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  1. J

    Real estate General topic

    You answered your own question, "it's a stretch financially". DON'T DO IT!
  2. J

    What is the fastest way to burn a pile of logs?

    Sounds like a lot of work. Any chance you have a ravine or low spot on the property? If so, push the logs in and let them rot. In my locale, pine logs on the ground rot away in a few years, leaving just pine knots.
  3. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    We still have power, which is surprising. Both generators are fueled up and ready to run. 8" of heavy wet snow. Lots of trees are sagging pretty good. It's still snowing, but tapering off. The afternoon will be spent on cleanup. Days like this it's nice to be retired. The neighbors...
  4. J

    12mm Female Square Drain Plug/ Pipe Plug Socket ?? TYM Front axle drain & Vent pugs

    Will a 1/2" open ended wrench fit? 12mm is really close. If there's too much slop I agree with BleedingOrange, just use the biggest open ended adjustable you can find.
  5. J

    Using a box blade

    Stonehaller is dead on. Only thing to add is slow and steady is the key. Too fast and you just make a mess of things.
  6. J

    Pull 3” saplings or Bush Hog them?

    Buy yourself a cordless pole saw and whittle away at the project. You'll be surprised how much you can get done on a single charge. My Dewalt pole saw was the best Christmas present ever. I have miles of hedgerow to cut back, and certainly need the exercise.
  7. J

    Source for Parking Lot Lights

    I put up a few LED Ring smart flood lights ~5 years ago, motion activated. So far so good. In the past my motion lights lasted 2 - 3 years. The Ring lights are moderately expensive, (under $100). They are easy to install and program.
  8. J

    How many acres do you own?

    45+ acres, 3 is lawn, garden and driveway, the remainder is 1/3 hay, 1/3 grazing land/pasture, 1/3 wooded. It's not enough, I can still hear the neighbor's music 1000' feet away on their party nights, (every Friday, Sat, Sun). Fortunately the other 3 neighbors are good.
  9. J

    Good morning!!!!

    I went with a Bosch dishwasher 2 years ago, no issues or regrets. Highly recommended. It's quiet and was rated #1 by consumer reports. My only bump in the road at installation - the Bosch is a plug in, all my previous dishwashers were hard wired. Simple enough to install an outlet, but...
  10. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    6" of the white stuff here and still snowing. This is the biggest storm of the winter for us. I took the blower off two weeks ago but left the chains on. After lunch I'll clear the snow plow berm at the end of the driveway and assess what needs to be done. I'll probably just pack a trail...
  11. J

    Wildfire 4 post lifts

    I have a 4 post BenPak 9K extra long extra tall. It has adjustable rails, set to narrow it's perfect for the zero turn, side by side and tractor. Even my cars and small truck fit on, (with ~3" to spare from the edge of the rails) without adjusting to the wide setting. A full size pickup or a...
  12. J

    Blueberries

    I planted mine on the north side of my deck, so far the deer have avoided them. I put in a few additional plants every year. I mulch them heavy in the fall with pine needles. The birds get a few, but that's ok. I have a 1/2 a cup of blueberries every day with my morning bowl of cheerios.
  13. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    I also have 2 one room school houses within 2 miles of my house. There are at least 5 one room schools within 5 miles of me. Each has ~20 kids, Amish of course.
  14. J

    2 post or 4 post vehicle lift ideas

    I agree with Cliff, don't get one, get them both. It looks like you have plenty of room. I've had a Bendpak 4 post 9K XLT for 10+ years and am very happy with it. I plan to add a 2 post lift this summer. They both have their pro's and con's.
  15. J

    Making replacement hydrostatic transmission case gasket to stop oil leak (Cub Cadet 127).... I really don't want to screw this up.

    I replaced my blown out HF compressor head gasket with a home cut cork gasket 10+ years ago. Still working fine. Used blue permatex on the crankcase at the same time. The original gasket was simply paper and lasted less than two years. It was a backup compressor so I figured I had nothing to...
  16. J

    Any help with a power steering pump seal? RTV it? 2120

    What do you have to lose? The seal kit is discontinued. I'd use the black Permatex and throw in a bottle of Lucas power steering stop leak. Give the permatex 24 hours to cure. I recently used it when I replaced the sight glass in my Kubota.
  17. J

    Landscape rake opinions

    As others have said, go heavy and get gauge wheels. I have 100's of hours on my heavy 7' Leinbach.
  18. J

    Kubota L47 fork capacity

    Don't do it, you don't have the capacity. 2800 pounds at the pins only works when the load is in the bucket. At the end of the forks you have significantly less than half that capacity. Even at the front of your bucket you are significantly less than 2800 pounds of capacity. Been there, done...
  19. J

    Glow Plug Light Not Shutting Off

    Mine was a Kubota, you'll need search on your make and model. The parts from the dealer were $200+, I found them as a kit, (timer + relay) on Amazon for under $30. The dash removal was a pain, install and dash reassembly went fast.
  20. J

    Glow Plug Light Not Shutting Off

    Could be timer issue. Time to pull the dash apart and start testing or replacing parts. I'm guessing you'll have a timer, controller and a relay in the glow plug circuit. My glow plugs would come on for no reason while brush hogging and shut off after 10 seconds. For less than $30 I changed...
  21. J

    Farms disappearing at alarming rates

    Even the big dairy farms are taking it on the chin. The biggest in town is counting on a large solar installation to save the day. With a 30 year guaranteed income stream by leasing half farm's acreage. I've seen other upstate farms get saved by leasing land for wind turbines.
  22. J

    Yanmar Ring Gear Repair?

