But you'd still have a new tractor.You have not meet my wife...
I'd be sleeping with the wolves and only the wolves for a long time!
Warming the spouse up to buying - wasn't prepared for this one!
- Thread starter SmallChange
- Start date
My wife is generally amazing but my tractor purchase was absolutely a "want" and not a "need" in our situation. The easiest sell for me was to pop open craigslist and show her that Kubotas that were ten years old really hadn't depreciated in value very much. In the end, I did some math and showed her that in worst case scenario I bought the tractor, used it for 5 years and sold it, the amount i'd be "renting" it for per month would amount to less than the cost to rent machinery to do the 4-5 projects I have planned over that same period of time.
Tractors are "tools" so i be sure to keep my wife 100% involved in price and other discussions. I doubt she's aware whats in my gun safe or what its contents are worth, however...not as easy to explain why I NEED that Les Baer 1911. I have a log book with their actual values in the safe so that if something bad ever happens to me she won't believe what I told her I paid for them over the years
Tractors are "tools" so i be sure to keep my wife 100% involved in price and other discussions. I doubt she's aware whats in my gun safe or what its contents are worth, however...not as easy to explain why I NEED that Les Baer 1911. I have a log book with their actual values in the safe so that if something bad ever happens to me she won't believe what I told her I paid for them over the years
Twenty five or so years ago... my wife and I took our 3 kids on a first time vacation after our marriage. (Jamie and I grew up together, her Father and mine were best friends before they met our Mothers. These kids of ours had all had their diapers changed by me when my parents might baby-sit Jamie's over the years. Not trying to give TMI, but just to set the stage,,, Two of these kids were hers and one was mine by former marriages and we thought it'd be a good way to meld the new family.)
We jumped into our single-engine Cessna 206 and flew from the Central Tx ranch to Telluride and went skiing for a week. Afterward we headed for home with a fuel/lunch stop at Santa Fe. My new son (aged 20 at the time) and I lost track of the girls (wife, 17 year step-dau and 14 yr old dau) when they went shopping around the Santa Fe town square and it took almost 4 hours to find them, by which time the sun was setting and we still had almost 3 hours to go to get to the home ranch-strip.
It got very dark and so I climbed up to 11K feet to clear terrain and an attempt to get above very limited visibility due to a western-desert dust-storm. Flying over towns it was virtually undetectable until directly overhead that lights existed below. We were in total darkness and restricted visibility with the entire family in a single engine airplane. I kept a navigation chart in my lap and continuously kept my finger placed where I felt we were on it. I made certain I knew where the nearest, lighted airport might be in the event of engine difficulty in that dust-storm. (Anyone ever see the movie "Flight of the Phoenix" with Jimmy Stewart?)
We arrived home about 11 PM and I was exhausted. Taxied into the front yard, shut down and passed out shortly thereafter.
Next morning over coffee, Jamie mentioned that she'd noticed I'd done something differently than she'd noted previously...in that I had kept that chart in my lap and constantly referenced it,,, and asked "Why"?
I explained my concerns of single engine flying with the whole family at night over rough terrain and low visibility (but had never mentioned the interest I had in owning a multi, twin-engine airplane because I knew that'd never be an affordable option considering her thrifty mindset.)
Jamie appeared to give it a thought, then asked, "Do you think we should buy a twin-engine?"
"YES!" exited my lips before her query could even echo off the walls!
We bought a Beech Baron soon-after. It's always helpful to plant the seed of need before making the request to the supportive, intelligent women we're married to.
We jumped into our single-engine Cessna 206 and flew from the Central Tx ranch to Telluride and went skiing for a week. Afterward we headed for home with a fuel/lunch stop at Santa Fe. My new son (aged 20 at the time) and I lost track of the girls (wife, 17 year step-dau and 14 yr old dau) when they went shopping around the Santa Fe town square and it took almost 4 hours to find them, by which time the sun was setting and we still had almost 3 hours to go to get to the home ranch-strip.
It got very dark and so I climbed up to 11K feet to clear terrain and an attempt to get above very limited visibility due to a western-desert dust-storm. Flying over towns it was virtually undetectable until directly overhead that lights existed below. We were in total darkness and restricted visibility with the entire family in a single engine airplane. I kept a navigation chart in my lap and continuously kept my finger placed where I felt we were on it. I made certain I knew where the nearest, lighted airport might be in the event of engine difficulty in that dust-storm. (Anyone ever see the movie "Flight of the Phoenix" with Jimmy Stewart?)
We arrived home about 11 PM and I was exhausted. Taxied into the front yard, shut down and passed out shortly thereafter.
Next morning over coffee, Jamie mentioned that she'd noticed I'd done something differently than she'd noted previously...in that I had kept that chart in my lap and constantly referenced it,,, and asked "Why"?
I explained my concerns of single engine flying with the whole family at night over rough terrain and low visibility (but had never mentioned the interest I had in owning a multi, twin-engine airplane because I knew that'd never be an affordable option considering her thrifty mindset.)
Jamie appeared to give it a thought, then asked, "Do you think we should buy a twin-engine?"
"YES!" exited my lips before her query could even echo off the walls!
We bought a Beech Baron soon-after. It's always helpful to plant the seed of need before making the request to the supportive, intelligent women we're married to.
