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So my wife has a part time job as Nurse Manager for a High End Summer Camp that is located next to my neighborhood, on Lake LBJ. During the school year they have an Outdoor School for School Groups, Girl Scouts, etc. As one of the spring activities each group of the kids plant as a small section of a garden. But they are only there 1-3 days so they never see it grow. The garden is located on the main road into camp at an old log cabin homestead . By the time the summer camp starts the garden is a mixture of abandoned dead plants and weeds. This bothered my wife her 1st year, so last year she volunteered US to maintain the garden. So last year over the Winter we pulled out old plants, chopped weed, spaded up hard soil etc. Then in late March the counselor and kids started planting. With then planting as kids were there a lot of things got planter late for our season. After about a month we decided a lot of the things the kids planted were not even sprouting. So we began replanting about a week after they planted anything. By mid May we had a decent looking late garden growing. The squash bugs, corn worms etc attacked. The counselors tell a green story of using no chemicals, but I sprayed and dusted when they weren’t around. The garden is fenced with 6 ft high wire which kept the deer out, but not the wild rabbits. So hell of a job #2 was to clear fence brush, dig a trench around the premier and install chicken wire. Early June we had a nice crop of Water Melons and Cantalooe growing. So the field mice began eating them by tunneling through ALL of them. With most of the crops planted late, we were watering like hell. So I put in 3”0 ft of drip irrigation hose (another thing to trip over) But we did get some of each vegetable before they burned up in the late June Texas heat. Peas and oaks grow well in the summer heat, so we actually did get a fair amount of them. I also planted a 2nd crop of field corn in early June and it did fair. My wife was happy the corn, okra and peas looked good all summer as the campers parents drove the camp entry road. One of many awkward things for me is the aisles between the 6” raised beds are narrower than my size 12 shoe 👞 It hard to turn sideways and bend over to pick crops. I’m going to break a foot or leg one of these days. YEAR 2 In the fall we cleared all the old vegetation. When the fall leave fell , I got the leaves from my and several neighbors houses, spread them on my driveway and ground them up with multiple lawn mower passes. The heavily mulched the beds with leaves to keep the winter grass out. I did plant a bed of onions mid-January and they are now really taking off for a mid-harvest. In late February I began hand spading these under. The raised bed design makes my tiller impossible to use. I also did major chains saw trimming of the 4 large trash trees growing- shading parts of the garden. I hauled 2, 16 ft trailer loads of limbs to the camp burn hole. Last years Asparagus roots also started send out shoots and we had our 1st meal of them today Last week the Camp Manager told my wife “the garden looked last year”!so good, why don’t yall just plant it and they will keep a “demonstration bed” for the kids to plant and then show them our various plants. “Sort of a Hurray” Unfortunately a lot of the raised bed 2x6 frames are falling apart. I tried to “not notice this”. Monday my wife went over and planted 6 tomato and 6 green pepper plant. She came back and said the falling apart boards were really dangerous (ie Nurse Manager talking) for the kids and could I patch them up. In our area of Texas a lot of garden crops should be planted mid March to produce before the summer heat. (Tomatoes stop blooming/setting fruit when the temps reach the mid 90’s). So today I gathered scrap western cedar and other used wood from a camp maintenance shed and began digging around the old frames to reposition the boards and scab them back together. This is another “ hell of a job”. My goal is for my grandkids to plant the 1st beds of corn, green beans, squash and cucumbers this weekend. Followed by another bed of each in about 10 days. I’ll do a better job of picture as this Spring progresses and the next “Hell of a Task” arises. PS. I’ve had a “small “ garden on the side of our house for years. So, the above may not sound like it, but I actually enjoy a small garden “that I’m in control of”. Yes I think it a good thing for the kids to be introduced to gardening. But they are getting such a “text book, green” introduction from the camp “Outdoor School” that it’s sad.

I've been wanting seatback for my 854 sickle bar tractor and many thanks to @WHX?? I now have one. Knowing it could use a fresh cover my original intension was to find a local upholstery shop to but the boss lady said as long as I didn't mind it not being professional she'd make one for it. I told her that would be better yet. She had the material ordered before the back arrived. The foam was showing its age so she picked up a piece of 1" to replace it. I like it!! The tractor has a Mrs. Buckrancher seat cover on it and I think the vinyl matches well but I haven't actually had them together yet. The 854 is still in its winter bed and considering that we have horizontal blowing snow today I'm not risking my life going out there. Geez! It was 70° yesterday.

