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My son has begun to really like riding his bike, so I drug mine out of hibernation to ride with him. Apparently as I've aged, the amount of padding on my saddle grabber has disappeared. So I swapped the seat to the "old fart non-reclining couch" version, and it is so much better! Looks a little dorky on my bike but I don't care... It's a Cadillac now!

April 12, 1954 Bill Haley & His Comets record "Rock Around the Clock".

Just joking of course. I'd love to be up there with them. Not sure I'd do touch and goes in random fields they way they do, but fun to watch. I was running my compressor and didn't hear them in time to get great pics, but this is my back yard.

I was an Army pilot. We don't jump out of a perfectly good aircraft. Of course mine were helicopters so it didn't make sense anyway...

That applies to more than wagons. When I start to think I really don't need another WH tractor....

Doubled…maybe even tripled the value here ! Found a 300-400 series rear fender decal in my decal stash-pile that I’ll never slap onto a fender. Last picture is what I started with.

Plaid sport coat, bow ties and enough grease to keep @peter lena happy!

I hear ya! My seat is similar AND my bike has a seat post shock.

Yes, one on left is metric 17mm (6203 bearing 17mmx40mmx12mm), an the other is imperial bore 3/4" (6203-12 3/4"x40(mm)x12(mm) using a seal and inner spacer. I have used the smaller metric shaft in the deep bearing housing by using an old bearing race as a spacer under the bearing. I knock the guts out of and old bearing and left over bearing race is the right thickness. This eliminates the seal and seal carrier spacer.

We went roboting this week. I volunteered to be a robot inspector. Fun job. Get to take a close look at the robots the kids built and talk with the kids about the robots. The upperclass team won the competition and was also awarded the Industrial Design award. The underclass team made it into the finals and were runners up to the upperclass team. The upperclass team is now rated at #38 worldwide, and the underclass team is at #328 worldwide. There are about 3,750 active teams this year. Both teams are qualified for the world championships that will be held in Houston at the end of the month.

We pullum to the barn then turn tractor around and push back in barn. We use to have a barn or two you could pull through which made it nice and one that was in a pretty flat spot with plenty of room and I could back wagon in it pretty good. Use to pull tractors with a young man 20yr my junior beat anything I ever saw backing a wagon he actually won the state FFA competition of wagon backing in high school. Man he could fly backing that thing, he could put two in a barn before I figured out which way to turn steering wheel first time .

Happy Birthday @Blackhood Bill, we are glad you were born.

Agreed. You boys remember that come fall when Trina's lookin for great pics.

Haha yeah I was a bit worried about having enough room in the furrow for the weight on the right front tire. But it worked ok, definitely can't keep them nicely painted doing that though. Thank you! Now that this one is about done, I think it's time for my 73' to get some love next.

Thank you! Your's as well, well besides about burning down haha. It was good seeing you again and a great day!

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday or Sunday morning was to fire up the Dual Sport bike and head over to Sky Dive New England to watch the action. @kpinnc

Trial by fire. Just started for the first time on Thursday and put it in the dirt today. I got the charging system wiring done, the carb nipple was leaking fuel got that fixed. It still needs tuning more, I may end up putting bushings on the throttle shaft of the carb I thought it was tight enough but I think that might be part of what is giving me some trouble. But it did plow really good! Still some small stuff to get sorted out. But traction is good, the front stays planted.

As soon as you have to think about it, you’re doomed.

When I was in 4-H we had tractor driving competition at the county fair. I hade never mastered the hay wagon backing skill (our hay barn was a pull through) but figured I would give it a try just for fun. I had one pull forward and the wagon was in place with no saw horses or ribbons disturbed. Next I hooked up the corn picker to back it into a stall and ran over two cones. All previously accumulated attaboys were now history.

Been riding quite a bit this week. Today I went on a stretch of the trail that I haven’t been on in a loooong time. It goes right thru the center of a small city which usually doesn’t appeal to me, but I actually had a great ride and eventually I passed thru the city and back into the woods. Stopped to snap a lot of pics:

Over the winter months when it was too cold and nasty outside I looked for small things to do in the house. I decided to PM our 2 vacuum cleaners. Not everyone knows most uprights have 3 filters in them. The regular dust filter for the canister, plus 1 to keep dust out of the motor and a HEPA to exhaust to the air in the house. I ordered new filters for both. So my wife who works at a thrift store asked if I could look at their vac. It was a Hoover Commercial upright. They had used it to vacuum the entrance rug and with the weather it was filled with mud! So I volunteered my time. Took a bit of cleaning but I got it working great. In the meantime, corporate bought the store a brand new vac. BUT the new kid they hired SOLD it to a customer!!! Well my wife brought home another vac that came in as a donation yesterday for me to look at. It's a Bissell and all I can say is What a mess!!! First this thing is junk compared to the other one. It had a zoo full of animal hair in it and what wasn't hair was drywall compound and dust. Major pain to get the motor filter out but I got that much back together. Used one of those claw grabber 's to get the animals out. Going to have to power wash the bits to get it cleaned well enough to even try to see if it's going to work. I told my wife the next time they have a pizza party at the store I better be invited!

Installed vacuum gauge on 520 today. Not going lie was kinda dreading getting steering wheel off but was easiest one Ive ever tackled . Had to take lift control lever off but the hydro control got to stay just loosened up to allow dash to move out of way. The harder tractor pulls the lower reading number on gauge, I had it in my mind it would read the other way. Also does anyone know if someone makes/sells steering wheel center cap for the 520? BTW big thanks to @Bow_Extreme for vacuum gauge.

Cleaned up a downed apple tree at my mom’s house today. The tree had just started good apple 🍎 production! Uses the 314- 8 of my brothers anddhis 4 wheel wagon as our other Wheel Horse cart was being used by their neighbor . Five loads in the four wheel wagon and she was cleaned up!

@953 nut my grandkids love my old record platter collection , and related c/d s , love the back and forth interest , talk , grampa , pete

If you look closely ol' Bill appears to be a generation apart from the rest of the Comets....

Not today, but YESTERDAY... We took a road trip to Mechanicsville to see @richmondred01. Along with the rebuilt K341s I bought home, I was fortunate to procure a nice straight fender pan and hood. Thank you sir! We took the scenic route home, through the Shenandoah Valley. The most difficult issue was iris continually trying to route us back to 95 and DC/Baltimore traffic. Aside from that, it was a really great day. Straight as an arrow, nice patina. And look, no spider cracks on the fender pan!

@Bill D , @sqrlgtr the tierod is made of 5/8 cold rolled steel, 3/8 × 24 righthand thead and 3/8 × 24 lefthand thead hiem joints. Regal red paint.

This year I slid the deck in from the right side of my 312-8. Once lined up I use a scissor jack to raise the front of the deck to latch it into place. Easiest install I have ever done.

Same here. Same seat and seat shock. Wait until you get past 65! Get your scar tissue built up whilst you can. Even on a nice cushy seat that I had on my Goldwing I was starting to wear down after 25 miles.

Alex those are both some very nice tractors!!! Great seeing you today!

Nice! I see a couple of calendar shots there.

Sure do miss this one. Nothing like a weekend ride on the back country paved and dirt roads in Maine. @Sparky

From a Suzuki V-Strom to a BMW. You high roller you. Very nice ride Mike. @Sparky

Is your dipstick and dipstick tube the original and in good condition? Did you run the tractor till it got up to full operating temperature before parking it? I do believe that you can do everything just right and they will still burp occasionally. You might want to invest in pee pads:

What did you use for tubing to make the tie rods?

Me too. I've owned a few of them over the years.

We got started on the boy's truck today. It's going to be a long process.

My dad could do that as well. I could do one or the other but not both. Hardest part was backing the wagon. Out of the barn after unloading it with only a few inches on each side.

Yes it is. Very well built. It will need a new cover soon.

Put a little bling bling on that came from Vinyl Guy. Changed engine and hydro oil and filters and added oil filter cooling tin gasket.

Installed a seat cover and spark plug.

Wheels & tires are on. Stance is good. Have to leave the front a little higher than I'd like for a day so the back set of wheels will dry straight. The 3D printed back end has been coated with Tamiya filler and wet sanded once. Now covered with filler again. Also been experimenting with fenders. At the back I've decided to use a stock styrene set from another kit. The fronts are longer and need a straight front corner to go up over the truck tires. I'll use a set from @Wheel Horse 3D for that. They have a corrugated wave, unlike the smooth rear set, but that's not the least bit abnormal for a road trailer.

With the heims joints you will never have to replace the tie rods again. I replace my first set of tie rods with heims joints 37 years ago. and they are still tight

I would go with Or less. This is an excellent ultra fine body filler. I use it as the very last coat when doing filler work to get rid of any pin holes or minor imperfections. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ucp-26006 This product runs a very close second. https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/fantastic/u-pol-fantastic-glaze/upl2/up0922

Got the spare tire holders painted. I left them a little rough because I'll be adding a "mud" colored layer. This model will be slightly weathered. ************************************************ Also did some wet sanding on the tank surface. Gotta say... very impressive! In this pic you can see the gray areas where the uneven surfaces were/are. While I don't need this to be glass smooth - I'm having fun experimenting with the primer and its capabilities. It'll get another several thin coats when the wind calms. Then in a day or three another sanding.

Reference pic

Gotta be honest.... I have been eyeing the X595 model. Even though that is not made any longer, it is still holding it's value incredibly well. Locking front and rear difs. to boot! But I am not gonna pay what I keep seeing them advertised for WOW! Rob

I was thinking thats what that was 'in your mirror'. My dad got a X500 w/48" deck and plow a couple years back when he needed something he didnt have to work on (I got his horse, so I'm happy). Its a beast of a tractor and seems very durable. A joy to drive. With that diff lock for just plowing he hasnt even added any wheel weights or chains.