What did you do to or on your Kubota today?

[Mossy dell]

Yeah, I almost did that, Rusty. But it was easy to dump a gallon of water in the hole after the bag! Not really "mixing" concrete as I implied. I figure this warm spell isn't going to last long and want the posts set so I can keep moving.

By the way, we had a drought this year so the soil is dry all the way down. The drought has continued this fall. In October we got 1/4" and 3/4", just enough to get my cover crop up. But no measurable rain since, nada all of November and December.

 

[mcmxi]

Moved the blower and snow blade over to the new tractor and removed snow with the new setup for the first time. I couldn't be happier with this tractor. It feels like a very solid and "planted" tractor.

 

[Magicman]

I love that setup. And I am also glad that I will never need it here in the Deep South.

 

[HVACRoger]

Moved the blower and snow blade over to the new tractor and removed snow with the new setup for the first time. I couldn't be happier with this tractor. It feels like a very solid and "planted" tractor.

View attachment 72171

View attachment 72172

What a beautiful view, would love to see some snow here for a day or two. The tractor is sweet also!!
Merry Christmas!!

 

[mcmxi]

@Magicman & @HVACRoger, thanks and Merry Christmas!

 

[shelkol]

I found it a pain to deal with the lug bolts on the front of my BX2200. So I bought 9/16-18 lug nuts and studs. Cut the knurled end off the studs, cleaned up the threads, put them in the hubs with some red loctite. Now I can put the wheels up on the studs and just use the lug nuts.

 

[NCL4701]

The first pic I’ve posted previously for different reasons but it’s the start of the process and the process continued over Christmas. Our son joined us for a few days on vacation last month and is spending Christmas with his girlfriend’s family. The hosts of my wife’s family Christmas shindig are in the hospital with COVID. Both expected to recover but we ain’t going to their house any time soon. My brother and his wife are voluntarily sequestered on their horse farm per their preferences. So Christmas has been a remote series of well wishes with family other than Dad who lives 100 yards from us. We saw him for about an hour today. Wife discussed the proper operation of his new air fryer with him while I surreptitiously checked his house for maintenance items he “doesn’t want to bother me with”. After a brief discussion of the electrical gremlin currently plaguing his old Ford 2/8/9N combo tractor we resumed the firewood processing we started yesterday.

In the way back days at our old place, we split it manually in the field and hauled it back with a trailer behind the Ford. Combo of reasons and this is already long, but old place we had longer windows of opportunity to get wood transported from the field to the wood yard. At our current place it has to be pretty dry to get a heavy load up the steep trails without causing damage to the trails. A smattering of springs don’t exactly help with hauling loads around in the creek bottom area. The windows of opportunity are pretty small some years. Thus the current system.

Cut the tree into 84” sections. Both stoves take 21” sticks and 105” is too long to get up the trails. Doesn’t matter if we can get it back immediately or not. Rarely need the tractor for that.
Once there’s enough 84” sections, wait for the ground to dry enough to transport. Could probably move more in the trailer but with the grapple, the load and unload time is virtually zero. In one long day or a couple of leisurely days I can get a year’s worth of wood for us and Dad beck to the wood yard for processing whenever.

Most of the stack is under the beech tree that perennially has a billion chiggers in it. Too cold for chiggers, so time for sectioning the logs and splitting before the chiggers return.

The Kubota comes back out to pull out logs and move them close to wherever the splitter is. The uncovered stacks on the left are this year’s wood.

The Mule makes a great tool caddy and tow unit for the splitter. With a couple of knotty exceptions, we manually split the bigger blocks into manageable pieces before final splitting with the hydraulic splitter. Haven’t gotten her to using the wedges, 8lb maul, or 16lb sledge yet. She says she isn’t up for that or the chainsaw (I tend to agree.)

The driver (wife) is pretty good with the hydraulic splitter and stacking.

She thought these two blocks of wind felled white oak would make nice seats by the pond if we added slices of lightning struck persimmon for foot stools. So here they are beside the pond.

 

[mcmxi]

The first pic I’ve posted previously for different reasons but it’s the start of the process and the process continued over Christmas. Our son joined us for a few days on vacation last month and is spending Christmas with his girlfriend’s family. The hosts of my wife’s family Christmas shindig are in the hospital with COVID. Both expected to recover but we ain’t going to their house any time soon. My brother and his wife are voluntarily sequestered on their horse farm per their preferences. So Christmas has been a remote series of well wishes with family other than Dad who lives 100 yards from us. We saw him for about an hour today. Wife discussed the proper operation of his new air fryer with him while I surreptitiously checked his house for maintenance items he “doesn’t want to bother me with”. After a brief discussion of the electrical gremlin currently plaguing his old Ford 2/8/9N combo tractor we resumed the firewood processing we started yesterday.

