[AT] Iron and lots of it

[Mattias Kessén]

Hi Grant,
Good to here from you again.
As a little more modest acquisition I got the Boxer home yesterday. I'll try
to upload some pictures and clips later. Driving it home (maybe 10 miles or
so) I came to think about the discussion about front wheel fenders. It would
have been real nice to have in the rain and wind coming from the side, most
of the water from the left front wheel landed in my face.

Mattias

2010/5/9 Paul Waugh <pwaugh at embarqmail.com>

> now there is a busy fellow, Good luck :))
> Paul-46555
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Grant Brians" <sales at heirloom-organic.com>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> >
> Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 11:03 AM
> Subject: [AT] Iron and lots of it
>
>
> > It has been a while since I posted on the list. My vegetable farm has
> been
> > suffering from a running tractor deficit as well as too many weeks with
> > significant rain this spring to maintain consistent planting schedules.
> As
> > I
> > have no ability to play God and affect the weather directly, I will live
> > with that and just survive!
> >     But on the running tractor deficit, I can do some things. First, we
> > have been madly repairing both modern (1980's and 1990's tractors) and
> > antiques. I can advise anyone looking at 300 series Massey Ferguson
> > tractors, anything Same or Kubota, DO NOT use them for heavy work. All
> can
> > be ok for some uses, but not for heavy tillage.
> > Second, I have been acquiring more tractors.
> >     First on the old tractors. My Oliver 550 loader needed to have the
> > carburetor rebuilt and the kit from NAPA Auto Parts plus a cleaning job
> > did
> > the trick there. Not so happy was the failure of the water pump as that
> > necessitated my ordering a new one from the Midwest - not as fast as
> > calling
> > the local store.
> >     The 9N Ford that I bought 10 years or so ago is going back into
> > regular
> > service tomorrow for hauling produce from field to packing shed here on
> > the
> > main ranch. It will then match with the two Panoche produce haulers - an
> > IN
> > Farmall 100 (obviously also antique tractor) and a 1988 Toyota pickup
> that
> > is non-opped to stay offroad and not pay the high California registration
> > fees.
> >     One of my Oliver 77 tricycles needed a carburetor rebuild lately too
> > and it is now a happy camper except when my workers pull the battery out!
> > It
> > is used for planting, pulling trailers, mowing and shredding.
> >     My Massey Harris Pony with the irrigation pipe racks needa a battery
> > so
> > I can go back to using it to haul irrigation pipe this week. Maybe by
> late
> > week?
> >     I will only make one or two comments about the modern tractors. My
> > Ford
> > 4610 tall row crop tractor (an unbelievably durable and sturdy tractor
> for
> > its little size)keeps having the workers leave the key on after the
> diesel
> > is shut off so it needed an almost complete wiring harness replacement.
> > That
> > took precious time too. On the other hand my New Holland 6610S is an
> > unbelievable workhorse and is possibly the strongest tractor in its class
> > built in the last 20 years..... I love it.
> >
> >     Now on to the "Iron and lots of it" title. I finally got the tractor
> I
> > purchased last spring delivered on Friday. It is a 1954 Caterpillar D8
> > with
> > full double cable controls and a cable bulldozer blade. It "only" weighs
> > 57,000 pounds. The tracks are nearly shot and so I am working on a
> > replacement set and it looks very promising. Also, I have to fix the
> water
> > jacket freeze cracks on the main engine, but that actually should be a
> > pretty easy job. The starter engine will need to have the carburetor
> > rebuilt
> > too, but I know how to do that from experience in the 1970s when I was in
> > high school.
> >     Also, last Saturday I bought a Caterpillar D6C SA - 140 drawbar
> > horsepower according to the books. It has a few problems too, but I
> expect
> > to be working soil with it (as opposed to pulling the D8 like on Friday -
> > LOL) in a matter of a week or three. This should be my main soil working
> > tractor shortly. It weighs only about 32,000 pounds. So you all can see
> > that
> > lots of iron arrived! I need to get going to take care of Mothers Day,
> but
> > I
> > had to share with my buddies on the list. No doubt as I search for disc,
> > plow, landplane and Rippers that I will have more stories!
> >               Grant Brians
> >               Hollister, California
> >
> >
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