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International Goof Off Day is observed on March 22 every year. International Goof Off Day is a day when almost everyone can unwind and enjoy themselves. It’s a day to do whatever you want, as long as you don’t do what you’re supposed to do for that day. Goofing off should be your only plan for the day, as long as you don’t get in trouble at work or school. Today, do whatever you want with your time; the possibilities are unlimited. Even Winnie the Pooh agrees that “doing nothing leads to the very finest something,” as he famously said. So, heed Winnie’s counsel today and enjoy International Goof Off Day. Goof Off Day has been observed annually since 1976. Monica Moeller Dufour of Davison, Michigan, organized this particular fun celebration day with her grandfather, William D. Chase. Since then, Goof Off Day has been observed. When Moeller came up with the idea for this Day, she was a little 10-year-old girl. She was listening to her grandfather on the radio, urging listeners to call in with suggestions for his Chases’ Calendar. When Moeller heard this, she disguised her voice and called in. She dialed her grandfather’s number and told him about her plan without identifying herself. That, according to William, is a fantastic notion. She revealed to him the next day that she was the one who called in regarding International Goof Off Day. Her grandfather surprised her by smiling and showing her a local newspaper article about the need for a Goof Off Day. The Goof Off Day is the ideal opportunity for everyone to unwind, enjoy themselves, and have a good time. The day invites us to be a little foolish, relax, and do pointless things on this particular day. On this day, you’re encouraged to do something unproductive for enjoyment until the next day to take a break from your daily duties. Do something different from what you’ve been doing the past several days and just have fun. You deserve it.

First mow of 2025. Had to use my tractor for the spots the Scag wouldn't fit...

Finished hauling the last of the wood today. 308-8 did it’s part as usual, but I also broke out the 857 from its long winter nap.

Today, I received, and installed the hood and fender decals from Redo Your Horse for my 312. It looks much better now that’s it’s relatively finished. Just have to swap the rear end for a better one now.

Ever since I retired about 90% of my days are goof off days my wife would say that percentage is a bit higher.

Bought this cultivator at last years big show. It wasn't in really bad shape to start with. Just a wire brush on drill to clean it up then prime & paint. Some new bolts/hardware also.

Oh man. Busy today! I spent a couple hours in the new workshop this morning. Organizing and cleaning. Sorting and shuffling. Got more items from the basement and relocated them appropriately. The electrician was here for several hours today. We now have the big generator connected to the house with a proper interlock switch. Also, he moved some circuits in the basement apartment. Connected a heater and kitchen stove and installed another track light over the kitchen sink and stove. He moved a circuit and installed a chandelier where the dining room table will be. Trina and her momma worked on installing more wall pieces.

I got the bed on the frame so I could see what I need to build for support. The bed is rusted so bad I will probably only use the sides.

Well added a D200 to the stable today.. not like I did have my hands filled getting the 180 going but the 200 came with the 3-point and rear PTO needs work but runs on fluid .. fun stuff,, new wiring, mufflers, grill and lower grill support and a seat that I know of but a beast that will be my dirt machine... pics will be added in a bit

Yup We had a guy drop quite a few around the house that were ruined from a big ice storm years back. There's a big difference between the pro that does it every single day and the "handyman, jack of all trades" that's cheaper in price. Like Dan, I can chainsaw on some stuff but dropping the hairy stuff is best left to the professional. What a tool bag! LOL

Todays adventures, the big maple tree that Jim was talking about in the post above. Had this tree been in an open space I would have cut it down my self. It happened to be situated so that it need to be cut from the top down. Other wise there would be damage to my house, the neighbors house, my garage or all 3. For this reason I hired a professional to put it on the ground. Well worth the price when the tree was down and there was 0 property damage. Well strike that no property damage comment. Jim being the plow man that he is, just had to lay a furrow in my lawn. Not with a plow though, he used the front stand on his wood splitter when he was dragging it around with his tractor. A big THANK YOU to the small crew who worked diligently at it all day but only managed to get about 1/3 of it cut up, split, & the mess cleaned up. Lot of work left to do and needless to say, I'm beat. Sure @WHX?? has a few pics to share as well.

Got more done in the barn, got all nails out of the lumber I am keeping. And getting the floor pulled up.