Picked this poor RJ several weeks ago. It was severely neglected. Luckily I had almost all parts needed to bring it back to life. Shout out to Keith Jones for the helpful hints on using a fine wire brush to get the patina to look good. Here is a couple pictures of before and after. Also my YouTube videos of being brought back to life Part 1 Part 2

Strolling around the yard this afternoon I found asparagus in the raised bed. Earlier than I expected and it was a cool 29 degrees this morning. I've got a few peas breaking through as well. Yee Haw! Spring is here Now to see if the morels duplicate growing along the fence row behind the house like they did last year.

World Frog Day is an annual celebration celebrated on March 20. Unlike other animals, not all of us love frogs for their looks, appearance, and most importantly, their croak. Most often they are tiny creatures, small in body, and will make us scrunch up our faces. Frogs are amphibians that can be found both on land and in water. They are considered to be predators and play an important role in preserving the environment throughout their lives. In recent years, however, frogs have been critically endangered for several reasons. World Frog Day is an awareness day celebrated to save these living beings and provide them with a safer environment to survive. Frogs are tailless amphibians with origins dating back nearly 256 million years. They were valued as food by the people and also have many cultural roles including literature, symbolism, and religion. Approximately 6,000 known frog species have been found, of which 4,800 recorded frog species have been found around the world except for Antarctica. But around 170 species of frogs have become extinct in the past decade. The reason for their population decline is different, as they are disappearing due to both human activity and fungal infections. Frog populations have declined significantly since the 1950s and around a third of the world’s species are critically endangered, while more than 120 species are believed to have been extinct since the 1980s. The extinction of certain frogs has been traced back to emerging fungal diseases, habitat destruction and alteration, pollution, climate change, pesticide use, and more. All of this led to an increase in malformations in frogs in particular. Many conservation biologists around the world are actively working to find and understand the causes of these problems and ways to solve them. Frogs are tailless amphibians of the order. Anura. They are widespread from the tropics to the subarctic regions, but the highest concentration of biodiversity is found in tropical rainforests. The oldest fossil of the “Protofrog” appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar. However, the dating of the molecular clock suggests that the origin of the frog could stretch further back into the Permian, approximately 265 million years ago. The Goliath frog is the largest in the world. Brazil has the most frogs with a total Amphibian species count of 1,022.

Meh. We’ve had some pesky roosters. I ate ‘em.

I think i mentioned in another thread that we are looking at fitting an air source heat pump to the house, replacing our current gas boiler. We got our quote today which looks good so we are going ahead. The Gubmint are giving a £7,500 grant to households that qualify and thats over half the installation cost. So hopefully in a couple of weeks we will be having plumbers and electricians descend on us to remove the boiler and fit the heat pump. We've also decided to swap around a couple of bedrooms to make a master bedroom with walk in wardrobe for us. So I'm busy with the woodwork to get the project started. Building a new section of floor over a previous underfloor access was the first job. Next is building a small section of stud wall to create a door frame, turning what was an open arch into a proper doorway. We are looking at having a company build us some fitted wardrobe units and a bed head with shelving. Might as well get all the mess out of the way in one go.

Kevin is moving that bus with a 401?

