Archive through September 19, 2005

[wheinsohn]

I decided to check out the new/used hydro unit out tonight that I put in the 1650 last weekend. What better way than to plow the garden. I thought I would give it a good test and plow a little deeper this year.

Yes, that is about 8.5" deep. It made that 16 horse engine do some snorting. That is the most I have worked that engine plowing since I got it. I have been able to stop the wheels when it pulls hard with the hydro lever in full speed ahead. I never got it that far up tonight before it ran out of power. I caught some roots or hard clay once and almost killed it before I got to the hydro lever. I tried to slowly move it forward but both wheels started to spin. I started to raise the plow only to start raising the front end off the ground, and that is with about 100 lbs on the front. Here are a couple more pictures.

nice straight furrow even at the end.

 

[wheinsohn]

I should have taken a picture of the moldboard on the plow. It is all shined up and ready for next month in that Northern Illinois dirt.

 

[hsimon]

Hey Charlie, can I borrow the 123 and Peco to do my raking this fall??? I'm sure one of your neighbors would let ya play in his yard also. Ya know the short little grumpy guy that wears suspenders and has a groove cut in every sidewalk in town.

 

[jstorma]

anyone that has cuved upper links for a QA42A snowthrower.... Could you please measure the distance between the holes for me. I want to compare them to the straight ones. Thanks!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Jim S., I bet as soon as SB sees your post and has time to head out to his shed he'll get you that measurement of the curved top links.

 

[bmcmeen]

Jim S. -

Looks to be 12.75" center to center.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Bryan, I forgot you have a QA42A with the curved links, I should have picked on you instead of SB. )

 

[bmcmeen]

Kraig -

Since I was in the shed today digging out the cab, I figured I would grab one of those arms, too...

Lake County show -

Rules be darned, I'm taking my first load over at 2:00 today. Got some lime green tape to mark an area off with and a pro 10x10 EZUP which should be enough to keep us dry should it rain - it's been proven in a SW WI microburst. Will have the 169 (59M & cab) and the 107 (sickle) there.

 

[till]

Krap, my weekend has been stolen.

So no Lake County for me. And I just looked into October and the only day open is the Plow day. Yea!!!! The rest is booked?!?!?!!? WTH is with that?? Back to finishing house projects to I can get back to Cub work....

 

[thoffman]

Rumors of working this Saturday fell through so looks like some tractoring this weekend. Pretty much the end of the line for the show season in this area.

Did some minor repairs to the Smoker (boy those things shake) and loaded up for Lake County Show. Planning on kickin' some a$$ in the L&G tractor pull.

 

[ressex]

Does anyone know if the rockshaft assemblies in the standard garden tractors are the same as the ones in the same series SGT's? I am looking for a replacement for one in my 982. I'd like the redesigned version used after serial number 713151. The MTD supers based on IH design, such as 1872 and 2072, would probably fit also, but sometimes there are slight changes that need to be heeded on a retrofit.

My CC dealer says that some renewal parts both for the older and newer versions are NLA. Part numbers in my parts book show the 782 and 982 rockshaft assembly components to have different numbers, but I thought the supers had the same internals in the frame tunnel. My CC dealer has found updated part numbers clouding the issue of interchangeability in the past. I need a source for suitable parts, so please advise if you know of any. Thanks.

 

[sblunier]

Kraig,

Busy pigging gas pipelines and picking corn this week...not much Cub thrower measuring time....glad Mr. McMeen got the data for you!!!

Preliminary corn yield is looking like around 100 bu/acre......machine is real quiet on the hills, but there are some nice ears down in the draws....still a bit of a dissapointment considering the price of fuel, falling grain prices, and poor looking exports due to the port damage...BUT, others in the area have reported corn doing as poorly as 60 bu/acre.......so we're happy with whatever we can get.

New-used combine is a really nice performer for being a 1979 model, we have been very pleased with how it's running.

 

[kortman]

Hi All. With fall plowing coming up and having a newer, more powerful tractor to use (although like the rest of mine, it is the wrong color) I have a tire question. Thanks to Steve B. for making me a firm believer in 23x8.50-12 Firestone bar tires, they have worked excellent on my 14hp and smaller tractors for plowing, but I now have an 18hp tractor to try out this fall. What I'm wondering is if that might be too much HP to use the smaller 8.50 tires on. Currently it has my Tru-Power 23x10.50-12 bar tires on it and that is what I plan to start out using (with my PP-1200 12" Brinly 3pt plow and having it weighted with 150lbs land wheel, 100lbs furrow wheel and 80lbs on the front). So, if any of you have used the narrower Firestone tires on 18hp or larger tractors, how happy were you with them? If nobody has tried this, I'll probably switch to them just to satisfy my curiosity on using them behind an 18hp engine (granted, this will be done on a JD 318, but I know that Steve B. has a Mag 18 in his 782 now, as well as some of you others, so I figured it might be interesting info to know).

