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Which is one of the reasons I don't freehand file with just a round file. I've met dozens of people who think they do a great job at hand filing with nothing but a file. I've met exactly 3 who were actually good enough at it to reliably beat "new, fresh out of the box" performance and...

So sorry to hear it. I was just thinking about him the other day and wondering what he was up to. He signed on a little over a year before I did. He was very helpful with tips and suggestions when I bought my 2001 TC33. He will certainly be missed!

I hand-sharpen all of my chains. It's easy to beat the performance of the typical hardware store flunky using the store's chain grinder. I also don't have to deal with the aftermath of a ham-fisted grinder operator who overheated the cutters or depth gauges to the point where they air-hardened...

And now down to $38 plus ($25.88 shipping).

I have a portable gasoline powered generator that I converted to run off either propane or gasoline. It was just a kit that I installed. Similar concept to what you described, however, the "T" was not in the fuel line. It was a special fitting that installed between the air filter and the carb...

:D

Three left in stock as of this morning.

The prices seems to bounce back and forth a lot. Sometimes, the cheapest I can find is something like $135 with shipping. The one I just noted is near the bottom end of the price range I've seen over the past couple of years. I just ordered two of them. I figured I'm not going to see much lower...

Just saw the cheapest price in a while for the Husqvarna Combi Fuel can on Amazon. $42 each plus $25.88 shipping. You can save a little on shipping if you order more than one at a time. https://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-Bid%C3%B3n-Combi-Combustible-aceite/dp/B00T031DAE?th=1

Question for those of you who own these: Lithium batteries do not like being stored long-term either completely full or completely empty. Most recommendations I've seen suggest storing some between roughly 30 - 80% (nd most seem to prefer the 50-80% range, since like most batteries, they will...

My kitchen isn't that clean

Our shop might have looked that clean the day after we finished building it. It hasn't come close since.

A good idea, but not really an option in this case. I'm not up for running a loop 200 feet from the boiler in the basement of the house over to the shop. This is why I'm looking for an independent source of heat for the shop.

A friend of mine started having that problem years ago. I put a D-handle on the starter cord for his saw (Oregon calls it a mitten handle.) The grip doesn't help those with shoulder problems, but it made all the difference in the world for him with his hand issues. It let him wrap the handle...

Milwaukee has jumped on the dual battery bandwagon. Their model 2827-22 is claimed to have the power of a 70cc gas chainsaw. I have not laid eyes on one yet.

All but the two oldest of my BatteryMINDer chargers will attempt to charge a 12V battery that has dropped to as low as 3.0 volts. (My oldest, a 20+ year old model 12117 and a 15+ year old model 12248 will not attempt to charge a battery that has fallen below 10.5 V) I do keep an old "dumb"...

Milwaukee does the same thing, as do several other chainsaw manufacturers. (don;t let the name painted on some of the bars fool you.) That is correct. BTW, Oregon owns Carlton.

You need to buy a bar specifically made to fit your chainsaw. Some chainsaws share mount designs with others, so bars are interchangeable, but many are not. Oregon makes different bars specifically to fit a wide variety of chainsaws, both battery and gas powered. Bailey's has a good bar finder...

Even in my NH TC33D (relatively undersized for logging) traction has not been a problem unless I have heavy, dense snow piled up enough to bottom out with the belly pan. If it gets away from me, I can just push through the light stuff. The big, heavy snow piled deep can slow me down too much to...

I was under the impression you could keep working while the regen cycle happened. I fact, I thought they wanted it worked hard o keep the temperature up. I've never owned a tractor that had these kinds of systems, though I suspect that day is coming.

I suspect there is a huge swing between people who are using their tractor in connection with some business as compared to those using it for personal use. My use is personal, not connected with any commercial endeavors. My highest year on my 2001 NH TC33D was about 250 hours. A typical year...

I remember it because K is the abbreviation for the Kelvin scale: a temperature scale in which 0˚ is absolute zero, the lowest temperature possible (there is no such thing as "below zero" on the Kelvin scale. 0˚K = -273˚C/-460˚F)

BTW, you can get the degree symbol (as in -30˚C) by typing Alt-K (or on a Mac it's Option-K)

If you've got a water line in an unheated garage up here, you've got a bigger issue than just what kind of spigot you have. That line needs to be shut off and drained for the winter. We have an internal heater in the line feeding the upstairs room in our garage. It runs inside the pipe from the...

Some tips for those of you whose homes might not be built for this sort of cold. Most of these were shared to me by a plumber friend who really does not enjoy making emergency calls when it's -20˚F outside. Make sure all hoses are disconnected from outside spigots. A hose left connected can...

Cute shot! Just remember: the smaller the kid, the quicker the cold will get to them. They just don't have the body mass to hold on to heat well, So while an adult might walk out and not feel much after any given length of time, a child will be getting chilled much more quickly, and an infant...