    So true, I'm fortunate to have an Amish machinist as a neighbor. :)
  23. J

    Yanmar Ring Gear Repair?

    A few chewed up/missing teeth might be repairable. A good machinist can cut you a new ring gear, but it will not be cheap.
  24. J

    Have you ever thought about changing the central air conditioner?

    We had the same issue here with the two south bedrooms being too warm while the rest of the house was nice and cool. The fix for us was to leave the fan on 24x7, that equalized the entire house.
  25. J

    Fuel costs !

    Ouch.
  26. J

    Fiberglass rebar for garden stakes?

    Late fall/early winter - I use a cordless hammer drill to drill 1/2" x 8" holes to set my 40 - 50 driveway markers. In the spring the garden is soft enough to simply push the stakes into the ground 8"+
  27. J

    Fuel costs !

    Feb 19 - Gas $3.07, over the road diesel $4.19, off road/home heating oil $3.49.
  28. J

    Can a tractor handle moving frozen manure?

    I turned my 30 yard manure pile yesterday, less than an inch of frozen crust. Hot and steaming on the inside.
  29. J

    1025R Tires Splitting/Cracking @ Sidewall - - Fluid Filled

    I would not fill a tire with putting a tube in first. I've seen no damage to the rubber tubes from CaCl, just the metal valve cores eventually rotting out.
  30. J

    1025R Tires Splitting/Cracking @ Sidewall - - Fluid Filled

    I have 25 year old filled R4's, with no splitting/cracking. I did have to replace the tubes ~15 years ago and will do the same this spring. The calcium chloride rots out the valve cores.
  31. J

    Tractor Winch Weight

    I have an Igland 3501, (7700# capacity), and have no issues with 30"+ hardwood logs. I also have a 2300# 3 pt hitch lift capacity.
  32. J

    Spring 2024

    I see water around the edge of my pond, we've had 40's - 50's the last few days. No real winter so far. There is a winter storm watch for Tues, with up to 7" forecasted. That means we'll get one or two inches... the Amish did cut ice last week, it was ~6" thick. My pond is no where near...
  33. J

    Really need your advice whether my daughters car is safe to drive or not as she needs to return to school later this morning

    Timely and candid - just drive the kid to school and deal with the car later.
  34. J

    Rototilling price per hour

    Nobody around me wants to pay for tilling by the hour. They expect to pay the same fee for an established garden and a virgin plot. If you could get $100/garden plot I think you'd be doing well. I cannot get that with a much larger setup.
  35. J

    Kubota B7300 for snow

    You'll need chains and rear weight. The B7300 will do just fine.
  36. J

    Pump out Fuel Oil Tank

    How many gallons do you need to move? I helped my brother out with a similar project but the tank was less than 1/3 full. We filled 5 gallon jugs straight off the tank's filter line, and lugged them up the stairs and out of the house to a truck with a couple of 55 gallon drums in the back. By...
  37. J

    Skid Steer or CUT for Road Maintenance?

    "What would I choose?" I'd save my money and use what I have. With two decent sized tractors you surely don't need another for dedicated driveway maintenance, even if it is over a mile. Do you have a front end loader, box scraper, landscape rake and rear blade? If not, those are the...
  38. J

    Dog stories

    We've had Newfies that did that. Had one that wouldn't even tolerate two people hugging. She'd get between them to break it up.
  39. J

    Concrete Chairs

    My last large pour, (40 yards, 15+ years ago), I used chairs made from concrete with a built in wire tie. Very handy. I searched and cannot find them now. It seems like plastic or wire are the only choices. I used #4 rebar, 24" on center in a grid format. I have no cracks, I did not use...
  40. J

    Installing mobile home skirting

    If you are even moderately handy and have the time, go for it. It's not a hard or complicated job.
  41. J

    You Know You Are Old When

    Still required in Massachusetts in 1985.
  42. J

    Banning a member

    Lots of good advice from Bird.
  43. J

    Banning a member

    I vote it's time to shut this poll down.
  44. J

    You Know You Are Old When

    There's a reason old, old timers called them misery whips. I have several, both one man and two man saws. I've used one man crosscuts many times.
  45. J

    You Know You Are Old When

    I bet you can get your wish. Here in NY private burials are allowed. We had to look into this a few years ago when the Amish moved into town. Almost no regulations.
  46. J

    DIY septic tank and drain field?

    Permit fee here is $50. I've done several by myself, using an engineered plan. The fine if done without a permit - $5 plus the permit fee of $50. And you'll need to have an engineer sign off that it was done properly. No short cuts, they will bite you in the a$$.
  47. J

    Good morning!!!!

    Tapcon's are the best concrete screw you can buy. If the concrete is good, they will hold just fine. Is the closet flange bad? They make stainless steel repair flanges.
  48. J

    Non Traditional Projects (What have you done with your tractor?)

    50+ years ago we had a neighbor who used his tractor as his everyday vehicle, rain or shine. For medical reasons he could not get a driver's license. Round trip to the store in town was over 20 miles.
  49. J

    Good morning!!!!

    Make sure there is no bug issue, the woodpecker was after something. After treating for bugs, bondo and paint will make it right.
  50. J

    How to justify buying a little piece of property?