In the way back days at our old place, we split it manually in the field and hauled it back with a trailer behind the Ford. Combo of reasons and this is already long, but old place we had longer windows of opportunity to get wood transported from the field to the wood yard. At our current place it has to be pretty dry to get a heavy load up the steep trails without causing damage to the trails. A smattering of springs don’t exactly help with hauling loads around in the creek bottom area. The windows of opportunity are pretty small some years. Thus the current system.

Cut the tree into 84” sections. Both stoves take 21” sticks and 105” is too long to get up the trails. Doesn’t matter if we can get it back immediately or not. Rarely need the tractor for that.
Once there’s enough 84” sections, wait for the ground to dry enough to transport. Could probably move more in the trailer but with the grapple, the load and unload time is virtually zero. In one long day or a couple of leisurely days I can get a year’s worth of wood for us and Dad beck to the wood yard for processing whenever. View attachment 72226
Most of the stack is under the beech tree that perennially has a billion chiggers in it. Too cold for chiggers, so time for sectioning the logs and splitting before the chiggers return. View attachment 72227
The Kubota comes back out to pull out logs and move them close to wherever the splitter is. The uncovered stacks on the left are this year’s wood. View attachment 72228
The Mule makes a great tool caddy and tow unit for the splitter. With a couple of knotty exceptions, we manually split the bigger blocks into manageable pieces before final splitting with the hydraulic splitter. Haven’t gotten her to using the wedges, 8lb maul, or 16lb sledge yet. She says she isn’t up for that or the chainsaw (I tend to agree.) View attachment 72229
The driver (wife) is pretty good with the hydraulic splitter and stacking. View attachment 72231
She thought these two blocks of wind felled white oak would make nice seats by the pond if we added slices of lightning struck persimmon for foot stools. So here they are beside the pond.
View attachment 72230

Sounds like a perfect day ... and those log stools are awesome.

 

[HVACRoger]

The first pic I’ve posted previously for different reasons but it’s the start of the process and the process continued over Christmas. Our son joined us for a few days on vacation last month and is spending Christmas with his girlfriend’s family. The hosts of my wife’s family Christmas shindig are in the hospital with COVID. Both expected to recover but we ain’t going to their house any time soon. My brother and his wife are voluntarily sequestered on their horse farm per their preferences. So Christmas has been a remote series of well wishes with family other than Dad who lives 100 yards from us. We saw him for about an hour today. Wife discussed the proper operation of his new air fryer with him while I surreptitiously checked his house for maintenance items he “doesn’t want to bother me with”. After a brief discussion of the electrical gremlin currently plaguing his old Ford 2/8/9N combo tractor we resumed the firewood processing we started yesterday.

In the way back days at our old place, we split it manually in the field and hauled it back with a trailer behind the Ford. Combo of reasons and this is already long, but old place we had longer windows of opportunity to get wood transported from the field to the wood yard. At our current place it has to be pretty dry to get a heavy load up the steep trails without causing damage to the trails. A smattering of springs don’t exactly help with hauling loads around in the creek bottom area. The windows of opportunity are pretty small some years. Thus the current system.

Cut the tree into 84” sections. Both stoves take 21” sticks and 105” is too long to get up the trails. Doesn’t matter if we can get it back immediately or not. Rarely need the tractor for that.
Once there’s enough 84” sections, wait for the ground to dry enough to transport. Could probably move more in the trailer but with the grapple, the load and unload time is virtually zero. In one long day or a couple of leisurely days I can get a year’s worth of wood for us and Dad beck to the wood yard for processing whenever. View attachment 72226
Most of the stack is under the beech tree that perennially has a billion chiggers in it. Too cold for chiggers, so time for sectioning the logs and splitting before the chiggers return. View attachment 72227
The Kubota comes back out to pull out logs and move them close to wherever the splitter is. The uncovered stacks on the left are this year’s wood. View attachment 72228
The Mule makes a great tool caddy and tow unit for the splitter. With a couple of knotty exceptions, we manually split the bigger blocks into manageable pieces before final splitting with the hydraulic splitter. Haven’t gotten her to using the wedges, 8lb maul, or 16lb sledge yet. She says she isn’t up for that or the chainsaw (I tend to agree.) View attachment 72229
The driver (wife) is pretty good with the hydraulic splitter and stacking. View attachment 72231
She thought these two blocks of wind felled white oak would make nice seats by the pond if we added slices of lightning struck persimmon for foot stools. So here they are beside the pond.
View attachment 72230

Our Christmas was also affected by the COVID. Our daughter's boyfriend and his brother (whom he cares for) both woke up Christmas eve sick. She couldn't find any test kits, so she drove from Wake Forest to me. I keep covid test kits for my business, so she came got couple ( made her stand outside) and tested them. Of course, they were positive. They both have had the covenanted shots and the brother had the booster last month. Speaks volumes to me about the jab. No jab for her, myself, the wife, or my 31 yrs old son that lives with us. We all have had delta in last year, by Gods grace we all handled it well. Talked to her this morning she is doing great but they are worse. Guess I started out to say there are alot of us that had our Christmas disrupted, but God is good. We will have our Christmas day in January when everyone is well.

 

[leveraddict]

Our Christmas was also affected by the COVID. Our daughter's boyfriend and his brother (whom he cares for) both woke up Christmas eve sick. She couldn't find any test kits, so she drove from Wake Forest to me. I keep covid test kits for my business, so she came got couple ( made her stand outside) and tested them. Of course, they were positive. They both have had the covenanted shots and the brother had the booster last month. Speaks volumes to me about the jab. No jab for her, myself, the wife, or my 31 yrs old son that lives with us. We all have had delta in last year, by Gods grace we all handled it well. Talked to her this morning she is doing great but they are worse. Guess I started out to say there are alot of us that had our Christmas disrupted, but God is good. We will have our Christmas day in January when everyone is well.

On the other side of the coin my daughter spent the weekend with a few of her girlfriends and on the way home stopped at my house. Two days later my daughter calls and said all of the girls she was with all have covid! We were all tested and all were negative. All of us had the two shots and the boosters. My daughter works in UPMC Williamsport, Pa directly with covid patients lined down the hallway zero beds available. She has never had covid yet!
Thank God! All Pfizer shots.

 

[NCL4701]

Split wood for a couple hours again today. Church in the morning and wife needed a break to reset from one of those mornings where nothing was going right so she disappeared to after Christmas sales while I finally addressed the too easily and routinely bent lid teeth on the low carbon steel Tar River grapple. It has worked great except the gussets on the lid teeth end about 3.5” short of the tip of the tooth. The tip is 5/16” (or some mm about halfway between 1/4” and 3/8”) with 3.5” of it unsupported, just the closing force of the lids will bend them on odd shaped logs or rocks that put lateral force on them as they close.

Thought about extending the gusset but for the last 3.5” to 4” of the tooth there just wasn’t much metal there in comparison to the forces involved so ended up removing the ends of the teeth, leaving only a very short gap between the end of the gusset and end of the now wider tooth end. Figured if that didn’t work something much more extensive would need to be fabricated to make the whole tooth stouter so cutting the excess tooth wouldn’t hurt anything.

The original length teeth overlapped the bottom teeth when closed. Now they don’t, but they’re close. Tested it out picking up a variety of stuff that needed picking up anyway, most in the size range of the smallest stuff I could ever pick up with it. After picking up a few sticks, pointed it straight down an shook it. Nothing came out.

So I’d say so far that’s been a success. Is it perfect? No. But it works and that’s all I care about on a grapple. The tractor I like to keep nice. The grapple just needs to work.

And then we went to use it on the log pile in the wood yard to pull stuff out for splitting and stacking.

 

[jyoutz]

I made some mounts and attached the LED lights that my wife bought me for Christmas to my tractor canopy. I still need to run and secure the wiring and switch, and connect the power to the lights.

 

[HVACRoger]

On the other side of the coin my daughter spent the weekend with a few of her girlfriends and on the way home stopped at my house. Two days later my daughter calls and said all of the girls she was with all have covid! We were all tested and all were negative. All of us had the two shots and the boosters. My daughter works in UPMC Williamsport, Pa directly with covid patients lined down the hallway zero beds available. She has never had covid yet!
Thank God! All Pfizer shots.

Point taken, I’m not anti-vax, that choice belongs to the individual. God bless your daughter and your family.

 

[lakehouse_dreaming]

Tilled up some dirt to start making the wife a riding area.

 

[aaluck]

We got a Ginkgo tree from my in-laws. Apparently it will live for 2,000 years. We have not had good luck with trees in our prairie soil (8 ph) so I wanted to do an extra large hole and mix in some a bunch of soils to try and help. Anyway, dug four plugs with the 12" PHD and then brought the young one out to clear that into one big hole.

 

[mcmxi]

View attachment 72322
Tilled up some dirt to start making the wife a riding area.

Very cool. What tiller do you pull behind your tractor? Oops ... I see from your signature it's an RGA1258. I'll have to look that up.

Another morning spent moving snow off ~400 yards of driveway and some parking areas. It was 1F at the house and sitting inside a warm cab is kind of awesome.

 

[Lil Foot]

We got a Ginkgo tree from my in-laws. Apparently it will live for 2,000 years. We have not had good luck with trees in our prairie soil (8 ph) so I wanted to do an extra large hole and mix in some a bunch of soils to try and help. Anyway, dug four plugs with the 12" PHD and then brought the young one out to clear that into one big hole.

Looks like a perfect reason to get that BackHoe!

 

[OrangeKrush]

Just greased er up and ready for winter.. wish I could say the same for my joints!

 

[dirtydeed]

View attachment 72334 Just greased er up and ready for winter.. wish I could say the same for my joints!

Paved driveway? I'd ditch the piranha bar unless you like living on the edge.

 

[OrangeKrush]

Paved driveway? I'd ditch the piranha bar unless you like living on the edge.

Yes paved.. right.. I looked at those photos and realized that I forgot to take it off when I was out there. Glad it's only a couple minute job, it's definitely coming off!