Loaded for bear

[Harv]

So, after months of shopping for my tractor I finally have it, but due to totally unrelated circumstances I haven't been able to get back to the property since that first day in the seat.

What's my only recourse?KEEP SHOPPING, of course. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

For the last couple of weeks, every time I left the house I managed to stop in at a store or two "just to look around". Now, since it looks like I will finally be heading up to the foothills this week, I started gathering all the tractor-related purchases I made. YIKES!!! I may need a bigger truck!

Naturally I thought I'd share with the members of this board, especially since every single one of these items was suggested or at least discussed right here on this forum. I'm a picture-happy kind of guy, so I'll make the list clickable, but it's purely an option for the vicarious.

Tilt Meters -- talked to our old buddy Rick at R&B, and 3 days later they were in my hot little hands.

Yellow Diesel Cans -- turned out to be the most difficult item for me to find. I checked all the stores suggested by other members here, but it wasn't until I looked at some posts from before I joined the board that I found Rowski's post about NAPA Auto Parts. I didn't recall seeing one around here, but when I looked in the phone book it turns out there was a store in an obscure little strip mall less than a mile from my home, and they had the cans. Thanks, Derek!!!

Diesel Fuel Additives -- saw discussions about this, so I picked up one additive that's supposed to help engine life and another that I'm told will extend the fuel storage life. Is it bad to mix additives?

Tire Plugs -- never heard of these things before joining this board, but I can see the wisdom in having a plug kit lying around. Hope I never need it. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Ammo Box -- not sure I can do it the way Richh suggested (my little 'L' doesn't have a rubber-matted dance floor like his /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif), but I saw them, bought one and I'll just have to see what I can do. They do seem perfect for on-board storage.

The Chalkley Cup -- one of the best ideas I've seen! I stopped by the ol' 7-Eleven yesterday and walked out with my very own 52-ouncer. Full, I might add (Diet Coke).

Hard Disk Magnets (or Chalkley cup holder-onners) -- didn't have to research this one -- Scruffy provided the solution and Mark has already field tested it. I did have to dismantle my paperweight (old hard disk unit) and extricate the goodies, but my paperweight looks way cooler now with the cover off. Wasn't sure I could remove the magnets from the mounting brackets, but with a little effort I was able to chisel them both off with little damage.

Well, I could go on about the chains, hooks, lead for wheel weights and so on, but I think I've told my story.

Muhammad - Since you're not making money with this board anyway, maybe you could offer all of the above as a starter kit for all new tractor owners. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Rowski]

Sound more like a trator survival kit than a starter kit /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Your welcome for the cans. I like them because you don't need to store the filler neck in the fuel and the handle on the side makes it easier to pour. Hopefully I won't be using them much any more. I got a 55 gallon plastic barrel. All I need now is a good pump that will give a good volume per stroke (11 gallon tank). Take care and have "safe" fun this week!

Derek

 

[glennmac]

I have the same cans. Also got them at NAPA, which is a side business of my tractor dealer. I found that the fuel will trickle out of the base of the pour spout unless you really tighten it hard.

 

[Harv]

Derek -

You mentioned a pump, which reminded me -- I also picked up a drill pump, for which I can find many uses, but I was wondering about the warning on the package. It says the pump is okay for oil, but it could possibly ignite "gasoline or other highly flammable liquids". I know that diesel is nowhere near as explosive as gasoline, but just how flammable is it before it gets vaporized?

Anybody?

 

[Bird]

Harv, it sounds like you bought a drill pump with a metal impeller instead of plastic. Now I figure there's only a very slim chance it could ignite diesel, but that chance ain't slim enough for me to want to try it. I'd use one that's made for flammable liquids.

Bird

 

[Muhammad]

Harv,

Get yourself a few cans of tire sealant and that should help prevent punctures. If you need more info let me know, and I'll post a tractor tip I wrote up on tire sealants a while back.

Do you have an SMV emblem? (sure hope so! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

No anti-theft contraption yet?

What about loader hooks? (I'm not suggesting what exactly you should do with them on there, though /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)

You will need a horn if you want to let 'em know you're coming!!

Side view mirrors would be a smart safety add-on... and maybe save some neck pain if you plan do any bush hogging (oops I mean rotary cutting!).

Ever going to pull a trailer? Might need a ball hitch. Going to do it from your drawbar or from the 3-point?

Night operation might be better with some add-on work lights mounted to the ROPS.

And one of the best little devices you'll find... a steering wheel spinner, or 'suicide knob'.

Oops, didn't mean to get you out driving around for more stuff, but I think you're just getting started. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Rowski]

I'm sure it would be ok. Be careful if you use garden hose it can break down in time resulting in little black pieces of rubber in your fuel. It is still flammable to a point so I'm still careful around it. I have no idea how flammable. There must be someone here who knows?

