Rainy Day Project...

Thank goodness for indoor toys...

Nice work. :-)

I didn't realize that balls came with notches. Did I miss something or am I still living in the 20th century.

you do realize that since you put notches in that your warranty is now null and void.

Warranty? We don need no steenkin' warranty!

Nice work, looks good. But don't try to pull stumps out with it. That connection is obviously not made for pulling or pushing but light loads as you mentioned should be great.

Now you have to make a 'socket' in your boots so you don't slip off the ball while mounting the tractor.

Why would I "pull" a stump when I have a backhoe????

When you cannot reach it with your bucket?? Or to drag it back it to the stump pile.

If you could make those so you can sell at a profit, you may have a marketable product.

Maybe put a dozen on consignment at the dealer.

When I can't reach it with the bucket, it's not in the way!

I also have an 8K lb winch on the truck when I need REAL pulling power!

"Drag it back to the stump pile"? Why do it the hard way? Just use the bucket of the backhoe to load the stump on a (relatively) light-duty trailer and pull the trailer.

Very nice Macgyvering!

Tried and tested Macgyver style.

hmmmmmm....

was that a "yummy" sound?

tire tread is almost gone, time for some new skins on old Bessy

Them's brandy new tires! Only 10 hours on the tractor!

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

Have you noticed that once you have a backhoe tractor you wish you would have gotten it way sooner?

I love mine along with my old MF 202 forklift tractor as well and wish I would have gotten both years ago.

" you wish you would have gotten it way sooner?"

Skid loaders the same way.....

Cement mixers........ you then realize how may friends you have to borrow it.... And when you what it back, you go to the neighbor you borrowed it to... who then tells you who he borrowed it to, who then goes and tells yo..... well you get the picture.

When you finally track it down.... bastards down the line never washed it up. SO on you way home instead of using your power washer,... sandblaster, whatever.... you stop at the 1st neighbors yard who you first lent the mixer, and asked to use his...... when he says sure.... you unhook you cement mixer and as your leaving you tell him to call you when its done.

well, it didn't happen quite like this,.... but its what goes through you mind...

Absolutely! I've been lusting after this one for years. My bad back finally convinced the wife that if she expects me to continue to do the work of a teenager, I need help! (I'm 70 now)

She's now finding more things for me to do with it. Years ago we raised horses, that's when I should have got it! Now it just dogs, but they are as much work! Plus I now have FUN ALL THE TIME! That alone should keep me going another few years!

The instruction book said "To mount the tractor place ball OF FOOT on step...". Trust an engineer to interpret instructions in a novel way.

Good job. Do you need a mill?

Jim

I do, but I'll settle for a few thou!

I've also built a "skid plate" to go under this tractor. This particular model, Kubota BX, and some others, have a vulnerable underside. There's a cooling fan for the trans, and a lot of wiring, hoses etc. under there. If you don't have the mid mount mower on (I don't have one), it's all open to sticks etc. So I built this, which attached to the mower mount arms. Lower the arms attach the plate, raise it up, and I'm protected.! (I'll be building some forks soon).

Now just add a couple of pto driven rollers or wheels across the bottom,and stop the belly from bottoming out on a hill in rough terrain.

Great Idea,and good work!

If I had any criticism,it would be with the bolts.

I would have used carriage bolts or elevator bolts to prevent debri build up on the bolt

heads,and prevent unseen obstacles from snagging.

I agree, just used what I had on hand...probably get it all welded in place by a friend and remove them.

I have a couple of old backhoes;a Ford 21201 with a Sherman under/over drive plus

a Sherman front loader/backhoe.

Also, a Fordson Major with the Sherman front loader/backhoe.

They both drool a little from various orifices (like me),and I replace parts only as

needed basis.Fortunately, they haven't needed many parts over the years.

(Unlike me.)

The Ford is a 1964,the Fordson is a 1956 year model.

They can still perform a hard day's work(unlike me),but I take it easy on my

demands of the old girls.

They don't build them like that any more.

