Iplayfarmer
Super Member
I have to share my morning with the forum. For once I think I did something right.
First, after an hour or so dinking around with a cold engine and an inadequate battery, I replaced the Walmart brand lawn and garden battery that came with the tractor (225 CCA) with the best one I could find at the local auto parts store (850 CCA). Yeah...that made a difference. I had to "modify" the sheet metal a bit to get it to fit, but I'm sure it will be worth it.
Then, I started the process of learning to move snow. I didn't have the box blade on the back, and since I had wasted so much time with the battery, etc. I decided to just see what I could do with the loader. (I did have the tiller on for a counter weight.)
With a combination of back dragging and pushing with the FEL, I cleaned everything up pretty good. At first I was picking up a lot of dirt and rocks, but with a little practice I got to where I could keep the bucket at the right tilt and elevation so that I got only snow, and left only driveway.
I was having so much fun that I plowed out my neighboor on either side, and then did a few more families in the area that I try to look out for. I had breakfast at noon.
I found that my bucket is exactly the same width as the sidewalks in the city where I live. My street has the cleanest sidewalks in the whole city now.
I had one problem. The sidewalks are a little old in places, and there are sections that have separated so one edge is a half inch lower than the next. (You see what's coming, don't you.) I was moving along being so proud of myself for my snow plowing prowess when the bucket caught one of these edges. I was only in first gear, high range, but I stopped so fast that I was knocked forward in the seat far enough that my knee hit the throttle.
The sudden jolt, rythmic rocking from my tires slipping on the wet concrete, and sudden decrease in rpm's all happened at the same time. I was pretty sure the world had ended. I gathered my composure, checked my shorts, and looked everything over. It all checked out, but I'll have to watch for these spots a little better.
All-in-all I consider it a good morning. Now... off to hang some christmas lights.
First, after an hour or so dinking around with a cold engine and an inadequate battery, I replaced the Walmart brand lawn and garden battery that came with the tractor (225 CCA) with the best one I could find at the local auto parts store (850 CCA). Yeah...that made a difference. I had to "modify" the sheet metal a bit to get it to fit, but I'm sure it will be worth it.
Then, I started the process of learning to move snow. I didn't have the box blade on the back, and since I had wasted so much time with the battery, etc. I decided to just see what I could do with the loader. (I did have the tiller on for a counter weight.)
With a combination of back dragging and pushing with the FEL, I cleaned everything up pretty good. At first I was picking up a lot of dirt and rocks, but with a little practice I got to where I could keep the bucket at the right tilt and elevation so that I got only snow, and left only driveway.
I was having so much fun that I plowed out my neighboor on either side, and then did a few more families in the area that I try to look out for. I had breakfast at noon.
I found that my bucket is exactly the same width as the sidewalks in the city where I live. My street has the cleanest sidewalks in the whole city now.
I had one problem. The sidewalks are a little old in places, and there are sections that have separated so one edge is a half inch lower than the next. (You see what's coming, don't you.) I was moving along being so proud of myself for my snow plowing prowess when the bucket caught one of these edges. I was only in first gear, high range, but I stopped so fast that I was knocked forward in the seat far enough that my knee hit the throttle.
The sudden jolt, rythmic rocking from my tires slipping on the wet concrete, and sudden decrease in rpm's all happened at the same time. I was pretty sure the world had ended. I gathered my composure, checked my shorts, and looked everything over. It all checked out, but I'll have to watch for these spots a little better.
All-in-all I consider it a good morning. Now... off to hang some christmas lights.