Happy Hydraulic Holiday Weekend!

[GrumpyFarmer]

Finally got a couple hydraulic kits installed. FitRite set me up for a hydraulic top link kit and a cylinder kit for my dump wagon which I plan to use with my winch. Thanks FitRite! The kits fit just right, and operate smoothly.

The install on the top link pretty was eventless. The cylinder for the wagon made me feel old…I needed an extra set of hands, but ended up enlisting the spousal unit…after the cylinder was dropped / smashed my knuckles for the second time, it was touch and go a couple times…no lawyers were involved and I believe I will have a warm meal this evening

Take a look, here is the setup with the new top link, logging winch, and wagon.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

 

[MOOTS]

Hell of a setup. Very nice.

 

[NCL4701]

Sweet rig you have there!

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Sweet rig you have there!

Thanks….she’ll be a lot sweeter when I get a pto shaft on her. I believe when I picked up the winch they gave me the wrong shaft.

 

[NCL4701]

Thanks….she’ll be a lot sweeter when I get a pto shaft on her. I believe when I picked up the winch they gave me the wrong shaft.

Wondered about that a little. Figured you ran out of time or patience before sizing the shaft. Kind of sucks you have to wait for a replacement after finally getting everything else together.

What’s the run down on your dump wagon? I don’t have near enough use for something like that to get one but still a bit jealous.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Wondered about that a little. Figured you ran out of time or patience before sizing the shaft. Kind of sucks you have to wait for a replacement after finally getting everything else together.

What’s the run down on your dump wagon? I don’t have near enough use for something like that to get one but still a bit jealous.

The wagon I’ve had for a bit…it’s the it’s a 2 ton utility dump wagon from Country Mfgn. They are here sort of local (between where I live and our place up North) and they make a variety of small farm implements. They are great people. I would buy something else from them if there was a need. Anyway I got this wagon to be able to move materials and / or logs. I’ve Stored materials, slept in it (don’t laugh it’s off the ground and flat and no rocks in your back), transfer materials and root stock for planting, used it for moving tree stands, fencing projects, paint booth - yes really, assembly table, mobile workshop, but mostly I use for hauling wood. (It’s really almost as versatile as a set of forks or BH!…sometimes it just takes imagination).

Utility Dump Wagons & Trailers for ATV, lawn and garden, Compact and Subcompact Utility Tractors by CMI.

Utility dump wagons and trailers for lawn and garden & compact utility trailers by CMI. We sell factory direct.

www.countrymanufacturing.com

An actual farm wagon around us, well the tires would cost (running gears around here not free either) more than what this did, not to mention my B would not have been happy to pull a real wagon, it wasn’t happy pulling this if its full or wet out for that matter. Farm wagons are a bit bigger and maybe less convenient on some of my narrow trails. The Price tag on this are a bit more than I remembered, but it’s been a solid implement. (I bought originally in 2017)

I like using a trailer to haul stuff into the woods with me but a wagon is a bit more convenient/stable in that it won’t tip back on you when it’s not connected, same for when pulling (can actually use the draw bar, and it’s really easy to just pull the pin on the tongue and then go use the tractor.

I plan to take the winch and wagon together into the woods, so I asked FitRite to make me a kit for it - they did great and I would absolutely work with them again.

anyway that’s the scoop on the wagon.

 

[PHPaul]

Thank you very little

I've had a hydraulic top link for years and love it, especially with the box blade. I've wanted to put a tilt cylinder on my B2650 for a while now, even tried building my own. Fail...can't get a big enough cylinder short enough with homemade brackets. None of the usual commercial outfits make one for the 2650.

Thanks to your post, I contacted FitRite for a quote and while it certainly wasn't cheap it was reasonable. My credit card took one for the team...

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

I looked at prices at TSC and some other online places but couple things made my decision:

1. I really did not know what I wanted / needed.
2. FitRite really were sized / kitted to my machine or use.

To me it was worth it for the service from FitRite to make sure I got what I need to be satisfied. I’ll pay for that especially from a smaller shop. I valued having a kit for my machine so that was worth my time easily IMO vs multiple trips to store trying to figure out what I needed (or worse online return etc).

I would also mention that everything was packaged extremely well and pieces and parts were all individually packaged, ends plugged, easy to read directions, and looked like the cylinders had been cared for…not dropped or scraped or scratched. Point here is there was care and service. Also, they were very upfront on the timing and I believe they even exceeded it.

I hope you have similar positive experience.

 

[Russell King]

@GrumpyFarmer
Why no tilt cylinder? I think you would really appreciate having one!

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

@GrumpyFarmer
Why no tilt cylinder? I think you would really appreciate having one!

Combination of:

1. I am cheap

2. For the price, was not sure which implement I would use it with. (I can always add later if I feel I need it. My rear blade has hydraulic tilt already, and I really am not convinced I would use. I generally park implements on concrete so the quick hitch items are pretty easy as is.

I mainly add the tilt just for my rear brush cutter and my winch. Just to mow I have to adjust once to hook up, and then again when I am ready to mow due to the grade from my concrete pad to the pasture and trails. The. To go from one side of road to the other I have to adjust to go up into the pasture and then again when ready to mow. Finally I have a stream…same thing. It may be overkill but I am navigating some banks and the departure angle is what gets me….i believe the top tilt will be really helpful for me with the mowing.

long story short, i am cheap .

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Still squishy here today, so really could not do much with the machine. Today I rehabbed shipping pallet from the winch for easy moving in the shop. The boards and bunks on the bottom were mucked up so I replaced the bunks/skis so that I could set it on a pair of dolly’s, but I can still use the forks.

Not including the original purchase, the repair/refurbish cost me a new 4x4 timber and some screws.