Today was the day we were scheduled to head back out West an hour or so and pick up the $100.00 brush hog we bought last week when we went to buy the sickle mower. It was my job to get the sickle mower off the trailer and have everything ready to go.
I tried moving that mower Thursday and figured out real fast that wasn't happening. I then got my son to help and figured out just as fast it still wasn't happening. It wasn't that we or even I by myself couldn't lift it, at least partially. it was just so awkwardly weighted and heavy that there was no way it could be moved. So I broke down and picked up another tractor attachment I been meaning to buy for years now.
A Tractor Boom.
In my haste this afternoon I forgot to take a picture of the old 8N in Boom mode so I swiped the one above from a tractor forum. My setup looks just like this one minus the hanging deer of course. The arm weight is rated at 1000 pounds max but since the little 8N is not suppose to exceed 800 pounds I figured I was safe.
After I got to playing around with this boom crane though I had a few ideas and quickly came up with a scheme to attach my Bee Hive mover to it as well. Then after I dropped the sickle mower off I thought of an old chest freezer I had been trying to get unstuck from the ground inside the barn for over a year now. Backed up to it and ran the chain under the lid hinges and the thing popped right up ready to be moved.....
Hmmmmmm....
I then took it down and wrapped the chain under the front of my other brush hog that needs the blades sharpened but I hadn't done it yet because I didn't want to jack it up. Slipped the chain under the back and lifted it three foot in the air....
Nice.
In fact there is no end to the neat little things I can do with this nifty little attachment. While it might take a bit longer I will never worry about moving those 300 + pound bee hives by hand again.
While I was up getting the brush hog the guy had his 1962 861 series Ford Diesel tractor out to tempt me and it worked. Looks like next weekend or so my 8N is going to have a big brother if I can get a few more particulars worked out. I just couldn't pass that tractor up and it certainly won't hurt to have a diesel around either and one with twice the horse power and a lift limit that should be able to move round bales too.
I shouldn't be saying anything though until it happens because it ain't home yet but I am pretty excited about it. Those are some great old tractors. When we got up there it was 9 degrees and he started it on the first hit of the starter. A diesel in 9 degrees that wasn't plugged in. Anyway more on that when it happens. I would say it's about a 95% certainty right now but we will see.
Got home and used the boom crane to unload the brush hog and then put the little 8N back to bed. She was a bit hard to start this morning in the low temps but once i got her going she purred like a kitten.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!
I never thought about a boom but I can see that it would be useful. I am surprised that the diesel started so easily.
ReplyDeleteSf - Well a boom has always been on my list but I never came across a good used one and never really bothered to price a new one. When I went with my Mom the other day to get her heater I noticed they had the 1000 pound lift ones on sale for 120.00 and I was like what the hell. I can now pull the old broken hay racks out of the pasture that my ex-step dad ran over with his massy.
DeleteI was amazed too. The tractor needs some body work but her engine runs great. At 40 HP off the PTO and external hydraulics to boot I can really use her.
I never thought of a boom either - but what a great idea! My dad has an 8N and has gotten many years of good service out of it. You are right - it will be a huge help with the beehives!
DeleteAnother reason I had the boom on my list is for sheep disposal. Eventually it's going to happen and when it does I don't want to have to drag the carcass to the burial section I already have staked out. In fact there is already a horse body buried there from two years ago so I guess it's a critter grave yard so to speak. Not a very attractive thing to think about but a necessity none-the-less.
DeleteNot only disposal - butchering too, if you are so inclined. Now that I think about it, I am surprised I do not see this appearing on more lists of really useful implements to have.
DeleteTB - YA you're right. The picture obviously shows that too. I try and not do any butchering myself if I can help it (I did more than my fill as a teenager thanks to my dad) but I certainly will have to eventually again I imagine.
DeleteGood job. So now are you Super Oscar Mayer ??? snicker.....
ReplyDeleteMy Boom Wiener is bigger than you know who's Boom Wiener so to speak :)
DeleteIts not the size of the boom, its how you handle it...
DeleteSo you're saying you handle your own small boom?
DeleteLooks a useful bit of kit. I've got a front end loader but I can see how that would be useful as well.
ReplyDeleteA bucket would be very useful and if I ever find one that will fit my tractor I would be on it like a duck on a bug. The one real disadvantage with going the old tractor rout I chose though is the front bucket apparatus are hard to find unless you buy a tractor with one already on it and those are rare too.
DeleteI'll say it: BOOM!
ReplyDeleteMax - Heh :)
DeleteSounds like you made a good move there. Well done!
ReplyDeleteRP - I always knew one would be useful to have but once I got one and actually used it many other possibilities started coming to mind.
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