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As mentioned in my Shop Project thread, my ‘99 Silverado has a broken and rusted out frame. Today, I bought this ‘05 2500HD from a friend. His dad bought it new, and he is no longer with us and my buddy bought the farm from his mom. He plans to plow with his side by side and has no need for this truck. The prices of trucks, I practically stole it. It comes with an 8’ Western plow, which is very similar to my 7-1/2’ Fisher plow (control at least). Meet little Norman Jr It’s got 147,000 miles, new tires, new power steering pump and hoses (I did those last summer), 6.0L gas (my preference for winter driving is a gasser = quicker warm up time) and is quite clean. Other than rocker rust and some dents and dings that is…

I saw a cleaning company throwing out everything at a abandoned house and new the owner mowed with a wheel horse tractor so I stopped to see if it was still there. They said yes and it was going to get scrapped along with another one. I offered 50 bucks for a running but in rough shape b100 auto and a toro wheel horse classic which doesn't look like it has run in a long time along with a snow blade and chains some times it payed to stop and ask

Looked at youtube and attacked a 23 x 8.50 x12 . Old knife and WD40 cut around the sidewalls on both sides. One cut across the tread rolled it up some and a couple drywall screws to keep it rolled. Went in to the trash bag for tomorrow... Going to sharpen the old knife before I tackle the next one. Only about 8 to go.

Wanted to work on this over the weekend, but it didn't happen. Hopefully I'll have more time this week to finish it up. As with most of my projects, this one is many years old. Not unusual at all for me to get them to a usable point and not 100% finished until much later. Anyway I got the chains and clevises set up so she truly floats now. Removed the solid links that provide down pressure (highly overated on a 500lb machine), and they will be used as needed. Hopefully will get to some testing this week.

About 30 years ago, I helped my Godson's Dad move an upright freezed into their basement. He had already run the wiring for a plug next to where it was going, as there was none on that wall. Get it in place, plug it in, it starts up, and begins to get cold - sweet..? Not so - he wired it into the cellar light circuit - shut off the light and the freezer shuts off too...

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes, all in all was a really good day. Didn’t do much for celebrating yesterday, but getting ready to go out with a very close friend of mine to eat dinner this evening, then will probably go out to the farm and work on the John Deere D to get it ready for our show next month. Wheel Horse sounds great, not too sure about the Bowtie part though but if I ever get the no start issue on the 6.0 PowerStroke figured out it may get traded in on a Dodge

We’re pretty big on spa therapy, massage, chiropractic care, etc. Mrs. P has begged me for a hot tub for about 16 years. We’re coming up on that anniversary, that’s how I know! She found a “deal” on one of those inflatable Coleman 4 person hot tubs. We cleaned a spot off the little deck last night and set it up. We filled it, set the temp, and hit the sack for the night, looking forward to tonight. Things I’ve learned in the first 12 hours of being a spa owner: Empty, the wife and kids are all kids again, playing in their new fort. When you fill it with a hose, make sure to remove said hose before you call it a night. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that all your hot water is gone in the morning! Though I didn’t have any issue with this, it’s wise to give your appliance such as this (or a water heater, furnace, etc) a dedicated breaker. It’s a 15 amp heater, I gave it a 20 amp circuit. If you blow a breaker with your toys, you best make sure it doesn’t take out something you need like a fridge or freezer! I’ll check back with the time it takes to heat a spa again.

Agreed. Mighty purdy backside. Me likey! Got me thinkin (brace yourselves any time this happens) how my tractors share so many qualities with the Mrs... 1- tough as nails. 2- no matter the years, keeps looking good. 3- works hard... Don't tell her I said so. 4- never ceases to amaze me with what she can accomplish. 5- can tick me off like nothing else but always shows me it's likely something I did wrong... 6- makes me spend money that I normally wouldn't. Sound about right?

Tips? Here's one. A four person inflatable hot tub can weight as much as 2800 pounds, without people in it. Most decks are not built to support that much weight in one spot. Maryland code requires that decks be constructed with 2 x 12 joists 12" on center. Just a thought on safety.

Additionally, we have our pool. It’s sort of the reason we live here. The in-laws were planning to fill it in and build a house garage, because the kids never used it anymore. Our first year here, chemicals were $800 alone, plus countless hours of maintenance and electric bills. Our second year, we converted it to salt water. Though it needs a vacuum job, the water is crystal clear all the time and we haven’t checked the water in 5 years. The salt chlorine generator cell tells us when salt is low (or high), and otherwise is maintenance free within reason. Salt is about the only maintenance fee for the year, around 6 bags at about $60. The salt never leaves the water, unless it follows a dripping body or gets pumped down.

Had a little pool fun at one of my biker friend’s house this past weekend… IMG_2960.mov

Don't wire fire dampers into a 3 way switch circuit in a hallway of a hospital either! Used to sell 5 gal. pails of chlorine at the Auto parts store. We had a customer who weighed like 150 lbs. soaking wet. He had a big pool and would by a pail every week. One day he came in pleading for us to sell it in 1 gal bottles because he was running out of jeans!

Ask a silly question and get a silly answer.

@kpinnc love the overbuilding strength detailing ! nice set up , Pete

Right? Maybe. A lot also depends on where the support beams are located, and how it is connected to the rim joist of your house. If the tub is over a beam, you may be okay. If you are on the outside of a cantilever, that can throw the whole equation off.

Salt in both hot tub and pool. Works well. Another nice helpful item was the automatic pool cover. keeps the heat in and dirt out when not in use. I heat it up when I start it and just once in a while during the summer. Seem like when you get the ground warmed up it will stay pretty nice.

Trucks are like tractors.... you can NEVER have too many.

Not always…

That’s funny!!! Morning chuckle right there!