Welcome to the world of shoveling rooftops to prevent their collapse. Be careful!

With several friends in the affected area and knowing several others who were sent there to help, I can say that is complete and total hogwash.

No room to move your tongue box forward a bit so you can mount your winch just in front of the bed? If not, is there a way to mount your winch so that it is easily removable in case you need the full deck (ideally with no tools required)? I've seen two custom installations. I wish I had...

You should rely be looking at the responses of people from similar climates to yours. The diesel formulation at the pumps here in Vermont is different in the summer vs the winter. In the Fall, you often hear people who are filling up a 5 gallon can at some of the local stations asking "have you...

That's too bad. Unfortunate that the offending posts could not just be deleted, but I guess sometimes if the thread deterioration goes on long enough, it's just too much work to weed out the crap.

I'm guessing it's not just a matter of driving in 4WD on pavement and binding up the gear train as the difference between the "lead" on the front wheels (typically a few % higher ground speed than the rear wheels) can "wind up" the gear train when driving on surfaces that don;t allow some slip...

Probably not doing baseboard. To much stuff at floor level already. Probably have to go with a wall or ceiling mount

I was looking at some of those electric heaters online, since they are closer to the size I think we need. Have you found any brands in particular that you like?

Exactly why I am not considering ventless combustion heaters.

Thanks, Dave. The Modine sealed combustion units look like a good way to go - especially if cleaning them just involves blowing them out with some compressed air occasionally. I suspect that at 30,000 BTU the smallest one they show at that link is overkill for what we need. I'm guessing...

If we were starting from scratch, I would put radiant floor heating in the shop. We have it in the house and love it (I like to heat with the wood stove most of the time, but my wife and daughter are always turning up the floor heat. I'll admit is is comfortable and keeps your feet warm...

Not a good one. It's a cyclonic separator on a 5 gallon bucket installed before a 15 gallon 5 HP Rigid shop vac. She's got hoses to the chop saw and tabletop belt sander which she plugs in to the system when she's using them. Nothing to the table saw, she just hits that with the vacuum hose...

Does anyone have experience heating a woodworking shop with a Rinnai type direct vent propane heater? I'm a bit concerned with how well it would tolerate all of the saw dust in the shop. Seems as though the filter would clog up quickly. I suppose if we mounted it in an easy to access location...

I don't bother to burn large logs. If they are not bartered to a friend with a sawmill or used for firewood, they either stay in the woods to rot, creating wildlife habitat while they return nutrients to the soil, or I use them to make brush piles for wildlife habitat. Occasionally, I use...

I'm not sure how your plow is set up, but you miht try searching for threads mentioning "underslung plow". Trying to float the whole loader assembly generally does not work that well: there is just too much weight for it to follow varying terrain effectively. The underslung mount results in much...

Please give the pissing match a rest! If you feel you have to keep going in a battle to get the last word, start a new thread or better yet, take it to private messages. The rest of us don't need to wade through this crap.

That is a solid-looking trailer. No info about it on their website.

Those might be knock-offs. From what I can see in the picture, they do apper to have full welds n the handles, which is a good thing. (Many knock-offs have only tack welds.) However, genuine NATO cans (such as the Wavian cans) have recessed perimeter welds, which protects the welds/seams from...

My first one was a 2 wheel steering, but I had it converted to a 4WS. (A guy in Maine who had done the conversion on his own Coot used mine as the vehicle to develop a kit with instructions for the conversion. I later retrofitted a 16 HP Briggs Vanguard V-twin engine in place of the Tecumseh...

just checked today the price at that link jumped up to $93. This is coming from Japan, and the dollar has been weakening against the Yen for several months, which might explain some of the change? I suspect that the threatened tariffs will also bump up prices of things coming from outside the...

Most of the old-fashioned big ones will just keep on trying to charge after the battery is full. As this can boil off electrolyte, they generally should not be left connected continuously. The older big "dumb" chargers do have a couple of advantages: the high charge rates (such as 25-50 amps)...

I have not heard the name. I'm afraid to go look. If I come home with any more gadgets, I'll probably end up single.

Did you post about your Quadractor on here before? Ever since I was a kid. I thought they were incredibly interesting. Where are you from? I'd love to see your collection, if I'm ever in your area.

They are fun, quirky little vehicles. And you can really freak a passenger out by driving it into a pond: It just does not look like an amphibious ATV. I'm one of the Admins for the Coot/Croco 4x4 ATV Enthusiasts Facebook group.

It's getting harder to find the Husqvarn Combi fuel can for under $100. Back in January 2024, I was able to order two, delivered to my home for about $75 each. A purchase a couple of years earlier was significantly less expensive. This deal for $88.61 including shipping to the US is the best...

I've never tried the metal spout that is available for the NATO Jerry can. I do have a plastic one that came with one of my cans that works OK. I don;t use it much, since filler port on my antique truck is made to work with the plain Jerry can without a spout. I was thinking of ordering one of...