Derek

 

[Bird]

OK, Harv, you got a tire plug kit. Now what kind of compressor did you get to air the tire back up after you plug the hole? Or did you already have one of those little 12 volt models you can plug in a cigarette lighter?

Bird

 

[gordon]

Bird he already is going to have to rent a u-haul for all this stuff and you want him to be able to reinflate the tire after he fixes it. Yea I'd say that would be a good investment. Harv looks like the shopping list just got longer./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

 

[Bird]

Yeah, Gordon, and besides that all he's bought so far is the little cheap items. Wait until he starts buying those implements to put on the 3-point./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif He hasn't even started shopping yet./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Rowski]

Bird,

The pump is plastic impeller according to his picture. I fried one once pumping water using my 3/8 air drill with out the little foam muffler. Broke open the pump and it was melted.

Derek

 

[MChalkley]

Harv - Nice shopping trips!

As for using the drill with diesel fuel, there shouldn't be any problem at all. Diesel itself is flammable, of course, but you don't have to worry about explosive volatiles, like you do with gasoline. As you may know, there are all kinds of additional precautions prescribed in the National Electrical Code for areas designated "hazardous", which includes the area around gasoline dispensers, but significantly, not around diesel dispensers. FWIW.

MarkC

 

[gordon]

Once again your right on the money Bird. He hasn't even scrached the surface yet. But over time he will have a bunch of neat stuff to put on the back.

Like me I only have a small garden so I never would have thought about getting a large three point tiller and what am I in the process of getting--a large three point tiller but not for my garden. It's to do other peoples gardens. Hummmm lets see what other three point stuff I'd never think about getting unless I can make alittle money from./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

 

[Bird]

OK, Derek. The picture looks like a plastic body to me, but I have no experience with that particular model and would not have thought it would have the warning against using with flammables unless there was a chance of metal against metal somewhere. I have a neighbor who recently inherited a very fine air powered pump (sells new for about $700). When it quit working he brought it to me to see if I could fix it. I did, but the manufacturer says it's for oil; not recommended for flammables; however, this neighbor feels the same way, that the risk is so small he's using it on his diesel tank to refuel his tractors.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Muhammad -

I sense a certain amount of tongue planted squarely in your right cheek on some of these. However --

<font color=blue>Get yourself a few cans of tire sealant </font color=blue>

My rear tires are filled. Will it still work?

<font color=blue>Do you have an SMV emblem?</font color=blue>

Uhhhhhh... wasn't planning to ever take it on the road. Should have one anyway?

<font color=blue>No anti-theft contraption yet?</font color=blue>

Yeah -- a garage door. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

<font color=blue>What about loader hooks?</font color=blue>

Got the hooks. Not sure how to attach them yet -- not set up for welding at this point.

<font color=blue>You will need a horn if you want to let 'em know you're coming!!</font color=blue>

Don't want 'em to know I'm coming. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

<font color=blue>Side view mirrors would be a smart safety add-on...</font color=blue>

Dunno if you're serious -- haven't tried the bush hog yet.

<font color=blue>Ever going to pull a trailer?</font color=blue>

Possibly. Probably use the drawbar, I would think.

<font color=blue>Night operation might be better with some add-on work lights mounted to the ROPS.</font color=blue>

Just a matter of time...

<font color=blue>a steering wheel spinner, or 'suicide knob'.</font color=blue>

"Spinner" sounds nice. "Suicide" is a little less enticing. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

<font color=blue>I think you're just getting started.</font color=blue>

I suppose I should pace myself./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[richh]

Harv- just keep walking around the tractor, get out a lawn chair and gander a while, keep looking, youll find somewhere to hang all the stuff on your tractor. don't rush try it on think on it a week. you will have a vison!
Rich

 

[Harv]

Bird -

If the tractor is in or near the shop where it sleeps at night, I have a nice air compressor unit there.

If it's out in the field, all I have right now is a low volume, 220 psi battery-operated compressor that should fill a rear tire in, oh, say, 2 or 3 days.

Recommendations?

 

[MChalkley]

Muhammad - Have you ever seen a steering wheel spinner that will fit on a Kubota L steering wheel? All the ones I've seen have a clamp that doesn't work on that kind of wheel.

MarkC

 

[hayden]

You'll need to get a 3PH air compressor. I'm sure I saw one somewhere.

 

[Muhammad]

Mark,

A while back I saw a really nice one at a John Deere dealer for $20-$30 (this was probably 6 years ago)... it obviously looked like it was designed to fit the JD tractor steering wheels, although if I remember correctly at that time they were a little smoother than the Kubota grand-L steering wheel 'curves' are even now... and I can't quite remember how the spinner was actually set up - if the mount was a form-fitting or fixed with hard rubber type. Where/what have you checked so far? Do they not fit at all? Or just not on the spoke? I have never seen a Kubota spinner - I guess you already know that. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif