Recent content by Rustyiron

Much of these driveline troubles are the result of the govt regulations of emissions and efficiency across all of the manufacturers. This includes the resulting computer(s) management. One has to admit that the overall durability, efficiency and power has easily doubled since the days you could...

Yeah at 8 pm yesterday it was just starting to get reasonable at about 82* here. 😆 That's usually my upper limit but yesterday in comparison to earlier it felt nice.

I forgot about that👍 I only use it once a year on that place. I built a hydraulic top link year's ago and it's very handy with the flail.

Not a great picture but I found one on my phone. Might as well show you the view from this guys place. I cut it once a year for him and he was very generous paying me to use the flail over my rotary.

AFAIK operation of a flail is designed to ride on the ground on the big steel roller, at least that's how mine works. At that point it's weight is only a concern during transport. That weight is also very "close in" in comparison to a rotary mower. I wouldn't have a concern at all with your...

Lowering the backhoe boom might be a good practice if there's not a "pin" or some type of latch that mechanically supports it's weight, I'm sure you have one. Carrying the weight isn't going to bother the tractor especially parked, but if there's a week or 2 in-between use just keep everything...

^^^ That was asbestos and no more dangerous than hardy BUT back then they cut them with a guillotine type shear. Saw cutting requires the same precautions for inhalation. LP "Smart Side" blows away Hardie's so called fibre "cement" siding. The big players have moved to LP Smartside from hardy...

I remember when the CTL were becoming more popular 20 +/-years ago and the stated operation costs (per an equipment trade magazine) was around you $6/hrs for a SS and in the $12/hrs for a CTL. Now many sites the added flotation is required and let's face it, they're much cooler,😉 But that's...

It's a tough year for dry hay! My friend makes baleage and wraps it for his beef cows but likes to make as much dry hay, (small squares) as he can for sale for the hobby critters and family cow types. They just can't handle or deal with the weight of round silage bales. That doesn't mean he can...

What surface is your drive? It sounds like traction is your problem. I use chains on my SS and screw in studs in my tractor tires. The studs are in permanently and are miles better than nothing but don't equal chains. With just a little portion of $8k you could have a set of "winter tires"...

My guess is you'd be $8k+ ahead just using the tractor & bucket for any snows that this wannabe might handle. Now if you were in VA instead of NH.....😉

I think your numbers are mixed up. Weight rating at the bucket pin is the greatest with every inch forward reducing from the pin #. Simple leverage & geometry. 👍 Then there's usually 2 lift cylinder positions on the M series. One for lifting height (upper position of the lifting cylinders) and...

The tractor/SS debate really depends on your property and tasks. No question that a tractor is the best for the average suburban property with lots of lawn and shrubbery. The 2 are as opposite as a fork and a knife.

I have a crane for my SS

Gradall's are more popular in the mid Atlantic region than anywhere else I've been. Mostly the truck models that can travel at normal road speeds. I'd see them under an overpass on the highways working on the sloped concrete where there's no headroom. Normal excavators used to be limited to the...