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Just today I had a log on the clamp on bucket forks and it would barely roll back the bucket. Had to go super slow to get it on the sawmill. Loader inputs had to be super slow or it would drop suddenly. Front tires bulging.

In terms of moving quickly, I tried to go by the place last Saturday. They were closed and do not post their hours. Today was the earliest I could get by there. The tractor in question was there but was sold. I didn’t even bother looking it over. I’m not too concerned about typical wear and...

So @5030, when you restored your tractor did you rattle can the paint or did you have it done professionally....or do you have a paint sprayer?

Looking at the pics of the M9000 it looks like the exhaust comes up from a hole in the hood. Does the exhaust stack have to be removed to raise the hood? That would be awkward trying to inspect the engine compartment tomorrow.....if the tractor is even still there.

Open station plain Jane is what I’m looking for. I’ll even remove a canopy if it has one. I would love a cab but neither a canopy or cab would last long for the environment I work in.

I bought the shop and parts manual for my L4400 as soon as I bought the tractor. It has been useful and has paid for itself several times over.

Agree. The problem here is that both of the tractors I have considered were not what I would call a good deal. Pretty much everyone here agreed that they were overpriced for their condition and they still sold. But, in reality that means they were not overpriced. They are priced at what the...

Yes. Its just that this used equipment dealer is nearby and he seems to prefer Kubota. Prices on comparable JD are similar. Can't find any JDs within a couple hundred miles.

The tractor is no longer on the dealer's web site. Still on Tractor House but I suspect it is sold. Did not last long. Apparently you have to move pretty quick on these things.

We did have a written contract but there were no stipulations for breech. Do not really want to pursue legal action. However, if he does not come pick up his stuff and return what is left of our down payment I will. My logic for keeping the brick and block is that the brick was chosen...

I have no idea who owned it. I thought that stuff on the rear axle was long grass but it might be baler twine. I think if it was an ag tractor it must have been part of a large operation since it has number decals on it. @5030 Thanks for the tip on the PTO brake. Will check that out. I...

Another question. On the rear of this tractor just above and to the right of the PTO shaft there is hydraulic hose and a hydraulic connector. Looks like the hose goes forward. Any idea what that is? Also, it has a fire extinguisher, what looks like a back-up beeper and unit numbers on it. I...

I have no plans to attempt the fireplace and chimney myself. That's way beyond me. I would only do the opening for it, the finish carpentry and roof flashing. Not sure if the masons do the flashing or not. From the amount of block he had delivered it looks like the bulk of the chimney was going...

The 8 speed transmission is no problem for me. No hay baling. Most of what I'm looking for in a larger tractor is higher lifting capacity of the loader (compared to my 4400) and three point. Already assumed front tire replacement. All fluids and filters too of course. The two together is no...

Yes.

Not long ago I posted a thread about getting a bigger tractor to go with my Kubota L4400. I want a pre-emissions tractor with at least 60hp. 4wd. Loader. No cab. I found a Kubota M7040 locally. Beat up all over but mechanically sound. 1500 hours. $28,500. Dealer came down to $27,500 but I just...

I built a small log cabin kit on my property almost 20 years ago. Built it myself along with friends and family. We did not have the money to have a fireplace put it. We now have the money to do it and finally found a contractor to do the job. He has been utterly unreliable. He was contracted in...

I don't know much about raising cattle. But I have helped on my in-law's ranch a good bit. Mostly on the 'veterinary' side. Down cows, putting IVs in, plus routine stuff like shots and worming. About 400 head before the calves come. But, I've ridden with my nieces. They castrate right after...

I have family nearby. Cattle ranchers. My property borders theirs. They keep a few cows/steers for their own consumption. Almost entirely grass fed. And it isn't good. They don't even like it. When we would have a cookout and they would bring their own burgers their now grown kids would watch...

I am a family physician in South Carolina. There are four doctors in our clinic. We are supposed to have 5 or 6. We are below 50% understaffed in terms of support staff, medical assistants, nurses, front office etc. In the last year there has not been a single application for a physicians and...

I wish there was a "saw milling" subforum on this site. It seems to make sense. There are a number of us here who have one, they are becoming very popular, and for me my tractor is an integral part of the process from skidding to loading the mill. I requested this a while back but got no reply.

Thanks guys. In terms of stickers, I've got most everything on 1x1 stickers that are two feet apart. Posts and 2x lumber are in one big stack outdoors with a tarp just on the top. Planning a separate stack for 2x lumber soon. Pine boards are in a smaller stack in a shed. Oak and ash boards go...

I'll dry these 4x4s a month or so. I know they say a year is better but I've got some posts in the drying pile that are at least 50% lighter than when first cut and they've only been on there a few months. We'll see. Even a total disaster here won't be a big deal. If they twist into pretzels...

Thanks guys. These rails will go on a log cabin. Actually a porch rather than a deck but a deck will follow. The logs on the cabin are pine also and they are all checked so checking will be fine. The rails on the steps leading down from the porch were made with commercial treated 4x4s. They have...