    Many years ago I built on a 30 acre parcel. When the adjoining 10 acre lot came up for sale I snatched it up. Same thing for another 10 acre parcel one lot over. I like the buffer. 20 years later, no regrets. I've had several good offers to buy the vacant lots over the years, the answer is...
  51. J

    How many still have a Landline in their home?

    Still have the old land line #, via fiber. Copper was abandoned when the fiber line went in.
  52. J

    UTV shopping - ROXOR?

    Considered it a few years ago, too pricey.
  53. J

    Frost heave?

    I agree sand. or fine gravel. Something well drained that cannot freeze.
  54. J

    Streaming services versus Direct TV

    We had DirectTv for years, it was ok. Switched to streaming 3 - 4 years ago on fairly slow DSL with few issues from time to time. The telecom hounded us for over a year to switch to their new fiber, for free. We finally did. It's $50/month cheaper and 100 times faster than the old DSL. We...
  55. J

    Found a really nice 9’ tractor snowplow

    It doesn't hurt to ask. I bet you'll get it for less than the advertised $3K. Looks to be in great shape.
  56. J

    Anyone plow snow with a dually pickup?

    Step father plowed with a one ton 4wd dually dump truck for years. Nothing but headaches, even with snow tires and chains on the duals and thousands of pounds of sand in the back. He went through 2 transmissions before the truck saw 10K miles. He'd get stuck bad at least twice a season, where...
  57. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    19 degree high today, 2" of snow yesterday, the forecast was 5 - 8". I got bored today and went out and plowed, (played with the UTV). 4 more days of cold and then 10 days above freezing with lots of rain.... Not much of a winter so far, more rain than snow. We usually have had at least 40...
  58. J

    ZD28 -How long do they last ?

    I have the ZD28's little brother, the ZD21. 800 hours and it looks and runs like new. Bought new about 20 years ago. I've changed the front tires, other than that just routine maintenance.
  59. J

    Replace bucket cutting edge

    Yes, you can simply bolt on a new edge. There's no need to cut off the original. When I bought my Kubota 25+ years ago I had the dealer bolt on a skid steer cutting edge. It's 8" wide, stiffen up the bucket really well and it's reversible. I don't foresee reversing it in my lifetime, it's...
  60. J

    front end weights vs chains

    Chain up the rear, that should be all you need unless you have a very steep driveway with lots of ice. I live in the snowbelt, use a rear mounted blower and chains on the rear tires. Works great for me.
  61. J

    To till or not to till 😁

    I compost my horse manure, killing most of the weed seeds and producing great compost. I've been tilling composted horse manure into my clay soil garden for 20+ years. It took years to develop a nice garden. I can turn horse manure into nice almost weed free compost in about 6 months, turning...
  62. J

    Pay $10,000 more for an new mini ex with bumper to bumper warranty or buy a new mini ex with 1yr. parts only warranty and save the $

    Don't buy the extended warranty. Put the 10K into an investment account, if you ever need a repair, pull the cost from the investment account. I'm betting you will be more than 10K ahead in 5 years.
  63. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    We got ~5", and might get another inch or two before it's all done. I'll plow out the hump left by the town plow and pack the rest.
  64. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    I'd leave it alone. We're expecting 6 - 12 overnight with an inch of rain to follow on Tuesday. It's going to be a mess for sure. We're in the same boat as you, there's less than an inch of frost in the ground.
  65. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    I broke down and put the blower on. The weather people are calling for 6" - 12". So far this season we've had about 3 inches, only had to shovel the walks and decks once with about an inch. All nuisance storms so far. Normally by now we've had 30 inches or more, with at least 3 or 4...
  66. J

    Honda engine replacement

    Is the Honda rebuildable? That would be my first choice. My FIL got a free wood splitter with a blown Honda engine, the previous owner never checked or changed the oil. After 5 or 6 years he cooked the Honda motor. The Harbor Freight Predator was a direct swap. I don't know if the OEM Honda...
  67. J

    U-groove track wheel for bandsaw mill,

    Any good machinist could make you one fairly quickly. A lot of hobby guys will do this kind of work for a few dollars + materials.
  68. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    Zero plow days and only one shovel day, about an inch. No significant snow in the extended forecast.
  69. J

    rototillers vs plow & disc

    I was in the same boat with clay and compaction until I added an enormous amount of compost and lime. I've added so much compost to my garden that it's now a raised bed and the soil is like potting soil, (black, crumbly and well drained). It took years to get to this condition.
  70. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    Vermont is home to more than 100 covered bridges, boasting more covered bridges per square mile than any other U.S state.
  71. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    I was taught to get the crank to 6 o'clock, open hand with thumb in line with your fingers and pull up hard and fast. If you push down from 12 o'clock be prepared to get clocked in the forearm with the crank.
  72. J

    Investment account back up!

    Just a small fish story/exaggeration here regarding the $3 million paid into ss.... I max'd out for 40 of my 45 work years and my total employer and individual contribution is under $400K. Not an insignificant number, but nothing close to 3 million.
  73. J

    Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice?

