So now, I'm finally getting around to the tractor tales. The saga started Saturday.
As I mentioned, I was planning on getting that ol' tractor roaring to life and and mowing dastardly weeds and briars in the pasture. Nix.
I had two problems. #1: I could not get the tow-bar removed. I tried. My stomach muscles still are a bit sore from the tummy crunches I was doing while attempting to budge that thing.
Problem #2: While looking for the dipstick into the hydralic fluid--I broke a piece. Granted, I thought it was the cap for the dipstick and I have seen Daddy use screwdrivers on caps with 'ears' on them. Long distance diagonstics were rather unconclusive. So...mowing was off the radar. I ended up riding Snip after a half-hour bit battle.
To continue the tractor tales...this morning I decided I would go mow our grass. As I was fixing to leave to go hook the Kubota up to the battery charger, Granddaddy told me that Carl (an uncle's brother) was coming over to help with the John Deere. So I zipped over and back. I still got here about 10-20 minutes before Carl :)
When he got here, we went direct to the tractor. He talked about tractors and fixed problem #1--the tow-bar. He made it look fairly easy :D He looked at problem #2 and said it was nothing to worry about--apparently it used to have wires hooked to it to measure something--don't remember exactly. Anyway, that thing that looks like a battery is in all practically a battery...
Carl hunted for the hydralic leak some but couldn't find it exactly. He filled it up and decided it was such a slow leak not to worry about it. I think he suspects there is a leaky O-ring. I also asked him to put some more diesel in it for me. Those five gallon cans aren't the lightest things in the world.
Once done with all this, I attempted to crank the thing. Well...it didn't crank even though it did turn over. We jumped it and it started real beautifully. I backed out--trying to get ahold how everything worked and drove it around a bit. Then I backed up to the mower and Carl hooked it up for me.
By this point it was time to feed Granddaddy lunch. I offered lunch and a drink to Carl when he came in to say 'howdy' to Granddaddy, but he refused both. After looking at the tree for a little bit (I didn't tell Granddaddy that he was), he left.
Post-lunch and coffee and dishes I took off to go mow our place. It wasn't as bad as last time so it didn't take me quite as long as usual. But first, I had to get the rascal started. I turned the key and it clicked once then was silent. So I dashed up to the RV tent, roared back in the truck, and jumped the Kubota. It rattled to life immediately. I left it running and returned the truck to it's place. As usual, I had to air up the right-rear tire. I greased the mower while running--not my usual practice, but I didn't want to have to jump it again.
The other thing I did today of any importance has to do not with a tractor, but with a critter with a tail. I noticed a couple of days ago that Snip has a fairly deep cut on the back of his right front foot. I've put coconut oil in it a couple of times, but it didn't look like it was healing as nicely as I'd hoped. I plopped myself down here in front of the computer and looked up horse cuts...After reading a bit, I decided it wouldn't hurt at anyrate to bandage it...so I got a gauze pad, some medical tape and the coconut oil. Well, when the medical tape got wet in the still dewy grass, it didn't stick so good. Knowing that I was headed over to the home place today, I decided that I would pick up the old compression wrap. So, tonight, I was surprised to see the morning's messy bandage job still on--sort of. Anyway, I rebandaged his foot with the compression wrap over a guaze patch covered in coconut oil. Hopefully, my horse doctoring will work alright. This evening, I had to removed my hat because Snip was nibbling at it. Once I took it off, he attempted the same gig with my hair. I scolded him while laughing...it rather tickles :)
Now, I really must go...it rumbleth out of doors....bye now!
As I mentioned, I was planning on getting that ol' tractor roaring to life and and mowing dastardly weeds and briars in the pasture. Nix.
I had two problems. #1: I could not get the tow-bar removed. I tried. My stomach muscles still are a bit sore from the tummy crunches I was doing while attempting to budge that thing.
Problem #2: While looking for the dipstick into the hydralic fluid--I broke a piece. Granted, I thought it was the cap for the dipstick and I have seen Daddy use screwdrivers on caps with 'ears' on them. Long distance diagonstics were rather unconclusive. So...mowing was off the radar. I ended up riding Snip after a half-hour bit battle.
To continue the tractor tales...this morning I decided I would go mow our grass. As I was fixing to leave to go hook the Kubota up to the battery charger, Granddaddy told me that Carl (an uncle's brother) was coming over to help with the John Deere. So I zipped over and back. I still got here about 10-20 minutes before Carl :)
When he got here, we went direct to the tractor. He talked about tractors and fixed problem #1--the tow-bar. He made it look fairly easy :D He looked at problem #2 and said it was nothing to worry about--apparently it used to have wires hooked to it to measure something--don't remember exactly. Anyway, that thing that looks like a battery is in all practically a battery...
Carl hunted for the hydralic leak some but couldn't find it exactly. He filled it up and decided it was such a slow leak not to worry about it. I think he suspects there is a leaky O-ring. I also asked him to put some more diesel in it for me. Those five gallon cans aren't the lightest things in the world.
Once done with all this, I attempted to crank the thing. Well...it didn't crank even though it did turn over. We jumped it and it started real beautifully. I backed out--trying to get ahold how everything worked and drove it around a bit. Then I backed up to the mower and Carl hooked it up for me.
By this point it was time to feed Granddaddy lunch. I offered lunch and a drink to Carl when he came in to say 'howdy' to Granddaddy, but he refused both. After looking at the tree for a little bit (I didn't tell Granddaddy that he was), he left.
Post-lunch and coffee and dishes I took off to go mow our place. It wasn't as bad as last time so it didn't take me quite as long as usual. But first, I had to get the rascal started. I turned the key and it clicked once then was silent. So I dashed up to the RV tent, roared back in the truck, and jumped the Kubota. It rattled to life immediately. I left it running and returned the truck to it's place. As usual, I had to air up the right-rear tire. I greased the mower while running--not my usual practice, but I didn't want to have to jump it again.
The other thing I did today of any importance has to do not with a tractor, but with a critter with a tail. I noticed a couple of days ago that Snip has a fairly deep cut on the back of his right front foot. I've put coconut oil in it a couple of times, but it didn't look like it was healing as nicely as I'd hoped. I plopped myself down here in front of the computer and looked up horse cuts...After reading a bit, I decided it wouldn't hurt at anyrate to bandage it...so I got a gauze pad, some medical tape and the coconut oil. Well, when the medical tape got wet in the still dewy grass, it didn't stick so good. Knowing that I was headed over to the home place today, I decided that I would pick up the old compression wrap. So, tonight, I was surprised to see the morning's messy bandage job still on--sort of. Anyway, I rebandaged his foot with the compression wrap over a guaze patch covered in coconut oil. Hopefully, my horse doctoring will work alright. This evening, I had to removed my hat because Snip was nibbling at it. Once I took it off, he attempted the same gig with my hair. I scolded him while laughing...it rather tickles :)
Now, I really must go...it rumbleth out of doors....bye now!
RSS Feed