I might explain my wife is the Nurse Manage for just the Summer Season. They have five 2 week sessions from May-Memorial Day weekend to mid-August. As I mentioned this is a high end camp i.e. Michael Dell's kids, and George Bush's kids went there when he was Texas Governor. (each had private security guards dressed as counselors) Some wealthy parents put their kids in several 2 week sessions while they go travel internationally for the summer. (must be nice) Their are 6-7 Nurses each session. Most of them are School Nurses who are off for the summer and barter to work in exchange for their kids to go to camp. Most of the Nurses are are only there for 2-4 weeks. So, my wife's role is to hold a 10-12 hour training session every 2 weeks on the Saturday before each new session starts. (This is right down her alley as she was a College Professor teaching Nurse Practioners for Texas Tech in a remote/online program) Then on Sunday when new campers arrive she helps the "New Nurses" log all the kids medicines into a "Camp" computer program. This is a big task as their are 400-500 campers that bring 1500-2000 prescription medicines with them to camp. It unbelievable that todays youth (age 7-18) are on this many meds. Then, over the weeks she over see's things a few hours each day. Seven Nurses may see like a lot or a cushy job, but some of these Nurses are in for a shock. They are very busy. Besides the routine splinters, scrapes, sprains, home sickness, etc. the nurses have to dispense those meds 3 times a day and log them into the computer each time. They sleep in a small dorm next to the Nurses Station, work 2-5 hour shifts a day, and one is scheduled for middle of the night shift. A Dr. comes to camp for a few hours 2 evenings a week for kids that need new prescriptions for what ever ails them. My wife is also a Nurse Practioner, so she also see's kids that have a more urgent ailment that needs a prescription. Like the Nurses, part of my wife's salary is bartered for our grandkids to attend camp. Two of them will go their this summer. The camp is located in the rural area next to my subdivision, 7 miles from town. When my 3 sons were high school and college age they worked there on the lawn/maintenance crew each summer. At age 14 camp was close enough for them to ride a bike there and start earning money to buy their first car. Yea, I was a sort of a hard dad when it came to teaching them to work for a living! So, I'm the only one that hasn't been on the camp payroll.

Use a ****** block pulley instead of direct cable to the concrete block. It might be slower but will certainly make lifting it easier. Or by using block and tackle you could do it by hand with a rope. HAAA! Guess you can't use the word sn atch on here

Hello I am Michael from Oxfordshire, I Have 3 wheel horses, getting them ready for sunny Portugal, Each wheelhorse will carry an implement, a plough, rototiller, and harrow. They are all c series being 10hp, 12hp, and 16hp. plus i have 2 good mower decks (rear discharge) i want to add a 70lb spring to lift arm uner tractor to help with plough. any ideas would be gratefully accepted. Thank You mike

You'll definitely know if you have gas in the crankcase all you have to do is check the oil level. I've been there 😂 I always check the oil level before starting an engine.

Redid this WH/Brinly 8 many moons ago.

When installing the new diaphragm, remember that its job is to flex but not to stretch. It’ll seem too big when properly positioned on the holes for closing the two halves of the pump but the edges will “scrunch down” and seal allowing the “slack” in the middle to move up and down easily with the plunger.

Here are some other sources for rebuild kits. https://isavetractors.com/fuel-pump-diaphragm-kit-for-kohler-k-m-series-metal-body-mechanical-fuel-pumps/ https://www.then-now-auto.com/product-category/fuel-pump-kits/kohler-fuel-pump-kits/ One other option is to switch to a low pressure electric fuel pump. https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Electric-HEP-02A-Motorcycle-Carburetor/dp/B0C4XB1232/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3RVSWYUNI0L5G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VMLtK14F6KSLxamAkynnX6FYEX5-bYXkB2UhYdeLVVuauBUJevtqNsTVBs5Ic2OmG_6tlp9bptNWjsO0TmazGOL6NFzyNzlKEuAMebJXEzr0zx960o4vESK_ZmhFhGyxYTFfBJtGowNQS8TriUNTYpXDjUZn3riYEt9870JBSRIJjFZGj0wqYAwqpghNRyIusHBaR2JYHac-wDC8VZGqNi1vU7-6VpS63SLluV3zQPk.VjI7ycmB3D3jf6nFgUyk0KBibd-MJHQ2JzRbP8jVDfA&dib_tag=se&keywords=low+pressure+electric+fuel+pump+12v+for+carburetor&qid=1742494436&sprefix=low+pressure+electric+fuel%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Seat switch was the initial problem, but I created another when I was trying to see if the PTO switch was bad. I had no idea of how things were laid out and pushed and pulled on the slim lever that the PTO shaft triggers. I had bent it badly so that it would not trigger the switch. Once I got the gas tank out of the way I could clearly see the switch and test it. I just bent the lever back and while it works fine right now, I will need to replace the switch or jury rig a stiffener on the thin flexible arm that I bent. The actual switch is crisp and works fine. This was the first time I used one of the " lever lock" wire nuts and I am in love with them. One now lives permanently where the seat switch wires connected to the now missing switch. This has turned out to be a blessing since I now know how to get my Bronco to reverse and keep the blade spinning. The lake house is just under 2 acres with 24 very large pecan trees and many smaller shrubs. I bought the bronco new 15 years ago and the only thing I disliked was having to disengage the blade to back up a foot or two just to navigate the yard. It typically gets used 4 or 5 times a year and is still like new other than it is time to replace the original tires. I am on battery #3.

