Implements you regret buying

[Kubota 46]

I totally agree on the landscape rake. I bought an 84" from TSC and had an additional 10% coupon. I had "convinced" myself that it would by just the thing to gather up small sticks and branches when I push over dead trees. Nope!

I even bought some gage wheels from Rural King, which did make it work better but, still not great. It still gathers up more dirt than sticks.

I need to find another fool to sell it to.

I buy it and i tell you why remove every other tine and it will work for sticks and roots a rake was designed for lanscaping cause it would break up clods of dirt then

 

[Kubota 46]

My list:

- 6' Bushhog
- 6' Box blade
- 6' Rock Rake
- 6' Disc
- Ratchet Rake
- 10' grader blade

Anyone see any common attribute for the first four items. Yea, I listened to the "conventional" wisdom and the owner's manual and bought 6' implements. With my rear tires widened to their widest point, they sit 76" outside to outside. I used the Ratchet Rake once, then turned it into part of my weight block for my BB.

The 10' grader blade is all on me: After he loaded it and took my money, the seller (a farm store owner north of Florence, AL) tried to talk me out of it. I bought it anyway. Now I'm gong to replace it with a no name XD HD brand out of Newton, NC, from someone none of you guys have ever heard of before.

Everything attachments is a great bunch they can answer your questions. Ted is great on the YouTube videos explaining everything you need to know and if Ted don't call them they will explain what you want to know

 

[Kubota 46]

The disc works OK as far as "discing up the dirt. The problem is; it moves dirt to the center of the disc in windrow fashion. Then a pain to level out again.

Put a drag harrow behind your disc and it should level out the windrow

 

[Otto Syracuse]

I regret buying the DR Mower Fence Post Weed Trimmer. It looked like a tool I couldn't live without. It works OK, but not great, and requires you to go at a snail's pace. And the nylon trimmers are very expensive and only available from DR. I have not found an alternative product.

It's just easier to remember to hit the fence rows with Roundup a couple of times a year, that keeps the weeds to a minimum. That, plus I realized that the horse fence will not be a trimmed and pristine as the fence near the house. Actually that sounds like a to do item for today.

 

[robertm]

Me? The rear snowblower for my late B2620 and now my BX2670.
THREE YEARS I have put it on and used it ONCE. I know that one day I may use it, but after three years, I'm just about ready to sell it. You'd think in Illinois it would have hours of use by now.

Then there is the front loader blade for my BX2670. While it sure looks good, it's about useless on the BX. When pushing snow, the BX does not have enough weight, so after minimal snow buildup on the blade, the tractor slides with the angling of the blade and steering is lost as well.

Then there is the pine needle rake. Works great for pine needles, but useless for sticks in my yard. Going to go on Craigslist soon.

After all this thread therapy, might just sell the BX with all the goodies, and buy a BX2680 with just the rear blade and loader for snow like the old days.

 

[oldballs]

The Boom Pole is my biggest regret. Usually it takes two people to use it, i.e. a "Groundman" to control the swinging object. The FEL functions much better. Then the Pin On type Pallet Forks that I sold when buying a different model tractor....and besides......lining up those pins was a PITA for quick mounts.

 

[aczlan]

I regret buying the DR Mower Fence Post Weed Trimmer. It looked like a tool I couldn't live without. It works OK, but not great, and requires you to go at a snail's pace. And the nylon trimmers are very expensive and only available from DR. I have not found an alternative product.

I have had the same result with ours. Tempted to work out something to mount it on the front or middle of the tractor to make it less finicky when the tractor hits bumps. On the line, someone suggested 3/16ths stainless cable and then heat the end up with a torch until it forms a little ball and essentially welds itself together. I did that but haven't gotten around to putting the mower back on the tractor to see how it does.

It's just easier to remember to hit the fence rows with Roundup a couple of times a year, that keeps the weeds to a minimum. That, plus I realized that the horse fence will not be a trimmed and pristine as the fence near the house. Actually that sounds like a to do item for today.

Yep, planning on putting on my rain gear and going out to weed-eat the fence line of the horse pasture in a little bit. It's drizzling and wet and we can't do anything else we had planned today.

Aaron Z

 

[bdhsfz6]

A lot of interesting points in this post. Obviously, where you live and what you need to do will have a bearing on the type of implements you need / use.