Excellent. That simplifies things a lot. I should be able to get at least 2 with no heartwood and one with centered heartwood out of most of the logs in my pile. Got plenty of standing pines that are 20” if I need them.

Short term drying. Loblolly pine. They will be showing. They will be deck railing. Not a fancy deck. They will remain sough cut. Heavily stained with opaque stain.

Got a new saw mill. New at this. I need a pile of pine 4x4s for deck railing. Looking at store bought 4x4s most of them include heartwood from the middle of the tree. I assume that this gives them some stability in terms of bending and twisting. Just wondering how critical this is because if it...

You got any cheap OSB or plywood?

The house I live in is pre-plywood. The roof sheathing is boards on the diagonal. The floor underlayment is as well. Super strong. All of the lumber is actual dimension (2x4 =2"x4") and all of it is square edged. All of the wood is very hard and has very tight grain. Exterior window sills went...

Just bought a sawmill. That can't help much with plywood and OSB but in the short time I've had it I have a substantial pile of posts and 2x stuff and my son-in-law has a pile too. His is all cedar. Conventional wisdom is that a hobby mill will not pay for itself for the average individual and...

Agreed. I wrote a short, sad but true story about it once. But I think in the story I used the term pick axe rather than mattock but I’m not sure. Been a long time since I looked at it.

I just don’t know how to use it. Don’t know how to sharpen a chainsaw chain either. It’s a wonder I’ve made it to 59.

Not when the head slides down as soon as you raise it. I understand what you are saying but as mentioned there are plenty of situations where there is not an opportunity to add momentum in that way and if you are constantly creating momentum just to keep the head on then that’s just wasted...

I've got the ash slabs in the basement. Will cut a blank out soon since it will dry faster than the slab. Will give it a try putting near the heat but the cold weather is going to be gone soon so I might just leave a fan blowing on it.

Only if you are swinging it like a bat with every swing. Not very realistic in my experience.

@California They are practically identical. When I saw your post I went right down to my shop and put the wire wheel on mine. But, I cannot find any stamped letters of any sort.

That's great. I mean that genuinely. My point is in regard to income. I get that more members = more hits, etc etc. But I doubt that 1 or 10 or maybe even 100 member's activity translates into that much money especially if they are not heavy posters. Don't get me wrong, I'm one who believes that...

And that's a good thing, right? Totally agree that words have lost their meaning. Words like 'awesome' and 'hero' and 'truth' have pretty much lost any meaning at all. And that's a loss that is bigger than most people understand. But, the word 'love' has always had a very broad range of meaning...

Not sure about that. If I leave the owner would never know the difference. If 100 of us left the owner might notice. If we ALL left.........well, what are the odds. But there is another aspect to it. I would miss this site greatly if it was gone. If you know where to look and who to trust here...

I don't pay to be here. I don't own the site. I'm free to leave and never come back. I see myself as a guest and a member. And my membership hinges on two things: TBN allowing me to be here and my desire to be here. I have been a member of a number of paid sites that allowed off topic political...

That's what people tend to forget.

Just the opposite experience here. I've been around the internet, as we all have. Now I only frequent three internet forums with any regularity. This is one of them. All the rest are inferior unless you enjoy bickering, heavy handed moderating and reliably bad information.

Can't speak to the issue at hand but I've been a member here for at least 15 years (I think) and it has remained one of the best internet forums of any type I have ever come across for the whole time. Consistently friendly, civil and extremely helpful. A lot of that has to do with the good folks...

I've never tried it but you are correct water doesn't last any time at all. I can't remember what my son-in-law uses. It might have been mineral oil but it might have been linseed oil. I bet mineral oil is cheaper.

Agree. This mattock needs attention. Every time I use it I think I need to do something better than two nails but I just don’t use it often. It is ancient. It was my grandfather’s and he died in 1968. ( He owned a hardware store) and I suspect it came from there. The handle is also bone dry. I...

I have heard other people say that too. And I’m sure it has a lot to do with expectations, what you are chipping, how fast you work, etc. But I have had just the opposite experience. It took no time to fill my daughter’s full sized pickup. Ice pulled a cedar tree down and I chipped it up in no...

I used my old one yesterday. Chopping roots with the axe end Head held in place with bent nails. The head is loose as can be. Without the nails it wouldn’t stay in place at all. Might try the gasket trick that @oosik mentioned.

Did some more felling today. (Ice storm a month ago has left a good many topped pines). Saw still bogging some. I’m not going to rush out and get a bigger saw but at this point it is officially on the wish list.

I have choked my WC68 once. It was with wet matted up red cedar branches full of green needles. It choked in the output chute. In other words, those wet green needles clogged the chute not the flywheel box or cutters. I would assume that the WC88 has a larger output chute which would help. But...

