I had some trouble breaking into compacted dirt that I had piled up in a little mountain. So I bought a tooth bar off ebay and put it on. Damn, what a difference. And 4 bolts and it's off for snow.
What did you do to or on your Kubota today?
- Thread starter gurn
- Start date
now you are making me feel really bad. I had a complete set of Greenlee's from 1/2" to 1-7/8" (round and square) from a long long time ago that I sold for a song when we packed up to move a year ago. Probably got $75 for the set.
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
I have likely used my Greenlee set only two or three times since I bought it.
I rarely sell ANYTHING!
My two sons will have to resolve,........ the keep it - dispose of it issues.
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Bladed and blew a bit of snow. Looking forward to spring so I can get back to property maintenance.
Yeah, but only a little fella that just seemed to eat all the dirt and mulch i threw in it, and just big enough to bring the mower to a very violent and abrupt stop. I dropped about a yard of dirt in it this time one shovel at a time and packed ever one. I’m thinking a really deep stump hole, but this clay soil has voids all over the place and there’s possibly abandoned mine shafts down deep too. Most of this area was mined for coal and iron ore in the 1800s. Just a matter of waiting for heavy rain to show me if the hole is still hungry.
The previous owners put a basketball goal next to the driveway in 1992. I bought the house in 2004, and lived here by myself for about a year before remarrying in 2006. Her boys shot a few buckets, but it hasn’t been used for the better part of 15 years. Last year, a heavy rain and then a hard freeze blew a hole in the middle section of the post large enough for chickadees to build in it. Unfortunately another rain drowned the nest. I kinda figured the post was about rusted through from the inside out and decided it was time to take it down.
So I got the sledgehammer and pickaxe out thinking I’d just crack the footing around the post and yank it out and be done with it The first whack with the 10 pounder took a corner off near the edge of the driveway. The next swing bounced. Okay, hit it harder. The hammer bounced higher. Hmmm, Houston, we have a problem. I knew my water line was close but not sure exactly where, so digging it out with the stump bucket was not an option until I found the exact location. I chipped away at the edge closest to the driveway until I made sure the footing wasn’t doweled to the driveway slab and saw dirt all the way across, still having no clue just how big the footing was nor any wiser about where the water line was, and figured I’d buy a small demolition hammer to finish breaking the footing. I chipped away at it and managed to cut about 6 inches off the top and from the pole to the gap I’d made, so about 2 cubic feet of concrete removed and that pole still ain’t budging. So I put the drawbar on the LX, backed up to the pole and tried to lift it with the 3-point hitch. I saw it move about 1/8 inch and heard the hydraulic pump on the LX bypass. Okay, gonna have to cut some more. I took the chain off and moved the tractor and discovered the EXACT location of the water line. The hard way.
As you can see, the PO thought it would be okay to pour the footing next to and over top of the water line without marking the concrete for embedded/covered piping. These are the same home renovation experts that cut 4 floor joists under the kitchen to install HVAC ductwork for a basement bedroom, but that’s a whole other story. I poked the chisel point all the way through the pipe which has about 150 psi on a bad day. I grabbed a wrench and ran out to the meter and cut the water off and then lowered my blood pressure with the appropriate amount of swearing and throwing things. Now that I knew where the line is and had the water cut off, I decided to try to pull the footing out from the other side. I used the same approach as before with the 3-point and managed to lift it about 6 inches, during which process, I discovered I was also correct that the post was rusted through.
As you can see, it’s now dark, I have a broken water line, and a broken basketball goal hovering over my precious LX. I grabbed a rope, lassoed the top of the goal, and snatched the top two sections of the post and the goal off leaving the bottom section to finish removing the footing, which I was still thinking was about a foot thick. This is the part where I was wrong. VERY wrong. I swapped ends with the tractor, which happened to have the grapple on. I started lifting the footing, and it just kept coming out of the ground. I finally got the bottom of the footing to clear the hole and found out there was nearly a whole yard of concrete on the end of the post. Strangely enough, I was able to lift the massive chunk of water soaked concrete with nothing but a light weight tow bar and quick hitch on the back. This convinced me that loading the rear tires IS effective. VERY effective indeed with the load that close to the curl pins.
