notjustair
Well-known Member
I stopping in here this morning and saw the conversation about machines that last long enough that their safety features aren?t up to the times. I
bought an 8N Ford tractor to mow electric fence lines because of just this. A pastor bought it new and it was used it?s whole life at the local
Baptist church mowing with a woods L59 mower and blading the snow in the winter. The youth group kept it all painted up and clean. I ended
up with it because they were afraid of the liability of someone using it that didn?t know about PTOs that weren?t live.
Today I ground feed with my 1950 M. I use it because it was retired from all other jobs years ago and can stay hooked to the grinder. This time
of year I use it about every two weeks and like the fact that with the M I won?t overload the grinder and break something. The tractor isn?t
powerful enough to get the old grinder into trouble. I ground about five tons of cob corn for milking mamas and it really made the old Farmall
bark. I had to think of those discussions as I climbed on and off the back of the tractor with the PTO running right by my pant leg and my bad
habit of standing on the drawbar with one food and pushing in the clutch with the other foot to start the pto without getting in the seat. My new
tractors would be peeping like crazy if I did that. Heck, I can remember feeding with it when I was younger (and it was my loader tractor) and
the wind was so bitter cold that I stood on the axle housing and looked backwards as I went down the road so my face wouldn?t freeze.
Probably not a good idea.
I can see that young folks probably have a greater chance of getting hurt on these old things because they didn?t ever spend the years on them
doing without things like live PTO. Now they have a few acres and need a tractor but can?t afford a newer one that they are familiar with, so
they get something that will run forever but isn?t anything they are comfortable on.
Of course, I probably do half a dozen things every day on this farm that are dangerous enough to get me killed. That?s kind of the perils of this
job. If I keep my wits about me I just might live to see another day.
bought an 8N Ford tractor to mow electric fence lines because of just this. A pastor bought it new and it was used it?s whole life at the local
Baptist church mowing with a woods L59 mower and blading the snow in the winter. The youth group kept it all painted up and clean. I ended
up with it because they were afraid of the liability of someone using it that didn?t know about PTOs that weren?t live.
Today I ground feed with my 1950 M. I use it because it was retired from all other jobs years ago and can stay hooked to the grinder. This time
of year I use it about every two weeks and like the fact that with the M I won?t overload the grinder and break something. The tractor isn?t
powerful enough to get the old grinder into trouble. I ground about five tons of cob corn for milking mamas and it really made the old Farmall
bark. I had to think of those discussions as I climbed on and off the back of the tractor with the PTO running right by my pant leg and my bad
habit of standing on the drawbar with one food and pushing in the clutch with the other foot to start the pto without getting in the seat. My new
tractors would be peeping like crazy if I did that. Heck, I can remember feeding with it when I was younger (and it was my loader tractor) and
the wind was so bitter cold that I stood on the axle housing and looked backwards as I went down the road so my face wouldn?t freeze.
Probably not a good idea.
I can see that young folks probably have a greater chance of getting hurt on these old things because they didn?t ever spend the years on them
doing without things like live PTO. Now they have a few acres and need a tractor but can?t afford a newer one that they are familiar with, so
they get something that will run forever but isn?t anything they are comfortable on.
Of course, I probably do half a dozen things every day on this farm that are dangerous enough to get me killed. That?s kind of the perils of this
job. If I keep my wits about me I just might live to see another day.