    GETEH got it right - "A Better muffler and insulated air intake and exhaust chases". Make sure the exhaust leaves the shed.
  74. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    134 for me
  75. J

    CLANGING in the front diff of brand new T494....what the heck

    Will the dealer provide a loaner? Had a similar issue with 2 Honda cars, air bag recalls, with long wait times for parts. My dealer provided 2 new loaners, one for 6 weeks and the other for 8 weeks. I know you are talking about a tractor, so not an apples to apples comparison, but, you should...
  76. J

    Winter Maintenance on Slippery Private Roads

    "My biggest problem now is loading the ash into the spreader. In my younger years, I was able to hoist a 20 gal can and dump it into the hopper." Dump it into the hopper when the can is half full. :)
  77. J

    Put My Chains on Yesterday - The Easy Way

    I've been running chains for 30 years with an abundance of rubber straps, never lost a chain and they are tight. Without the rubber straps the chains are loose and slap the heck out of the fenders.
  78. J

    Put My Chains on Yesterday - The Easy Way

    I jack both tires off the ground at the same time. It takes me longer to attach my bungee cords than it takes to get the chains mounted. Easily under an hour for both chains and ~20 bungee cords per tire, (10 inside and 10 outside). I run my double ring chains tight. Loose chains slapping...
  79. J

    Neighbor's cattle in yard

    I simply get the grain bucket and they follow the tractor/utv home. The neighbor's beef cows are pretty tame.
  80. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    The town I live in has more dairy cows than residents, easily by a factor of 2.
  81. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    We've had several nuisance snow storms, less than 2" each. The ground is not frozen and there is 40 degree temps and rain in the forecast. Looks like no real snow until 2024. So far not much of a winter, and no complaints from me. Normally we get a good 30" of snow by now.
  82. J

    Coolant flush question

    I simply use a 60% concentrate to compensate for what's left in the block. After it gets to operating temperature it's thoroughly mixed. A double check with a coolant tester shows I'm good to -50.
  83. J

    Disposable lithium battery

    Recycling used to be free here, now we pay. Almost all of the recyclables near me end up in the landfill, nobody is buying dirty cardboard/paper/tin/glass. Since it's just the two of us and we run the dishwasher every night our recyclables are clean, but that's not what I see at the recycling...
  84. J

    The one thing that you wonder why you didn't buy sooner?

    My zero turn has a built in lift for accessing the blades. Pull a pin, turn a crank and the front end rotates until you have full access to the blades.
  85. J

    Hydro oil change

    I change mine along with the filters every 400 hours, (about every 5 years). Same for the coolant and front diff fluid. Air and fuel filters are every 200 hours. Oil changes are annual.
  86. J

    VOIP Experience

    We dropped the DSL and copper land line this summer with a switch over to fiber. We've had 2 VOIP outages in the past 6 months for a few hours each. The copper land line was 99.9999 reliable, maybe one outage a year for an hour. DSL was a different story, multiple outages every few months for...
  87. J

    Water line leaking - how to find it

    If you replace the line, bury a spare. It's cheap insurance for next time.
  88. J

    Kubota B2782B Blower pushing snow

    Take a smaller bite. You were doing better in the video when the bite was 50%.
  89. J

    Door locks

    I've had great success with getting old style hardware from here - Home Restoration & Improvement Store | Van Dyke's Restorers
  90. J

    Put My Chains on Yesterday - The Easy Way

    I jack the rear of the tractor up in the heated garage, layout the chains behind the tractor and spin the wheels be hand, pulling the chains on as I spin the tire. Easy peasy. Once upon a time I'd simply throw the chains on the top of the tire, but those days are long gone. I'm running...
  91. J

    Windows Defender reporting TBN as unsafe

    I've been using Defender for many years and its never had an issue with the TBN site.
  92. J

    Snow plow ? Beginner

    I don't plow before the ground is frozen and/or I have a layer of packed snow/ice on the drive. Otherwise I move too much gravel.
  93. J

    Diesel delivery today

    Offroad today - $3.30, diesel fully taxed at the pump - $3.99.
  94. J

    Kubota L48 Dash removal

    On my L3710 the dash is two parts. The steering wheel does not need to come off, mine has tilt, so I could drop it to its lowest position, out of the way. It took about an hour to get it disassembled and 10 minutes to put it back together. The top of the dash rotated out of the way with no...
  95. J

    RTV OR COMPACT TRACTOR PLOW

    I have the same setup, a good sized open tractor with a rear blower and a 1100C with a Vee plow. The tractor does the heavy/deep snow work, the RTV does the small storms after the ground is frozen. At 62 it's nice to have the heated cab. I could not do snow removal without the tractor, but...
  96. J

    Working under the tractor

    My tractor is currently sitting on my 4 post lift getting its 400 hour service, (I'm almost at 1600 hours). I bought the lift 15 years ago, one of the best investments I've made.
  97. J

    How to keep radiators free of grass chaff?

    I like to do my brush hogging before everything goes to seed, much less material in the radiator screen. If it's dry I can get 90 minutes of cutting done before I need to blow out the radiator. It's a good reason to stretch my legs and get a drink.
  98. J

    hp needed

    Working hard is what tractors are made for, I think you are fine. 68 hp should be more than enough for a 7' blower and brush cutter.
  99. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    .5" of snow here, then turned to freezing rain for awhile then all rain. Just enough that the highway guys had to sand/salt.
  100. J

    Winter Maintenance on Slippery Private Roads

    I don't store much more than a few 5 gallon buckets of sand/salt mix. When I need it I simply stop at the town garage and get what I need, it's never frozen.
  101. J

    Square Link Tire Chains?