Yeah, it was avoiding exactly that that made me cross the Polaris line off my list. Such a counter-intuitive driving mode: "I need to go slower, so I'll step on the gas" is just not a natural reaction when I'm putting along down a hill and the driveline suddenly shifts into freewheel. I wanted...

If Philadelphia is "west", I guess you didn't move very far?

This battery BS is derailing an otherwise nice thread (and I regret contributing to it, though I did try to relate information without attacking anyone.) I respectfully suggest we all give it a rest and discontinues the pissing match... or start a new thread to debate how temperature affects...

I hope you are not going all the way to 1/2" chain. 3/8" grade 70 is plenty for most uses with these winches, and lots of people use 5/16". Carrying 1/2" when you don't really need to gets old really quickly.

Our experience with my wife's Chevy bolt seems to agree with that. In the Winter, we get about 55-60% of the range we do in the Spring/Summer/Fall (assuming we are not using the AC). However, there are a couple more factors for us than just battery efficiency: running the heater sucks the range...

Most well designed EVs, including the Polaris Kinetic include a battery heater to warm the battery for charging when needed. The battery management system will not charge when they are too cold. The Polaris EV Range FAQs note that for maximum range (and best battery lifetime) you should...

All the Polaris site says is Lithium Ion. Everything I've seen says that they are NMC batteries (Nickel-Managnese-Cobalt, a type of Lithium Ion battery). However, this is not from an official Polaris source. LiFePo4 batteries weigh more than NMC batteries of the same capacity (typical LiFePo4...

True in any temperature. Lithium Ion batteries don't like to be kept either very full or very empty for extended periods. If I'm going to be storing them for an extended period, I try to do it between 20% and 80% (usually up toward the higher end of the scale, so I can get significant use out of...

Oesco has Igland self releasing snatch blocks in stock for $340.

The owners manual for my winch does not limit you to pulling for straight behind. It specifies a maximum of 30˚ from straight behind when pulling. I've found that to be a reasonable maximum angle, though I do try to set up for less than that - generally aiming for as straight behind the tractor...

I can also manually downshift, whether the transmission is in automatic or manual mode. However, my concern was not just what gear it is in. What I like about the Honda Pioneer 520 is that the transmission does not "let go" when I take my foot off the gas. I take my foot off, and there is drag...

Chains vs cable for chokers seems to be a matter of personal preference, but it's also a regional thing. Everyone I know around here uses chain chokers. In other parts of the country, everyone uses cable chokers. I do find chains easier to store either on the tractor or in the barn.

The 520 suit my needs well. I wanted something smaller and lighter so that I could get out and work in my woods when conditions were a bit too soft to get out there with my tractor without tearing things up. It works well for that. I haul tools in the bed, and bring along with a small trailer if...

I went with a Honda Pioneer 520, since the engine braking was a real plus operating on my hills, especially when towing a significant load. (Contrary to ArlyA's experience, I found a number of well known brands that don't have good engine braking, or that have braking that is not effective at...

To Gordon's great post, I will just add one point: Starting small is a great way to learn as you go, but the "go slow" is also important. Don't assume that just because you are pulling a 6" pole that you don't have anything to worry about. Sometimes those will whip around more easily than that...

You are right, it probably is safer to drag an item to the tractor. The problem is, I'm usually doing that procedure at home, where I don't have big logs handy... plus, my wife would kill me if I dragged a big log across the yard.

I had completely forgotten about that series. (I even have it bookmarked.) I do some things a little differently than he does, but he's got some good stuff there.

There are a lot of safety tips, but here's a more practical "operations" tip. Some guidance to avoid creating a "birds nest" on your winch drum. That tangled up mess can prevent a cable from unspooling and at worst can ruin a cable with kinks. Even if you don't end up with a complete tangled...

Tajfun is a highly regarded brand. I'm sure you'll be happy with it. I've often wished there was a good workshop I could attend to get pointers on using a logging winch. I've taught myself over the years, but I'm sure I could pick up a lot from a well-organized hands-on workshop: something like...

The Uniforest 35M is rated at 7700 lbs pull. I bought it because it's a good match in size for the tractor I'm using it with. It has plenty of pull for me, but then I'm not doing this for a living. If I have a really difficult pull (like pulling the UPS truck out of the ditch they got stuck...

I have no personal experience with Wallenstein - I've never even seen one in person. Most of the comments I've heard don't put it in the same league as some of the others, such as Fransgard, Farmi, Tajfun. I own a Uniforest 35E. It's done what I've needed for about 15 years now. (The newer...

Hud-son is the US distributor for Uniforest. When I look at their web site, They show a flat rate shipping of $500 (I asked for shipping to 25213 in WV). I'm not sure if that is shipped to their closest dealer or direct to you. Seems as though if you have a dealer in the area, you might be able...

