My first track loader!

[boone]

The dirt spreaders:







The slope should be mild enough...





About mid-afternoon I got started on the other side. The other side's bank wasn't near as high. Couple of spots I almost got stuck. I could see the ground out around me pushing up as the weight of the loader was pushing down on top of it.

 

[boone]

So here's a before and after shot of the last 50ish feet or so to show how much dirt we moved out.







We got so close to finishing this in one day. Little more cleanup to do. When it dries a little more we'll put the finishing touches on it and maybe sow it in some Kentucky 31.

 

[RonG]

Nice work,it is fun for me to see things getting done as nobody wants to let me near their equipment anymore.Ron G

 

[boone]

Thanks Ron, I like to see it again too...it reminds me of why I'm a little sore the next day I'm glad this thing is finally putting out the work! In a few more days of work like this, it will have paid for itself.

 

[CM1995]

Boone too bad on the chicken snake, she would have been good to have around the property but there's probably more.

You guys will need to adjust your grade over the fill holes you pushed the rock in over time as the dirt will settle between the voids of the rock. No big deal as it's pasture, just watch the settlement and drag a few box blades of dirt over the depressions as they appear.

Good thread, keep it up!:drinkup

 

[Goldtrigger]

Looks like great work! You have real dirt! We haven't seen any water in so long, it would be a miracle to dig down and find any water at all. Cistern is dry, spring is dry, pond is rapidly going down. In another week or so, it may be dry to. Even the rattlers have gone away, looking for water! Good thing we pulled the cows out early this year.

If we can ever find time to fix the Beast, we could push some more cedar and maybe build a catch pond to start a place to hold some more water, assuming it starts raining in the Fall, which it will.

I am in Florida for the next 10 days, then back in DC for 7 days. We may get back at the Beast to begin reassembly about 1 August!

 

[boone]

Boone too bad on the chicken snake, she would have been good to have around the property but there's probably more.

Honestly, I hate snakes, but your right, some are good to have around. My grandad always allowed a huge chicken snake in the milk barn to keep the mice out of the feed room. There's plenty around here. Saw 3 more on Tuesday. Two chicken snakes and one water moccasin. Two were victims of the equipment and the other chicken snake escaped as far as I know. Also saw rabbits and big gopher rat...probably plenty of other creatures I didn't see!

You guys will need to adjust your grade over the fill holes you pushed the rock in over time as the dirt will settle between the voids of the rock. No big deal as it's pasture, just watch the settlement and drag a few box blades of dirt over the depressions as they appear.

Good thread, keep it up!:drinkup

Good point, it will probably be awhile before all those voids settle out. I've only filled one of the smaller rock holes. When we fill the rest, we'll keep an eye on any depressions that form especially after the rains. Good thing is we have plenty of dirt stockpiled.

Thanks CM!

 

[boone]

Looks like great work! You have real dirt!

Thanks GT. The dirt has been great. This land has always been nice and fertile. The slope we cut was exactly where my grandparent's old garden used to be. Some of the best tomatos and potatos you'd ever put in your mouth.

We haven't seen any water in so long, it would be a miracle to dig down and find any water at all. Cistern is dry, spring is dry, pond is rapidly going down. In another week or so, it may be dry to. Even the rattlers have gone away, looking for water! Good thing we pulled the cows out early this year.

Hope you guys get some rain. We've been fortunate to have a fair amount of showers about everyother day here for the last week. Some of our early spring weather has been very severe - tornados in April. I lost a bradford pear tree during one of our last wind storms, but that was minor to what some people have lost. You might remember on the very first page of this thread our farmer friend who helped us haul our loader home - used a white international. Here it is after the tornados went through in april...





He lost his house, shop and damaged every piece of his equipment. Thank the Lord his family was safe in a storm shelter. They're about to start rebuilding their house in the next couple of weeks. Helps me not to take anything for granted. Anyway, sorry for the tangent.

If we can ever find time to fix the Beast, we could push some more cedar and maybe build a catch pond to start a place to hold some more water, assuming it starts raining in the Fall, which it will.