I completely agree. Retirement assisted with celebrating this day. Repeatedly, throughout the year! 🤪😛😜

Dad flew a B-17. Mom was a nurse.

My mom worked for a while in one of the steel mills in Gary, In. She talked of inspecting plates and marking defects that needed to be ground out. Dad got a tour of north Africa while he was a weight and balance officer in the Army Air Core.

Goin to cut up the mother of all maples tomorrow at Dan's. Get by with a little help from my friends

The 312 is done for now, never mind the mountain of stuff behind it and the 308.😁 My side shot contribution for this week.

Old pictures, but I don't feel like pulling her out to take current ones right now.

My 856

47147b spec was used on the 1968 Electro 12 model 1-7235. Came with Bendix starter, 10 amp alternator and magneto ignition with points and condenser. 1968 model production would have started prior to October 1967 just like new vehicles today.

Was it in neutral at the time? In 1970 The Raider-10 could have been a 4 speed or an 8 speed. Just go ahead and buy it, you know you want to or you wouldn't have posted the question.

"Should" is the key word - a lot can happen in 50 or so years....

Somebody planning on putting them back up the mountain?

Fer sure Silvia ... This is the one that bashed the cab of @Achtos new Dodge. Be interesting to count the rings. We should have a pool to see guesses the closest. My guess will be 127.

I took the blade off the 312H and installed the front tiller. Then ground some dirt.

If you open that Courage engine up you will find several plastic gears. I mean the camshaft gear... The last "decent" Kohler engines were the Command line, and even they were nowhere near as rugged or dependable as the K series and Magnums. I've seen comments in lawn care forums referring to them as "you have to have courage to use one", and that says enough...

Awesome Chuck! I moved it from one spot to another the other day!

I never told anyone before for the fear of being called an idiot, but I actually got up a few times from the couch while relaxing at around midnight and went to the shed just to look at them. I was asked when I came back in, sometimes an hour after where the heck did I go. Of course I did not tell the truth why I went there since that would probably would be the first immediate idiot.

Ok, im working on my late father in laws Troy bilt tractor w/ Courage 20hp, single cylinder, 597cc. I did an oil and filter change, spark plug and air filter change. I know, kohler was getting cheap and they wanted to makes an engine for Troy bilt, husquvarna and any other brand of tractors. Horizontal and vertical shaft. OHV vs flat head. Cast iron vs aluminum (i guess?). I mean the 14hp K321 (512cc) would be the only compatible engine. I mean my B80 (312cc) would plow the driveway and runs circles around that Troy bilt!. Compare them; i guess. It’s like comparing an orange to a bowling ball i guess!!

a co-worker saved a raider 10 and attachments from the scrappers. he has offered it to me for small money. i need another wh like i need a hole in my head. but, i thought the raiders had the 10 pinion limited slip tranny. so my question is: does it have a limited slip tranny? thank you mike

I did not find this thread before, so I'm posting a link to my quick writeup about my recent harbor freight blast cabinet mods. (Top of page 315) Oh, and @ineedanother, aluminum oxide is the most aggressive media for blasting rusty metal. I learned this after I bought 60 pounds of garnet.

On my shelf!

The 1056 looks similar I'll post pics soon

After many decades of Wheel Horses The K-Series is, of course, the most common in my garage. I don't see those ever being topped. The Magnum is basically the same save for the ignition. In 2009 I ran across a 2005 Classic that I couldn't turn down but I must admit that the Command bugged me a bit. But, just like the 84 GT-1100 with a B&S I purchased new, I figured when the engine let go I could just put a K in it. To my surprise, that B&S was great and it never did cause a problem and it was just fine running a 48" deck. I had heard stories about the cheap engines Kohler was making and it wasn't until I did some research did I realize it was the Courage line being referred to and not the Command. Well, after 16 years of running this Command it's never skipped a beat, has an abundance of torque and (I hate to say it) is smoother than any K I've had. Proven though the decades? Nope and I won't live long enough to find out. My only complaint is that apparently the internal bearings won't allow a manual PTO clutch. I still cringe every time I engage that stupid thing. I would convert it in a heartbeat if I could.