Safest? No, not by a long shot. Most practical: I'd agree with that. I like the olive drab one that is mounted on my antique truck enough that a bought a red one one for every day use. (Wavian brand) Lowest cost in the long run - possibly. The real NATO cans (made by Wavian or Valpro) are...

You can be a corp and still be a sole proprietor. If you have no employees, OSHA has no jurisdiction.

Well, if you are a sole proprietor, you might be off the hook: I had forgotten that OSHA has no jurisdiction over sole proprietors.

Wow. 260 milliamps seems like a really high parasitic draw. Older cars were typically less than 50 mA. Modern vehicles generally run between 50-85 mA. I'd be checking for a light that's not shutting off or a stuck relay somewhere...

I've got a couple of those. The model 1500/1510 are a step up from the old BatteryMINDer 12117 that is sold by Northern Tool (BatteryMINDer has discontinued selling that model anywhere else). My 12117 is over 20 years old and still working fine. Also have a couple of their 1215C (which is...

Not sure the chargers do desulfation when in Lithium mode.

Most are coming from China. the ones that say "ship from the USA" are in portside warehouses. Not sure how they get away with that. I have not found a rule or law that says a private individual has to store gasoline in any particular color container. The OSHA requirements are for workplaces...

Where are you seeing those? Have you found any in a retail store? I know that some companies market what is obviously intended as gas can as "water storage containers" to get around the restrictions, but I have not seen orange ones of that particular dodge.

I have never seen a Husqvarna one with a green spout. Are you referring to the Holzforma knock-off, or was there a previous husky design?

I'm guessing it wasn't the battery he was concerned about (not many have built in electronics, though it is becoming more common in some of the newer designs). It would be whatever electronics are in the vehicle if the battery is not disconnected before charging.

That's what I found when I tried to look up what battery a Mule uses. I have a Honda Pioneer 520 (a small UTV). I don;t think I could find a place to fit a full-sized car battery in it. Regular, frequent use is one of the best things you can do for a battery. As long as you aren't having...

A battery balancer is a good idea. For all of my chargers, there has been no need to take the batteries apart in order to charge them individually: I can just connect each one up to a different battery while all of the batteries are still connected to the vehicle. (I suppose it's possible to...

Many people who are not used to an HST transmission try to use the HST pedal like a gas pedal. If they start to bog down they press the pedal harder, which is the exact opposite of what you want to do. Give it more throttle if needed, but let up on the HST pedal (in effect shifting to a "lower...

That's a nice size, and it predates a lot of the diesel emissions stuff they have been loaded down with in more recent years. Is yours the hydrostatic transmission or the 12 speed "PowrReverser"? If I knew then what I know now, I'd have been in that size range back when I was shopping in 2001...

I was assuming Eddie was referring to a Kawasaki Mule, a UTV which uses a 17 Amp-Hour ATV type battery. In thinking further about this, I know there are Mule gate openers, which I assume use a deep-cycle battery. There are also antique military Mules (M274) - a funky UTV-type vehicle - which...

From what I can see, it's two in series, and then those two series strings connected in parallel.

So the two with the issue are the two with the Pulsetech on them? Those Pulsetech units are only supposed to be used on batteries that are frequently charged. The Pulsetech is a desulfation system that runs off the battery power (rather than plugging in to the wall), so they put a constant slow...

You do NOT want to use a high amperage charger on a small ATV or motorcycle sized battery (as is probably in your Mule). Those typically like to be charged at a rate of about 1 or 2 amps. Not sure what the max charge rate your riding mower batteries can take, but worth checking before you hook...

Is that a Holzforma knock-off of the Stihl fuel can? (I can't read the labels on my phone screen.) I'll be curious to hear what you think of it once you've had a chance to use it a bit. I have never seen a local Stihl dealer that carries the Stihl version. I'm guessing the same problem as the...

For BatteryMINDer chargers (and some others), it's not high voltage, it's high frequency pulses.

Probably because they don't meet US fuel can regulations. OSHA and/or NFPA regulations require gas cans to be red. Husqvarna likes to make their cans Husqvarna orange

I can't think of a single photo I have seen on here that needed anywhere close to 50 megapixel resolution to be useful for this group's purpose. Yes, it would be nice if the server automatically resized them, but I have no complaints dealing with that on the site I use with a 250K limit. I'm...

No problem here, either.

Yep - and since the lights these days are low-current LEDs, they have dropped the wire gauge to a bare minimum.

You know that if your phone does not already include the ability to resize pictures, you can get a smartphone app for that.

What Gordon is describing is basically the technique I was shown in one of the Game of Logging classes for overcoming back lean in trees where the diameter is too small to drive a wedge without having it bottom out against the back of the hinge before it has provided enough lift to tip the tree...

I just could not get away with that type of hitch for my forwarding trailer. It does not have a hinge on the tongue, but even if it did, that would not prevent the binding I was getting as I drove through ditches or waterbars. When the tongue is pointing down to the bottom of the ditch, but the...