Cut down some 18” 80’ pines this weekend with the Farm Boss. Sharp full chisel chain. The full chisel chain is definitely better than the semi chisel chains I am used to. It does okay but at full bite, as in half way through the tree, it still tends to bog a little. It is not a big deal and...

It is hard to see but there is a taper in the eye. Very gradual. I will try to duplicate it on the lathe and can use the method @etpm mentioned to get it really snug. At that point I may add a wedge like an axe. My son-in-law (who is into axes and such) soaks his axe handles in some sort of oil...

I'm not saying that a full swing from over the shoulder is wrong. I just don't very often find myself in a situation where that is possible the whole time. There's always branches over head, someone else nearby, the wall of a ditch behind me, etc etc etc.

Here is a picture of the head. As you can see it is about 12" long. I'm assuming this is a little mattock and not some sort of wood working tool. The edges are not sharp like an adze or something like that. I will probably turn an 18" handle so it can be used with one or two hands. I think it...

You should not have to maintain a constant powered arch to keep the head of a tool from sliding down. THAT would be a waste of energy. The point being, it is not all that typical to be swinging a mattock from all the way over the shoulder into the ground. That's ideal, and probably most...

Great info. Thanks guys. But I have to say, it isn't very practical from a use standpoint. I've used them where the head slid down the handle at the top of the upstroke. I have a newer one where the design is the same but there is a rubber collar around the top of the handle that fits into the...

Why are mattocks not fixed on their handles? In other words, why aren't they fitted like axe handles, pick handles and sledge hammer handles? The old mattock I have has two nails in the handle under the head to keep it from slipping down. Been that way since I was a child. I'm asking because I...

My drill press. Circa 1930:

They are still in my father in law’s basement for now. I’ll look at them more closely next time I’m there.

Thanks guys. Sounds like my hunch was correct. I can't imagine that I'd ever have a need to tap anything that large.

My father-in-law used to have a bunch of old tools. Most of them have been picked over and I've benefited from him getting rid of stuff. But I do not know that the tools are in the picture below. I'm talking about the 4 two handled tools in the lower right of the frame. They almost look like...

All of my life's problems would be solved by learning to sharpen things. :cool: The funny thing is that I've always been fanatical about sharp stuff. Cannot abide a dull knife, etc. As for drill bits its hard to say if I'm doing it right because most of the bits are junk bits. I'll get about as...

Upon reflection and watching the videos posted earlier in this thread I disagree with this. I have had two of the junk sets he tested and in some cases they simply won’t do anything even when new. Just like in the video. And for me the whole point is saving time and physical effort. Struggling...

I've used McMaster-Carr for other stuff. They are amazing. Stuff gets here before I knew I wanted it. ;-) I'll look at their bits. I do use cutting oil when doing any significant drilling. A stubb set would be very handy even for starting a hole for a jobber bit. It seems to me that any bit...

I'm pretty sure the rears don't have a tube.....but I do not know that for a fact. I've never had a flat on the rears. The fronts came tubeless. I put tubes in the fronts and have had far fewer flats, none in fact.

Agree. My junk bits make it through. But it is a lot of work compared to a 'proper' bit. Having said that, some of these junk bits after a few minutes work will not cut at all. You can sharpen it and go again...but that's a process that gets old and tiresome too.

I don't work with metal much but from time to time I do and seem to be doing more than usual lately. My Harbor Freight drill bits and the pile of drill bits I inherited from my Dad are not getting the job done. Lots of work. Holes not pretty. I know they can be sharpened but even when sharp they...

Kind of strange how good, responsible people are and will be paying outrageous amounts of money to avoid saving the planet. I mean that in a very tongue-in-cheek way. The point being, those of us who want simple reliable machines are also people who care about the environment in reasonable...

I understand the need for maximum weight. And I understand the need for the liquid to have a low freezing point. I can't believe either of those outweighs having your rims rust out. On the other hand.....mine have apparently had CACL in them for nearly 20 years and no problems yet.

I have a Kubota L4400. Same horsepower as your L4600. I have the WC-68. Nothing that I put in it slows the tractor down at all that I can hear or see. So I suspect you will be fine but before spending extra money ask yourself why you need the bigger chipper. The WC-68 is spec'd to handle 6 inch...

I'm really not sure. Less than 10k I suspect.

I'm afraid its going to be a Pandora's Box. Cannot imagine why they use that stuff.

The 2018 is a completely different model from my 2015 so I can’t speak to how good they are. I know that they have not sold well. I agree about the V8. I might be backward and a dinosaur but that’s what I believe should be in a gas truck. Diesel would make no sense for me. I tow maybe 8 or...

I don’t really know what’s in them. When I was planning to fill them I was going to use a mix of washer fluid or nontoxic antifreeze, I don’t remember which. When I loosened the valve I got a face full of whatever is in there. It tasted vaguely salty. I closed the valve and haven’t messed with...

There is rust appearing around the valve on one of the rears. Just a matter of time I suppose

Update: I stopped by and looked at the M7040 again. I crawled up underneath it. Looked at the engine. It looks solid. No leaks. Does not appear to have been split. But it is beat up all over. Mud and rocks where you would not expect them. No maintenance records. They said it was owned by a...

