Recent content by Suburban Plowboy

The idea of running a tractor at very high RPM's to help the environment IS nutty. And it comes from the same people who want us to conserve everything, bathe rarely, and basically live in huts. My L3710 runs very happily at 1500 RPM. If I had to run it at mowing speeds in order to do the regen...

John Deere is looking like the best bet right now. I would just have to get over my not-completely-rational hatred of the company.

I love their HSS drills for situations when I fully intend to use them abusively or incorrectly, or when the material I'm drilling isn't demanding. Drywall. Wood. Aluminum. Plastic. I think buying them and using them as first-string drills in a machine shop would be insane, however.

I got some miniature Doyle pliers that seem just as good as US-made stuff. The handtrucks seem to be better than the Chinese ones sold at Home Depot and Lowe's. The one I bought recently is considerably sturdier than one I bought at Home Depot in the late 90's. I picked up some long Icon...

My two pesos: I am getting rid of a 1991 JD 430 diesel because I picked up a used Kubota ZD326 zero turn. I cannot speak regarding other diesel garden tractors, but as a mower, the Kubota is in a different and far superior universe. I can move about twice as fast now. I don't know if the...

I considered TYM because of the lack of complexity. They have underbuilt front axles, problems with the wheels falling off, and all sorts of customers out there telling horror stories about getting parts and repairs. I was looking at a TYM T574 for $25K with a grapple and 800 hours, but I kept...

This is really the only part of this post that speaks to me.

It looks like John Deeres are easier to find, but I have concerns about the difficulty of working on them.

Thanks. I have been checking Tractorhouse. I need something with no cab, and that really narrows it down. It's probably easier to buy a loader and have it installed than to find a good used L5030 with no cab and a loader.

My main issue is lifting, since that is nearly all I do, and it has to be HST because of the nature of the work. The L5030 lifts a lot more than the L3710. It also has around 40% more PTO power for a flail mower.

You are so lucky. I just went through torment fixing a starting issue with my Kubota. I know almost everything about the starting system now. The brake switch is NC, which means "normally closed." It is normally closed ("on") when the controller will not let the mower start. When you push the...

Looks pretty good! I just realized the one I was looking at has no loader, so that's a problem. I don't really see myself installing a loader, and I don't know if Kubotas without loaders came with valves. I would have to find a loader, have it installed, and then possibly put valves in it.

The more I learn about machinery, the more I realize I do not want emissions gadgets, a computer controller, or any similar electronic junk. People say these contraptions are reliable, but on the other hand, the web is jammed with other people complaining about how they have failed and ended up...

Really cool. Homemade jerky is so much better. Are you using oxygen-absorbing packets to protect the meat?

I will post a shot of the starter system's schematic. I am not sure if I should post my analysis, because I think I would end up getting flak from people who think it's wrong yet have not done the work to find out.