    Spinning utv tires with chains should not tear up decent pavement. You'll get a few scratch marks in the sealer, but not torn up blacktop.
  102. J

    A timber frame cabin memoir

    I can tell you how I built mine. Raised the frame, sheeted the entire frame with 1x6 tongue and groove knotty pine, (2x6 T&G for the roof/ceiling), then framed it out with 2x6's for wiring and insulation, then sheeted the outside with shiplap and finished it off with cedar clapboards...
  103. J

    Establishing Value of Broken 4110

    Check with your local Kubota and John Deere dealers, that tractor would make a heck of an advertisement for what not to buy..... Sorry for your bad luck.
  104. J

    Help me save money on an addition.

    Do you have an Amish community near you? Their labor quotes are often very reasonable. I'm fortunate to live in near 3 Amish communities. They've done concrete and roofing work for me. I work along side them, (typically my job is oversight and to run the power tools). I've been very happy...
  105. J

    How Many Have More Than One Tractor?

    Isn't the goal to have one tractor per implement?
  106. J

    Just got a new set of snow chains for my (new to me) tractor

    Looks good to me, my side chain is much closer to the rim than yours. Maybe mine are too big, but they;ve served me well for the last 25 years.
  107. J

    Drain or Pump out the old oil?

    I'm a big fan of the Fumoto valve. The first oil change in my vehicle I recycle the drain plug and replace it with a valve. It makes the next 30 oil changes go so much quicker, saving time and crush washers.
  108. J

    Lifting a 85" TV over Fireplace

    I stand corrected, my install was for a 75" tv, weighing 45.4 lbs.
  109. J

    Lifting a 85" TV over Fireplace

    Are you sure it weighs 110#'s? I installed an 80" by myself a few months ago, I don't think it weighed over 50#'s. If it's more than you and your wife can handle, get two friends to give you a hand for a few minutes. Once the wall bracket is mounted, it's literally a 60 second job to set the tv.
  110. J

    Kubota L295 for 900$ worth it?

    I'd go for it, but I have the time and experience to pull off a rebuild. If you have to farm out the work you're probably better off finding a good working machine.
  111. J

    Fed up with the garden

    "Doesn't it introduce yet another type of weed seeds to your garden? Regular manure is bad enough in that regard." I've never had a problem with winter rye reseeding itself, and I've been using it as a fall cover crop for over 30 years. Benefits - Improves Soil Texture, Boosts Soil Fertility...
  112. J

    L4310 won't start - tried everything I can think of

    Is the tractor in neutral? Is the PTO disengaged?
  113. J

    Brushogging

    12-35 hours, spread over 4-10 days.
  114. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    The profits don't hit the "GE" bottom line. GE Lighting is a division of Savant Systems Inc. GE Appliance is owned by the Haier Group. GE sold the name along with the business, but the GE parent company no longer makes appliances or light bulbs. As of 2022, General Electric's operations are...
  115. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    GE sold the appliance business to Haier back in 2016. I believe it was the first and maybe only time they also sold the GE name. GE hasn't made appliances or light bulbs in years.
  116. J

    grading driveway

    I removed ~6" of heavy clay topsoil/sod, put down ~6" of fist sized cobbles, (bank run) and top dressed with another 3-4" of crusher run 30 years ago. It's held up well. If I were to do it again today I'd add geotech fabric as the first layer.
  117. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    Yes, the Schenectady GE plant still makes and refurbishes large steam turbines and builds large generators.
  118. J

    Tree cutting accident

    Hay Dude, If you find a $15 Disston hand saw, buy it. Last time I looked for a decent new hand saw they were over $100. I had my 50+ year old Disstons tuned up, (sharpened and set), pine boards now cut like butter. :)
  119. J

    Tiller width and tractor tire width

    I wouldn't worry about 2.5 inches of tire. I'd be more concerned about the high horse power needed by a tiller in tough ground. My tractor is a little over 72" wide, I'm pulling a 6' tiller in creeper mode when the going gets tough. I sure wouldn't want anything bigger. I have HST and 30 pto...
  120. J

    Straw over grass seed

    Hay is my first choice, but straw is better than nothing.
  121. J

    Dog in the Tractor

    Make sure they cannot find the keys... :) My 100+ pound lap dog would ride all day long, with or without me.
  122. J

    Glow Plug Life Expectancy ??

    25 years and 2000 hours on the originals for me. I did change the glow plug relay and controller this year.
  123. J

    Stumps

    I dig a hole next to the stump and pull the stump in and bury it. Unless you are looking for a finished yard this works. Otherwise you end up with a pile of stumps you need to get rid of. I've not had any luck with burning a pile of stumps or waiting for them to rot down.
  124. J

    Echo 590 or the X Series?

    I transfer my bar oil to 1 quart bottle, so no funnel required.
  125. J

    Echo 590 or the X Series?

    I bought the Echo 680 6 years ago, I'm still a happy camper. It starts with 2 or 3 pulls and has more power than I need.
  126. J

    Fasteners per pole barn header, am I thinking about this right?

    As a timber framer I'd go the extra mile and notch the post on a pole barn. Every single joist/beam/girt I cut goes into a housed mortise joint. Otherwise the strength of the timber is limited to the strength of the tenon, or in the case of a non notched post in a pole barn, the strength of...
  127. J

    Fed up with the garden

    Old timers call winter rye green manure. It serves two purposes for me, the deer feed on it and I'll till it under in the spring. You cannot add too much organics to my heavy clay. It survives the first few frosts and will be knee high by Thanksgiving.
  128. J

    What to seal air bleeder screw with?