Filling rears is cheap and easy. Mine came from the dealer filled. I did not know it. When I went to fill them myself I got drenched. Unfortunately I think mine have calcium carbonate ( or whatever it is) in them. I would have opted for something else. But, the tractor is pushing 20 years old...

Critical on a little tractor like mine. Wish I had wheel weights to. As far as rolling the tractor it was never a risk. Load kept as low as possible, just off the ground. Driveway long but level.

Same here with my little L4400. There is little doubt that the loader capacity exceeds the limits of the tractor itself. The sawmill I lifted exceeded the published capacity of the loader and was a good two feet or more in front of the bucket pins. The loader handled the load fine. The tractor...

I have no doubt that bevel gear set ups are not as strong as comparable planetary set ups. But at the same time they are quite well engineered in regard to how and where the stresses are distributed. My tractor has a fairly weak design and does not have as much support on the upper aspect of the...

@mo1 Thanks for that rundown. It is very helpful. Another thought on 2wd. Most of the Kubotas that I see that are 2wd do not have loaders. Many of them have big turf tires on them.

2wd is simply not an option. Too many hills. Too much slick mud. With Kubota 4wds I don't think there is a big compromise in turning radius due to the bevel gear design. I could be wrong. My inlaw next door to my place is a cattle rancher and grows his own hay. For years he had only large 2wd...

I don’t know. Safer? Considering most users have no concept of balance or ballast. More honest? More accurate? Better match to the tractor’s weight?

Definitely. I also bought a pto chipper. It weighs over 800 pounds and with it on the back lifting big logs is more stable.

I don’t even know the difference between ALO and SSQA so I probably misspoke. I know it had some sort of QA.

@Hozzie hit the nail on the head. My L4400 has the LA703 loader. That indicates 703kg (1546 pounds) at the bucket pin. I recently unloaded and carried my new sawmill (on a double pallet) on clamp on bucket forks...well out from the pins. I had a ~500 pound box blade on the back with a 200 pound...

THAT is the tractor I need!

I have been looking for a larger tractor to replace or go with my Kubota L4400 4wd. The L4400 is 45 hp and is a good machine but it is very light weight. I need something heavier and with substantially more loader capacity. I'm looking for a used pre-emissions tractor with no computer. I'm...

Cheap carpet is as good as vinyl. Easy to clean. But, I have Weather Tech liners in my Nissan anyway. In the old Ford, the oem carpeted floor mats are still in it. I don't even wipe the mud or cow poop off my boots when I get in. The underside of the truck is literally covered in cow poop. I...

That's what I'd do. In my situation though it had a major failure at around 50k miles. Whole new transmission!

That's been going on for decades and I hate it. They often connect the stupidest things to like if you want the off-road package you have to get leather seats and lighted vanity mirrors.

Yep.

It runs. AC still works. Bumper is bent. Hood is crumpled where a branch fell on it when it was still my daily driver. Driver’s seat is butt sprung. Dents and scratches on all 4 sides. Rear window leaks whenever the bathroom caulk or duck tape peels off. Smells like heck on the inside. Tailgate...

Well, my Ford is not the lemon. The Nissan is the one shaping up to be a lemon. The Ford is a 2003 F150 crew cab 4x4. It was not a bad truck per se, I just felt it was a bit lackluster. Other than the air conditioning it was pretty reliable when it was my regular daily vehicle. There have been a...

He may have saved them from bankruptcy. But that is when the cars became uninspiring and mediocre. And the CVT was why in many cases. Goshn did not need framing. He was an out and out criminal. No one doubts that now. But kind of silly to claim that "Japanese conservatism" would destroy the...

I got my first Nissan, a 1984 720 4x4 King Cab pickup because I couldn't afford a Toyota. It ended up being every bit as good as a Toyota and maybe better. It had $150k on it when totalled. Nissan has had ups and downs. The alliance with Renault was probably a bad idea. I never warmed up to CVT...

I've run into good ones and I've run into some that don't even try. In my mind it seems like if you have a line of cars to sell you should know them in and out. But I've noticed two things these days 1) Most people are buying cars based on the tech on the screen in the dash. That's all the sales...

I could not get the first of those links to do anything. It pretty much sent me to another site that required a paid membership. The second link worked on one truck but on another one, a 2021, it said there was no data. For the one that I looked up you could match the gear ratio and the...

Right. And in the tables that they provide the towing capacity is referenced against the gcvw and the various wheelbases. But when you go to look for the gcvw you can't find it anywhere. The link above to the window decal finder might help....but I am still uneasy about it. So many guys buying...

Thanks! That might solve the problem. Four years ago when I tried to use the VIN number the tow packages did not show up. And asking the folks at dealerships, even Ford dealerships, usually just got a shrug of the shoulders from the sales guys. And yes, almost all cars have various recalls and...