I am in Florida for the next 10 days, then back in DC for 7 days. We may get back at the Beast to begin reassembly about 1 August!

Hope you have safe travels. You wouldn't happen to be down there for the shuttle launch would you? Looking forward to you getting the beast up and going!

 

[250c]

Boone, What A great thread! I have enjoyed reading it. I recently bought a 250 C this was very intresting and informative.

 

[CM1995]

Boone, I went out to Pleasant Grove west of Birmingham last sunday to go the FOP shooting range. We are many miles south of you and the destruction from the April tornados is really surreal. I had seen the media video and pictures but those don't compare to seeing in person. I mean even the grass is gone and large oaks are stripped of their branches as far in either direction your eyes can see, where the tornados went through. The trees that were stripped of all their branches but still alive are putting out leaves, it's mother nature at it's finest and very strange looking to boot.

It's very fortunate your friend made it through considering the destruction portrayed in the picture and I hope he has the insurance and the funds to rebuild what he lost.:usa

 

[willie59]

Yep, I had to work on a machine just north of Brookwood Alabama about a month ago. Was driving down Lock 17 rd and came across a stretch about a half a mile wide that looked like a giant brush cutter sat down on the ground and tore it all to pieces. Twisters are mean critters.

 

[boone]

Thanks for the comment 250c and welcome to the forum. Congrats on your 250C! That's the big, big brother to the 175...I can only imagine what you could do with that machine. Got any pictures of it?

CM, I know what you mean. The storms were even worse south of us where you were talking about. I only live a few miles from the path of the one that went through up here in Limestone county. The destruction is unbelievable. It's hard for me to comprehend the power in those storms and how so many actually survived based on the destruction. Thankfully, my friend did have good insurance that should cover most everything.

Willie, the brush cutter is a good description. The tornados up here went through a path of the big 3-phase metal tower TVA power lines and tore them down like you ran over it with a lawn-mower. Anytime it thunders now, I'm looking for cover!

 

[250c]

Boone I'm still feeling this machine out but I plan on building a tank (that's texas talk for a pond lol) to start with. As for pictures I'm a tech-no-dunce but my girl friend has a 15 year old that might help me out.

 

[boone]

Last weekend the loader did a pond job - filling one in. Long story short, my brother bought a few acres a few years ago that had a dry pond on it. Since the banks and soil type were hard packed with bit of rock, he decided to forego using his tractor and have the 175 trucked to his place where he could make quick work of it. I only have the after shot, but this gives you an idea as to how much dirt was in the banks. I think he only had 12 truck loads of dirt hauled in and he just about has it filled.

 

[boone]

New Teeth!

Our old teeth were getting a little worn and short. Called Romac Industrial parts in Georgia and gave them our part number. Got the Esco style dirt teeth, lock and pins. Ordered 4:30pm Thursday, arrived next day at 2pm.







Knocked the old pin out.





Slid the tooth off.

Knocked the rubber lock out. Most were in decent shape.

 

[boone]

cont...

Insert new rubber lock





Slid on new tooth and drove new pin in place.





Old vs New. The new teeth are 7" and the old one's were about 4.5".





All done.

 

[RonG]

Looks good,be sure and save the old caps,you never know when you will need one.Ron G

 

[Goldtrigger]

Boone, you have the best looking 175C in the business. Where do you get the paint? I am in Florida this week and DC next week but back on the beast 1 August to put the final back together. My bucket teeth are welded on and worn out. Guess I could cut them off and weld new ones on!

 

[OldandWorn]

Boone, you have the best looking 175C in the business.

+2....even the bucket is almost perfect. The top of my hoe bucket looks like a train wreck from people lifting things the wrong way.

 

[OldandWorn]

Our old teeth were getting a little worn and short. Called Romac Industrial parts in Georgia and gave them our part number. Got the Esco style dirt teeth, lock and pins. Ordered 4:30pm Thursday, arrived next day at 2pm.

I'll be interested to hear how the new ones work out. My teeth look about like your old ones but I still haven't done any digging yet. You mentioned "dirt" teeth, is there a different tooth for rocky soil like mine?