    I'd try a couple of wraps of teflon tape as a bandaid.
  129. J

    Fed up with the garden

    Yesterday I pulled the electric fence, brush-hogged the garden, tilled everything under and planted winter rye. I'm done with the garden for 2023. Not a bad year. Bumper crop of winter squash and pumpkins and sun flowers, (and weeds). Ok year for peas, zuchini, cukes and yellow squash. Not...
  130. J

    Hello from Almonte, Ontario, Canada!

    Welcome to TBN, you are going to look forward to the first big snow storm.
  131. J

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    Hopefully your pension has a survivorship option, mine does, my spouse gets 75% of my pension for life, if she out lives me.
  132. J

    Thoughts on a pellet stove for a large shop

    My neighbor solved the problem of being the only person in the house to handle 50# bags. Once a week during the heating season he dumps 5 bags of pellets into 10 5 gallon buckets. His wife can easily handle a 25 pound bucket of pellets when the stove needs to be fed while he's working 16 hour...
  133. J

    creating a culvert

    15 years ago I recycled the 30 year old pressure treated posts and stringers from a privacy fence I took down and built a 4'x3'x10' box culvert. My investment - a few hours of time, about 20#'s of lag bolts and 30' of threaded rod, well under $100. It's still doing its job and I've had 10 ton...
  134. J

    skidding logs

    As an technology professional I would recommend you hit your caplock key, found on the left side of your keyboard. It's pretty obnoxious to see a post in all caps. All caps is the equivalent to YELLING.
  135. J

    Here comes the rain...

    3" of rain here yesterday, the pond is topped off and the creek is running full bore. I'm glad it was rain and not snow.... Minor flooding in the valley with a few wet basements. I'm high and dry on the hill.
  136. J

    What constitutes "Vintage"

    When did I get so old?
  137. J

    HP For Snow Blower

    I'm old school and have loaded tires. In 25 years I've only had one rear tire issue - a tube change due to a puncture, (of course helping a neighbor, no good deed goes unpunished....). If I'm doing serious loader work I'll have a rear implement mounted, most often an 800 # box scraper.
  138. J

    What constitutes "Vintage"

    Vintage for cars is 25 years and older, Antique is older than 50 years.
  139. J

    Tire Protectants

    I used Armor All on my collector car. Don't know if it really worked or not, but the tires looked like new for the shows.
  140. J

    County Noise Ordinances?

    I've had good success with Wet&Forget, simply spray the moss prone areas every couple of years.
  141. J

    Midwest Gasoline to Spike $0.50-$1.00 Per gallon

    Yesterday diesel was $4.45 here. Gas is $3.75.
  142. J

    Paint - Majic or Rust-oleum ?

    I'm a fan of Rustoleum for painting metal. Second choice is POR-15, especially for areas that will never see a second coat in the future, (like a truck/trailer frame).
  143. J

    FEL plow vs. rear blade for 1 mile of infrequent chipseal road snow removal

    Nobody around me is plowing a 1 mile road for $100 per snow storm. My neighbor with a 200' driveway just got a quote of $200/call out or $1,600 for the season. 30 years ago I had to pay for a plow out and it was $100 for my 800' driveway.
  144. J

    First oil change workmaster 75 2022 what in God's name

    Time for an Oil filter relocation kit.
  145. J

    What rope do you like? What knots?

    And that's why most of us have a pile of ratchet straps... :)
  146. J

    Water Well Drilling Rotary or Pounder

    I'm a fan of the old pounder rigs, slow and steady. I've had two wells pounded and one done with a fast rotary rig. The pounders do 40 - 50 feet a day, the rotary rigs can do 400'+ in a day. I have a neighbor who went rotary, 800'+ in two days, barely gets a gallon a minute. I'm at 200'...
  147. J

    Should I consider a diesel for residential?

    My 25 year old diesel mower has at least another 25 years of life left. My gas mowers would last 10 - 12 year before they became money pits. I'm mowing 3 - 4 acres weekly for a 6 - 7 month mowing season. I'd never go back to gas. No repairs, just regular maintenance, new blades every 5 years...
  148. J

    Kubota L3710 glow plug light comes on when running, intermittent issue

    About a week ago my 25 year old Kubota L3710 started having an electrical problem, the glow plug light on the dash would come on, (I'm guessing the glow plugs were also on). After a few seconds the light would go off. This happened a few times over the course of several hours of brush hogging...
  149. J

    Tap brass oil

    Tap it and put it on with either locktite, teflon tape or gasket adhesive. It's a shifter knob, not a structural member, don't over analyze it. If it come loose, upgrade the adhesive.
  150. J

    HELP! My ZD326 kills when I move a handle

    Messick's search tool sucks to say the least. Call their parts counter, they'll fix you up.
  151. J

    Midwest Gasoline to Spike $0.50-$1.00 Per gallon

    Filled up yesterday, Diesel was $4.39 and regular gas was $3.79. We're down $.20 since the Labor Day spike.
  152. J

    The best poultry seasoning

    I make my own, since I'm sodium restricted. Simply - Onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and Italian seasoning.
  153. J

    Who is excited for snow season? Not us! We're depressed due to lack of snow.

    I'll take snow over this summer's heat and high humidity. Normally winter comes way too soon and lasts way too long here in upstate NY. I'm hoping for some decent weather before winter arrives. Between the rain and heat this has been a summer to forget.....
  154. J

    Storing Tractor in Garden Shed (double 3/4" floor)

    How big are the floor joists? Is the shed on a concrete slab? I'd have no issues parking a large tractor in my shed. The flooring is 2x6 pressure treated, with 2x8 floor joists 16" on center resting on a 6" concrete slab.
  155. J

    Has anyone put a quick disconnect on a grease gun?

