Strange non-uses for a tractor.

[snowbound]

There's a guy building a little stone wall for me for on my place. I came by to see the progress and there was good progress and he had dug the footings by hand and poured the concrete and was manhandling boulders out of one of our stone walls.

So I told him about the tractor I have with the loader. (New Holland TC35D/16LA for those keeping score.) I suggested that would move the boulders more easily. Plus, we could get them from up the hill where we got lots of stone to spare.

Turns out my wife also told him about the tractor when he started out, but maybe it didn't sink in.

I guess tomorrow when masons from that company show up to build the wall and we also get stone from up my hill to fill in the part where the guy took it all out of the nearby wall maybe _they_ will think using the tractor with the front end loader makes more sense.

I don't get it. I mean, if it was _me_ rolling boulders around (they were too big to lift them into the wheelbarrow) I would have thought "well yeah that tractor with the loader sounds pretty useful right about now". But no, that's not what this guy thought.

 

[ScottAR]

About all I can say is some people just don't get it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I wouldn't be without my diesel powered, self loading, all terrian wheelbarrow. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Slamfire]

He was gettin' paid by the hour. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Soundguy]

He might have been intimidated by it. We hire 'temp' laborers from one of the many staff leasing companies. Occasionally we get a good open minded fellow.. but for the most part these guys just want to do grunt work.. don't want to get anywhere near something with wheels and a big diesel engine...

I remember the first time i drove a tractor.. I have to admit.. it was a bit of a new feeling.. especially loading it and unloading it from my trailer the first time.. etc

Soundguy

 

[avorancher]

Intimated. I know the feeling. I had driven trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, road race cars, drag strip cars, and been around vehicles most of my life (in the city). When my B7800 was delivered, I had the driver take it off the truck and park it in my driveway.

After he left, I jumped on and realized I had no idea how to operate it. It turned out to be rather easy, but quite intimating to someone who grew up in the city. I actually had to read the manual... not something that I easily admit to.

 

[Chuck52]

Maybe he was worried about liability, using someone else's equipment?

Chuck

 

[Taylortractornut]

I had a boss like thet from Wisconsin, on a job down here in the south. He had 10 concrete laborers hand digging a 12 foot long trench 12 inches wide and deep. I went over there with the backhoe dug it in 15 minutes whelie the concrete guys helped with the pour. He said it hurt their feelings but i told him that the company was paying 8 dollars an hour for laborers, plus they had been working in hard sticky clay with rocks. so they hadnt got far they were way off grade and had been at it 3 hours already. I made 14 an hour then I go take the Case hoe and have the trenche straight dug on grade in 15 minutes. He still couldnt see the point.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When my B7800 was delivered, I had the driver take it off the truck and park it in my driveway.
)</font>

Same with my NH 1920... I opened up the pasture gate for the NH transport driver... and he drove the tractor off the truck and parked it right in my barn... and I too read the manual..

Soundguy

 

[PineRidge]

Maybe he was intimidated by the thought of the tractor doing the best part of his job.

 

[dieselsmoke1]

I'm with you, Slamfire....

 

[chim]

Look at the bright side. He didn't have to come up with an explanation of how your tractor got damaged. I'm a generous soul, but darn few people get on the seat of the Kubota. Have to admit to loaning out the Ford though..............chim

 

[Rimmer]

Interesting! Last spring we had a couple of fairly large trees planted. The folks from the nursery, which is also a JD dealer, showed up with several laborers to do the digging. I didn't have my BX23 at the time, but I have to admit that they had the holes dug, trees planted, and holes filled in faster than I could have warmed up the engine. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

On the other hand, we just had a new concrete slab placed. The guys said they would probably dig the footings by hand, but when they showed up to do the work, they brought a Terramite T7 (Kubota D1105 engine) with them! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Each to their own, I suppose.

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Chim I feel exactly the same way about my tractor. I was showing the TC-40D to a neighbor down the road the other day. Before I knew it he had crawled up in the seat. The next comment he made was he can't wait to borrow it for a couple of days. I told him when he wants to borrow it to come over to the ranch in his new Mustang convertible and leave the keys with me while he has my tractor. Now I know the NH won't be going anywhere soon. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[snowbound]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( if it was _me_ rolling boulders around (they were too big to lift them into the wheelbarrow) I would have thought "well yeah that tractor with the loader sounds pretty useful right about now". But no, that's not what this guy thought.)</font>

Well after a long wether delay he's back tomorrow to finish the job. I'll be around in case he changes his mind about the loader. I'm more comfortable with the loader anyway having dug a noticable amount of snow with it in the past few weeks. We shall see....

 

[snowbound]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Well after a long wether delay he's back tomorrow to finish the job. I'll be around in case he changes his mind about the loader.)</font>

They came over today and his masons got on his case for not having enough stone ready for them to lay. So we grabbed three full buckets of stone with the loader and made short work of that. It's actually a bit hairy driving the tractor up on my hill, but wheel weights, four wheel drive, and easy does it, did it.

 

[polecat]

i will never agin dig by hand unless absolutely necessary!!!!
and can't wait till i git a hoe!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif