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

I’d get new ones. You may can even get some from a NAPA store if you have any local

 

What did you decide about rings?

 

I haven't posted my results with the new sleeve hitch cylinder because it was not working right. It would only lift 250lbs. Tiny old cylinder would lift 180lbs.

So I put it away tired and frustrated. Fresh eyes let me see the problem. The pull side of the hitch was getting torqued forward 3" by the cylinder before it lifted, binding it up.

Saturday I pulled the hitch off and reamed the 5/8" holes to 3/4" then replaced the 2 bolts with a solid shaft. Drilled and tapped the arms for zerks. It lifted 320lbs right away even still torquing the bottom of the hitch forward. It'll probably lift a bit more after more reinforcement.
It will now lift the implements 16" higher than before.

Fabbed a cylinder to frame mount out of 3/8"x2". Bolts to frame and axle and cylinder pins thru it and into the frame and hitch with a 3/4" pin. Axle bolt hole is punch marked but not drilled yet in this pic--bottom left side.



Zerks in the arms



100lb box blade with (8) 25lb plates and (2) 10lbs sitting inside the box



It will easily lift itself


I pulled my sleeve hitch off yesterday and shored it up. Hope I dont have to mess with it again.

Welded steel to 4 different places on it and got the slow drying Majic paint on it. Hopefully it'll be dry by the time I get the lift part of it done today. I'll paint it Lowe's Project Source black and it'll be dry in 15 minutes.

Doubled the pivot pin contact area.



Connected the two sides of the bottom with 1/4"



Right side 1/4" top to bottom.



Bottom to side gussets



Before welding I stripped the paint because it had a dry spot that wouldn't take paint the first time I painted it. After stripping I scrubbed it with hot purple degreaser followed by a wipe with acetone then naptha. Painted with Cub Cadet Majic paint from TSC. It's Magic because it magically never dries--alkyd enamel.



Me after fabbing and welding in 90deg heat for the last few days.

 

Looks great! You have that little machine doing way more than most would even attempt, wonder what it weighs like it sits?

And that Majic paint, I tried it once. It's like melting a crayon in hot water and hoping for the best

 

Well the past few weeks have been a bit tractor crazy for me. The guy who has farmed our hayfield is having compounding health issues, ending up in the hospital in early June, and has decided to throw in the towel on his hay business. We weren’t planning on taking over the hayfield this year but we suddenly had to. While everyone around us was getting their first cut in, we were researching equipment, scraping funds and scrambling to buy the machinery to get this thing going. Since we needed equipment right now we couldnt really afford to wait on better deals and tire kick for weeks, we had to see what was available, and make decisions quick.

We ended up with three pieces of old equipment. A New Holland 477 Haybine, a John Deere 640 side delivery rake, and a New Holland 269 small square baler. All this to be pulled behind the Massey 35.

more pictures to follow

 

So I’ve never made hay before, but as is our style apparently, it’s trial by fire, learn as you go. Three weeks ago I may not have even been able to definitively tell you what a Haybine actually is, now I have researched them to death, bought one, and now am learning exactly how it works, best ways to use it, and of course how to fix and maintain it. And I’ve cut about 9-10 acres with it.



I like the 477 a lot so far. Seems a good fit for my tractor. The 35 has no external hydraulics so I use a ratcheting top link style jack to raise and lower the head, which isn’t the worst as long as I mow in patterns that allow me to avoid that as much as possible.

 

Best tip I can offer for haying: Don't buy cheap twine. The couple bucks you'll save on a roll won't be worth all of the extra time you spend having to f*ck around with the knotting system because of frazzled twine snapping. If you can, go with a poly cord like Balecord or Tyrite. If your heart is set on sisal, get a name brand like Clover.

Edit- tip #2 is to invest in at least 1 hay hook. You'll save your fingers a lot of wear over grabbing the bale by the twine.

 

My dad had a 477 Haybine, I cut a many of acres with it and spent a lot of time working on it when it needed it. Best of luck in your haying adventures

 

The John Deere Rake needed a couple hours of work replacing tines and some other hardware, but it’s been good. I don’t have any pictures of it yet I guess but could take some. It’s a rake. No complaints.



the Baler is what I was most excited about and what’s given us the most trouble. It was having trouble tying knots from the get go, although the guy swore it was field ready. Knowing nothing about balers and knotters this was quite frustrating and perplexing. After lots more research we made adjustments to the knotters which at least got us making some bales, but it definitely wasn’t tying every one, and many that were tied were loose or banana bales. Super inconsistent. But at least we were able to get most of the hay off from our first couple cutting sessions after baling and rebaling enough times before the rain came and I was able to empty the chamber, buy a manual, and really go through this thing. I’ve replaced a few parts and made a lot of adjustments per the manual now and it’s ready to go for round two, I hope. I mowed yesterday, so we’ll know in a couple days if the bakers going to behave this time or not. Fingers crossed. Gotta finish this first cutting without too much more. frustration, we’re already a bit behind.

 

This is something I’ve heard a lot, about the twine. I bought a couple rolls of sisal and a couple rolls of plastic from tractor supply to see how things went. I’d really prefer to be able to make sisal work so there’s not little bits of plastic all over our field and in our bales.

 

Sure, sisal should work fine with a vintage baler like that. I just liked working with poly more because it was more rugged. If you opt for Sisal, Clover is a good brand. TSC's County Line seems to be a good option as well, from what I've heard.
You'll have to adjust your tensions if you try the plastic; it's a lot more slippery

 

Thanks man. That Majic is sadly the best paint match in a rattle can. I may pick up some Duplicolor School bus yellow. I heard it may be close.

Tractor=800lbs
Front Loader with cylinders and front hitch=250
Rear hitch with cylinder=50lbs
Wheel weights=200lbs
Box blade 100lbs, with 200lbs weights=300lbs
Total: 1600lbs

 

Sad news, one of our customers in our store, we know his whole family, was disking land today with an IH 766 or somewhere about that size tractor and the seat broke off and he fell off and got ran over by the disc. Killed him. Y’all be careful.

 

Dang. That is sad news. Someone on my tractor forum posted about his seat bolts breaking and tumbling backwards off his mower. Little different story when you're running big equipment.

 

That's pretty horrible.

Muldoon, that's a beauty of a 35. Wish mine was diesel!

 

Been duplicating this side dresser for a 140. I had an extra bracket the hopper goes on and said why not?

 

Do I remember you saying you're a welder by trade? Either way, beautiful work!

 

Welder/machinist yes

 

That's the exact combination I wish I got into after high school. I've always loved welding and machine work, it's always intrigued me. I'm a decent backyard welder, nothing I've stuck together ever broke but I've always longed for formal training in metallurgy and precise machine work. All a pipe dream now, I finally landed a job I love in the natural gas industry. So, I'll remain a backyard welder.

 

Here's my hitch working. Gonna make a slotted plate tomorrow to allow for float.