    Just buy another grease gun, it doesn't hurt to have two, or three, or four. Between the garage and shop I must have 5 or 6 grease guns laying around. It's handy when you run one out of grease, just grab another.
  156. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    I routinely go thru 25+ gallons of Cabot stain a summer. I buy it in 5 gallon pails and transfer to an old one gallon paint can for the actual painting. I've don't punch holes in the lid and 15 years later I'm still use the original one gallon paint can, with absolutely no paint in the rim...
  157. J

    OBD scanner

    I simply pull the electrical connection on the caliper and use a battery charger with two alligator clips to wind in the electric parking brake. You can then compress the piston. Make sure you align the slot in the piston with the nub on the brake pad, you'll need to rotate the piston so the...
  158. J

    A timber frame cabin memoir

    Another thought, you could simply scarf/splice in an 8" stub, then trim out the bottom of every post with some nice hardwood for the bottom 12". I'd do that before I cut all the posts to match the shortest pair.
  159. J

    A timber frame cabin memoir

    If you were closer I'd jump at the chance to recut those posts for you. Don't settle for the short posts. USe the short posts as a template, it's not that big of a job. I've built several timber frame structures, including a 3000 square foot house. Timber framing is a hobby. I've even cut...
  160. J

    More residential well questions

    If the current flow is good, why not put a booster pump in at the house? Same deal here, well drillers are backed up big time. Get on the schedule if you think that's going to be required. As for 4", 5" or 6", you're most likely going to get what the well driller has to offer. Around here...
  161. J

    Finally got the bridge started.

    Is there a reason you didn't go with a large culvert? I have a much more substantial creek and used a 4' box culvert, built on site. 20 years and it's only been overrun once in the spring, when it plugged up with a fallen tree.
  162. J

    How to initially oil new roller chain on equipment

    I have a 10 year old spare chain in the shop, waiting for a failure. It's in a greased bag, so I'm guessing it's pre-lubed. As for chain lube, I hit the original 25 year old snowblower chain with tacky bar oil 3 - 4 times a season, simply dripping an ounce or two on the chain as I hand turn...
  163. J

    Front differential locked up while I was driving down the road and now it's stuck and won't move

    I vote for a $100 gift card, restaurant/store of choice. I paid the bill on a wrecker of that size 5 years ago and the bill was $1,800 for the winch out and wrecker ride of less than a mile, (less than 2 hours of work). The 10 wheeler that went off the road was on it's side, so there's no...
  164. J

    Anybody get Shocked After ordering?

    How can anyone guarantee a price with an unknown delivery date? "The tractor arrived 11 1/2 months later" I offered up a 100% down payment when I ordered my machine to lock in the price, the dealer would not accept it.
  165. J

    Any suggestions how to get this tree on the ground safely?

    Can you drop another tree on the mess? Hoping that will be enough to get everything to the ground. I've seen it work, sometimes it takes two or three tries.....
  166. J

    Anybody following the cost of shipping containers in the Memphis area?

    Check Craigslist, the guy has a small business mostly selling totes. He's in Amsterdam on Rt 30.
  167. J

    20' x 20' storage shed recommendations

    Do you have any Amish in the area? They have the shed business tied up here. You cannot build a shed for less than they charge, including delivery.
  168. J

    Anybody following the cost of shipping containers in the Memphis area?

    Delivered price is $2,500 here in upstate NY, I just got a verbal quote two weeks ago for a 20' conex. Nope, not going to do it...... A 40' unit was $3,500.
  169. J

    Suggestions on 20” pro saw

    See post #15. :)
  170. J

    Neighbors Sue for Horse Manure Pile Smell

    I've said it many times, good neighbors are priceless. We have 45 acres, 600'+ setback and sometimes that's not enough. Three out of four of my neighbors are great, one is just ok, most of the time.
  171. J

    Suggestions on 20” pro saw

    I'm a big Echo fan. For the same money as the Stihl you can step up to a CS680 Echo. I've had mine for 7 years, best saw ever. Loaned it out to a sawyer friend and he had to buy his own. He still runs Stihls and Huskys, but new saws for him will be Echos. The 680 is a great...
  172. J

    I need to borrow some common sense, mounting tire

    Don't over think this, it's going to be bolted in place, no rotational force and just the weight of the tire/wheel. If you really want to over engineer this, use three 1/2" bolts with the nylon lock nuts torqued to exactly 80 foot pounds, with a lock washer and blue locktite...... Tongue in...
  173. J

    Glulam Beam - Checking Problem

    A contractor friend had a similar issue about a year ago, the homeowner found two cracked rafters after the contractor finished a reroofing job. My friend took ownership of the issue, even though it could have predated the reroofing job. The fix was glued and screwed sister rafters on both...
  174. J

    Snow removal and things that hide in it

    I think that should be plural, hoses. :)
  175. J

    Snow removal and things that hide in it

    Doz needs to clean up his act, SNOW is a foul four letter word..... The worst thing I've hit doing snow removal with a rear mounted snowblower was a pile of firewood. Of course, this was doing a favor for a neighbor. Second worst was a mess of kid toys at another neighbor. No good deed goes...
  176. J

