What's your winter projects...?

[smfcpacfp]

Steve: how did you attach the forks to the bottom of your bucket?

It isn't attached. I just scooped it up for the picture.

 

[smfcpacfp]

Hmmmmmm...,Boy I would like to have him for a customer!!
He spends money like Amy!


Lets see maybe I can get him to trade the Zo6 for a new DK90

After 30 years of maximizing my tax sheltered savings at work (403(b) and 457 plans), and my SIMPLE, Roth and regular IRA's, I have decided not to leave everything to my kids. Retirement on May 1 is within site.

 

[wallace]

Sweet....live life to the fullest and enjoy.

 

[ToadHill]

I saved 15% of my pay starting at age 23 for my retirement. I told my kids they each got an education on mom and dad, don't count on splitting anything but the 87 acres at the farm. Mom and I plan to spend what we saved.

 

[mark.r]

...Preparing for my retirement

Alright! A fellow sports car AND tractor enthusiat. Who know? I catch all the time from my car friends about the slow DK. Waxing should have been one of my winter projects but I hate it so much it is one of the one thing I will pay someone to do.

http://www.mrobonline.com/DSC00756 (2).JPG

 

[mark.r]

Finished up one of my winter projects Saturday which was to get the very top layer of fill dirt out of our horse stalls. With every bit of rain we got it turned into a hug mess. It ended up being about 5-6 inches of mud that I would have to go grade after it dried out each time. I ended taking it down to the clay layer. I originally put crush stone just under the clay layer for stability and drainage. With the fill dirt out I then put a gravel/stone dust aggregate done, anywher from 4-8 inches to get the right slope for water run off. Ran the tractor over it to compact it down tight. Hopefully this works out better for us.

Here is an update to my original post below:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1304241-post33.html

I finally had the aggregate delivered. I decided to start with two truck loads which came to 45.5 tons. Sunday was a great day weather wise. It was 60 degrees, I had lots of time before the Superbowl came on so let's get to it (plus my wife wanted her driveway back). I started by laying down the geo-thermal fabric and then start dumping the aggregate and spreading as much as I could with the tractor. The rest had to be spread by good ol' shovel.

 

[cabin kioti]

besides plowing snow (we don't have much 'o that here)

The tractor is just begging for a few juicy add-ons like a treelimb overhead protection system (TOPS) and skid plate for the lower hyd filter.

Whatcha'all got going?


And Merry Christmas!

I like the idea of the skid plate for the hydrolic filter .I started to work on it last Saturday then the weather got to cold here in north east pa.I probably should put a wood burner in the barn instead.

 

[RexB]

mark.r, all that plowing and gravel laying was a heck'uva project -- where's the horses at to enjoy it?

I like the idea of the skid plate for the hydrolic filter .I started to work on it last Saturday then the weather got to cold here in north east pa.I probably should put a wood burner in the barn instead.

I didn't do the skid plate under the lower hydraulic filter after all, because i leave the backhoe on all the time and the subframe rails protect it. I'd sure put one on (skidplate) if the backhoe wasn't always attached though.


I did get the TOPS and Lights mounted front and rear and added a toggle switch for the light to the dash. The TOPS has already saved my noggin from treelimbs and an almost-rollover.

Spring is really coming fast - sunny and 50F - I'll have to mow the stinkin' grass soon!

click 'n zoom

 

[mark.r]

mark.r, all that plowing and gravel laying was a heck'uva project -- where's the horses at to enjoy it?

They're around, they just managed to stay out of my way when working! We have two currently that we board. But you are right about all the work, it's all the little things that add from converting a "Cow" property into a horse property. We are getting there. I just spread 950lbs. of fertilizer and 175lbs. of grass seed last week with 8 tons of lime on the way this week! So the pastures a just about done. Then it's on to new fence line with a couple jumps.

 

[RexB]

Ahh yes, you're getting horse rich!

I was looking to re-gravel the lane here, but the gravel prices haven't dropped back down to a reasonable level yet.

Durn materials, everything costs an arm and a leg plus wear and tear on the body doing it all ourselves.

But that's what our wun'nerful tractors are made for

 

[Gittyup]

My winter project (and probably several winters hereafter) is to build a road through my ravine back to my barn. This is a job that requires major fill. So far I have moved over 200 tons of dirt. I probably need another 200 tons of fill, and I have 38 feet of culvert pipe to install, before I can put down stone. I've reached a point where I need to let it settle a bit before I widen it some more. The edges are awefully soft; it its now a very steep 9 feet high on one side. I could use a very heavy roller. Can they be rented?