Yes, as I've said, it is like code breaking to find out this information. And for whoever said that it is on the door placard I do not see that on any of the listings that show the door placard. You get weight ratings for front and back and then a lot of abbreviations that surely mean something...

My commute is 4 miles.

Well, first off, the prices on new Nissans are not cheap across their model line. My daughter in law just bought one. I was flabbergasted at the price. I've had two Maximas. One had zero service issues in 175,000 miles and we drove it happily until it was totaled. The third one was literally...

My life experience is the exact opposite, Dodge traditionally being the most unreliable, Chevy nearly as bad and Ford a big step up on the reliability scale. (Well, AMC Jeep the worst of all time. I had a 1976 Jeep Cherokee. It, in my opinion, represented the nadir of American automaking. The...

The Cummins are the reason my in-law, who is a farmer and Ford guy, switched from Ford to Dodge. Since then he has had injector failures on all three of his. Bosch injectors. Expensive failures. I think all three of these trucks are earlier than 2010 but I don't know precisely. I am not...

The problem is that there are three levels of tow packages that change these ratings. It is very hard to tell what tow package a truck has if you don't have the dealer window sticker. I've been digging deep in the F150 forums and there is no clear consensus even among "experts". Plenty of tables...

Then that is a problem with the trucks not my expectations. I don't think it is too much to expect that a truck shouldn't need a new transmission at 40k miles or to roll away while in 'park'. I don't think it is too much to expect that a window on a $50k truck will roll all the way up. But, if...

The thing that is putting me off from the Fords right now is that I digging and digging trying to find out the towing capacities of the various 2020 and 2021 versions are and it is almost impossible to tell. Even on the F150 forums there is utter confusion even when trying to buy a new one...

Question: The Fords and I'm sure most of the other brands come with different diff gearing. What I'm seeing in most of the v8 Fords is 3.31s. Is that what I want? Typical use for my trucks is short drive to work every day. Down to the cabin about an hour away every weekend. Occasional long...

In general I think that is sound advice. What worries me is that a few years after the new Titans came out, maybe 2018, there was a 4 page spread in Car and Driver (or one of those) detailing the fact that they never got to review their brand new $65,000 top end Titan HD because it was in the...

It might not exist now but I know for sure they did in the past because I owned them. Three previous Nissan trucks. All stellar. That is not to say they were perfect or never had any issues. So I don't think I'm being unrealistic.

Half ton.

Background: I have been a Nissan guy since 1984. Brand loyal all the way. And I've had great cars and trucks along the way. Then, in 2003 it was clear that I needed a full sized 4 door 4wd pick up. Nissan did not make one at that time so I bought a new Ford F150 Super Crew. I was never real...

The other issue with the Concord was, as I understand it, that it never would have been...or could have been.... a viable business venture without the level of government subsidy it got from France and England. Without that it was a no go in terms of ROI. If the project had relied on private or...

Agree with rScotty. Define what you need/want the tractor for then find the best brand in which capability and budget meet. That might entail not getting some bells and whistles compared to a lesser known brand. The problem with buying a potentially lower end brand is that small problems can...

"Lessons learned the stupid way" For me, most of the lessons I have learned the best were learned that way. Painful and expensive gets your attention. The one the comes to mind is running a short chainsaw (or any chainsaw), while exhausted and without chaps on. It could have been worse. As it...

For the most part if the transmission is not synchronized you pretty much have to come to a complete stop to change gears. That is the way my very basic tractor is. Most of the time it is a non-issue. If it is synchronized you can shift it just like a manual transmission car but even then that...

Put in the report on missing items with FedEx on Saturday via their "automated assistant". I have a case number but not a single other form of communication from them. No estimate on time frame. No info on what happens next. No info anywhere on their site about how to contact them any other way...

You would think that with all the tech they have that when they scan the package at the point of delivery that GPS would confirm or at least record the location of the drop. I fear that with the labor "shortage" some of these delivery companies, like many other enterprises, are not getting the...

If you just want to feel better about it then check out the videos by the guy who rigs the packages with cameras, tracking devices, glitter bombs and fart spray. It is very gratifying to watch. In my case we haven't confirmed that that is the issue. Sadly, we have had an increase in homeless...

All good points guys. But yes, it would be nice to be able to tell FedEx that they never delivered it or that I have proof that it was stolen. Funny thing is that this package was 70 pounds of brake rotors and pads. If they were stolen the thief is going to be unhappy with his labors.

I live on a quiet old street downtown in a small city in South Carolina. For the type of location crime has not been bad here even though sketchy areas are close by. But, yesterday I came home to find packages missing from my porch that were reported as delivered by FedEx. For a number of...

Of course. Plans will be reviewed and contributed to by several friends/family members who, unlike me, have experience with this type of thing and know what they're doing. I am fortunate to have those sorts of human resources to help me out. Site prep will be done by a professional. Again, all...

If things go as planned there will be no inspections, permits etc.

