I may be obsessed with repairs...

[Lil Foot]

I was looking at the receipts for my tractor repairs & decided to make a list of what I have done to the tractor since I got it. I've been told I'm too much of a perfectionist some times, but never believed it. But maybe.
In no particular order:

change all fluids. filters, fuel filter bowl
new fan belt
new radiator hoses & cap
Complete rebuild of backhoe
reseal FEL
reseal FEL control valve
reseal 3pt hydraulics
repair/rebuild reversible seat
new upper bushing for steering column
parking brake mod
new ripper teeth for gannon
receiver hitch for gannon
new tires F&R
new FEL hoses
R&R F axle & pivot pin
replace R axle seals
repair hitch
repair/modify front blade
add rops
add rear flashers
repair headlight switch
FEL cylinder wipers
new battery
new cables
add wiring for battery tender
R&R FEL bucket
new "mini" load binders for clamp-on forks
replace missing tooth on 14" backhoe bucket
straighten tie rod
new tie rod boots
PTO shaft cover
add 272lbs wheel weights
Hodge Stabilizers
rotate exhaust vertical & add extension pipe & extra brace
replace headlights/mounts
fab FEL hitch/ hook clamp-on
fabricate swing, stabilizer, & boom locks for backhoe
R&R decomp cable, reseal valve cover
adjust valves
add fire extinguisher
R&R R hubs
new F driveshaft bearing, seal, & boot
new vent setups for F axle & backhoe swing cylinders
new shift boot

Holy crap.

Future Wish List
LED headlights
Piranha Tooth Bar
edge tamers
larger stabilizer pads for backhoe
D950 upgrade

 

[CaveCreekRay]

You are keeping the sputtering American economy alive, one upgrade at a time.

As they used to say on Hee-Haw... "SAHHHH-LUTE!!!!"

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

Lil Foot that is quite a list. I have an excel spreadsheet I keep ongoing. I put the date, engine hours, cost, description. It is a good reference when things are done last. So my list for the Bx is minimal, but my list on my 9.5 year old Dodge Cummins is 4 pages long...

 

[Mike9]

Yup since I got my B6200 back in October I've learned that tractors are a whole 'nuther level of spendy. I just throw recipes in a box and don't look back. The thing is it needed everything I've done to it and will pay for itself sooner rather than later not to mention I've tripled the value considering what I paid for it.

 

[D2Cat]

Looks like you've done everything but replace hood and fenders.

Think of the piece of mind it gives you, and the satisfaction of knowing it's done and done the way you want it.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

I had to laugh when I first read LilFoot's list. I just bought a Polaris Ute and the guys on those forums have similar lists for mods and parts and upgrades they have installed. Its kind of a "bragging list."

The difference is, you bought a machine and brought it up to a better than new status improving nearly every aspect of it operation, reliability, and performance.

On the Ute forum, nearly all those mods have been done to new machines still under factory warranty. But nearly every mod they did instantly voided the factory warranty on the suspension or drive train. But guys keep doing it.

There's smart, and then there's....not so smart.

Good on all you guys who have improved your machines, especially the ones that were neglected and headed for a land fill.

Ray

 

[100 td]

I think nearly everything there could be classed as "repair & maintenance", and if getting your equipment in tip top order is your thing, then it's a good thing. Some people don't go as far and all is good, others get away with the bare minimum, and some have equipment that something breaks/fails/leaks/won't start etc. each time they use it.
I'd like to be in the not quite as far area at least, or closer to Lil Foot's maintenance regime so every time I get on the machine I know I can rely on it.
One day I might get there, but there are other things that get preference to my toys!

 

[Stu]

Lil Foot you may have spent a lot of dollar sorting out you machine but if things need repairing it's best to do straight away before it couses something else to fail. When someone takes the time & effort to improve things that has to be good also. Yes that's some list but as said you know your tractor is spot on & shouldn't let you down like it could if it wasn't maintained. Well done wish I was more like you. I do what's needed to keep the machine going as it should but never find time to alter/improve things

 

[Lil Foot]

Thanks for all the comments/compliments guys! Tackling each of those tasks one at a time didn't seem like a whole lot of work, but looking at the whole list collectively makes it seem like a lot more work than I remember. I've always been the type that likes his equipment ultra-reliable. I have a couple friends that always want to buy my old cars/trucks/vehicles/tools because I keep them up. I restore/repair lots of stuff, and working on the tractor is different in one major way- the majority of repairs needed is due to neglect. When I restore an old robot or other toy, the majority of work needed is because some taterhaid has been there first, and repairing the damage they caused is usually far worse than fixing the original problem. Thank God I'm not trying for a concours restoration on the Kubota- I like to look at that level of perfection, but I need to work my little beasty, so it can't be too pretty.

 

[cerlawson]

It would be useful for us to know the age and hours on the machine now and what these were when you got it. To me it seems like the machine was not a good buy to begin with to require all that work or was it abused. An explanation would help us to evaluate the post. My view is that a well built and designed machine should run a lot of hours without any repairs only periodic maintenance.

 

[Lil Foot]

It's a 1979 that was sold in 1980. It had 1193 hrs when I bought it, and about 1340hrs now. The tractor saw some abuse, but mainly it was outdoor storage & very little, if any, periodic maintenance. (ever seen what Arizona sun does to old rubber?) Keep in mind that very little of this work was necessary to keep the tractor running, but more to bring it up to my personal standards. The first big project was to rebuild the backhoe- it functioned well enough to dig holes, but it had a lot of play, & it leaked. I imagine most people would have just kept using it the way it was, but I'm not wired that way. It was fine without the travel locks on the backhoe for 30+years, but I wanted them, so I fabricated them. Also keep in mind that as a retired research technician & toolmaker with my own shop, I am able to perform the vast majority of these repairs & modifications myself at little or no cost, other than parts that I can't make. And I also consider my time as part of the "hobby". I could go on with lots of examples, but you get the idea.
Additionaly, tractors in Arizona are noticeably more expensive & harder to get than most other places in the country. Lastly, it was close, (I bought it from a neighbor down the road from my place in the hills) it was exactly the tractor I was looking for, and it came with the FEL, backhoe with 2 buckets, gannon box scraper, a 60" Curtis front blade, bucket forks, spare parts, (2) 5gal fuel cans, original paperwork, brochures, owners manual, service manual, & parts manual. The guy I bought it from says selling it was probably the biggest mistake he has ever made- the Yanmar he bought is just not cutting it.