    ZD326 blade stops turning when in high grass

    My ZD21 has a round hole, no pins. Torque is 80#, the blades have never stopped spinning, no matter what height gets fed to it. 117# sounds a little high, but not drastically. I'd replace the hardware, as previously stated the bolts do stretch/wear out, as do the washers. I change or sharpen...
  177. J

    Nail Gun Opinions

    I have several air nailers. My first was a harbor freight framing nailer, so cheap I bought a pair thinking they were going to be short lived, one project, disposal.... 20 years later they both are going strong. I've put 10's of thousands of nails through these, dropped them 12'+ off...
  178. J

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    I dramatically increased my deductible to keep the homeowners insurance under control. As far as I'm concerned it's for catastrophic loss, not minor piddly issues. 35+ years and never a single claim.
  179. J

    10,173 Hour Kubota L4060HSTC

    I've seen Cat loaders with 20,000+ hours and still running and looking good. No repairs other than routine maint and an injector or two.
  180. J

    Fed up with the garden

    I started planting very early, May 10 for lettuce, peas and radishes, normal planting is Memorial Day weekend. Slow start with a very dry June here, but things have really taken off. Have had a few cukes, onions, lettuce, radishes, zuchini and yellow/summer squash. Peas did not amount to...
  181. J

    What to put under metal roofing?

    How about a pair of ceiling fans? A neighbor's pole barn rained like you said, installed a pair of ceiling fans to move the air and that cured the indoor rain issue.
  182. J

    Just a little confusion

    What plug is in it today? I'd look for a 12yc and gap it at .030, Briggs should know......
  183. J

    Solar Farm #2, dangers involved.

    Dodge man, There are no toxic gases inside a solar panel. I'd like see real evidence of solar panels killing bald eagles. Yes, wind turbines kill plenty of birds. So does every single house cat that gets outside.
  184. J

    Seized engine

    I'm with you, give it a gentle tug and see what happens.
  185. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    Sorry DSTIG1, the 12345 zip code belongs to the GE main plant in Schenectady. Once upon a time the R&D facility was also there at the main campus. I worked at the main plant and many a December I worked the Santa reply desk at lunch time. If you address a letter to Santa, zip code 12345 it...
  186. J

    Towing a Log Splitter (NY)

    No, but I don't tow more than a few miles. I could see getting a ticket, no lights, plates, registration.....
  187. J

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    12345 is actually a valid zip code, it's the home of General Electric in Schenectady, NY. Lots of letters to Santa get delivered there every year.
  188. J

    Cub Cadet 1811 - Need Advice Removing Engine

    No short cuts. Take your time, take pictures and start the tear down. Get your grandson involved, it sounds like a fun project to me.
  189. J

    Mulch around trees, yes or no?

    A few years ago I switched to cardboard under the mulch, it seems to work as good if not better than landscape cloth. And it's free and reduces my recycling pile......
  190. J

    Solar Farm #2, dangers involved.

    Sorry Rsky, there are no toxic liquids inside a solar panel. That's a BIG TIME misconception. Yes there are heavy metals in solar panels in solid form. They do not contain liquids that can leak. The amount of “chemicals” in solar panels is miniscule. For example, a typical solar panel has...
  191. J

    Mulch around trees, yes or no?

    Yes to mulch, I use shredded cedar. Avoid the mulch volcano, too much and too high is not good for the trees. The cedar smells nice and doesn't support/attract ants.
  192. J

    KIOTI 6010 HST Cab for snow removal??

    I'm running a 78" blower with 30 hp, no issues in 25 years. If there's more than 18" of snow, the going is slow, but not enough to warrant a tractor upgrade. With over a mile of roads the blower is always going to be slow, have you considered a front mounted plow? I'd go that route and keep...
  193. J

    Solar Farm #2, dangers involved.

    We are the same here in NY state. Anything over 25Mw doesn't get local review, the state reviews it. Local zoning is considered, but they don't get a say. 94-C is the renewable siting process for us.
  194. J

    Solar Farm #2, dangers involved.

    In response to HayDude's 50% devaluation claim, that is utter nonsense. I'd like to see the data, please. A very recent study of almost 2 million home sales sets the devaluation at 1.5% for homes within 1/2 mile of a commercial installation, homes further away than .5 miles saw no impact...
  195. J

    Solar Farm #2, dangers involved.

    A small nuke plant is about a gigawatt in size, that would take about 6,000 acres of solar, depending on density, or about 12 square miles. How many square miles get contaminated in a nuclear disaster? For the Chernobyl disaster the exclusion zone is 1,600 square miles.
  196. J

    ZD326 gas gauge stopped working

    WOW, the one in my 20 year old ZD21 looks like new. It's constantly bathed in diesel. Not sure why yours is so deteriorated.
  197. J

    ZD326 gas gauge stopped working

    That's happened twice to me on my ZD21, it was a bad ground connection. Two minute fix. The terminals to the fuel gauge are exposed on the bottom of the fender. I pulled them off, cleaned them up and hit them with dielectric grease and the gauge is good for a few years. Then I need to repeat...
  198. J

    Getting used to ZTR… any advice?

    My advice - more seat time. You'll pick it up quick.
  199. J

    Narrow and shallow ditch digging advice please

    I rented a walk behind gas powered trencher last year for a 100' run, 12" deep. Less than $100 and about 1 hour of work. It trenched 3" wide and up to 18" deep. The fiber guys have a 3000# ride on vibratory plow they use, did our 700' run 6" deep in an hour with no damage to the lawn. The...
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