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Lil Foot
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
My wife knew I wanted a tractor for many years, but the opportunity just hadn't come along. We couldn't (or wouldn't) spend the money for a new one. We met some neighbors near our place up north, and sometime later he was digging footers for an addition with his B7100/B670 combo, and I stopped to watch. When he took a break, I told him that his tractor was exactly what I had been looking for, and if he ever sold it, I wanted first right of refusal. He said he would keep it in mind.
A year or so later, he offered to sell me the tractor, and I asked the CFO (wife) if we could swing it. She asked if it would prune out, move, & place rocks, move & spread driveway material, haul firewood & slash, dig holes for plants & trees, etc, etc,.
I said yes, it will do all of these things. She said "BUY IT".
Turns out she was sick & tired of doing all those things by hand for the last 30 years.
Bought the tractor; got FEL, BH with two buckets, front blade, box blade, forks, fuel cans, filters, spare parts, anti freeze, engine & hydraulic oil, & 30ft of 3/8" log chain.
Found out later two other guys had offered to buy the tractor, but he was a stand-up guy and remembered his promise to me.
A year or so later, he offered to sell me the tractor, and I asked the CFO (wife) if we could swing it. She asked if it would prune out, move, & place rocks, move & spread driveway material, haul firewood & slash, dig holes for plants & trees, etc, etc,.
I said yes, it will do all of these things. She said "BUY IT".
Turns out she was sick & tired of doing all those things by hand for the last 30 years.
Bought the tractor; got FEL, BH with two buckets, front blade, box blade, forks, fuel cans, filters, spare parts, anti freeze, engine & hydraulic oil, & 30ft of 3/8" log chain.
Found out later two other guys had offered to buy the tractor, but he was a stand-up guy and remembered his promise to me.
OK I admit I screwed up didn't buy backhoe when wife said too ... ship has sailed she is saying no more implements until what she has is paid for !! I call it her tractor she is technically paying for it the account being paid from is where part of her check goes
working on talking her back into backhoe
anyway would Red Green get this pick working duck tapped under bucket ?
picture of blister from using round nose shovel
did 10 hr grease job on loader she even asked I show her how to do it for next time !!!
the account being paid from is where part of her check goes working on talking her back into backhoe
anyway would Red Green get this pick working duck tapped under bucket ?
picture of blister from using round nose shovel
did 10 hr grease job on loader she even asked I show her how to do it for next time !!!
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CaveCreekRay
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Finally getting my stupid entryway on my driveway finished. While tossing in some plants, my wife thought it would be a great time to position a couple of big boulders. I ran to the barn, got the straps, and in a short time, I drove up with the boulder.
I got it where we needed it but she was having a problem spinning the big chunk of granite in the sling. I said, "Well YOU get up here and haul the boulder and I'll wrassle the sling!" So she did. Girl hasn't driven the tractor in maybe 18 mos. She asked for a quick lesson on what did what and after a quick reminder, she hauled in a 600 lb boulder and I wrestled it right where it need to be in the hole I dug for it. Then, she got off the tractor and told me it needed turning about 20 degrees. She picked it up, I turned it and she set it back down. Then she asked if I had any more nice granite boulders... We ended up hauling another one and she ran the tractor while I did the "swangin'."
Its fun getting the wife involved in the crazy projects we tackle... Unfortunately, the bigger boulder she placed is just outside the left edge of this picture.
I got it where we needed it but she was having a problem spinning the big chunk of granite in the sling. I said, "Well YOU get up here and haul the boulder and I'll wrassle the sling!" So she did. Girl hasn't driven the tractor in maybe 18 mos. She asked for a quick lesson on what did what and after a quick reminder, she hauled in a 600 lb boulder and I wrestled it right where it need to be in the hole I dug for it. Then, she got off the tractor and told me it needed turning about 20 degrees. She picked it up, I turned it and she set it back down. Then she asked if I had any more nice granite boulders... We ended up hauling another one and she ran the tractor while I did the "swangin'."
Its fun getting the wife involved in the crazy projects we tackle... Unfortunately, the bigger boulder she placed is just outside the left edge of this picture.
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Wow, beautiful Ray!!. My first tractor was an L3800 and I would still own it if it had a front blower. They say you never forget you're first.
CaveCreekRay
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Thanks! A few more small cacti are needed but they ran out. Hope to get some next week.
Yeah, I love that machine. What a great tool to have. Another retired friend was talking about his ski boat and personal water craft up in Minnesota. I sent him this picture of my "boat" and "personal watercraft." LOL...
Try moving 42 new tons of granite with your ski boat...
Yeah, I love that machine. What a great tool to have. Another retired friend was talking about his ski boat and personal water craft up in Minnesota. I sent him this picture of my "boat" and "personal watercraft." LOL...
Try moving 42 new tons of granite with your ski boat...
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shootem604
Member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L245DT with Kubota (Arps Model 22) FEL and Kubota B/L4520B (Woods 650) BH
Hurting my back is what lead to us buying an old tractor... I should have done it years ago, but now I just can't do the stuff I used to. I'd recommend against hurting yourself just to get a tractor, though...
Luckily my wife is a farm girl. I talked about a BX for years, finally took her to a dealer on a closed Sunday. She sat in it and we bought on Monday, now I get no seat time. Hoping the newness wears off soon! By the way, she did the same thing with my firearms, "not gonna have em in my house" until I took her out plinking.