I get that. I do fairly serious amateur photography. At one point I was fairly proficient in Photoshop. Now I use Capture One Pro. Once you have it down the capabilities are amazing. But that is something I do often and will keep doing. I’m just not sure my next few projects warrant the kind of...

I don’t know what Timber Locks are but our cabin kit came with Ollylogs. I think they came in 12 and 16 inch. They self tap. No drilling. They zip right through pine logs. The carport I’m planning will be 6x6 posts and 4x6 beams and I’ll put the whole thing together with the Ollylog screws. I...

Jackball, I’m pretty sure the M7040 is normally aspirated. I could be wrong and I did not look to. Eddie, my current tractor is only an 8 speed and I have not found it to be an issue. Does a 12 have multiple gears for reverse or is it 12 forward? Not sure what I’d do with that many forward...

That’s what I’ve always done in the past.

A cab wouldn’t last a week for the things I do. In fact, if I were to get this tractor I’d probably take the homemade shade off. It’s is already beat up. I went by and looked at the tractor. It is considerably more beat up than it looks in the picture. Exhaust stack is bent. Hood is bent on the...

I messed with SketchUp and watched a few tutorials. The learning curve is probably not worth the effort at this point for the carport but when the time comes for my shop I may revisit one of these apps.

Playing with it now. Can't figure it out. Will need to look at some videos.

I do not know anything about CAD or design software. But, I am planning a shop in the future, a large carport and possibly an addition on our cabin and it sure would be nice to have a very simple (and affordable) 2D CAD app for that sort of thing. Does such a thing exist? I use a Mac by the way...

Will echo what others have said about condensation. I built an open on all 4 sides tractor shed about ten years ago. Did not know what I was doing. It is a little overbuilt and plenty sturdy. It has survived one decent snow/ice event (very rare here) as well as some big winds and storms. But...

My L4400 is a DT. Fully manual. No synchro. You have to come to a complete stop to shift any gear. So a mechanical synchro will feel like a step up. So far have not heard back from the seller and since yesterday I've been down with flu symptoms (covid test neg) so not sure when I'd be able to...

The one I'm looking at is the M7040DT. The spec sheet I'm looking at says the DT is the model with 4wd and sync-shuttle transmission. The M7040HD is the 4wd with hydraulic shuttle transmission. The specs I'm looking at are not from Kubota so they may be wrong.

The instructions were generally quite good. There were no official videos. But we did run into one spot that took us a long time to figure out for a fairly minor thing. The manual was very unclear on that issue.

As far as a review, it is still early. It took two of us a day and a half to get it put together but it seems well made. Here is a picture of the completed assembly: Here is a picture of some largish beetle killed pines that are still in good usable shape. All of the larger ones are about as...

Me too. Have read conflicting experiences with latex. Did not want to risk it on this particular log. It is a nice one. May try latex in the future when the Anchor Seal runs out.

Even as I contemplate all this I know that I do not really "need" this tractor. I'm kind of hoping it looks worse in person than it does in the pictures or that he won't budge on the price or that it is clearly too big when I drive it. But, one of the things that drives my desire for it is the...

Probably not but if a dealer is offering $32k he's still planning on making some money off it. Has nothing to do with humble. Its a tractor. And quite frankly, I would pay top dollar for a sweet pre-emission machine than a new one today.

I somewhere half way in between depending on who you ask.

4wd, L4400s with open station and loaders are selling for $14,000 to $20,000 with more hours one them than mine. The ones I see on line are prettier than mine but I only paid $19,000 for mine brand new. If I don't keep it I sure want it to stay in the family.

The other thing I have to think seriously about is that all of my implements are Cat 1. I can change the pins on the mower, disk, spreader, two bottom plow and rake. The box blade and my chipper have Cat 1 sized holes and would need to be drilled out or some sort of adapter pin used. Not sure...

It is close by so if I decide to pursue this I will go see it, drive it, ask a lot of questions and if possible look at some of the fluids. My wife says the owner is one of her distant cousins. We only see him once every year or so at family reunions. Not close enough to get a family discount...

Don't know. Will have to ask. Pictures aren't great but it looks like it is starting to get that blush of Kubota pink that outdoor tractors, like mine, tend to get. I would hope to get this one down to $25,000. About that. Would probably let it go for less if selling it to my daughter but...

I thought so too until I did a lot of searches on this tractor. It is in line with what I'm seeing nation wide. But, as someone mentioned, this is the asking price. It might come down.

I have had a Kubota L4400 4wd for about 18 years now. Love it. Great tractor. Has fit my needs perfectly for years. Lately I have been considering a larger tractor but not seriously. I recently got a portable sawmill and hauling large logs is taxing the L4400. Plus, my daughter and her husband...

Thanks!

I recently got a small band saw mill. Found a nice white oak that was blown down. Been down nearly a year but the entire trunk was off the ground so it is in good shape. Cut the trunk into 3 10 foot sections and applied Anchor Seal to the ends. I've never used it before. Put two coats on each...

