What have you done with/to your GC Series 2300, 2400, 1700 Tractor TODAY

[polarred21]

Finally working on the 3rd function kit as time allows. Hoping to put together a YT video for it as I don't see one anywhere.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I used my Little Baby Fergie to help bring over some blocking and hold up up the tire/wheels while I increased the spacing on them ...

 

[dicktill]

After lots of work, I finally have my "rear remotes & 3-point valve" operational. It is a 5-spools Bucher valve.

Four spools are hooked up to quick connects so that it could be used in many applications. Normally:
- spool 1 operates the rotation of my Land Pride RB1660 back blade
- spool 2 operates the 3-point hydraulic top link
- spool 3 operates the 3-point right hand hydraulic side link and has detented float
- spool 4 operates the 3-point left hand hydraulic side link and has detented float

What is spool 5 for? It is "permanently hooked up" to operate the stock 3-point lift cylinder. Why? Because the stock valve handle is so far forward it is hard to reach AND it doesn't have a detented float. It makes my back ache when using float for a long time which I often do with the back blade. Spool 5 replaces the function of the original with a detented float. The needle valve next to spool 5 is the 3-point slow-drop valve.

Here is a teaser photo:



A shout out to @kennyd at BoltOn Hooks for making all the custom hoses.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

WOW Dick! That's quite the set up!

I put My Little Baby Fergie to work today started out with the brush hog and cleared the "future garden area"!

Once done, got the forks on, grabbed a step ladder, strapped on the little chainsaw, and went to trimming back the neighbors trees hanging over my fence ...

Carried two loads of branches to the brush pile ...

Then got the pallet down with the rototiller on it, and rototilled the garden area!

Then went back to the fence area, and rototilled to reduce the angle to the "ditch" and aquire more dirt to cover the exposed piping I had "mostly buried" back in the spring ...

Here's a 15 dusty video of chewing up the hard clay "soil"!
Rototiller virgin ground

Used the Kubota and the 6' rear blade I found out back in the weeds when I bought this place to stack it in a row so I could scoop it up with the bucket, and dump it on the piping!

Just back dragged it with the bucket, good enough!

 

[dicktill]

Here's what the rear remotes look like. The rest of the huge bracket will be used for a toolbox, carrying spares, and signage (need to remount the slow-moving vehicle sign and maybe I'll hang the old and tattered "NOT FOR HIRE" sign I found lying along the road on a bike ride last year.)



Also note the 3-position bracket for the top link.

 

[kennyd]

Fantastic job @dicktill , that sure came out nice!

 

[irvingj]

You guys are making me feel lazy!

Other than mowing duty (which my GC does very well), I've been using the FEL plus a log fork(is that what it's called?) to lift up 100-lb rounds to place on a log splitter. These machines sure a great to have around to help with heavy lifting! I'd never be able to do this myself otherwise. Love my GC!

 

[dicktill]

Fantastic job @dicktill , that sure came out nice!

Thank you very much @kennyd! That is a huge compliment coming from as experienced a mechanic/manufacturer/guru (and fellow OCD guy) as you.

Thanks again for all your help along the long journey.

 

[dicktill]

I have a 2022 Massey Ferguson GC 1723EB nicknamed "Fergie" after Sarah Ferguson, Dutchess of York. I also call her "my red-headed mistress".

Today is Fergie's first birthday, and she has 421 easy rough hours on her. She has had all manner of indignities thrust upon her but is holding up well.

Fergie just hit 500.0 hours! I bought her 10/31/2023, and on 10/31/2024 she had a whopping 421.0! This year has been slower so far as I had her taken apart for many "winter modifications", and then was delayed by shoulder surgery (me, not her), weather, laziness, etc.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Fergie just hit 500.0 hours! I bought her 10/31/2023

I bought My Little Baby Fergie in the second week of March 2022 ... While I have more hours, and more months to do it in, I'm generally only home a few days per month!

This afternoon ...

This morning I got going before the sun came up, getting stuff moved around in the barn, and setting up to water my trees ... Then headed down to the creek ... A duck flew up when I got to the watering hole I dug out last year ...

First fill of three ...