Saturday Dec 21 for Harbor Freight's 12 Days of Savings sale, the Predator 9500 Watt Inverter Generator is $800 off (regularly $2300, sale price $1500) and the 3500 Watt Inverter Generator is $220 off (regularly $800, sale price $580). If the 9500 Watt Inverter Generator were dual fuel, I'd...

You were nice enough to send me pictures a few years ago of that extra pivot. I copied it for the hitch on my forwarding trailer, which was getting some damage from driving through ditches and over rough terrain. Mine did not come out as good as yours, but it does work: no more binding.

What trailer is that? or did you make it yourself?

I'm only seeing the current day plus one day into the future.

Yeah, I don't really NEED one of those, but I do wish I had made the trip up to get one. It would be better than the table we are using now.

Tomorrow only, Thursday Dec 19 all Badland winches are 40% off as part of the "12 days of deals" sale. https://www.harborfreight.com/12-days-of-deals I'd suggest getting there early if you want one.

Well, that didn't last long. That eBay sale ended, but eBay conveniently found me "something similar": however, that price is US$75.70 plus US$55.92 shipping on that link. As noted in my original post, prices do tend to jump around a lot. EDIT: Looks as though the original seller relisted at...

Thanks for the suggestions. I have not had time to tear into it yet. Since the weather warmed up a bit, it has started working mostly normally again. I hope to get into it in the next few days.

While it's illegal to void the warranty for using non-OEM oil, it is legal to offer an extended warranty if you purchase some of their oil for use in the equipment. I have not seen this mentioned for tractors, but chainsaw manufacturers have used it to get you to try their 2 cycle oils and...

I'd like to add that circuit to my dump trailer, when I finally get around to wiring it for on-road use. It has no lights or trailer connector at the moment, it's just a self-contained deep cycle battery with no connection to the tow vehicle. What are these pin numbers you are referring to? I'm...

What are you protecting in that little circular fence?

Glad someone tried it, and thanks for reporting on your experience with it. I'm sticking with the plow on my Honda Pioneer 520. The rear-mount snowblower on my tractor with the loader on the front is great for the really heavy snows, but I wanted something faster for the lighter storms.

Sounds like a slightly different set up to access than on the TC33. One thing I don't understand on the throttle: I can understand how tightening the nut on the throttle lever would help the problem of the RPMs drifting down. What I don't understand is the other problem: why do the RPMs stay...

I have a 2001 TC33D that I'm having some problems with. The throttle lever is very loose. I feel almost no resistance when I move the lever. When I started the tractor, the engine raced up to about 2200-2300 RPMs. I immediately shut it down. It feels as though the throttle is stuck mostly open...

really depends on the size and the style of chain. The diamond pattern "Euro-style" chains tend to be a lot more expensive than other styles. I bought my Ladder style and my Duo-grip style from Tirechain.com. They seemed like a decent company to deal with, though not always responsive to...

AGREE! I started with 4-link v-bar ladder style chains on the rear R4 tires of my tractor. Most of the time they got me up the icy steep section of my driveway. They did not have very good lateral traction, so I'd often find myself sliding sideways when operating on side hills. I switched to...

A lot of folks just use manually set gauge wheels. If they are positioned correctly in relation to the blade, once you find a good spot, they don't tend to need to be adjusted very often.

So what you describe is actually removing water from the fuel system. It doesn't just vanish, it passes through the engine. Rubbing alcohol will combine with water and can help move it through the system, but it has the same issues as Ethanol (which is just one form of alcohol). Put too much...

A reminder for those buying a NOCO GENIUS 1: This model is not water resistant. It is rated IP 60 (protected from dust intrusion, but the 0 means no water protection). It should be considered for indoor use only. Even if protected from rain/splashes, condensation can become an issue. The rest...

No, because you drive the chains onto the tires, rather than drive he tires onto the chains. You tie the leading edge of the chain to the rim, then drive forward, so the side facing up ends up facing outward. The process is much easier than driving the tractor on to the chains, and then trying...

Interesting that Cherry fetches such a premium. I've never understood the fascination with Black Cherry as a firewood. It does split and dry relatively easily (though not as easily as Ash). However, it only has about 90% of the BTUs of White Ash. I could understand a slight premium for low-ash...

Or you could just use PVWatts to do the calculation for you: https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/

My grid-tied system (no battery back-up) here in VT paid for itself in 8 years. I did save a bit by helping with some of the labor on the install.

With this style of chain, most manufacturers recommend a bit of slack, I fact, I think with my OFA EKO chains they said the warranty is void if you use chain tensioners.

The under-slung blade such as Gordon showed is definitely the way to go. You don't want the weight of the loader arms interfering with the float of the blade. Moving the pivot point back behind the SSQA plate avoids the problems caused by having the blade way out in front of the tractor: less...