I have quite an array of implements I've acquired over the years. Most I find useful, some more often than others. The exception was my Frisori PTO Ag spreader which I used once when seeding the 3 acres next to the house. It sat in the barn unused for several years and I considered selling it until I got a coal stove. Now, with some modification, I use it in winter to spread coal ash on my 1.25 mile private road. Sometimes, old unused implements can find a new purpose.

 

[4get gto]

The exception was my Frisori PTO Ag spreader which I used once when seeding the 3 acres next to the house. It sat in the barn unused for several years and I considered selling it until I got a coal stove.

He made a coal bin out of that sucker! (Was my first thought ):laughing:

 

[oosik]

The light weight disk harrow(Land Pride 1048) I bought when I had the Ford 1710 4WD is too light to cut the soil I have here. Its still too light now that I have the Kubota M6040. I need to sell it and purchase something like a Brown or other heavy offset disk harrow.

 

[dieselcrawler]

I only have a few implements that I've bought, rolled into the tractor purchase. My only comment here is I regret not buying at that time... a set of forks/frame to match the JD QA on my loader, and including that in the payments.

I have I post hole auger I've only used once in 3 years, but that was "borrowed" from my late uncle by my dad, over 20 years ago... doubt either will try to repo that, so it's there when I need it, and in the future I will.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Great thread...
So far my northern tool quick hitch has only sat in the shed - won't fit the finish mower or counterweight barrel, and I rarely use my back blade which I never use lately.
Matter of fact, I haven't used my back blade since my summer project year before last, seems like overkill for my little driveway in the winter too.

Maybe it's time to sell em? Anyone looking for a quick hitch or a 84" heavy duty back blade?
View attachment 510951

Lol! I have a medium duty 7ft blade I bought at auction I'll trade you. I've been afraid to use it on my boulder laden soil! Also up for trade would be my other "learning experiences." (I'm only partly joking about trading)

1. Used 3pt broadcast spreader. Had to buy it. Towed spreader behind my ZTR is easier on my lawn.

2. A functional but well used 8ft SSQA hydraulic snow plow. For my small flat parking area a snow pusher or light-material bucket would be more efficient. Windrowing doesn't really help me.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Just wondering if others have purchased tractor implements that did not live up to your expectations. Maybe they didn't do the intended job well enough or you ended up not using it as often as you thought you would, or some other reason.

Here's my list:

Bucket tooth bar - used it maybe 3 times over the last 5 years, now it sits in the shed.
Front weights - I discovered that the front loader provides ample counter weight.
Front Loader dolly (Expanded) - I stopped using this because for some reason mounting the loader turns into a %#@%$$ circus act. It now sits unused in my shed.
Telescoping 3Pt Hitch stabilizers - Can't use them because they are incompatible with a few of my implements.

If your problem with the telescoping stabilizers is that they won't allow the lift arms to spread wide enough to get outside the implement pin spacing you can easily get a wider range by taking the stabilizers apart and cutting an inch or so off the heavy male piece. You will gain several inches in width. You will still be able to go plenty narrow after the cut but it would be prudent to double check that first.

gg

 

[cat fever]

The front gangs on a Disc Harrow are the cutting gangs.

The rear gangs on a Disc Harrow are the smoothing gangs.

Every time I have seen weight added to a Disc Harrow it is on the back, when weight is needed on the front. (Difficult to weight the front because of Three Point Hitch tower.)

Occasionally I have seen weighted Discs with the Top Link shortened, WHICH REALLY STRESSES THE DISC FRAME AND THE TOP LINK.

The technique to make a marginally effective, UNWEIGHTED Disc Harrow cut marginally better is to shorten the Top Link until the rear gangs are just barely touching the ground. Almost all rear gang weight is then bearing on the front, cutting gangs. A second pass with front and rear gangs working is necessary to produce a reasonably smooth bed.

Disc after a soaking rain when soil is softest.

Don't weight a Disc Harrow. Sell the one you have that is too light and buy one with larger diameter pans.

After I cut the hay I may adjust/try the disc again and see if I can't make it perform. I always (try) do any dirt work after a rain, mostly so I don't have to deal with the dust. My soil has been worked enough that it stays relatively soft.

 

[ultrarunner]

The front gangs on a Disc Harrow are the cutting gangs.

The rear gangs on a Disc Harrow are the smoothing gangs.

Every time I have seen weight added to a Disc Harrow it is on the back, when weight is needed on the front. (Difficult to weight the front because of Three Point Hitch tower.)