Good points!

MY MS271 is a decent 50cc saw. I saw a video where they dyno'ed non-pro level 50cc saws and the MS271 was the most powerful in its class for whatever that might be worth. But with some of the things I do it tends to be slightly under powered and a 20" bar just not quite long enough. Yes, I admit...

I have no need for a more finicky chain regardless of its performance benefits. I'm a weekend warrior at best. And in that regard, for the range of work I'll be doing (felling smaller trees, limbing, bucking, clean up of downed trees and stumps) even the off-the-shelf round ground full chisel...

I have a band saw mill. Do not need chainsaw for milling. Chains is dull. :D

I joined the YMCA recently and have been working out 3-4 times a week. Too early to feel anything but sore but I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would. Really hoping to recover a lot of strength lost to neglect. Spent all day yesterday working on the sawmill so now I’m doubly sore!

Okay, so mine is round ground full chisel. Just an off-the-shelf chain. Nothing special and I haven’t sharpened it yet.

Wow! I hope I can still be doing that sort of thing when I’m 80. Heck, I’d be happy if I could do that sort of thing when I’m 70.

My new chain is the square chisel type. I’ll correct myself though. Today I was cutting the ragged ends off of a couple of large white oak logs so I could put Anchor Seal on them and I felt like the performance was better than I’m used to with my original semi chisel chains. It can be subjective...

Don't know if the wire insulation is soy or not. But they chewed through every wire in my dashboard and most of the wires in my engine compartment. And by "through" I mean they cut them in two. Took me forever to rewire the dash and my tractor is very basic.

Update on full chisel chain. There is certainly a difference but it isn't much. Which means that a brand new full chisel performed only a little bit better than my old semi-chisel chains which were sharpened by me. :rolleyes: I also did not notice appreciably worse kickback tendencies either...

It is funny but worth considering. Look for frayed and gnawed on wires.

A couple of thoughts from someone who bought his first (and only) tractor about 20 years ago without a whole lot of knowledge or experience: When thinking about size and weight, think about your towing capabilities if the tractor will need to be towed. And it will. Standard pickups will pull a...

All the electrical problems I've ever had in my tractor came from mice.

Not having to split a lot of wood I have had the luxury of not needing a log splitter. In fact, I don’t use wedges or a maul. I use my axe. An old Plumb felling axe that was my dad’s. My son-in-law tells me it’s not good for the edge to use a felling axe that way. I don’t care. I’m fairly good...

That is good to know. Probably will not need storage or insulation but there will be a ceiling, lights and probably some fans.

Yes. We rented one to unload the cabin kit from the 18 wheelers when we had it delivered 20 years ago. It was a JCB. Amazing machine. Self leveling. 4wd. Independent all wheel steering. We rented it a second time to place the upper level logs.

Continuing off topic, I have never minded splitting wood. Kind of enjoy it. Granted, I’ve never spent hours or days on end doing it but a morning or afternoon of splitting wood is fairly pleasant. Knotty, twisty stuff excluded…..of course.

@LD1 I hate gutters. Constantly have to clean the ones on the cabin. But, they are a requirement on the cabin due to the layout and slope etc. With the shop, if it was a shed roof with decent overhang, gutters would not be needed front or back. If I use a typical common truss type roof then...

Oh I know. I got the bug. And using my son-in-laws big saw was not as intimidating as I was expecting. But I've got time. We'll see how things go.

I have not pursued that. I guess it seems like modding a MS 271 is kind of like modding a Ford Escape or a Nissan Sentra. However, I did watch a video that compared larger home-owner models and the MS 271 was the more powerful among the group. I'll have to ask him and see what he says. Wonder...

I know. I tried all the logical gymnastics that I could to justify a bigger saw but in the end being a lazy Scottish tightwad prevailed. But, one of these days I’ll sharpen the chain on the MS 271. Maybe that will help.

Now I’m sure I will not be putting a meter on the shop!

Update from OP: So far have decided not to get bigger saw. Son-in-law handling big saw stuff for now. I did order a full chisel chain for the MS 271. Have not put it on yet. I will soon. I have a large-ish white oak down and will need to do some bucking and large limb removal.

There is some space in the trusses of our cabin. Not what I would call an attic but still usable storage space. I put down some ply-wood for reinforcement. I'm pretty sure the truss spec says not to put anything heavy up there and we don't.

I suspect if I have them put in a meter our requirements here would be the same or similar. The county goes by what they call the International Building code. At least they did 20 years ago. It almost derailed the construction of my cabin as they make no provision for things like hunting cabins...

Also, someone mentioned inspections and using my own (ungraded) lumber. I'm not expecting to have to deal with any of that. Typically not a problem in this area with add-on buildings, shops, barns, sheds etc. We did have to have a permit and inspections when we built the cabin of course. The...

I'm not planning on ignoring structural concerns. Just probably won't build it to take Buffalo, New York type snow loads. Plus, I'm still in the 'idea' phase here. No hard plans yet. We have friends in the northern part of the delta. They had a covered pergola type thing in their back yard and...

