The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

Hay Dude · Friday at 6:01 PM

Brought another 25 bales down from areas difficult to access with truck and trailer. My new feed-hay buyer coming tomorrow morning for more bales.

Done for the day. Cruisin’ home Ram-style.
I did a complete 25K miles service on the Aisin transmission yesterday.

Molalla1 · Friday at 6:08 PM

Hay Dude said:
Brought another 25 bales down from areas difficult to access with truck and trailer. My new feed-hay buyer coming tomorrow morning for more bales.

Done for the day. Cruisin’ home Ram-style.
I did a complete 25K miles service on the Aisin transmission yesterday.
View attachment 4415014

A decent tranny . . .

Molalla1 · Friday at 6:10 PM

Molalla1 said:
A decent tranny . . .

My '06 dully is a manual . . .

Hay Dude · Friday at 6:30 PM

Molalla1 said:
A decent tranny . . .

I threw everything imaginable at this transmission. It’s not the most smooth or sophisticated, but it’s tough as nails.
I have pulled close to 500 45-50K loads of hay with it and a few dozen more with excavator or a large tractor.

Molalla1 · Friday at 6:40 PM

Hay Dude said:
I threw everything imaginable at this transmission. It’s not the most smooth or sophisticated, but it’s tough as nails.
I have pulled close to 500 45-50K loads of hay with it and a few dozen more with excavator or a large tractor.

Sometimes not being smooth and sophisticated is better . . . I have had my manual tranny upgraded a bit

My 3500 can hall a bit . . .

Hay Dude · Friday at 7:58 PM

Molalla1 said:
Sometimes not being smooth and sophisticated is better . . . I have had my manual tranny upgraded a bit My 3500 can hall a bit . . .

I hear the new ZF-8 transmission that replaced the Aisin is really nice. Seems like Ford & GM having are again having transmission problems with their 10 speeds. Ram seems to have a real good on with the Aisin.
I have my eyes on a new Ram 5500 in 2027. Gotta talk it over with my accountant first.

Molalla1 · 2025-11-15T18:42:09-0500

Hay Dude said:
I hear the new ZF-8 transmission that replaced the Aisin is really nice. Seems like Ford & GM having are again having transmission problems with their 10 speeds. Ram seems to have a real good on with the Aisin.
I have my eyes on a new Ram 5500 in 2027. Gotta talk it over with my accountant first.

That is a nice rig!

civilian · 2025-11-15T22:19:37-0500

Hay Dude said:
I hear the new ZF-8 transmission that replaced the Aisin is really nice. Seems like Ford & GM having are again having transmission problems with their 10 speeds. Ram seems to have a real good on with the Aisin.
I have my eyes on a new Ram 5500 in 2027. Gotta talk it over with my accountant first.

Replacement? Or an additional one? Jon