American Beech is one of my favorites. It packs a lot of BTUs (a bit higher than Red Oak, similar to Sugar Maple, not qite as high as White Oak). It's also easy drying: second only to Ash as far as how little excess moisture it holds when freshly cut.

If I split and stack my Oak in single rows exposed to the sun and wind, I can get it ready to burn (under 20% moisture content - usually around 15% or so) after two summers of drying. Most other species I can get there on one good summer: split and stack in the spring, and it's ready to go in...

I'm not familiar with Hulkman chargers, but modern smart charger/maintainers often don't state trickle charge current because it's not an issue: they are not "trickle chargers". Whne the battery is fully charged, they stop charging and monitor the battery until a further charge is needed. True...

The AGM charging profile is one of the reasons I usually choose one of BatteryMINDER's higher end chargers, unless I'm dedicating it to a vehicle I know will use the standard flooded lead-acid charging profile However, while the BAtteryMINDer 12117TC does not have a dedicated AGM charging...

Back on the subject of chargers/maintainers: I see that Northern Tool is running a special on the BatteryMINDer model 12117TC. This is a 12V, 1 amp, smart charger/maintainer with temperature compensation and desulfation. Normally $40, now on sale for $20. I own a lot of their maintainers...

Have you used those chains when plowing on pavement at all? I ended up going with square-link chains on my Honda Pioneer 520 out of concern about scraping up the pavement on the small portion of our driveway that is paved. The square link is easier on pavement than studded or V-bar chains. At...

If you already have a tractor with snow blower to handle the heavy snows, I'd go with the snow plow on the RTV900. You can use that on the lighter snows and get things done much more quickly than with your tractor and snow blower, then when the heavy stuff hits switch your tractor into snow...

I saw a few of the Husqvarna combi fuel cans in the hands of various friends over the years. Finally got around ordering myself one a few years ago. (ordered a couple to save on shipping and got one for a friend). I ordered a couple more for more friends who saw mine and wanted one. No one in...

The owners manual for my 562 XP says: "Do not use gasoline with an octane grade less than 90 RON/87 AKI." Gas sold at the pump in the USA is rated at the average of the two, so 88.5 minimum. No one reports partial points of octane, so 89, to be safe. That's mid grade gas around here. The...

I have zero need for nor interest in a 100 HP "go-fast" ATV. I was looking for a smaller, lighter-weight SxS to take out in my woods when conditions were a bit too soft more my tractor. One of the reasons I settled on a Honda Pioneer 520 was actually the transmission. The it's reliable and...

Welcome to "Weekend Warrior Syndrome", @WinterDeere. I've been known to suffer from that myself. I try to make a point of not calculating my actual expenses for the firewood we heat our home with. But if I did, I'd have to add in the cost of the visits to the chiropractor.

I have the same issue when I have the forestry grapple on the tractor: I lose my spot for carrying gear. I need a better way to haul the stuff around when the grapple is on, and I'm towing something with the tractor. It's less of an issue if I'm out with the SxS: the gear goes in the bed, and...

I’m curious why you don’t attach the ball directly to the drawbar and avoid having wood in the towing connection.

This is exactly what I've heard & read. A weak battery may hold a surface charge for a time, making the voltage look as though it's up to snuff. Letting the battery rest for a bit gives a more accurate reading. I've never heard of a surface charge interfering with how a charger works, but I...

Diesels are compression ignition engines: they rely on the heat generated from the compression as the cylinder moves to ignite the fuel. The heat that fuel sees is proportion to the speed of the compression. So while a gas engine might start with slow cranking (since the spark plug still fires)...

Apparently, some are used as starting batteries in smaller engines, such as ATVs or motorcycles. They are not generally used to start cars and trucks (nor I assume in tractors). See the following article: https://www.batteriesplus.com/blog/power/lithium-starting I considered using a small...

I replace my batteries "on condition". It's usually pretty obvious to me when a battery is getting weak. I've had this tractor 23 years. I've been caught with a battery that wouldn't start the tractor exactly once. That was when the tractor was 4 or 5 years old and the OEM battery faded. I...

Complicated by the fact that some of these do both. All of the chargers and maintainers sold by NOCO and BatteryMINDer are "smart": even the higher amperage ones will automatically drop into maintenance mode once the battery is charged, checking the battery condition periodically and charging...

That depends on the brand. BatteryMINDer desulfation runs any time it is connected. Since they use brief high frequency pulses, rather than high voltage pulses, they do not overcharge the battery. NOCO charger run their desulfation circuit only during the actual charging process. Once the...

A good quality smart maintainer is not a problem. Two brands I've had good luck with are BatteryMINDer (I have about 6 of them) and NOCO. Both brands are temperature compensated and include a desulfation feature. I've left batteries connected continuously for weeks or months without a problem...