Kent

 

[jstorma]

Bryan,

Thanks for measuring those for me. I measured my straight ones today, with a center to center distance of 11.25" I guess I was right into thinking it was wider apart on the curved links. Its enough to tip the thrower away from the front of the tractor. I also found out by blocking the thrower up that the curved links must allow for another inch of travel on the lift arm; which probably only lifts the thrower about another 1/4 of an inch. Guess I'll just make my own top links. the curved ones are too pricey!

 

[bmcmeen]

Jim -

This is why folks should own a CPE-2 implement parts book!

It's not just the top links that are different, but the bottom lift bracket (think of it as the "lower links") is different as well.

548 184 R1 to match the straight upper links and 79 629 C1 to match the curved upper links.

Sorry, but I'm not gonna disassemble my QA42A to dimension it all out

 

[sblunier]

Kent,

My new plowing tractor (should be done for Travis's next spring) will be an 82 series with a 17hp KT-17II, 3 speed manual tranny, Midwest clutch, hyd. lift, and Firestone 8.50 rubber....I have no doubts that the 8.50 Stones will be perfectly sufficient at this HP level.

 

[kortman]

Hi Steve. I figured once you got back in from the field you'd have something to say

I hadn't see any pictures of your 782 with 8.50's on it yet, that is what got me to thinking. This is the first time I've had anything with more than 14hp under the hood and I wasn't sure if the 8.50's would be enough tire to put the power to the ground once you started getting up past 18hp. I know it seems like a lot of guys with tractors like this seem to go towards the 26x12-12 tires and they just wouldn't look right on my 318, plus the fact I already have two pairs of 8.50 Firestones and one pair of Tru-Powers to play with already mounted up on rims. I guess after I'll be swapping out rims and tires later this fall to see how well the 8.50's do. After all, it only takes me taking off 5 wheel weights, swapping rims and tires and putting all 5 wheel weights back on, LOL! Thanks again for the input Steve, as you are Mr. Plow

Kent

(Message edited by kortman on September 24, 2005)

 

[sblunier]

Kent,

I actually think that switching to 26x12x12 tires is a mistake for plowing......they just don't/can't settle down into a furrow as well as a 10.50 or 8.50. Several people with SGT's have mentioned to me that unless they are following 12" plows, they feel like the right wheels are riding up on top of the previously turned 8" or 10" furrow instead of down in the bottom where they are supposed to be.

My 782 and 169 wear 10.50 rubber (Tru-Power's ) year round, but I wouldn't feel like I would be giving anything up if I didn't use them for plowing....NOTHING (except maybe for those ATV hooks Keith E had) pulls like a 23 deg Firestone.

As an added bonus, the 8.50 Stones run just a bit oversize in the OD dimension....more ground clearance!....the Tru Powers actually seem to be a bit smaller in dia. than the eq. 10.50 turfs.

Now, if Firestone would just make a 10.50 23 deg. tire...........and a 4 rib 16x6.50x8 steering tire..........I'd be in heaven (and broke too, as my tractors would all need new shoes for fall.....)

 

[hsimon]

Steve- if I recall right the 'stones are also available in 23-10.50-12 size if my tire distributor was telling me right at the farm show this last spring.

 

[kortman]

Hi Steve. Yes, when I bought my first pair of Firestones, I compared them to the 8.50 Goodyear and 10.50 Tru-Powers and saw that they kind of fell in between in tread width, and were just a tad taller. I also have been very happy with my Tru-Powers, but on my 140, I do give the nod to the Firestones for traction in the dirt. Like you said, I have yet to find anything that looks like a "tractor" tire that can pull in the dirt like the Firestones. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the ATV style tires because they just don't look like "tractor" tires to me. On the 26x12-12's, besides not fitting down in the furrow for smaller plows, I wonder that if the ground pressure PSI drops low enough that they are just too much tire for most GT applications, unless you fill them and run lots of cast iron weight? Anyway, like I said before, I'll start plowing with the Tru-Powers and switch over to the Firestones as soon as I get done playing with my 214 plowing, as it got my second set of Firestones put on it a few weeks ago. I'm just curious enough to see what difference there is between the two tires to sling a few weights around and compare them. I guess one other thing to keep in mind at least with my testing is that I have fairly light, sandy loam type ground vs that good black dirt you have over your way

Oh, I remember somebody over on WFM mentioned that some tire company may be coming out with a 3 or 4 rib 6.50 front tire soon. It was back in July or so (as the guy went to the Expo in NY) and one of the tire dealers mentioned it. If I remember right it was suppose to be some German tire maker, but I have not heard anymore about it. There might be hope yet.....

Hugh- Although I see Firestone has updated their web site, I didn't find 23x10.50-12 tires under either the Flotation 23* or All Traction Field and Road types. But, I know that doesn't mean they might not be making them. I wouldn't be as bad as Steve though, if they are. I'd be happy with one pair in the 10.50 size

Kent