finishing mower, and also a hill that's too steep for my tractor. I looked at a John Deere 111 riding mower last night. It ran very well and was in pretty good shape. Although it...

I have about 1/2 dozen old apple trees on my property. They were probably once part of an orchard, but have been long neglected. Surprisingly, they still produce a bunch of mishappen apples, they look like Macintosh. I know old apple trees can be brought back by pruning, but I don't know...

My friend just bought an RV with a class C hitch. He's looking for a tow bar to tow his 1999 Honda Civic LX. So far prices for new have been about $1000. Does anyone know of a source for a reasonable used one? Rich

Premarin is a drug that is prescribed to women in menopause or who have had hysterectomies. Premarin (PREgnant MARe urINe), or PMU, is made from the urine of approximately 60,000 pregnant mares. Their foals are considered a mere by-product in the manufacturing of the drug, and are sold at...

Is there an implement that can be used as an alternative to a rototiller? Perhaps some kind of plow or disc? I have a 75' by 25' foot garden that I intend to greatly expand. The soil has alot of clay. I need something to turn over the soil, and mix manure and compost into it. Perfect for a...

I have a long, steep, circular dirt driveway, and was thinking of covering it with gravel, until a friend suggested "rubble". He told me its the leftovers of cut stone, and is the perfect thing for driveways and parking areas, because it packs down real well. Does anyone have any experience...

Is there such a thing as a 3 point hitch roller? I would think there is. I have a long steep circular driveway, and after heavy rains it gets pretty rutted. I rake it with my landscape rake, but I would think it would hold up better if I could pack it down. If there is such a thing as a 3...

All these pond questions, made me think of one of my own. We have a real marshy section of our lawn that is always muddy, usually with a couple of inches of standing water. I have to be real careful when I mow there with my tractor. It seems like there's a spring there. I asked our friends...

We moved from the suburbs of Long Island to a small farm in upstate NY, 9 months ago to fulfill a lifelong dream. I've developed a morning routine, before showering and getting dressed for work. I feed our two 175 pound dogs, and take them out to their penned play area, feed and water our...

Cowboydoc, or any other people with experience raising horses, I have a question. My wife and I have been searching for livestock to raise on our small farm, that doesn't have to be killed to make money from. We've eliminated llamas and alpacas (very limited market for wool), sheep (wool...

Does anyone subscribe to any good magazines on small farms in general, and also tractor magazines? What good magazines would you recomend? Do you think magazines would help us keep current with tractors and farming trends? Boy, that was a lot of questions for a little post! Rich

In the continuing effort to make our little farm a working farm, we are considering raising llamas and/or alpacas, to sell the wool, and young ones to other farms and for pets. Anyone in TBN have any experience with this? Thanks, Rich

I finally got my shed that I,m going to use as a hen house. I,m ordering my chicks from Murray McMurray...I would like to sell ORGANIC eggs. Does anyone know a source of organic chicken feed, either in upstate New York (or Vermont) or by mail order? Thanks for all the help from you guys on...

Here's a question for you experts. How important is it to have gauge wheels on a landscape rake? I've used my friend's rake to rake my garden, maintain my driveway and rake manure from my horse paddock. The rack had no wheels and worked great. I could control the height with my three point...

No matter how careful you think you are, something unexpected can and usually does happen. I pride myself with being careful, especially because my full time employment has to do with health care safety. Here's my foolish story: I was loading up the trailer that I use with my tractor with...

Land Pride makes two grades of finishing mowers. The FD2560 is the better 60" rear discharge. There's also a model (I think) FD1560 that is supposed to be lighter, but it's $400 cheaper. I figure Land Pride doesn't make junk, and their lighter one is probably better than any cheaper brand I...

We're thinking of getting ducks, geese or peacocks. Has anybody had any experience with them? Any advice or things to watch out for? We have 10 acres with a creek. Is there a market for duck and goose eggs?

I'd like to do an oil change on my 1951 Ferguson TO-20. I've only had it for about a month. I've heard that on old engines, you should not use detergent oil, because it will clean all the gunk off the rings, and you'll lose compression. What grade oil should I use? Where can you find...

I am about to start raising chickens for eggs to sell. I'm going to start with two dozen chickens. I'm getting a 10 X 10 shed to convert into a hen house. I want to let the chickens range on my property (I have 10 acres), because I've read it's healthier for them than keeping them confined...