My CK25 has been surprisingly powerful at moving all this dirt. I easily get heaped buckets everytime, and the tractor handles it with no complaints. I think it is running stronger now than ever before (220 hrs). Lovin' my CK more and more each day!








And dump trailer project now complete.

 

[mark.r]

Ahh yes, you're getting horse rich!

I was looking to re-gravel the lane here, but the gravel prices haven't dropped back down to a reasonable level yet.

Durn materials, everything costs an arm and a leg plus wear and tear on the body doing it all ourselves.

But that's what our wun'nerful tractors are made for

Hey you got that right. I setting trying determine when I am going to get another 20 tons delivered to finish up a little parking area at the end of the extension in the pictures. That may have to wait as I have some fence to put up first. It never ends I tell you!

 

[mark.r]

My winter project (and probably several winters hereafter) is to build a road through my ravine back to my barn. This is a job that requires major fill. So far I have moved over 200 tons of dirt. I probably need another 200 tons of fill, and I have 38 feet of culvert pipe to install, before I can put down stone. I've reached a point where I need to let it settle a bit before I widen it some more. The edges are awefully soft; it its now a very steep 9 feet high on one side. I could use a very heavy roller. Can they be rented?

My CK25 has been surprisingly powerful at moving all this dirt. I easily get heaped buckets everytime, and the tractor handles it with no complaints. I think it is running stronger now than ever before (220 hrs). Lovin' my CK more and more each day.

And dump trailer project now complete.

That's A LOT of dirt!!!!

Cool trailer. I would mind having one a bit bigger like that for my DK.

 

[gladehound]

My winter project is to clear a spot in the woods for my future work shop. I had one more tree to get out today. The others my cousin got out with his track loader but he's a busy guy. So I decided to take a shot at this 1 foot diameter hickory with my little ol' LB1914. To my amazement, I actually got the 6 foot diameter root ball out of the ground. I cut the trunk 20 feet up to give lots of leverage for pulling, pushing and twisting out the stump and picked nice wet day. Took about an hour with the little tractor but it came out.

 

[Gittyup]

That's some good lookin dirt there, Gladehound.

 

[mark.r]

Looks good Ron. I took out a few smaller pines on Thursday after spreading grass. I know lots of owner on these forums have backhoes and grapples but I just don't do enough of that type of work to justify the cost. What I was amazed to find though is that this was the first time using my toothbar to clear brush and for the $395.00 I paid for it, it is well worth it. I found that I could pretty much pluck roots, brush and trees out by the roots much as the big CAT 963 loaders do. Very effective, and much cheaper than a grapple or hoe. If you plan on doing some more of that work it may be beneficial while also being cost effective for you, just a thought.

 

[gladehound]

Thanks, I've been thinking about a tooth bar for a while now. I'm sure it would help a lot. I'm sure if I attached a bigger machine to that tooth bar it would really help

I have tractor envy. A DK45S with 451 loader would be nice. (of couse with a tooth bar)

 

[gladehound]

Mark - just noticed you have a DK45HST, that would be nice too.

 

[mark.r]

Thanks, I've been thinking about a tooth bar for a while now. I'm sure it would help a lot. I'm sure if I attached a bigger machine to that tooth bar it would really help

I have tractor envy. A DK45S with 451 loader would be nice. (of couse with a tooth bar)

Yeah, the extra hp and weight definitely helps out with moving material but that said, somehow the toothbar seems to have multiplying effect. Meaning it makes whatever weight and power you have that much more useable. I hit the same trees with my flatedge bucket and got no where, bolted on the toothbar and 10 minutes later had two trees down.

 

[RexB]

ROTFL Tractor Envy....more HP more Torque more xxx, yeah!

We pay a premium for our compacts that have good power built into a small chassis. Like a bigger more powerful 4-year-old Cat 430D loader/backhoe for the same price as a new CK30. But those are just too big a footprint to use in the woods here and to store. So I'm loving this Kioti cut

Gittyup, you gave me Dirt Envy. Our sand/clay/rock mixture here can't touch that nice looking dirt you have. And that's a beauty trailer you built. Trucking in fill dirt is $18+ a yard and $55 truck fee for medium-quality dirt.

I just cleared a trail as far West on the property as I can go -- to the Swamp. It'd be possible to use dirt fill and build a road across it to my hill on the other side. BUT here a swamp is called a wetland, no equipment allowed. No filling. No weed spraying. nothing.

Tractor On!