I have a tractor with a grapple as well as a self-loading forwarding trailer. I don't tend to use that trailer with my SxS, since the trailer weight plus a full payload is about 7 times what the SxS is rated to pull (I went small and light with my SxS, since I had the tractor for heavier work.)...

Never thought I'd hear myself saying this about something selling on alibaba, but I like the way the hydraulic lines are run on the alibaba units better than the eBay one I posted about. The eBay units just seem to have lines draped all around. That does not seem to be a layout done with working...

I'm not familiar with that brand. I use my own Metavic trailer pretty extensively. If the focus is on getting the logs out of the woods, they work wonders, but you need to be doing a fair amount of it (and/or find a used one at a good price) in order to justify the cost. If your use is just to...

So wedging it over doesn't work for the trees in question?

More on lift with a boom: As a very ROUGH estimate, the reach times the lift capacity is more or less a constant on any one loader model (not always, since other factors can come in to play, but it gets you in the ballpark). So for my loader, the lift at 9.5 feet is rated at 600 lbs. 9.5 X 600...

All of these types of trailers lift more close in than at full reach. I did submit a couple of questions to the link that @ning posted. I asked for specs on max lift close in, and max payload on the trailer. I'll update when they respond I own a Metavic forwarding trailer with their M95 loader...

I often work with groups of people working up firewood since I help organize our local firewood donation program. I also work together as one of the co-owners of a conserved working forest a few miles from home doing firewood and trail maintenance. If it's an event I'm organizing, and someone is...

Be careful with portable kerosene heaters. If they are not vented, they will be putting CO (carbon monoxide) into the room. That's a problem, because it combines more readily with your red blood cells than O2 (oxygen). Meaning that even if you have O2 in the room, you can easily get CO...

The old-school trickle chargers which just constantly fed power to the battery could be a real problem if left connected. Some of the cheaper modern smart chargers suffer from quality issues. (Harbor Freight seems to have problems with this: even within the same model, some of their smart...

The good battery warmers are either to low powered to get hot enough to boil off electrolyte or they are controlled by a thermostat. The thermostat ones I've seen generally shut off at about 65˚F.

As others have noted, the horizontal/vertical splitters are always stationary block. The end away from the cylinder sits on the ground when spitting vertically. If that end were the wedge, you'd be pushing the split pieces into the ground (or trying to lift your splitter off the ground). A...

It also helps if you drape an old blanket or recycle an old kids sleeping bag over your tractor. Even a tarp can help. It can make a big difference if the tractor is outside in even a light breeze, but it also helps contain the heat when it is in a garage or barn. Back when incandescent bulbs...

The longer soak times are probably because preheating an engine is about more than just starting it. I've started my engine when it is 15˚F out without any preheating. I cycled the glow plugs twice, cranked it over, and it started up. Just because I can, doesn't make it my preference.

Piston aircraft engines commonly use an oil sump heater. These are generally glue-on. You do want to make sure the oil sump heater has some sort of temperature control AT the heater. Some high powered oil sump heaters without something to limit the temperature can cause the oil to coke in the...

In my case, the stupidity was lending my brush cutter out to someone while we were involved in a group work day clearing trails and a landing. I showed him my can of fuel and instructed him that he was not to refuel from ANY can other than that, regardless of what anyone else told him about the...

Which still does not change the fact that the majority of wear in internal combustion engines happens in the first few moments after start. Warming the block reduces that wear.

Interesting - Stihl HP Ultra regularly gets panned on several chainsaw repair sites. It's been a while since I read through the specs and reviewed the comments, so I don't recall all of the details, but if I remember correctly, Stihl Ultra is a JASO "FC" rated oil - a good spec, and definitely a...

Actually, Stabil does also remove water. The Marine Formula Stabil has more of the water-fighting additives, but both Stabil 360 and the regular red Stabil also remove water.

The majority of wear in an internal combustion engine occurs in the first few moments after starting, until the oil warms up and flows normally to all the nooks and crannies in the engine. While modern multi-viscosity oils help reduce this period, they do not eliminate it. An indication of...

If you can't find that functionality in a unit or app, You can always get a WiFi outlet, the plug one of the thermostat outlets that farm stores and some hardware stores sell to control livestock water heaters. Plug the WiFi controlled outlet into the wall outlet (so it always has power), then...

And it’s the method recommended by the manufacturer of my chains.

OFA is the same: they do NOT recommend using chain tensioners. It appears Aqualine does recommend them.

I had a nice exchange with that guy years ago, when I contact him for permission to repost that chart. (He was fine with it as long as I included the web link. He also appreciate my asking, since most ignore the copy right and just copy and paste it.)

That chart Sawyer rob posted is one of the best firewood BTU charts I have come across. They made a point of assembling it from sources which stated the moisture content, so they could be sure they were comparing apples to apples. I thought we could attach PDF files in this forum, but I guess...

