@MossRoad, don't hang that head! You are right that a flipped PTO switch has bitten me more times than I can remember. Right up there with "Is it plugged in?" for electronics. It was so basic, that I didn't even think of it.
@plottamus I have found that the crossbars that are in the sleeves of the cover fabric to be the cause of all of our wrinkled covers. I now leave the end straps tight, have someone else stand outside on the cross bar (on the cover, carefully, with tennis shoes.) at one end of the bar, while I quickly loosen and then tighten the bolts on the crossbar. For the middle bars, don't forget to loosen bolts on both sides so the crosspiece can slide freely down. I start on one end and work my way to the other. I do whichever side has higher crossbars, and I would wait for warm weather.
The full list of attachments is in my bio, but I use the 1445 to build and maintain everything here on the ranch(ette). I don't have the minihoe, nor the sweeper, though I badly needed the latter recently. Digging up water pipes (digging up a broken main water line with the 4N1 in wet clay was one those "this just paid for the tractor" projects. The wet clay soil here is 70+lbs per shovelful, and it sticks to the shovel as if it was magnetic.), laying them, fence building, terracing, mowing invasive species (thistle, poison hemlock), rototilling invasives(hemlock), making a foundation for the cattle sweep and ShelterLogic shelter, maintaining the garden & arena & access road... Yesterday was tree trimming the trees in the driveway and chipping the limbs (clearance for fire trucks, and reducing fire risk by chipping).
All the best,
Peter