They were built to last and be serviced with regular tools.

No computers for fuel injection(all mechanical).

No digital displays.

No cab with air conditioning or computer monitor loaded with non-essential

information.

All instruments are analog or cable driven(RPM,Hours,etc.)

Lots of what I call "Gorilla Engineering" everywhere.

When I am gone,they will probably be sold for scrap,because the current generation

will not know how to operate them.("Too complicated!")

But,they will be the only things running after a EMP blast,or a large Massive Solar

Ejection wipes out most civilian computer devices.

I guess I am just an old hippy that is not very hip to the new stuff.

When I am gone,they will probably be sold for scrap,because the current generation will not know how to operate them.("Too complicated!")

So very true. Not too many people can drive a manual transmission today! (I'm talking most people under 30 yrs. old)

My first experience with a manual transmission was at 12 yrs old when I hot wired the family VW bug and took it for a joyride. I killed it a couple of times but got the hang of it. Really easy to push start too!

P.S. Please don't tell my Dad!! I might get grounded?

I learned how to drive an old tractor by riding on the drawbar of an old Farmal

"M",with the swinging drawbar.

Had to "JumpRope" when it hit a bump,because the center hitch would swing across

the semi-circular drawbar,and would sweep your feet off if you did not pay attention.

Road hundreds of miles in the back of a pickup truck,no problem.

I think it is outlawed now.

I paid attention to every move my uncle made,and in a little while,I had it down pat

in my head on how to shift,brake,turn on a dime,etc.but I didn't get to show it till I

was 10 years old.

Sure was better than a mule,that's for sure.

Fans had gards you could stick your hand through, but you were told not to,because

it would cut your fingers off.

(I still have all of my fingers.)

IMHO:

Legislation has now attempted to replace common sense,subverting Darwin's survival

of the fittest/smartest.

Our species as a whole is not getting better,biologically or mentally.

Quotas have replaced qualifications in most areas,and government subsides are used

as an extortion method to reengineer society.

I am speaking of the USA here,as most European countries and Japan still adhere to

the old school values.

The economists taught them about long term returns,instead of quarterly profits.

Ironic that after the war,we rebuilt Japan, and taught them how to design and

engineer,and quality control properly,yet now we are the ones that go to them for

quality products.

I think the USA has had it's run,and is now winding down.

It has lasted longer than most other democracies,but is approchaing advanced years.

The horse has now got the bit between it's teeth,and is running away with the wagon.

People will vote for the candidate that promises them the most from the national

coffers,and most of the voters are the ones receiving the benefits.

The silent majority are sitting on their couch,watching the election returns and

griping about the outcome,but they do not get out there and vote.

In that regard,I guess people always get the government they deserve.

When I was in college, I earned my housing by maintaining the landlords property and gardens. (he was a vegetarian long before that was popular) He had old gear (he was 80!) which included an old Fordson tractor, with all the attachments. Used that for everything and repaired it when needed. Even rebuilt the 4 cyl flathead with "regular" tools! It had the downdraft carb and was easy to work on. I still see them for sale here in Maine now and then.

Nothing like "older" equipment, as you said, built to last and much easier to maintain. Even gets your brain really working when a problem shows up. Parts aren't available??? Ingenuity here we go.

If you have a front bucket,just drill a 13/16 hole in the front edge,and install the ball

there.

Works for me.

I just use anther tractor with a hitch on it...

Yeah, but it was still fun.

And much better than doing a bunch of chores for "her indoors"

Del

The only "indoor" chores I do these days are done here! Yes it was/is fun, and THAT'S what counts!

Come on!

Somebody else give him a GA, this is exactly the type of post that is supposed to go in the GA block. Success or failure, experiments that yield results need to be recognized.
~Anon~

"If you learned something, then the effort is not wasted."

Well another project for the tractor is completed - just needs paint.

I can't take credit for the welding as it was done by a friend. I re-purposed a plow blade from my garden tractor into a rear scraper blade.

It's shown here mounted to my friends tractor...too wet here today to mount it on mine...