Baymule’s Journal

[canesisters]

I’ve been working outside all day. Came in and used this morning’s leftover coffee, added sugar, milk and ice for a refreshing drink. I got sons zero turn mower out, had 2 flat tires. I couldn’t read the PSI in order to air up the tires, so I took pictures, expanded the picture and could read 28 PSI. I felt real smart. LOL

I mowed areas where I haven’t been able to get the tractor up to. I left the best grass for the ewe lambs. I finally blocked off the open spot that used to be a shed until hurricane Beryl blew it apart a few months ago. The ewe lambs didn’t need to get up in there and get into things. They were enjoying the grass. I moved stuff so I could mow. Where does all this crap come from???
I sharpened a machete and chopped weeds too close to the house for the mower to get. I aired up tires on my truck, parked it and carried the air compressor back to the “good” shed that has doors on it. I haven’t done anything momentous today, just a bunch of little stuff, but the yard sure looks nicer. It still needs some more work but I’m happy with what I got done.

A ton of tasks that add up to a huge feeling of accomplishment, good job!!
And that dinner looks amazing.

 

[Baymule]

Well I was gonna try my luck at loading the tractor and bush hog on my flatbed trailer and go mow at my son’s place. Nope. Dead battery. I’ve got the charger hooked up to it. I recently learned how to open the hood, gotta press down to release the catch so I can turn the thingamajig and open the hood. For me, that means standing on the bucket and applying most of my weight on it. It was dead last week because I left the key on. A friend came over and jumped it off, and showed me how to open the darn thing. I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid, so I parked it at the back porch close to a wall outlet. Sure enough, I had to charge it up the next time I used it. This is getting old. At some point, shouldn’t it keep a charge? It’s only a year old. If I can crank the durn thing, I’m loading it up and going to go mow. And yes, I’ll take the charger and a longer extension cord. Might as well go out there and fill the fuel tank if I have any diesel. Phooey.

 

[farmerjan]

If the battery is only a year old, then there is an electrical drain somewhere that is drawing down the battery by just sitting... Easy way to get around that when it is going to sit, is to just disconnect the hot (red) side of the battery. I just take the cable off the battery and leave it and then just hook it back up when I am going to use it... Don't have to do it if you are going to use it regularly or weekly usually... but that can depend on the draw....

Sometimes it is just a loose wire or a little bare spot on the wire that just drains a little electric off the battery... sometimes it is a faulty bulb... sometimes you may never find it.... Got that problem with my father's truck... thought it was the light under the hood not "turning off" right when the hood was down... well, disconnected the plug and can just plug it in when the hood is up if I need it... but there might be another spot as the battery was dead again. But, it has been sitting for awhile again....... batteries are made to be charged and discharged... so it means going out and starting it regularly too...

If the battery charges while using it, and it will start up the next day or 2 days later... then there is something that is causing it to "drain" a little at a time. If only using it occasionally, take the cable off the battery... or get someone (your son) to put a cut off switch... it just cuts off the battery and then no drain can occur...
Have one on my little 4x4 ford ranger... the wiring is old and who knows where the battery drain is... just flip the switch and it goes... One plus to the switch... if someone isn't pretty smart... and tries to steal it... they won't know what to do.... and if in a hurry, it just won't start.... WAH LAH.... thieves foiled in attempt to steal something.

 

[peteyfoozer]

“If the battery is only a year old, then there is an electrical drain somewhere that is drawing down the battery by just sitting... Easy way to get around that when it is going to sit, is to just disconnect the hot (red) side of the battery” -farmer jan


You guys are all so smart and practical. It’s like visiting a room full of lady Randys.
I, on the other hand, have not figured out how to do quotes on here …

 

[Mini Horses]

all so smart and practical

Ahhhhh.....the experience of how we learned wasn't fun! . But sharing is great

 

[canesisters]

Maybe it needs to stay attached to a 'trickle charger" when parked?

 

[Baymule]

The battery was fine until I left the key on. So the drain on the battery is me. I charged it up, ran it around the yard a little and parked it. This morning, dead. I guess I didn’t run it enough to get a good charge.

I did it y’all! I loaded the tractor all by myself! I strapped it down with ratchet straps, another one of those confounding things I have to re-figure it out every time I use them.

I lined up the ramps, have a deep rooted fear of tractor falling off of them. Irrational, but it’s there. I drove that tractor right up those ramps and it didn’t fall off. LOL Got to son’s house, undid straps, another learning experience-every darn time- and put the ramps in the right spot and backed the tractor off. I mowed for 2 hours, the grass was so thick that it bogged down the tractor. It doesn’t look great, but it looks better. He has 2 acres, I mowed most of it. Carson was crying and screaming bloody murder when I was pulling out, so I let him go. I tied him in the shade so I wouldn’t worry about him getting out on the highway. He is laid out in the floor like he did all the work.

I got home, unstraped and unloaded. Unhitched the trailer and parked the truck. I’m kinda proud of myself. BJ always did that stuff, I helped him. Teamwork. Now my teammate is a dog and he’s not much help.

 

[fuzzi]

If the battery is only a year old, then there is an electrical drain somewhere that is drawing down the battery by just sitting... Easy way to get around that when it is going to sit, is to just disconnect the hot (red) side of the battery. I just take the cable off the battery and leave it and then just hook it back up when I am going to use it... Don't have to do it if you are going to use it regularly or weekly usually... but that can depend on the draw....

Sometimes it is just a loose wire or a little bare spot on the wire that just drains a little electric off the battery... sometimes it is a faulty bulb... sometimes you may never find it.... Got that problem with my father's truck... thought it was the light under the hood not "turning off" right when the hood was down... well, disconnected the plug and can just plug it in when the hood is up if I need it... but there might be another spot as the battery was dead again. But, it has been sitting for awhile again....... batteries are made to be charged and discharged... so it means going out and starting it regularly too...

If the battery charges while using it, and it will start up the next day or 2 days later... then there is something that is causing it to "drain" a little at a time. If only using it occasionally, take the cable off the battery... or get someone (your son) to put a cut off switch... it just cuts off the battery and then no drain can occur...
Have one on my little 4x4 ford ranger... the wiring is old and who knows where the battery drain is... just flip the switch and it goes... One plus to the switch... if someone isn't pretty smart... and tries to steal it... they won't know what to do.... and if in a hurry, it just won't start.... WAH LAH.... thieves foiled in attempt to steal something.

When my dad passed away he left me his Mercury sedan, a Sable maybe? Even as a mechanic HE couldn't figure out why the battery drained so quickly. I had a knife switch installed and had no issues until the day I donated it to charity.
Stupid FORD

 

[canesisters]

SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!

 

[Baymule]

SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!

Thank you. First time I’ve done it all by myself. Another victory!