Hand Tools and Machinery for Country Living

[72gmc]

Ripley also said, "If we let it in, the ship could be infected. You know the quarantine procedure." What a party pooper!

I tend to think of a chain harrow (maybe called a drag harrow?) as a standard tractor implement.

[j44ke]

When we relocate to Wyoming next spring, a tractor is on the "need" list. Our home will be in Worland and I know the local tractor dealer, because it's a small town. There are a couple of Kioti models I like but he can also get me a Kubota or keep an eye on the auction world. I want a front loader, shredder/mower deck, and a box scraper. We have a bunch of downed Russian Olives that need dragging out of the tree line before we can cut them up and burn them. If you put Russian Olives in a chipper, you are just distributing new trees because the chipper doesn't destroy the olives. Ripley got it right, "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

Wide open spaces like Wyoming, I might get one step larger tractor than mine which is the CK2620H*. Has a 25hp engine. CK3520H is the 35hp model. You might also consider whether a cab would be of benefit in those cold Wyoming winters - unless you are spending winters in AZ. I got mine with a front loader and a hydraulic snow plow. Just added a rear ballast box and skidsteer forks for managing logs and rocks. You might look at a York rake to go with the box blade. There is always one more attachment that is going to make everything easier. Also most of those back blade/box blade/york rake/harrows show up for sale used. Those have few if any mechanical bits and older ones are made out of impressive bits of steel.

*This is a perfect tractor for my uses. I can fit between trees and get from A to B without having to cut my way through. And the lift capacity is kind of extraordinary. Hydrostatic makes operating it easy peasy. And 4WD and the hydraulic plow has made winter snow days kind of fun. Plus by doing the plowing myself slowly and carefully, I am extending the life of my gravel driveway considerably.

[bigbill]

Wide open spaces like Wyoming, I might get one step larger tractor than mine which is the CK2620H*. Has a 25hp engine. CK3520H is the 35hp model. You might also consider whether a cab would be of benefit in those cold Wyoming winters - unless you are spending winters in AZ. I got mine with a front loader and a hydraulic snow plow. Just added a rear ballast box and skidsteer forks for managing logs and rocks. You might look at a York rake to go with the box blade. There is always one more attachment that is going to make everything easier. Also most of those back blade/box blade/york rake/harrows show up for sale used. Those have few if any mechanical bits and older ones are made out of impressive bits of steel.

*This is a perfect tractor for my uses. I can fit between trees and get from A to B without having to cut my way through. And the lift capacity is kind of extraordinary. Hydrostatic makes operating it easy peasy. And 4WD and the hydraulic plow has made winter snow days kind of fun. Plus by doing the plowing myself slowly and carefully, I am extending the life of my gravel driveway considerably.

It's likely that our house will be in town. Most of the year, the tractor will be at the horse property for mowing and other things that need a tractor. There is a house we're looking at that was pulled off the market but will likely return in April. If we get that house, it has three acres, and all kinds of equestrian structures such as a round pen, arena, barns, and stalls. The tractor will be where the horses are. We have a small flatbed trailer that will work for a tractor.

[Drew]

What's a good choice for a broadcast spreader? I just killed my second Scotts spreader. I'm done with the junk. Local pro place has Earthway spreaders... it's $420. Is there a happy mediium between the $80 Scotts that lasts two seasons and the $420 Earthway? I'm open to $420 but at that price it needs to be stainless and bombproof. The $420 Earthway is not stainless. Stainless seems to be a good choice for slinging fertilizer and other corrosive lawn stuff.

[j44ke]

What's a good choice for a broadcast spreader? I just killed my second Scotts spreader. I'm done with the junk. Local pro place has Earthway spreaders... it's $420. Is there a happy mediium between the $80 Scotts that lasts two seasons and the $420 Earthway? I'm open to $420 but at that price it needs to be stainless and bombproof. The $420 Earthway is not stainless. Stainless seems to be a good choice for slinging fertilizer and other corrosive lawn stuff.

So this is a pull-behind for a tractor or ATV/quad?

[Drew]

So this is a pull-behind for a tractor or ATV/quad?

Negative. Push/walk-behind.