Occasionally I have seen weighted Discs with the Top Link shortened, WHICH REALLY STRESSES THE DISC FRAME AND THE TOP LINK.

The technique to make a marginally effective, UNWEIGHTED Disc Harrow cut marginally better is to shorten the Top Link until the rear gangs are just barely touching the ground. Almost all rear gang weight is then bearing on the front, cutting gangs. A second pass with front and rear gangs working is necessary to produce a reasonably smooth bed.

Disc after a soaking rain when soil is softest.

Don't weight a Disc Harrow. Sell the one you have that is too light and buy one with larger diameter pans.

It is a Land Pride bought through the Kubota Dealer for the L3800

Ground can get real hard in summer and sloppy in winter.

I was always amazed and an old orchard near me that is disc each spring... just to keep it neat now... the 1940 CAT pulls an ancient disk that must be very heavy... it is like magic... so I bought one and just have not had the luck or skill to achieve much... paid a neighbor to till it and got what I needed.

 

[longjohn79]

Those are the stock Titan R4s

Ahh thanks, mine are originals from 95. Getting a little dry but still good Tread. I'll need new ones at some point.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Might add, I bought a box blade once from tsc, maybe was central tractor then, got it home and noticed a bunch of broken welds, looks like they welded to rust. Took it right back, never got another one, not sure why I thought I needed that one.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Thought I would/could use a cultivator for striking up rows in my garden. Used it a couple of times but large rocks kept shearing the plow bolts so I parked it up for 3 years now. I also got (for free) a 4 row set of row hippers (rolling disc) that I used once for the garden but didn't like the high beds, rather plant flat so they are parked next to the 7 foot disc that I haven't used in 3 years now. I use my tiller for my ground breaking needs. I think I have got up all the large rocks that were shearing my cultivator bolts but I just don't like to hook it up for just a small garden spot.

Box blade has been on loan to my neighbor for a year to keep the gravel roads in their commercial campground levelled. Prior to that, it sat in a row next to my cultivator.

Landscape rake was never of much use. I found that I could do just a good a job on my gravel drive by back grading with my FEL. My chickens like to sit on it and crap all over it. It hasn't moved in 4 years now.

Bought an electric lawnmower lift off Craigslist that I thought would be great to lift up my zero turns for changing the blades. I found that the ramps were not the right width and couldn't be adjusted. It is setting in my way under a shed. Need to Craigslist it back again. I find my FEL works quickly to raise up my mowers.

Bought a gas powered chipper that I never used. Found that it is easier to just burn the limbs. It sets next to my electric lawn mower lift.

I haven't used my 7 foot bushhog in 2 or 3 years. I find that I can mow my pasture just about as fast with my lawnmower and I can get under the trees with it where I cant with my tractor.

 

[cat fever]

Thought I would/could use a cultivator for striking up rows in my garden. Used it a couple of times but large rocks kept shearing the plow bolts so I parked it up for 3 years now. I also got (for free) a 4 row set of row hippers (rolling disc) that I used once for the garden but didn't like the high beds, rather plant flat so they are parked next to the 7 foot disc that I haven't used in 3 years now. I use my tiller for my ground breaking needs. I think I have got up all the large rocks that were shearing my cultivator bolts but I just don't like to hook it up for just a small garden spot.

Box blade has been on loan to my neighbor for a year to keep the gravel roads in their commercial campground levelled. Prior to that, it sat in a row next to my cultivator.

Landscape rake was never of much use. I found that I could do just a good a job on my gravel drive by back grading with my FEL. My chickens like to sit on it and crap all over it. It hasn't moved in 4 years now.

Bought an electric lawnmower lift off Craigslist that I thought would be great to lift up my zero turns for changing the blades. I found that the ramps were not the right width and couldn't be adjusted. It is setting in my way under a shed. Need to Craigslist it back again. I find my FEL works quickly to raise up my mowers.

Bought a gas powered chipper that I never used. Found that it is easier to just burn the limbs. It sets next to my electric lawn mower lift.

I haven't used my 7 foot bushhog in 2 or 3 years. I find that I can mow my pasture just about as fast with my lawnmower and I can get under the trees with it where I cant with my tractor.

But look at all the knowledge you can now pass on to your kids.:laughing:

 

[dieselcrawler]

But look at all the knowledge you can now pass on to your kids.:laughing:

And lightly used, in great shape, implements!