Thanks guys. Tons of great info here. Lots of things to consider. As far as snow, not an issue. We get snow accumulation every 4 or 5 years but rarely more than a few inches. Sitting on the front porch of the cabin right now and it’s 65, windy and bats are out. As far as birds in the trusses...

When we built our cabin we started putting the trusses up by hand using ladders and scaffolding. It was not hard per se but it was slow. Then a neighbor was able to get his old boom truck running and that made things super easy. Then the truck broke down again and sat there for weeks but I...

@duffer Excellent info. Looks like my costs would be similar to your quote and that's really not bad and seems low enough that making my own would not be worth the time and effort (or the inferior product if I make them). @tfuller Thanks for the link. Had not thought about metal but it seems...

I am in the process of planning a shop for down on my property. I have no idea if this will become a reality as it is still early in the planning stage. What I want/need is a 30x40 3 bay shop. I have had a site prep guy out and he says location is fine and won't need too much earth moving at...

That’s funny, in the video on the Dave Page website his cobblers pretty much look like hippies. More power to them if they are doing what they like and doing it well.

Agree in general about the cobbler but Dave Page seems to be the real deal. The quality of the repair on my boots could not appear any better. Looks like brand new.

Ride quality means nothing to me but having smooth fields is not always a feasible option. Around here we have two creatures that make it almost impossible to keep smooth fields: fire ants and wild pigs. You could spend every waking moment trying to maintain smooth fields and never get ahead of...

I've heard that it was only the ones branded by Cabelas that had this issue. I imagine Cabelas contracted for a lower spec but I can't prove that. Meindl no longer makes boots for Cabelas. I think doing so damaged their reputation a little. Other than the issue I had, these Meindls are still the...

Got the boots back. Very pleased. Here are the before pictures: As you can see the area under the rubber sole is totally shot and falling apart. This was a common issue for the Cabela's version of these expensive Meindl boots. Here are the after photos: Vibram soles, which I prefer. The...

Maybe I am mistaken but when I watched the video announcement about the R14s I thought the presenter said they made them to fit on R1 wheels. I thought that was the breakthrough feature of the tire. So maybe I got it completely backwards. If so I hardly see what the fuss is about. Making an R4...

Right. But people put new tires on their 4wd tractors all the time that aren’t the same brand. I help my farmer neighbor do this from time to time. He buys whatever is cheapest. Does a fair amount of road time too. So yes, you have to get the right size and it has to match the OEM spec. Nothing...

It is my understanding that the whole purpose of the R14 was to provide an R4 like tire but with better traction that would fit on OEM R1 wheels.

I am interested in R14s. The R1s that came on my tractor are wearing out in the front. Things I do that R1s do well: Plow. Disk. Box blade. Bush hog. Push trees over. Often in slippery conditions and on hills. Things I do that my R1s do not do well: Hauling max capacity loads on the loader...

Good to know. They don't seem to blow down much but we have quite a few of them in the creek bottom.

Can you explain? I understand the general principle of quarter sawing but in regard to this process do you mean splitting with a chainsaw before loading it onto the mill?

This mill is owned by two people so that alone amy help it get more use. I don't think my son-in-law will be giving away any lumber. And my intentions to give away lumber might be pie-in-the-sky. It will depend on my time, what blows down and/or what people bring me. And as everyone told me...

Yes, what we have is tulip poplar. Very common. Often way bigger than I can use on my little mill. But I have them at all stages from mature to seedling.

Good article. Overall they seem pretty close.

We have some black locust but mostly honey locust. Don't know if honey locust is as hard and durable as black but it is quite hard. The honey locusts do not get particularly large. Red cedar is everywhere but due to decades of logging the bigger ones are getting hard to find. There is an old...

Agree. Friends and family near my place are interested in having me mill logs they supply. For that I will ask them how they want it and mill accordingly. (They know that I am new at this and that they very well may not end up with what they asked for.) We have a lot of red cedar around here...

I've done that. Looked in the tree books too. Most of the time the lists of uses tend to be vague "popular in furniture making", "often used for posts", "useful in ship building" etc. I'm looking for specific examples and experiences from you savvy folks in TBN land. ;) For instance you hear...

I've recently acquired a small portable saw mill. I have 240 acres of woodland in the middle of South Carolina. I know what to do with pine and white oak and some of the red oak varieties. We have some ash and hickory here and there. But what about trees like gum, poplar, sycamore? Are there...

An additional thought: The much, much harder (and potentially dangerous) thing to do with someone who is begging is to actually help them, not just give them money. Find out what they really need, what their situation is, where they need to go, etc. I wish I could say that I have actually done...

I was in New Orleans years ago and was approached by a man asking for money. I took out my wallet and gave him five dollars. He took it, looked at it with disgust and said "that's all?" We also have local food banks and yes, the cars in the line are very often nicer than mine. @MossRoad makes...