[AT] Re: Off topic - backhoes

[CBear81438 at aol.com]

I have a JD 400 we bought at a sale for $1000 in 1985.  we had a 300 at the 
time.  Both Loader Backhoes.  This tractor had the engine split in half 
vertically in the middle, and I had to take a shovel and shovel out the dirt in the 
loader bucket when I went to get it.  We bought a block, but found out our 
sleeves and pistons would not fit.  Went back and got the used sleeves and pistons 
from the salvage dealer where we bought the block.  Found that JD made 
reinforcements available for the engine from the dealer, and b ought those.  They 
were just 1/2 by 4 inch steel rails on each side of the engine.  $300 though...  
 Last fall, I had to overhaul the powersteering/charging pump.  Only a 
complete pump was available.  $1000.....  I went to my local bearing supplier, found 
bronze bearings, set the pump halves up on the surface grinder, and refaced 
the worn surfaces, assembled the pump, and we now have better steering than ev
er before.  I used it yesterday to fill dirt around the fence to keep my dogs 
in the yard.  They like to dig out.  I spent about an hour and placed about 15 
yards of dirt from the wheat field around the holes in the fence.  Thought I 
had every hole filled.  put all the dogs back in.  My Rottweiler/Dauschaund met 
me at the barn when I went out after lunch!  I found his other hole last 
night.  If the fence is loose, he just gets his nose undr it and starts pushing.  
It is really funny when he goes thru the holes in a cattle panel.  He is sorta 
pudgy from eating the cat food in the barn, and gets hung up about 2/3 the 
way thru the panel.  Then has to twist about 45 degrees to go on 
thru..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     Poor guy, gets important things hung up.!!!!!!!!!


I also have a ground source heat pump that has 3000 ft of 2 inch pipe in the 
ground,   I put it in with the 300 JD backhoe I had before the 400.  I bought 
it at the local Ditch witch dealer.  It had a broken shifter fork...  I have 
to keep a backhoe around to repair water lines and in case I have a leak with 
the ground source pump...  Never had a problem with the heat pump water, but we 
have such expansive soils that we get at least one leak avery summer.  Our 
water comes through a 1/4 mile of 2 inch line I buried along the fence line from 
the 6 incvh rural water line.  The bois d/arc trees used to line the road, 
and have been removed, but the roots will still find their way into a coupling 
on the line.  They will encircle a water pipe until they have squeezed in in 
two or it is leaking.  With the cracks in the clay soils we have, glued joint 
pipes will pull apart unless you use fill sand for backfill.  Sand and gravel 
are at a premium here with the building boom in OKC.  It costs an extra 
$40/truckload for gravel here since the trucks have to come through OKC..... When we 
lay a water line, we fill it with water, check for leaks, and then fill the 
trench with water and use the grader to backfill slowly.  We try to dig the 
trenches with a trenching machine so that the backfill is pulverized instead of the 
4 to 16 inch clods we get with a backhoe.

Whew, guess I am windy this morning!!!
Cecil in OKla