Tractor Portability

RobertN · Nov 3, 2000

I am planning on a diesel in the somewhat near future. I like the better feul mileage... My chores are any of the following:
Pull two horse trailer w/horses
Tow B8200 Kubota
Tow Farmall A
Haul 9' Cabover camper
Haul firewood, gravel, "stuff"

I want to be able to tow the horse trailer while hauling the camper eventually. Would also like to be able to take the Farmall to shows and such, with the camper too.

I have a '89 F250 4x4 with a 351 right now. Most annoying to me is the 9-10mpg. 4.11 gears help pulling, but not MPG

It's gonna be mid next year maybe... depending on a certian hi-tech companies stock, for which I work /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

TexasJeff · Nov 3, 2000

This Forum is in trouble Now!! My Wife Just bought her a Digital Camera. Here is a pic of My Tractor Hauling Trailer
12K 24 ft gooseneck 5 ft ramps We pull it with a 97 3/4 ton chevy Gas

RobertN · Nov 3, 2000

Now that's big! But, I'd be expectin that from a Texan /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Nice setup!

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

scruffy · Nov 3, 2000

RobertN, I have a 10' cabover setting down behind my Dad's house in Oregon. All its good for is a moss growing site! My RAM wouldn't handle it, even if I beefed up the suspension. My old 72 Chev 1/2 ton with the 350c.i./400 turbo tranny and 3/4 ton suspension handled it just fine, even with a trailer behind it. Of course gas mileage was a consistant 10.5 empty, 10.5 loaded. Didn't make any differance to the truck.
If I tried that with this 3.9L V6, I would get GREAT gas mileage, because I would have to take it off in order to move! It pulls the tractor/trailer combo, or trailer/car, but not to the margin of comfort that I would like power wise. Go for the diesel!
One other tip, don't ever try two ply sidewall radials with that camper! I got an excellant buy on a set (oversized) and put them on my p/u, they were fine when it was empty, held the road just beautiful! Nice with a load of firewood even, but when I put that camper on, holy moly! First corner I hit, it went into in nicely, was holding the road great, and all of a sudden, the truck shifted to the outside as it rolled on those tires. Scared the you know what out of me, and I turned around, went back to town and had a set of 10X15's thrown on! Totally unstable with that camper.
TexasJeff, I like your trailer, could haul just about half the state on it!
Edited by scruffy on 11/3/00 08:31 PM.

Harv · Nov 3, 2000

TexasJeff -

Awesome trailer!

Nice picture.

Which camera did she get?

TexasJeff · Nov 3, 2000

I believe it is a Hewlett Packard 315 Just a simple Camera for the barn,shop and on her competitive rides. I can even use it. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

scruffy · Nov 5, 2000

Dang! I made that thing too portable! Neighbor saw it setting on the trailer and offered 4grand for it, didn't want to sell it, so I said I wouldn't take less than 4.5grand, and the turkey stopped by today and bought it!
Bummer, now I don't have a tractor anymore.

( Oh well, I did double my money, which made the spouse happy.

TWINKLE_TOES · Nov 6, 2000

My guess is, you already are have your eyeball on another tractor. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

scruffy · Nov 6, 2000

Twink, unfortunately, no. I don't think I will look until I figure out what we are going to do, or where the doing will be. Phoenix wouldn't meet my salary requirements, but the company I spent five years working for called and offered a job in SW Illinois at the salary range I wanted, so big discussions going on about that. We don't really want to go east again, as the last time took five years to get back to the west!!

TWINKLE_TOES · Nov 6, 2000

Scruffy,
Illinois, thats a little different than Arizona. I was stationed at Chanute AFB in Rantoul(spelling?) 30 years ago.

All that I rember is hot, humid, flat,soy beans, corn and loco weed. The county mounties would come by where I lived once a month with flame throwers, kind of a scorched earth police. Before you ask, no I didn't plant the loco weed, but I did enhale when they burned it. Good luck whatever you decide, and keep us posted as it unfolds. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

scruffy · Nov 6, 2000

This one is at Scott AFB just east of St. Louis. Don't know a blessed thing about the topography, but probably as you said. Still a lot of negativity on our part, as parents on both sides are in their eighties.
Will let y'all know when something is firm.

LazyK · Nov 6, 2000

TT, was Chanute AFB SAC Missile Launch Ops.?
Just yesteryear curious.

Lazy K - Chip

gordon · Nov 6, 2000

Great job on the tractor Scruffy but if you go to a state with snow=tractor to push the snow=now you have no more tractor. What to do next? I know get a BIGGER tractor!
Gordon

TWINKLE_TOES · Nov 6, 2000

Chip,

I was only at Chanute a short time. It was a technical training base. I used was because it closed in 1993.

scruffy · Nov 7, 2000

Gordon, actually, I've been considering finding a little Cub and restoring it. At this point, it is a moot question until I find out where we will land next. I am getting closer to thinking about semi retiring and moving up to Oregon! Guess I am getting lazy in my older age. Rather get out and busting tail working on my own property than working for someone just for 'wages'. Trouble is, I would still need to have a reduced income to make it work.

