Bruce's Journal

[Bruce]

OK I did as Sensei @greybeard instructed.

Everywhere I shoved the rebar in I hit solid rock eventually. About 18" down when standing on the plywood and reaching out toward the water as far as I dared so as to not become part of the pond muck. It was about 6" deep along the 4' edge of the plywood on the south (near in the pictures) side. The farther I got from the muck, meaning uphill in the direction the tractor is in the picture, the less I had to go to hit rock. I stuck the rod in lots of places in each area to make sure I wasn't just hitting a single rock. When I went to the other side of the pond (west side) and to the southern end where the minimal bit of water is and reached out, I could go down 2.5' from a squishy bank that held MY weight.

 

[Baymule]

Really nice tractor. I am happy for you that you got it. Greybeard is giving good advice, he ought to know. Just remember, safety, safety, safety.

 

[Bruce]

So I SHOULDN'T use the 2 beer holders while I'm working?

Actually it is nice to have 2 holders for the insulated water mug things. Now I have to figure out a "cargo" area. Sort of hard to get out to the woods to cut trees with no place to put the equipment. I don't think trying to balance my dump cart on the front forks would work out well. And even if it did, couldn't put it up there for the trip back with logs on the forks.

 

[Latestarter]

Really happy for you Bruce! Nice rig. I'm sure you're gonna have all kinds of things that need doing with it in the near term. I'm a little surprised that you got the industrial type tires you did vice agricultural tires... I guess they'll work OK for you. Like others, I'm suffering serious tractor envy here...

 

[greybeard]

So I SHOULDN'T use the 2 beer holders while I'm working?

.

Sure..What's the worst that can happen?
(my neighbor had a few 2 many...)

 

[Bruce]

I think ag would have been too aggressive. I don't intend to do any field plowing and I THINK ag tires are better at gripping under those conditions. I told the sales guy what I was planning to use the tractor for and he spec'ed the R4s, loaded. Hopefully I got the right thing. Of course now you have me worried about getting anywhere near the pond!

 

[Latestarter]

Well, you can always pull it out with your Prius... or ask the old fella down the way to pull you out with his tractor...

 

[Bruce]

Both are options! I did have to use the Prius to back the Garden Tractor away from the pond some time ago (which you are probably referencing). Sure hope the real tractor will back up hills better than the GT. Not real sure the Prius will pull a 3100 pound tractor. Unless I get ag tires for the Prius of course

 

[greybeard]

Well, IF there is a hard rock bottom as you indicate with your probing, it might not be as risky as it first looked. You may sink down a little, but not be mired because it has a hard bottom below the crap.
Of course, I don't know how the pond was built either. If they blasted rock out to get it deeper, that might be problematic.

Oh...
If your rear wheels ever start spinning when backing uphill, reach back and extend the dipperstick and bucket out..it puts more weight on the rear tires.

 

[mystang89]

If you do end up getting stuck and there's no other way to get the tractor out then you can use the front loader to free yourself. Just tilt the FEL to where the blade of the bucket is pointed at the ground, lower it down until the tractor is starting to be picked up with it, then rotate the FEL the rest of the way towards you as you apply the gas with the tractor in 1st low gear. Apply the emergency break, rince and repeat.