[marley]

Negative. Push/walk-behind.

like your bike - rinse it off when done and apply some NFS lube - a Scott spreader should last 4-5 yrs unless your spreading some black market fertilizer

$420 for a spreader - jeez - just hire someone

[j44ke]

Negative. Push/walk-behind.

like your bike - rinse it off when done and apply some NFS lube - a Scott spreader should last 4-5 yrs unless your spreading some black market fertilizer

$420 for a spreader - jeez - just hire someone

I was going to say $420 is pretty rich and I’m a willing over-spender.

I’d maybe buy two implements with one devoted to seed only and one to fertilizer/manure. That should keep the seeder broadcasting evenly and then you can hose down the fertilizer spreader with whatever cleans it. I just use mine (it is a red bucket with wheels I bought at Homely Despot) for wildflower seeding a gravel pit and so there’s no manure.

[Drew]

like your bike - rinse it off when done and apply some NFS lube - a Scott spreader should last 4-5 yrs unless your spreading some black market fertilizer

$420 for a spreader - jeez - just hire someone

I do rinse it. it did not disintegrate - it mechanically failed. The gear drive mechanism on the wheels came apart on this one. First one failed the shaft that connects the gear drive to the little impeller inside the hopper.

[Tom]

Wow. And I thought my lawn was bumpy. I have one of their cheapo broadcast spreaders for maybe a dozen years. Of course, I mulch the clippings back into the lawn so I use it twice a year tops.

[bigbill]

I have a hand cranked broadcast spreader we keep in the shed in Wyoming. I use it to scatter mosquito bits on the marshy portions of our land to keep the mosquito population down. Our neighbors have a fogger he tows behind an ATV, but it gets stuck in the marsh. I have a small hole in my tailgate from pulling a vehicle out of the mud. The clip broke and punch a hole. It gives my truck character.

[Drew]

Wow. And I thought my lawn was bumpy. I have one of their cheapo broadcast spreaders for maybe a dozen years. Of course, I mulch the clippings back into the lawn so I use it twice a year tops.

Mine were bought in 2020 and 2022. Perhaps they were made better when yours was purchased.

Currently leaning toward Echo RB-60.

[j44ke]

Mine were bought in 2020 and 2022. Perhaps they were made better when yours was purchased.

Currently leaning toward Echo RB-60.

That one looks good. I hadn't really paid attention to the spreader mechanism, except to note that a lot of them looked exactly the same with minor variations. This Agri-Fab is the only one I could locate that looked at all like the shafts had extra supports. Some of the Chapins looked more durable, but mostly they just looked more repairable with parts lists and housings that could be opened to service the transfer gears. The $420 makes a bit more sense looking at all those.

[rwsaunders]

I’ve owned two of these and got about 5 years out of them @ 4 X year fertilizing one acre of grass. If I bought another one, I’d replace every nut, washer and bolt with stainless pieces prior to my first application, because eventually the combination of fertilizer and water corrodes the living $hit out everything that’s not plastic or rubber. With the price of fertilizer, I repaired the last unit, sold it and I use a service that costs almost half of what it cost me to do it myself…volume pricing for sure.

https://chapinmfg.com/collections/sp...-turf-spreader

[Drew]

That one looks good. I hadn't really paid attention to the spreader mechanism, except to note that a lot of them looked exactly the same with minor variations. This Agri-Fab is the only one I could locate that looked at all like the shafts had extra supports. Some of the Chapins looked more durable, but mostly they just looked more repairable with parts lists and housings that could be opened to service the transfer gears. The $420 makes a bit more sense looking at all those.

Thanks. I’ll check those out.

I’ve owned two of these and got about 5 years out of them @ 4 X year fertilizing one acre of grass. If I bought another one, I’d replace every nut, washer and bolt with stainless pieces prior to my first application, because eventually the combination of fertilizer and water corrodes the living $hit out everything that’s not plastic or rubber. With the price of fertilizer, I repaired the last unit, sold it and I use a service that costs almost half of what it cost me to do it myself…volume pricing for sure.

https://chapinmfg.com/collections/sp...-turf-spreader

Thanks. Yeah, I considered a service, but am confident that I do a better job… and it’s therapy for me.