My grapple is 54” wide (4.5’), so you can see I’m not exaggerating the size of the footing. The post is 4” diameter. Needless to say, I probably wasn’t going to finish breaking that footing with the puny little demolition hammer, and I now understand why the 10 pound sledgehammer bounced on the second blow
Finished repair on the water line. You can see part of the knee high pile of rubble I’d taken off the footing just prior to being water blasted in the face. Fortunately I developed good eye safety habits a long time ago because the chips of concrete that came with the water did not feel good at all. Don’t know how I didn’t hit the pipe sooner.
I forgot to mention that the large crack in the edge of the driveway slab is where a 30” diameter water oak was blown down by a tornado on 05/01/2005, six months after I moved in. I had 36 trees down that morning on less than three acres with nothing but a riding mower, chainsaw, and a brand new 6.5HP chipper/shredder to clean up with. The LX made a humongous difference in how I clean up.
So I got the sledgehammer and pickaxe out thinking I’d just crack the footing around the post and yank it out and be done with it The first whack with the 10 pounder took a corner off near the edge of the driveway. The next swing bounced. Okay, hit it harder. The hammer bounced higher. Hmmm, Houston, we have a problem. I knew my water line was close but not sure exactly where, so digging it out with the stump bucket was not an option until I found the exact location. I chipped away at the edge closest to the driveway until I made sure the footing wasn’t doweled to the driveway slab and saw dirt all the way across, still having no clue just how big the footing was nor any wiser about where the water line was, and figured I’d buy a small demolition hammer to finish breaking the footing. I chipped away at it and managed to cut about 6 inches off the top and from the pole to the gap I’d made, so about 2 cubic feet of concrete removed and that pole still ain’t budging. So I put the drawbar on the LX, backed up to the pole and tried to lift it with the 3-point hitch. I saw it move about 1/8 inch and heard the hydraulic pump on the LX bypass. Okay, gonna have to cut some more. I took the chain off and moved the tractor and discovered the EXACT location of the water line. The hard way.
As you can see, the PO thought it would be okay to pour the footing next to and over top of the water line without marking the concrete for embedded/covered piping. These are the same home renovation experts that cut 4 floor joists under the kitchen to install HVAC ductwork for a basement bedroom, but that’s a whole other story. I poked the chisel point all the way through the pipe which has about 150 psi on a bad day. I grabbed a wrench and ran out to the meter and cut the water off and then lowered my blood pressure with the appropriate amount of swearing and throwing things. Now that I knew where the line is and had the water cut off, I decided to try to pull the footing out from the other side. I used the same approach as before with the 3-point and managed to lift it about 6 inches, during which process, I discovered I was also correct that the post was rusted through.
As you can see, it’s now dark, I have a broken water line, and a broken basketball goal hovering over my precious LX. I grabbed a rope, lassoed the top of the goal, and snatched the top two sections of the post and the goal off leaving the bottom section to finish removing the footing, which I was still thinking was about a foot thick. This is the part where I was wrong. VERY wrong. I swapped ends with the tractor, which happened to have the grapple on. I started lifting the footing, and it just kept coming out of the ground. I finally got the bottom of the footing to clear the hole and found out there was nearly a whole yard of concrete on the end of the post. Strangely enough, I was able to lift the massive chunk of water soaked concrete with nothing but a light weight tow bar and quick hitch on the back. This convinced me that loading the rear tires IS effective. VERY effective indeed with the load that close to the curl pins.
My grapple is 54” wide (4.5’), so you can see I’m not exaggerating the size of the footing. The post is 4” diameter. Needless to say, I probably wasn’t going to finish breaking that footing with the puny little demolition hammer, and I now understand why the 10 pound sledgehammer bounced on the second blow
I forgot to mention that the large crack in the edge of the driveway slab is where a 30” diameter water oak was blown down by a tornado on 05/01/2005, six months after I moved in. I had 36 trees down that morning on less than three acres with nothing but a riding mower, chainsaw, and a brand new 6.5HP chipper/shredder to clean up with. The LX made a humongous difference in how I clean up.
