Well, I guess I have caught redneckitis....

[Rich Z]

Well, got the new tractor on Friday. Haven't really done much with it yet, though. Figure I'll just drive it around in the yard and get used to the controls before I actually try to do anything with it. Of course, I really don't have any implements or attachments to do much of anything yet anyway.

My friend, Rickey, says that pretty soon I will wonder how I ever got along without one. I dunno, about that. But I was out in the yard today using the handheld hedge trimmer to kind of mow the law in front of the garage, and I did find myself thinking I was getting too old to be doing it that way any longer. So maybe some labor saving devices might be just what the doctor ordered.

[85vette]

Looks good! Did you get a grapple for it?

[Rich Z]

Got one on order, but it will be a while.

Haven't been able to do much with the tractor lately, though. Connie's condition is worsening, and I have not wanted to be away from her for very long. Both of her sisters are here helping out, but still................

[85vette]

Sorry to hear that Rich. I lost my best friend from my Navy days to cancer the day after Christmas in 2020. We had stayed in touch and visited each other over the years. He was like a brother. And it being during the COVID days, they wouldn't let me into the hospital. It's tough knowing how hard it is on the family when something like this happens. I can't imagine my wife going through this. Prayers to you and the family.

[85vette]

So how are you liking your new tractor Rich? Did you get the grapple yet?

[Rich Z]

Been spending time with it clearing around the well pump and tank.

Since last posting, I bought a tree puller and a flail mower for it that is doing great clearing the land.

As for the grapple, I ordered it mid September and was told it would be "fourish" months before delivery. The company Everything Attachments seemed to have an excellent reputation, been around for a good while, and everyone raved about their products. Only fly in that ointment is that apparently they have folded up shop and evaporated with lawsuits and tax collectors after them. Good chance I am just out that money. Sent off dispute forms via snail mail to my credit card company, but since it has been longer than 120 days since I placed the order, not sure anything will come of it.

In the meantime, I ordered another grapple from a company called Top Dog Attachments, that I already have a tracking number for, and is supposed to be delivered on Tuesday.

Oh yeah, had a big wood chipper that runs off of the tractor PTO shaft delivered this past Wednesday. That is going to come in real handy dealing with all the small trees and brush I am pulled out of the ground with the tree puller.

So.... just trying to keep my mind occupied to suppress the darker thoughts swirling around in my head.

[85vette]

It sounds like you have pretty much everything covered as far as attachments go. I'm seriously considering buying a small/medium size tractor myself. I have a guy that's been mowing my yard (3.25 acres) for the past three years and he's reliable and reasonable ($300 a month).

He has a small John Deere that I have employed him to use in clearing my fence line and removing some huge branches that fell from the hundred year old Pecan tree in the front yard (taking the power line with it ).

But with the addition of another 1.2 acres and the work it's going to need, coupled with other trees on the property that I want to remove, I believe I might be money ahead getting my own equipment. I've already spent nearly $4000 with him and at $100 an hour the prospect of a monthly tractor payment looks better and better.

I have looked at a few and have since been inundated with ads as far away as Washinton state and New York. What dealer did you use? Obviously I want to stay local so that any warranty or service matters could be expedited. And then there is what brand to choose. John Deere is way overpriced in my opinion, especially if you need repairs and you are out of the warranty period. My brother has three or four JD zero turn mowers (diesels and an electric) and the repairs and parts prices are outrageous in my opinion.

So looking at options, and with the current state of the economy, those with 0% interest have the upper hand. But reliability is important too and I really don't know much about these foreign brands although I'm aware that several "American" brands are using their engines and more these days. Really, there is nothing "American Made" anymore is there?

[Rich Z]

I bought the TYM T474HC tractor from Lee's Trailers. Only problem I had with it was a minor fuel leak. Will came down here, and tightened some hoses on the fuel/water separator and that seemed to fix that problem. He also delivered a 6 ft. land plane for me too.

I really like the cab. Especially when using that flail mower as it is basically a shredder/mulcher that kicks up a LOT of dust that the cab keeps on the outside. Plus gnats are kicking up around here, and the cab proves to be a welcome barrier to them. Haven't had much of a problem driving the tractor between trees, although I did have to trim a few branches off of a few trees I didn't want to scrape against.

TYM makes a T25 tractor which is what I originally thought I would buy. But it only came with a heated cab, and that would be pretty senseless here.

The T474HC seems to be proving out to be not what I wanted, but what I really NEEDED. But I think in retrospect I should have considered harder the manual one instead of the hydrostatic version. But it is no big deal, all things considered.

If you ever want to stop down to take a look at it, let me know.

[85vette]

Did you buy that in a package deal? I see them offered with a bush hog, loader and box blade. Some even with a trailer. I didn't really want to buy new but with the interest rates being around 7-8%, getting a new one at 0% interest may be the better option.

Renovating the house was moving slowly as we ran into some unscrupulous tradesmen that we had to weed out. they were either gouging on prices or just flat out lying to us. I had the upstairs A/C unit replaced at a premium price, they did a good job, but they charged as much for that one unit as both downstairs units cost. But then later they told us we needed surge protection and I asked what that would cost and was quoted about $1100-$1200. I put it off at the time as we were driving over the road back then and were only home every 6-8 weeks. So they came to do the quarterly maintenance check and hit me with the surge protection again but this time said it was $4200! Tried to say that we needed one for each unit but I had asked the first guy point blank if all units needed it and he told me no, that only one was needed. So I invited them to leave.

Then another guy installed the new hot water heater I had bought, charged me $475, and had to come back out because one of the lines leaked. It only took him an hour and a half to remove the old one and install the new one. And I have a dumpster so he didn't have to haul the old one off.

I had an electrician come out to install a new line and he didn't bring enough wire with him. I paid him $800 and never saw him again.

Since then one of the EX-employees of that company approached me and has been very helpful in getting things moving and his prices are more in line with what we were expecting. So now I'm try to juggle stuff that needs doing inside the house along with what needs to be done on the outside.

With a tractor and equipment I can get much of it done myself. Of course once it's done I likely won't really NEED a tractor anymore but, what do you do, right?!

And I may take you up on coming down there, thanks!

[Rich Z]

Sure seems like the entire world is going insane.

Got a half-way hare brained idea that I might want to buy a Dodge Durango Hellcat. But damn, the worst part about buying a vehicle is dealing with the salespeople. So I probably won't.

Yeah, just let me know if you want to drop in. Nothing planned except perhaps having my grapple delivered on Tuesday.