It's a long load, but I built the rear ballast box (707 Lbs) to be as tight to the back as possible, and still utilize the QH, which actually has recessed lower "pins", really a pipe ! The Ballast box has a 2" receiver hitch in it, that I hook the little trailer too ... I don't fill that all the way up, not only would it be too heavy, the tires are only rated for 800 pounds each, each horizontal rung is roughly 50 gallons, and I only put 50 gallons in the front 275 gallon tote, as that's pretty much all it can lift, I tilt it back a tad, to keep more of the water closer to the loader ... But I can move 175 gallons at a time ... Gravity drain.

I got my BH seat today and tried it on!

 

[dicktill]

I bought My Little Baby Fergie in the second week of March 2022 ... While I have more hours, and more months to do it in, I'm generally only home a few days per month!

@Shawn T. W.: You'll be retiring soon and then you can enjoy six Saturdays a week like I do.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

31 months!!!

Then I can really burn the fossil fuels!

I got so many great and mighty things lined up for Little Baby Fergie to help me with ...

Headed to Texas tomorrow ...

 

[dicktill]

31 months!!!

Then I can really burn the fossil fuels!

I got so many great and mighty things lined up for Little Baby Fergie to help me with ...

Headed to Texas tomorrow ...

Great. BTW, love your new avatar. What's his/her name?

 

[Shawn T. W.]

The kitten was named Barney, in honor of my sisters cat when we were growing up, she named it "Zoey" but us boys said it looked like a barn cat, so we called it Barney! (Which she didn't like!) And my Barney looked like "Zoey/Barney"!

I got 4 kittens almost 2 years ago, all brothers, The other three are black ... To protect Little Baby Fergie from rodents!

Unfortunately Barney was killed by a rotten raccoon a few months ago, he was last seen alive by my camera 10 days before I got home and found this mess out in the barn where the cat food dispensers are ...

I found a bunch of dried blood in that mess, and a roughly 2"X6" piece of Barney's skin.

I started trapping when I was home overnight, and put up electric fence around the base of the table, this is how they were climbing up ...
Cat food bandits!

I still got his three brothers, and they can jump from the bench on the left to the feeding table ...

I bought the biggest charger in stock at the feed store, I think it said "50 miles"! Puts out 11,500 volts ...

About a month later Swartzy got nailed in the rib/shoulder area ... Fang marks about 1.25" apart, he is doing fine now

I ended catching and killed 7 raccoons! All young males ... Food consumption has dropped off a lot, I believe any new ones that pass through will figure it's not worth it ... I figured the ones I caught had gotten use to the food supply and claimed it as there's, but Barney was the ring leader of the boys, and didn't back down ever in there rough and tumbling.

The barn cats became my buddies, and now that I've tamed them they sleep in bed with me, they are inside right now enjoying the A/C ...

They always came in early every morning when I was home for a can of cat food, it was there treat, then they would pile up on the ottoman while I read my Bible and drank my coffee ...

I miss Barney!

 

[Dmacleo]

4 of them in my home holding me and wife hostage
1 (15yrs old now) in avatar is called Maggie. tortoiseshell maine coon mix.

 

[not2old]

@Shawn T. W.: You'll be retiring soon and then you can enjoy six Saturdays a week like I do.

Looks like I retired in the wrong place. Since retirement, I don't get a day off.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

When I'm home, I'm so worn out, I can't wait to go back to my 70 hour a week job to rest up!

But once I'm retired I hope I can change gears at home, and not try to cram 4 weeks into 2-3 days!

However I'd not get much done here without My Little Baby Fergie's help!

 

[dicktill]

View attachment 3831416

@Shawn T. W.: Do you have the missing/broken piece from the rear fender? If so, it can be stitched back together from the inside. But you have to remove the ROPS and seat (and some other stuff) to get the fender off.

Sorry for your loss; Barney was beautiful.

 

[dicktill]

Looks like I retired in the wrong place. Since retirement, I don't get a day off.

I said that I got six Saturdays every week. I didn't say that they weren't very busy Saturdays!

 

[Shawn T. W.]

@Shawn T. W.: Do you have the missing/broken piece from the rear fender? If so, it can be stitched back together from the inside. But you have to remove the ROPS and seat (and some other stuff) to get the fender off.

Sorry for your loss; Barney was beautiful.

Yeah I still got it, broke it by being absentminded while swapping backhoe around, and pulled the three point lift and cracked it!