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I guess they were worried that Shack might grab the rim and they didn't want it to come down.
What a mess.
What a mess.
When I first seen your work picture I thought it was some of Dirty Deeds work. Then reading it was you,I could relate and understand. Probably when it was dug out and installed the previous owner was just lucky and missed the water line.
Bill
ken erickson
Well-known member
Equipment
B7100 hst, 2650 front mount snowblower, L2501 hst qa loader
This young man has been helping me out on my oak savanna project. He is a student at UW Stevens Point in conservations studies. Good worker and respectful of the land and the equipment! 
We started the day by changing the engine oil and filter, air filter and greased the loader and grapple. I have 170 trouble free hours (other than my joystick linkage coming apart at about 10 hours, easy fix) on the L2501.
Spent the rest of the day marking, cutting and grappling red oaks from an area about 8 acres and then we consolidated some of my brush piles scattered around the joint.
Crazy temps in Wi for the last days of Feb.
We started the day by changing the engine oil and filter, air filter and greased the loader and grapple. I have 170 trouble free hours (other than my joystick linkage coming apart at about 10 hours, easy fix) on the L2501.
Spent the rest of the day marking, cutting and grappling red oaks from an area about 8 acres and then we consolidated some of my brush piles scattered around the joint.
Crazy temps in Wi for the last days of Feb.
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You have no idea just how careless and clueless the PO was. I’ve been here nearly 20 years and I’m still fixing their ‘improvements’. I cringe when I know I have to uncover something they did anything to. Of course, it probably didn’t help the situation when the builder ran the water line from the meter (which is parallel with the street) over to the edge of the driveway, and around behind the house for entry without a single fitting other than two MAs and a handful of couplings. I don’t have a problem with that except for the label on the pipe that clearly says “RIGID PVC”. It’s normally a good idea to have a few fittings in 270 degrees of bend to relieve the stress on the pipe. But, add to that the repairs with PVC conduit (where the PO crushed the line with a school bus) and it’s no wonder I’ve had to repair cracks and crappy glue joints. I put myself through college building swimming pools, so plumbing with PVC is child’s play to me. I just hate having to dig it up trying to avoid hitting it with the shovel and cutting it.
I get to fill up the massive bomb crater today.
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
You will get sympathy from me.
Last Spring I planted some tomato plants just outside the kitchen door, on top of where the post light cable had been run 75 years ago.
I "knew" where the cable was.
Just needed to be careful......
Oops....I cut the old post light cable with my shovel.
Now, this is 75 year old "BX" (rusted) armored underground rated cable, with lead encapsulated wire inside.
It cannot be spliced.
Comes through the cedar shingled outside wall on the 294 year old house (no outside box....dey did not do dat sorta stuff in 1949).
Did not fix it last Summer, and am not sure I can/will this Summer.
I'm thinkin that post light just may never work again!
I'm kinda too old to fix this kinda chit.
Guess it might cost $1K for an electrician to do a replace job, and that simply ain't happenin!
Foxrunfarms
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota LX2610, 1951 Farmall M, 1967 John Deere 110 Rf, 2010 Arctic Cat 700
dirtydeed
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
well and line replacement today. Tough digging conditions....not a whole lot of room to work around a huge f'n tree. I almost brought the B2650 with backhoe to this one...glad I didn't. Roots were quite large. The little U-27 tore right thru them with the 12" bucket.
Start:
new well with a 10" riser to keep water out of it...old one was flush mounted with a leaking well seal. So we put a pitless adapter into a piece of 6" pvc with a good seal.
done
Start:
new well with a 10" riser to keep water out of it...old one was flush mounted with a leaking well seal. So we put a pitless adapter into a piece of 6" pvc with a good seal.
done
61 degrees today in upstate NY!!! In February!!! All dressed up and nowhere to go!
Edge tamers for the bucket, front & rear chains, rear wheel weights, 450 lbs. in ballast box, canopy, LED light bar (forward) and spots (rear facing). I've moved snow twice this year so far and the second time was just for S&G's, only a couple inches.
