Tractors, Mowers, Chippers, Trailers, Chainsaws, Generators, Driveway Erosion Control, ETC.

I'm on 24 acres at the end of a mile and a half of dirt road with no easement across my land. It is beautiful here right now. 65F. Used the brush hog to finish mow my top field just to put some hours on the radiator flush in the 3205.


https://youtu.be/k1RkKmKDVJk

 

The Courage 17 single on my CC ZT rolled 500 hours today, oil change time. I go 50 hours and use the Kohler 10W-30 oil.

It is 15 years old and had a tough life - thousands of miles on the trailer, stuck in the mud so bad I needed my car to pull it out, went over a 6' bank and landed in a ditch -- in case you have ever wondered, when a rear tire suddenly goes flat on a ZT at full speed you immediately make a hard turn in the direction of the flat -- and they may be quick but still fly like a boulder...

 

Dang, sounds like driving it takes...wait for it...Courage

 

I used to frequently mow at night with a magnet mount work light, the over the bank incident happened at about midnight.

 

Those are rated for 500 hours, so you are ahead of the game.

 

I paid $2600 for the mower 15 years ago, I didn't intend to end up mowing 6 lawns separated by miles. I read that they had an issue with the top cover bolts coming loose -- as this holds the bearing it causes all kinds of destruction, applied blue Locktite the first year. 50 hour oil changes and Kohler oil all these years and it hasn't missed a beat.

I have repaired the deck several times, 4-5 mufflers, lots of tire repairs and finished a season with one bolt holding the engine to the body. Replaced about 20 bent blades, the original ones were made of a material like tinfoil -- but not as strong. I found a CC blade for a different mower that fit and that problem went away finally.

It has worked hard all these years and been a great little machine.

 

Ok painting done yesterday, forgot to bring some angle home from the farm to attach the other fender, but it will do for now, glorified mobile chicken coop is about to begin.

 

I've had the fender off my 3240 loader tractor for awhile checking for leaks after rebuilding the rear differential intending to paint it, hem-hawing around about it and not doing anything because I had intended to use my paint gun. And then I might as well take off the grille cuz it has a rusty spot and oh yeah, the running board needs it too. And I hate to take off that NLA decal. So, too big a project after painting the 3205.

Dragged it out and sanded the 2 rusty spots and spot painted them with Majic CC yellow from TSC. I left the yellow primer back from the edges if I want to blend it in.

I meticulously masked around the decal and kept it intact. I may color sand and buff/blend this after it's good and dry. I will also put a little black decal material on the decal to replace the missing piece. Really just want this fender back on. The tractor gets used heavily and will get scratched. Full paint job will come much later.

 

Fixed the decal today. Laid wax paper over it to trace the shape, cut out a little piece of black decal and stuck it under the old decal. Just have to glue the old one back down around the new piece. Before and after at the bottom.

 

Thinking about converting my FEL bucket from single cylinder to double. Anyone have experience doing that?
I'm also thinking of changing from pin to quick connect attachment.

 

Help out the non big boy tractor Bois in the crowd. What's a FEL?

 

Front
End
Loader

 

Bucket

 

The way those loader arms are made, getting proper geometry for dual cyls on ends of bucket could be a trick. At that, you’ll likely have to fab your own quick attach frame, the lower pivots on your existing set up likely aren’t a standard spacing.
Might be close, but that may be also work in your favor for dual cyls on that loader frame
Enough Time and $$$ it can be done

 

I have no doubt it will take fabrication of new brackets. I need to do some repairs on the arms from where a PO tipped it back and dropped what I assume was a log on the 1" tube that runs on top.
Here is a pic that shows the top mount. It is a 3" tube that goes side to side and is welded onto the steel plate braces. Sorry for the old pictures, not going to drive 50 miles to get new ones....

Edit: what I am thinking is to put new cylinders on the inside of the arms (close enough to just clear the sides without hitting). I would add a new cross tube at 45" and 1/2" plate to weld on new mounting tabs.

 

Will the speed be the same or will the force be reduced?

I'm assuming the pump will remain the same.

 

Speed will be slower, which I'm ok with. I won't try to calculate the rate change, but if you are good at that stuff, the cylinders are single 3.5" with 2" rod to dual 3" with 1.5" rods. Both with 16" stroke.

 

You will be a bit slower, but should have more power.

Looking forward to the build pics.

 

Well I got up to do a couple task my Daschand Alf was barking at The tractor and I opened the hood to see a rat nest and chewed thru a light wire and fuel/ cooler return and. Man I was on fire. Replaced it all this morning and rewired it. Sprayed it all with repellent

 

Dang man. Hope the doxie got a treat. Good boy! I've had 5 doxies over the years and love em. My last one passed a couple years ago and I have a great little deer-head Chihuahua now.

I sprinkle powdered cayenne on all my outside residing equipment and it keeps the rodents out.