Might want to put this in the Classifieds section, and include your location

I've never even seen a 2 stage pump made to fit a tractor PTO. I had no idea they existed. For most applications, a 2 stage pump would not be desirable: Imagine your back working fast until it got under load, and only then slowing down - nudging the swing cylinder into precise position would be...

If you really want to speed up a 3 Pt hitch splitter, run it off a PTO hydraulic pump, rather than off of the tractor hydraulics. Most of those pumps put out FAR more flow than the tractor's rear remotes

The only way one summer works for me is if I stack in single rows well exposed to sun and wind. As long as we don't have a totally rain filled summer it works. If I stack in a block of rows set together, I'll never make it in just one Spring/Fall/Summer.

If your Oak isn't burning well, are you sure it is properly dried? Oak seems to be the one wood I cannot get into the desired 15-20% moisture content range with just one summer's worth of drying. Most other species, if I get it split and stacked out where it is exposed to the sun and wind in...

Well, you a working with the two opposite ends of the spectrum as far as hand-splitting difficulty goes. Ash almost splits itself (we joke that if you look at it too hard, it will split clean in two). Elm is a total pain in the butt to split: that twisted interlocking grain makes it a bit of a...

He's been doing this long enough that I'm guessing he has already weighed that factor and decided to consider it

All of the saw manufacturers seem to want to put long bars on their saws. I guess they think it makes them look tougher, or maybe it sells to the folks who think bigger always means better. I see box stores with 18 or 20" bars on 50cc saws. That makes no sense to me. Maybe I'd feel differently...

It's got wood and it's got a tractor - you are more on topic than a lot of posts in this thread.

Where did you see this? From the Stabil website: "STA-BIL 360° PROTECTION™ can be used in any gasoline engine, including 2cycle, but is specifically designed for use in higher end vehicles and equipment, such as classic/hot rod type vehicles, motorcycles, and ATV’s. For Marine engines, we...

Looks as though I waited too long and missed the sale. I see they are back up to their regular prices now.

All Force mode does is temporarily turn the charger into a "dumb charger, forcing it to attempt to charge a battery that has fallen below the smart charger's minimum cutoff voltage. It tries to get it up above the minimum voltage the smart charger will recognize. IF the battery is damaged or...

So if you now delete your post which quoted his link, you deprive him of any links to his spam on this site.

To get people to click on his link. I see the original post has been deleted. Now the quote in your response is the only link remaining. It appears the user is no longer registered here either.

Thanks for the heads up on this.

The BatteryMINDer model 12117TC is their oldest model. They discontinued sales of it to anyone other than Northern Tool. It's still a solid, smart battery maintainer: I've got one that is around 20 years old and still going strong. They are running a sale now at $25 (regular price $40)...

Should be no need to take it out, if it's fully charged (which it will be if it's kept on a maintainer.

I would definitely go with an AGM battery. Leakage is just not an issue with them. If you search for your battery model number on Amazon, you'll find several substitutes show up for that size. (Just make sure they actually list it as a substitute or that this dimensions listed will fit in your...

62% is over 6 years. That amounts to about 8.4% per year. The company had offered 50%. The union had been seeking 77%.

Yep. If he has a manual transmission, then it is not a "D"

The flow restrictor is another thing I've been planning to add on both my top and side link - in my case because it is sometimes tough to feather things enough to do fine adjustments. You don't recall what size orifice you used, do you?

Nuts! I can figure out the size and thread type on my cylinder, but that link is the only place I'm finding that offers the whole kit. I was hoping not to have replace the whole hydraulic cylinder with a new one that has the double piloted check valve already installed. Looks as though I'm...

Is the threaded fitting on most hydraulic cylinders the same? I have no idea what's on mine. I have been meaning to look in to this for years, but never gotten around to it. That link just might get me off my butt to get it done.

limiting to 45˚ should greatly reduce the strain on the 3 Pt hitch arms. I was picturing it swung 90˚ out from the tractor. You probably did mention the check valves or a shut off. My memory is getting like swiss cheese lately... to much going on to keep up with. I do second WinterDeere's...

I'm surprised this has not sold yet

Almost bought a LiFePO4 battery for my forwarding trailer. It's a gas engine to run the hydraulics, but needs a battery to run the solenoids which control the hydraulic winch (They could have just used another hand-operated hydraulic valve, but the previous owner opted for the remote control...

Rim Guard has been around for a couple of decades now.

If I had an autonomous mower, what am I going to use as an excuse when my wife wants me to help with some of her projects?

If you don't already have the service manual for that tractor, it's worth the investment. I got a digital download of the manual for my tractor, and it has been a big help (especially when we had to split the tractor to replace a cracked clutch housing.)

That's a great back-saver without having to spend a fortune on a forwarding trailer with hydraulic loader. It seems you are doing the lifting with your logging winch raised up off the ground. Are you at all concerned about twisting the 3 point linkage, especially when the boom is out at 90˚ to...