Made the canopy from a old 2007 Subaru Legacy hood, all aluminum. Support rods are from an old satellite dish. Chains and 50# rear wheel weights are from the old Craftsman G6500 the 1880 replaced - just happened to fit perfectly.
You know the minute I take anything snow-related off we'll get a freak 18" of the white stuff.
Edge tamers for the bucket, front & rear chains, rear wheel weights, 450 lbs. in ballast box, canopy, LED light bar (forward) and spots (rear facing). I've moved snow twice this year so far and the second time was just for S&G's, only a couple inches.
Made the canopy from a old 2007 Subaru Legacy hood, all aluminum. Support rods are from an old satellite dish. Chains and 50# rear wheel weights are from the old Craftsman G6500 the 1880 replaced - just happened to fit perfectly.
You know the minute I take anything snow-related off we'll get a freak 18" of the white stuff.
I like how you fabricate from has beens and make something useful! Too bad though you're all dressed up and no place to go. We're at 80 deg today and suppose to get down to 30 tonight.
I've been fooling around with an experimental crane for loading my trailer down in the woods.
gg
gg
Siesta Sundance
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L305DT, MX 5200, SVL 75-2, (Sold M7060))
MX got a great workout, hauling and lifting old fence materials/wire.
Two loads on the trailer and the MX brought 2 loads to the county collection site, which made easy offloading with the grapple.
Two loads on the trailer and the MX brought 2 loads to the county collection site, which made easy offloading with the grapple.
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
We have a little seating area by the pond. Nothing fancy at all, just a collection of stuff sitting on the dirt in a clear spot on the shore. Wife likes to move and rearrange stuff a LOT, so when she set this up I agreed to grade level it off after it had been stable long enough to be confirmed as a long term setup. After numerous iterations it has been unchanged for a while. She asked a few days ago if I was ever going to level out the area and clean up the exposed trip hazard roots where the chairs and table sit. The area is on a little hump so just a bit unlevel in all directions. Agreed no changes in past 6 months so I’d put it on the list.
This is kind of a piddly nothing of a project but it’s a good example of why I really love both the SSQA and the hydraulic top link/side link. The furniture is Amish made solid plastic-wood so it’s pretty heavy and cumbersome (forks). The footstool log that had to be moved weighs somewhere between two stout dudes can roll it uphill but can’t lift it and no problem for the loader (grapple because if it rolls off the forks it will be in the pond). Needed to move a little dirt and a couple yards of wood chips (bucket).
To level, started off with the tractor sitting at an angle and boxblade tilted to level. Next pass, tractor was a little closer to level so had to adjust tilt on boxblade. Could have done static adjustments between passes without the hydraulic sidelink but would have been much slower and wouldn’t have been able to adjust while moving, which is helpful maintaining level while the contour of the land the tractor is on changes. If I was better with the blade I could have gotten it done with fewer passes but I didn’t want to take out more roots than necessary or have to finish with backfill after over cutting so took it slow.
Need one more bucket of chips to finish. Got close, but was in a race against the rain and didn’t quite get it in before being rained out. At least got the bare dirt covered and the furniture back in place.
This is kind of a piddly nothing of a project but it’s a good example of why I really love both the SSQA and the hydraulic top link/side link. The furniture is Amish made solid plastic-wood so it’s pretty heavy and cumbersome (forks). The footstool log that had to be moved weighs somewhere between two stout dudes can roll it uphill but can’t lift it and no problem for the loader (grapple because if it rolls off the forks it will be in the pond). Needed to move a little dirt and a couple yards of wood chips (bucket).
To level, started off with the tractor sitting at an angle and boxblade tilted to level. Next pass, tractor was a little closer to level so had to adjust tilt on boxblade. Could have done static adjustments between passes without the hydraulic sidelink but would have been much slower and wouldn’t have been able to adjust while moving, which is helpful maintaining level while the contour of the land the tractor is on changes. If I was better with the blade I could have gotten it done with fewer passes but I didn’t want to take out more roots than necessary or have to finish with backfill after over cutting so took it slow.
Need one more bucket of chips to finish. Got close, but was in a race against the rain and didn’t quite get it in before being rained out. At least got the bare dirt covered and the furniture back in place.