When everything decides to fight me.

Driveway was starting to look like the surface of the moon, so I decided to take the snowblower off the tractor and put the box blade on. Too wet to really tear the driveway up with the scarifers and regrade it properly but at least I could put some crown back in it and fill the worst of the potholes temporarily.

Pulled the tractor out, turned around and backed in to park the snowblower in it's Summer home. Snagged the drop cord for the block heater on the warning lights on the cab and drug it halfway across the barn. Walked around the tractor to start unhooking the blower and whacked my gourd on the mirror. Lifted the rear hatch so I could reach in and operate the hydraulics to position the blower and whacked my gourd on the hatch.

Got it unhooked, drove out of the barn and snagged the )(E#R*$ing drop cord again, drug it halfway across the yard. Lost my composure, set the parking brake with excess vigor to get out and un-snag the cord again and when I got back in the tractor the brake was jammed.

Go get some tools, spend a half hour disassembling the dash and unjamming the parking brake.

Back up to hook onto the box blade, get the lower arms attached after fighting with them for a while, then realized that because this particular tool has a hydraulic toplink I need to change toplinks and I can't do that with the lower arms hooked up cuz I can't get the pin out. Unhook everything, swap arms, back into position and manage to get the top link hooked up, adjust the sway bars on the lower arms for the 43'rd time in an hour and get the lower arms hooked up.

The good news is, I didn't throw anything or give in to my urge to grab a 12 pound maul and lay waste to everything in a hundred yard radius, but by the time I actually got around to grading the drive, sailors in three counties were blushing and muleskinners the world over were beholding me with awe and admiration.

Heard that, sir.

Yesterday was one of those for me too, couldn't seem to get out of my own damn way.

Thankfully today's gone a bit better. We'll see what the future holds.

I found that if you use a sippy cup, you can stay in bed and drink, spilling very little in the process, rather then fight the world.

What makes it even worse is that EVERYTHING that went wrong was my own damn fault.

Fortunately, I've gotten a bit better control over my emotions as I've gotten older. 30 years ago, things would have gotten broken.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I found that if you use a sippy cup, you can stay in bed and drink, spilling very little in the process, rather then fight the world.

Yeah, but ya still gotta chew through the straps unless you've managed to bribe an orderly.

Have you considered wearing a helmet?

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Have you considered wearing a helmet?

I would, but I left it on the short bus.

Two of the hardest pieces of equipment to put on a 3 point hitch are a tiller and a box blade. Both my tiller and blade have no paint left due to the blessings I have placed upon them trying to get them hooked up, one was even too hot to touch.

quote:

Originally posted by JWF:
Two of the hardest pieces of equipment to put on a 3 point hitch are a tiller and a box blade. Both my tiller and blade have no paint left due to the blessings I have placed upon them trying to get them hooked up, one was even too hot to touch.

That, Sir, is the damn truth!

I've tried every way I can think of to park/store implements to make it easier to hook up with roughly zero success. The tiller is the worst, that sumbitch will NOT stay where you put it, it's always rolled back on the door or forward onto the hitch or cocked sideways or some damn thing. Plus, it's a short-coupled little sumbitch and attaching the PTO shaft would make the Pope cuss.

It was bad enough on my old John Deere, it's twice as bad on the Kubota. I haven't taken measurements, but it seems like everything is tighter on the back end, plus the cab, as wonderful as it is in every other department, is in the damn way!

I either have to lift the rear hatch, and streeeeetch to reach the lever to adjust the three point arms, or walk around and open the door to do it. Of course, then I can't see the arms...

I love everything else about that tractor but hooking up implements is a pain in the ass.

quote:

Originally posted by JWF:
Two of the hardest pieces of equipment to put on a 3 point hitch are a tiller and a box blade.

You've not tried to hook up an auger by yourself, have you?

Spent half my day today taking off the box blade and putting on the auger. By the time everything was ready to go it started raining.

Don't you guys have a quick hitch on your tractor? The only adjustment I ever make is with the top link when hooking up implements and it takes me less than 5 minutes to hook-up anything. Box blade, rear blade, tiller and rotary cutter are all set-up to be compatible with my John Deere iMatch Quick Hitch. Note that some older equipment may not be quick hitch compatible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1AI_Wude8E


https://www.deere.com/en_US/pa...tor/hitch-parts.page

quote:

Note that some older equipment may not be quick hitch compatible.

And there's your answer. ALL my equipment, minus the tractor and the bush hog, is older equipment.

God was sending you a message.

The message was "it's time to drink beer, my son."

quote:

Originally posted by 64dodge:
God was sending you a message.

The message was "it's time to drink beer, my son."

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by JWF:
Two of the hardest pieces of equipment to put on a 3 point hitch are a tiller and a box blade.

You've not tried to hook up an auger by yourself, have you?

Spent half my day today taking off the box blade and putting on the auger. By the time everything was ready to go it started raining.

My auger has two handles.

Wait...what?

A three point hitch mounted auger? When I hear "auger" I think of a device meant to transfer small grains from wagons or trucks to bins. Often PTO driven, but can't quite picture a 3PH version.

Do you by chance mean a post hole digger? And yes, they're a miserable bitch to hook up too.

I have not used my rototiller lately, so I do not remember how hard it is to hook up. I do know that it will roll and make it tough. The older you get, the more days a year, month or week you will have like that.
And the rule about cords is; whatever a cord CAN get hooked on, a cord WILL get hooked on.

 
I keep a 3 foot heavy steel pry bar attached to my Kubota at all times. It is used mostly for fooling with 3 point "issues". It levers stuff nicely into place. I also have a six foot "digging bar" (pointed on one end, chisel on the other), heavy hex shaft, but I rarely need that for 3 point stuff.
 

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Do you by chance mean a post hole digger? And yes, they're a miserable bitch to hook up too.

Yep, post hole digger. I use the two interchangeably.

The worst one to attach, though, is the backhoe. I've taken to detaching it in the garage on level concrete and storing it there to make the procedure less painful. If you're off 1/4" it just ain't going to work. Grrrr....