Yeah right. For now. YOU JUST WAIT!

Nice! Picked these up at a local show last summer- both for $40. Hoping to get them refinished this spring if time allows...... No use for them- just to hang back of my show tractors

That’s a firecracker of a story, Mr. Richard! I will say, I’ve never blown up a frog. I do occasionally catch them in our pool and toss them to the chickens. It takes about three pecks to kill a frog, and about four more to devour it. It’s quite remarkable how viscous a chicken can be, yet walk around us in peace or even timidly.

I like frogs 🐸 One of Trina's favorite animals in fact. As some of you know I purposefully had a small frog pond put into our backyard reconstruction a few years ago on purpose. This past year we had another one installed. One of our favorite noises is the spring peepers.

That roller lets you pull the starter from the side rather than being in line with the engine. We had a grain auger you would have had to straddle to start up if not for the roller.

No, the front wheels on a 953, 1054 and GT-14 have tapered roller bearings like the ones used on most automobiles and trucks in the 1960s.

Indeed a fairbanks. Kohlers had them too. The 633 @Achto is doing now has one. 'Fish is also correct. Your 401 with the Clinton has one Kev. Unless you are using it to move chicken coops around ... The roller and all. Handy guide to common recoils. Engine Clinton Recoil starter ID.pdf

As the sign on the wall at the Scotsman Co. woodworking shop in Laurel MS, owned by the male half of my favorite HGTV renovation couple Ben Napier, says: Measure Once, Cuss Twice Well, depending on the seriousnous of the mistake, twice may not be nearly enough...

Guilty! Guilty! Salad fork hanging out with the big forks...Inconceivable!!! Teaspoon shacking up with the tablespoons...Felony offense!!! My OCD knows no bounds.

I (finally) finished modifying my sandblaster, and it works quite well. I added a metering valve. One benefit is I only use a few cups of media at a time. I replaced the "view port" glass with a couple of pieces of window glass and a stick-on plastic protector sheet. I replaced the 4 mm screws & nuts with longer nuts, retainers, and thumb screws to facilitate easy removal of the glass & protector sheet. I added 2 EXTERNAL LED lights. I made & installed a sheet metal intake baffle to draw dust downward & away from the view port. I added a pressure regulator and distribution block, ran 1/2" tubing (and 1/4" for an added blow gun), a foot pedal, and a better blast gun. I connected a big shop vac and dust deputy which eliminates dust. I caulked all seams, added weather stripping where needed, and doubled up with foil HVAC tape on outside seams. I removed (an apparently useless) screen support, & cut down the screen to allow it to sit lower in the cabinet. This allows blasting slightly larger parts. Last pic is my "test" blast.

I usually get ingredients out or a dish while cooking and Sandra puts it away as soon as my back is turned. I swear she is gaslighting me lol.

Issues like this thread is about can difficult to navigate. Mom is in assisted living. She is doing much better because she is there. We still drop by at least every other day. One of the ladies in mom's assisted living was brought and dropped off by her daughter. The daughter never comes to visit and the lady has 25 dollars a month to spend on her personal needs. Other than doctor visits she does not leave the building. I always make an effort to greet her whenever I see her. The best we can do is assist folks in these situations and I sounds like several here are doing so.

Legs fried.

Reminds me of a family friend who couldn't go into the barn with out a shovel to defend himself.

When in doubt, just change the oil. Better safe than sorry.

Tried something different on a tractor, a Kenda K397 X-Grip 5.7-8. It rolls out to 18.5" high, right at 5.75" wide, stiff sidewall, great tread pattern.

I even do this with all the non-running hydro tractors I buy. Chain it to a tree, then operate the hydro with a long belt connected to the PTO of a tractor parked to the rear. Yes, it is turning the hydro in the correct direction.