FYI, Kohler used the Honda v-twin to design the Command. Honda warned Kohler to make sure the Command did not infringe on patent rights. The B&S Vanguard was designed in and initially manufactured in Japan.

Here's the styler for the older model 7-1211. You will need the correct bracket for whatever you have. That older model also calls for an idler that mounts directly in front of the transmission. This requires moving the running board out and a second belt guard. It does not use the mid mount (under the engine) idler Dave shows. It also has another idler mounted on the axle bracket. Manuals for both are available here on this site. With that being said you can 'convert' the old style drive to the later style. To do that you WILL need the idler Dave shows, eliminate the idler in front of the transmission and the second belt guard and the need to move the footrest. It would take an entirely different belt size not listed in any manual. This goes for all Unidrive transmissions. I used the older 7-1211 on my 1976 for years. I was tilling in a cover crop of buckwheat on heavy clay soil here.

There are two different types of Tillers. and two different axle brackets. The drive belt is also different length #1599 (pre '73) is 139". #110265 is 141" I think you'll also find that the rear axle bracket is different for pre '73 tractors/tillers. You can make a Mid-Mount Idler pulley bracket...I've made many of them. Can't seem to find a pic of the pre-73 axle bracket, but it mounts vertically...not horizontally like the one above.

Many "Vanguard" branded engines are Chinese, mainly their single cylinder engines. The Twins used to be made in Japan and were among the finest engines made, but the Small and Big Block vanguards are made in America now and quality has definitely slipped, the Big Blocks have rod chucking problems, the small blocks arent lasting 3000+ hours like their Japanese ancestors regularly did. I'd take a Command over anything Briggs right now, and Kawasaki...id avoid anything that doesn't start with FD.

I was thinkin' 150

That's a great price.

hi Pete, I'm glad you brought that bearing cleanup / degreasing topic up. - i was thinking of way to clean out that needle bearing out without making a mess... - im seeing that the needle bearing uses grease like the "6203 ( 3/4 ) 2rc" - which shows up as a ball bearing - im thinking toothbrush and spray on carb cleaner? - maybe soak that pulley (and bearing) in a cut up milk jug ? and then there was the grease ... what to use ... are you specifically talking about this lucas grease (pic below) ?

I tossed an old foam pool float in the dumpster at work. One of my co workers pulled it out and cut kneeling pads out of it. Dang, I never thought of that!

I have it on good authority there will be a trailer at your place Saturday... It'll fit... I can "store" it for you...

“Non” can lessen the headaches of “carb pebbles” but if pump gas isn’t allowed to sit long enough to attract moisture (i.e. use it up or get it out!), it’s fine.

Yesterday I installed the 42"SD on the 312-8. I find the electric hoist invaluable to pick a deck from the dolly. Then use the hoist to raise the tractor so i can roll the deck under from the front rather than to drag it under from the side. As we get older and weaker, we need to get smarter. And yes, I had my kneeling pad handy while connecting the deck and mule drive. Finished spreading the roadapples in the flower beds. RIP Jay. Installed the window flower boxes that I made over the winter. Ready for spring planting and mowing in a couple weeks.

to the Mikey. Because your other two tractors have a harrow and a tiller, I assume you have a rear mounted dirt plow that you want to add the lift spring. The weight of the plow and the angle of the moldboard is the force that keeps the plow the desired depth in the soil. Any lift assist spring that you add will subtract from this down force that is necessary to keep the plow at the desired depth. My suggestion would be to add a hydraulic lift if you have a hydro or an electric lift if they are all gear drives.

520-8 … Kerosene flush and drain of the transmission and two qts of 80/90 back in. Will most likely do a better flush when it’s not so darn cold here. Removed the garage door spring and installed the proper clutch return spring. Speaking of cold, it was 5 degrees over freezing this afternoon so I gave it a quick pressure wash.

Husband and I enjoy looking at them and letting the neighbors and other people that come to our small town see them so they’re displayed on the sidewalk all in a row! Most with some sort of implement attached we’ve had people stop and admire them. Some take pictures and even visit for a while ! There a great conversation piece and what’s the point of having them if you can’t look at them and enjoy them and show them off! Thats just one side of the side walk lol!