Absolutely not! Got married 1x & that's enough. I'm 53 (girlfriend is 38) I'm in great financial situation, house paid off, no credit card debt, etc. On track to retire @62. Not taking any chances.

My first and only blackhood my C-145 with the rototiler and snowblower.

This guy is a certified welder, Vietnam vet, former Air Marshal, and Former Foundry foreman. Patches decks back together and the only way you can tell is by the paint. He races go karts and builds 2 cycle race motors. A'int much he doesn't know. He built my Power King Loader

oh, a warranty case 😎

I picked this up yesterday. It's my fourth Ford tractor, following a 1944 2N, a 1947 8N and a 1957 640. This is my first "blue" Ford tractor and my first one with the 3 cylinder engine (gas).

Nice rear end.

Purchased a ISaveTractor's Carb for K series 241a, ended up installing on M12 (as the linkage is included for either)

Houston we have problem ... now Dan wants to build a puller...

Agreed. Excellent work.

That's close for me. #1 is a HUGE understatement. 🥋🥋🥋 2. 3. 4. We're good. 5 and 6... Why I don't know... But they don't apply to me. Ever.

I use the skate board tread tape. Adhesive backed and easily cut. Any sports shop should stock it.

Luckily my towns transfer station will accept tires NOT ON RIMS at no charge. If they are still mounted up they won’t accept them, not even for a fee.

I get my tires from Miller Tire. They mount the new ones and keep the old ones. Hi Paul.

In my municipality we are able to bring two tires per family per week to the transfer station. Otherwise, they can be brought to several different mechanic shops in the area which will accept them for the same fee they charge someone who purchases tires. Usually it's about five bucks each but could be up or down from that....

Pickups used for plow duty around here are not hott in the used market...Trannies and suspensions have been beat hard...

In the beginning the hot tub was really hard to regulate with chemicals. After I switched to the salt generator it became almost maintenance free other than adding some salt when we added water and I would use a little bit of salt water magic. Because it was not that much water, I would drain it in the spring and clean it.

I used a salt cell. Used it for several years and the tub went last year and now my neighbor has it.

I like the solution 👍 I haven’t had any issues with fan blades hitting belts on mine but I have replaced my fan on my mower from previous owners neglect. Nice work. I’ll keep this in mind. I made one with a grasshopper mower hydro fan. It works great. I bolted it to a spin on oil filter wrench and the bolt sits snugly in the hole. No issues yet in 5 years.

Here, by code - you need 3 things. A dedicated GFI circuit, a 3 prong twist-lock connector on the pump cord, and a lockable enclosure around the water to prevent accidental drowning. My used above ground pool has the perimiter fence that is the required 6 foot height. Picture from 2005, we had owned it for 10 years then.....

Love the salt water pool. Folks, don't think you're swimming in salt. The salinity is 1/10 that of a teardrop. It simply feels like soft water. When we had the pool installed in Florida they had a 'special' going. A 'free' salt system or $700.00 off. Now how does that relate to 'free'? For a few weeks with a new pool you can't use salt so I told them to skip the salt system. I purchased the system and when it was OK to use it I installed a bypass so I had the option of salt or chlorine tabs. Worked great, We also had a cleaning system that had zoned pop-up jets in the floor that alternated as the pump ran. We never had to sweep it. The only maintenance was cleaning the filter once a week and keeping the water balanced which was mainly the ph. Every couple of months or so I would have to add a gallon of acid.

NOT like I need another project, but this one is not near as clean as @D_Mac’s pretty forest green Bowtie. If I was ever feeling ambitious and caught up at life, I still have my extended cab red Texas truck. It’s beautiful and spotless but it’s 2wd. It would be another frame or drivetrain swap, which is the reason I bought this so I wouldn’t have to do that. I sold the bed and bumpers, but otherwise it’s pretty much the way the video here depicts. It sits inside the barn, free from the elements.

Love the Ole Cat Eye Chevys. Nice

That's a pretty machine! I wasn't fond of the black hoods until I cam across a C-165. Maybe it's because it's a 160, or a black hood. IDK? Glad to bring her home. My favorite

Not today but yesterday I got in some “wind therapy” with my dad. He’s not ready to give up his two wheeler just yet at 81 years old. So we get out together a few times in the summer and fall for a ride. 120 miles today. We stopped up in Massachusetts and I whipped out my phone and he his folded paper map so we could plan out our route home . I gotta admit, it was easier to chose a route back towards home with his paper map. His is technically a scooter (no gears and a step thru design, just twist and go). But it’s an in-line twin cylinder fuel injected 650cc and it’s claimed that it will do 110 MPH !! So not your average scooter! I buzzed it up to 90 probably 6 years ago and I could tell it had plenty more MPH’s to go. Both machines are Suzukis… mine is also a 650cc. 2011 Suzuki VStrom 650 2008 Suzuki Bergman 650

Have Billy Bob grind a vee to the inside, weld it, grind it flush, then weld on a scab plate. Then It won't break like this one did in only 50 years. It should last for ~ .

She's got a nos WH cover she uses. You bet Joe... welcome anytime and guaranteed seat time. Mowing our camp area with Terrance the 857.

The belt is not on correctly in this picture - 2 reasons. First, you have the belt on the outer groove of the PTO. It WILL work that way, but reduces your blade speed. Move it to the larger inboard one. More important, the portion of the belt on the bottom side of the PTO goes forward to the flat outer idler on the mule drive. Then the cover and the retainibg nut. Bill

Happy Birthday, enjoy your day!!!

Checking valve settings on an M16 today. I didn't have a set of valve cover gaskets so I tried my hand at making some. The material is the center section of an old NOS manual transmission case half gasket. "Use what ya have" Thanks to @Oldskool for the hole punch set I'll use to finish up.