@buckrancher Brian. Send him a PM.

Merci pour ce conseil ! Je vous trouve sur ce forum très impliqués, compétents et de très bons conseils Je suis heureux de faire partie de ce groupe, même depuis la France...👍🤞😁

The C-160 will have the internal parking brake...The C-161 would not have it. With any 50 year old hydro you really want to test it before buying. Run it around get it warmed up then chain it to a tree or put it up against a wall and see if she will try to dig in the rear tires. Le C-160 sera équipé d'un frein de stationnement interne, contrairement au C-161. Avec tout véhicule hydroélectrique de 50 ans, il est essentiel de le tester avant de l'acheter. Faites-le tourner, laissez-le chauffer, puis attachez-le à un arbre ou contre un mur et voyez s'il essaie de s'enfoncer dans les pneus arrière.

Any issues with Sunstrand Hydros usually result from inappropriate use of the parking brake. Engaging it while moving grinds off small bits of steel that then circulate through the system damaging the brass valve plates and slippers. The damage if not too severe can be repaired as covered in the files provided above. Les problèmes rencontrés avec les moteurs Sunstrand Hydros résultent généralement d'une mauvaise utilisation du frein de stationnement. L'actionner en marche provoque la projection de petits morceaux d'acier qui circulent ensuite dans le système, endommageant les plaques de soupape et les patins en laiton. Si les dommages ne sont pas trop importants, ils peuvent être réparés comme indiqué dans les fichiers ci-dessus.

They're just mini raptors!

I take that back my bad Kev you don't have one ... I put it on a 400 that has a Clinton.

Sad, what today’s youth have for a fix to their problems. Maybe if they were only to reap what they sow in that garden, they could cut down on some meds… But leaving kids at camp while we travel? That sounds like a much cheaper option!

Here's a Commando 800 I spruced up for my grandson some years ago. I used a pepper can muffler on it and being an 8hp the sound was acceptable. Tried one on a 16hp too and it was way too loud. Here's a couple muffler shots of my Reborn B80 I recently did. The Gravley muffler does sound nice. With it being so short pointing it down won't be a problem. I initially installed it pointing forward and liked the look but I found out after the fact I had PTO clearance issues so I has to use a street 45° which took the horizontal mounting out of the picture. The short nipple screwed into the pipe fitting is not a close nipple. It's a longer nipple cut down so I had unthreaded pipe to clamp the muffler to. You may not have a PTO issue with that style. Just have to try it. I angle cut the outlet on the muffler for looks. The heat mark on the side of the hood is not from this muffler. It's from the original. For history reasons mentioned before I opted not to repaint this one.

Yesterday evening we got the insulation tape installed in the countertop for the stove and also put a foam strip around the glass at the bottom of the stove top. You can barely see that but zoom in it's there. We also ran the wire for the stove from the electric breaker box to the location.

To answer the question we would need some type of electric motor/ torque curve for the winch. Winch motor amp-power consumption is not linear. you can’t just divide the amps by the % load. The motor high starting current draw and motor losses would apply at the 1st load lifted no matter the weight. As wallfish said use a pulley

Found another plate 1934 this time it looks like it might be a trailer plate.

We have had a brief stretch of unreasonably nice weather so I got a little spring fever...... Sharpened blades & greased mower for the 654. Ready to install. Im not taking snow blade off just yet.

It looks like Mick has hot water heat. I wonder how the heat pump's "heat" will feel compared to hot water? We have a hy-bred system that uses the heat pump until the outside temp reaches 27 degrees then the heat pump kicks off and the high efficiency gas furnace kicks on. Our house feels warmer when outside temp is in lower 20's than when it's in the 30's. To me, wood heat is warmest, then gas and finally electric heat.

Prayers for your son .May he get well soon.

I’m down to 230 and I’m 6’2. About another 10 lbs and I will weigh what I did in highschool weight lifting senior year.

Fitness update. I lost weight by semi-aggressive fasting on purpose so that I would lose the visceral fat around my organs faster. That has really paid off. The pants I am wearing right now, I have had to leave the pocket unzipped or they would not be comfortable driving. Today I have the pocket zipped up and I'm perfectly happy about it.