TWINKLE_TOES · Nov 7, 2000

Scruffy,

If you go with the Oregon and the Cub rebuild idea check this spot out http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/. They are in Washington.

Harv · Nov 7, 2000

Scruffy -

I am getting closer to thinking about semi retiring ... Rather get out and busting tail working on my own property

Been having the same thoughts lately. Each day I'm able to spend at the property I work my keister off from sunrise 'til sunset and go to bed stiff and sore -- anxious to wake up and do it again. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I guess it's because it's so different from what I've been doing for the last 30-some years that it has such a therapeutic effect on me. I'd move up there permanently in a heartbeat, but I'm not sure it would be the best thing for my kids.

You tractor folk have totally corrupted a couple of innocent computer geeks! /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Thank you. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

scruffy · Nov 7, 2000

Harv, having raised four kids in the country, I would express the opinion that it would be the best thing in the world for them (in the long run). Your children would learn much more about 'living' and independance in the country than in the city. Personal opinion of course. All but one of the four has headed to the city when they grew up, but they've all fared well, and have a good solid background to reflect on. All of them love to reminence about growing up in the campground, and the summers spent swimming, and exploring along the river. Go for the country! We have explored the idea, and dollar wise, it is not as expensive to live, so less is needed. Would we lack anything? Maybe, but then experience has taught us that you only lack what you don't really need. If you need it, it will become possible through ingenuity, and effort. (You get the idea that I'm trying to convince myself?) Hard to give up the money, but not hard to contemplate giving up the pain in the rump the work has become.) time for a change!

Harv · Nov 7, 2000

Scruffy -

About moving to the country at this point -- this is probably worthy of its own thread, but I'm not sure how much of a hornet's nest I want to stir up, so I'll keep it here.

DISCLAIMER - Remember, I have spent my entire life (and therefore my kids' lives) in the suburbs of a relatively affluent, hi-tech and heavily populated area. Although I am starting to see the charm and desirability of country living, I am obviously somewhat brain-washed on the "best" way to raise my children. Please don't think I am implying that anyone not raised in such an environment has been in any way "deprived". It just goes to a state of mind, your honor... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

From discussions I've already had with some of the locals around my "country" property I realize there is a lot of emotion and pride involved, so let me share my perspective and my findings so far in terms of cold, hard numbers and facts:

Schools (a very touchy subject)
Here - percentile ranking in the 90's.
There - percentile ranking in the 60's.

Round trip to school (by car)
Here: less than 5 minutes
There: about 25 minutes

Hospitals
Here: 6 minutes from one of the finest in the state and less than an hour from several of the finest in the country.
There: 30 minutes from a small country medical facility and more than an hour from a "major" hospital.

Playmates
Here - more than a dozen within walking distance from home.
There - none within walking distance.

Activities
Here: Yuppie stuff
There: Country stuff (no problem here - just a transition /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

The list goes on, but these are currently foremost on my mind, and should inspire enough controversy for now.

I guess an underlying question that has been nagging me since the birth of my first is, would it be better to raise my kids "city" style and then let them join us in the country if they so choose, or raise them "country" style and let them move to the city at their discretion? Which way would they be more prepared?

I honestly don't know the answers here, but I respect this group enough to solicit opinions, especially from the rural community.

Bird · Nov 7, 2000

Harv, I decided a long time ago that the only people who know how to raise kids are those who have none.

I wouldn't take anything for my experiences growing up in the country, and wouldn't wish them on anyone else, either. I do think it's better growing up in the country, but unfortunately my two didn't; they grew up in the suburbs of a big city, and now my grandkids live in the big city.

When I was a kid, we moved to town for a few months (Dad got transferred) when I was 14, then back to the farm, and back to town again just before I was 16. But there was one thing that's always stood out in my mind. Even though we still had a big house, a big yard, a vegetable garden, and chickens in town, I quickly realized that city kids have no work to do.

Of course, my daughters would disagree, since they helped with the dishwashing (automatic dishwasher instead of by hand as we did), laundry (automatic washer/dryer instead of a wringer type outdoors and a clothesline), house cleaning (with a vacuum instead of the brooms and mops), fed and watered a dog and cat (instead of milking a cow, feeding and watering hogs and chickens, in addition to dogs and cats), and they even watered a few house plants (instead of taking care of a pecan orchard, fruit trees, vegetable garden, berry patch, etc.). And they never knew what it was like to not have indoor plumbing, air-conditioning, TV, etc. I'll have to admit, though, that both of them found jobs on their own and stayed employed from the time they were 15.

Thank goodness we can now live in the country and have all those conveniences, too!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird