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Howdy Folks,
Well just when I was going to jump into ham radio and TSHTF scenarios (I will get to it a little later), We inherited (wife's Grandpa and like my own as well) a small farm tractor so I have been kind of busy getting my ducks in a row with that.
I figured that it would be interesting to see how this will figure into my preps and its many uses on the homestead. Now this is not my first foray with farm tractors as my 'POP' lives close by and I can use his anytime I wanted... However this one is MINE (well as long as I stay married to my wife, so that will be like... FOREVER!!! LOL) and I don't have to spit shine and return in better condition when I am finished using it. At least that is what I do when I rarely borrow someone else's stuff!
This is my first experience with one with a front end loader and all I can say is... AWESOME!!!
This afternoon I had free and after PMing (old Army term called Preventative Maintenance)it I tested it out.
First off I had a raised bed in the front yard that was getting too much sun during the brutal summer afternoons. The loader had some homemade forklift spikes on it which I simply slid under the 2"x10"x10' boards and lifted the 4'x10' frame easily up and over the dirt. I then hauled it around back, dropped it off and then removed the spikes/forks and went to dirt scooping mode. I scooped up the rich soil and moved it to another raised bed where I have been composting chicken manure and dumped a couple of scoops in it. Later on I will mix it all up with a tiller. I need to find another place for the raised bed I moved today and I still have about half the soil to fill it up.
Next up I went to the creek at the ford where we cross it. After some big gully washers it deposited some nice piles of sand. I terraformed it to my liking and took two bucket fulls up to the house to use later. It is nice to be able to have that resource and be able to take advantage of it when it happens!
After that I decided to hook up the Bush Hog (yes it really is a Bush Hog) and mow a path in one of my back fields. Worked like a dream and was relaxing. The tractor has HST (Hydro Static Transmission) and IMHO it is a must if you want a loader on front, but I miss the 'cruise control' on the manual transmissions IF you are bush hogging all day long. Still I love the HST!
Now when I work all that OT in the summer and my yard gets high because I am working past dark and off days, I can just jump on the tractor and bush hog it instead of asking POP to use his from now on!!!
I also have quite a few implements to go along with the tractor but I am seriously considering getting a backhoe for the ultimate homestead tool!
The tractor is in EXCELLENT condition with only 705 hours on it (my riding mower gets that in a summer!!! LOL). Next full weekend I have off I am going to replace ALL the fluids in the tractor so I will know where I stand on my maintenance schedule.
I will try and point out how I use the tractor on the homestead and some of the things I am doing to prep for it. Right now I don't have any thing that uses diesel except the tractor so I have a limited amount of fuel for it. That will change and I am already getting things in order.
I would also like to apologize for not a bunch of pics, but a farm tractor has grease fittings on it and by the time I think, "man, I need to take some pics of this", my hands have a thick coat of grease on them! So no way I am gonna get grease on my lenses, DSLR or iPhone... but I will take some in the near future!
Now, I would like to thank the person who left me their little tractor and thought so much of my wife and myself to leave it to us...
I am very thankful to 'Papa Bill' but I am also very sad that all I have is my memories and his little orange tractor that he so lovingly maintained instead of his perpetual smile and good humor to make me feel like I was his grandson. Papa Bill, was the closest I have ever been to a genuine HERO. At age 8 he father died and he had to provide for the family. Family always came first with Bill, with him only considering his own needs after he was sure everyone else had plenty. The only thing that the man ever did wrong was lie about his age, so he could go fight the Germans in WWII. He fought in the Battle of Bulge. Was with the 9th Armored Division as they fought to keep the Germans from blowing up Remagen bridge so they could defeat the Nazi's quick and get back home! When he got back home, he worked in a textile mill as an electrician and maintenance guy supreme. When he got off work he farmed on the side to make money for his family. Then he woke up and delivered newspapers before he went back to the mills!
Eventually he retired from the mill, but he still worked as much as the government would allow him and not penalize him. The fields he farmed sprouted housing developments and there was not as much of a need for a large tractor. So after downsizing he eventually purchased his last tractor. One that helped him out and the one that we came to inherit.
Papa Bill, I miss you and you will live on in my heart and the hearts of your granddaughter and great grandchildren until we meet again. Thanks for your sacrifices, your service to our country, your kindness and that ever present smile!
Thanks for reading!
Later,
ZA
