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Following my stroke my wife had to assume the duties I had always done in addition to her regular tasks. At first I was very frustrated by the fact that some things weren't being done the right way (read that as being done MY WAY). Within a few weeks I began to mellow and have adopted the belief that most of the things we do differently aren't so important after all. Showing mutual respect and loving each other is all that matters. I am now able to do most of the tasks my wife took over but I do some of them her way because I never understood how MY WAY bugged her so much. I never balanced the check book to the penny, I always rounded up or down when entering payments (drove her crazy) and I would always sort the recycles as they were taken to the garage, now we just hold of until the day we make a run to the drop-off center, no big deal. I have become a bit more mellow and appreciative of what I have left rather than becoming frustrated with the loss of what I had. I didn't realize how I had become "that old man", glad to say he is gone.

When I'm 80 90. Don't let the Old Man In.

Over in the "Pete found his shop floor thread", Ed talks about his school days oiling the floors and staying warm with the coal burner. Made me think a bit of things when I was a kid and my aging. When I got into my 50's, the way I thought started to change. When I got into my 60's, the way I thought started to resemble the old man. Or and older man. "The Look" A couple weeks ago one of the grand-kids was here and kind of giving the wife a hard time in the kitchen. I was in the office adjoining the dinning room and leaned over in the doorway and gave the kid "the look". Oh my, I remember that look from when i was a kid. It was my fathers silent WTF. The old man would twist his neck and look up but his eyes never left you, like a gangster. (You did not want a second one) "My Collection" The old man had a deal where he was the vast collector of used nails. Had coffee cans filled with rusty, but straightened, salvaged nails. Not just a few maybe a dozen. My son was 4 at the time and I was at my Dad's garage working on my truck. Well the boy was being a PIA so I got a hammer, 6x6 and a can of nails and left him go to town. That wood looked like a porcupine. I remember the old man coming into view, it looked like a skit from Fred Sanford, I thought we were going to use a defibrillator on him. His cherished nails drove into that block of wood. I don't have a collection of used nails, but I got nuts and bolts. Cans by size, lined up like soldiers on the back of the bench. Have you noticed any changes in yourself?

When dad passed and I had to clean out his garage/shop. Lot of thoughts on why he was keeping bent nails and screws with stripped heads. Finally figured out his dad went through the great depression where new nails cost money they didn't have. Can only guess that's why. Now I look around my shop and have no idea why I keep such stuff.

R.H. Sheppard Co. The story of the Sheppard Tractor Company is somewhat similar to that of other tractor companies that emerged after World War Two, then disappeared a few brief years later. During the war Shepard furnished the US Navy with diesel engines but after the Allied victory over Germany and Japan another market was needed. They manufactured small diesel engines for industrial applications such as pumps and generators but needed another outlet for their engines. Richard Sheppard loved to work on anything mechanical, He built his first diesel engine when he was 16. The R.H. Sheppard Company was founded in 1937 by Richard Sheppard when he bought the Kintzing wire cloth loom, floor polisher and gas generator company. These products kept the manufacturing facility going while diesel engines could be developed. As more diesel engines were produced other lines were phased out. In 1940, the company bought a larger factory in Hanover, PA, adding a foundry in 1943. The company still operates at that location, where it produces power steering equipment for the transportation industry. Following World War Two horseless farming was catching on, there was a world-wide shortage of agricultural equipment, especially tractors. Major manufacturers had been engaged in war production for several years and there was plenty of demand to go around at the time. Sheppard was a bit late in deciding to enter the tractor manufacturing business. By 1949 the large well established manufacturers were making as many tractors as they could and had developed strong dealer networks to sell them. Sheppard first developed a 3-cylinder diesel conversion kit in 1949 to make the Farmall Model M a diesel. The company promoted the ease of replacing the gas engine and the cost compared to purchasing a new tractor. Sales for the conversion kit were dismal. Confident that diesel’s time had come Sheppard built its own line of farm tractor. The SD-1 garden tractor, SD-2mediun size two bottom tractor, SD-3 three bottom tractor and SD-4 four or five bottom tractor. The SD-3 and SD-4 models were available in row-crop, orchard and grove versions, and were the first to have a patented torque converter, 13-speed transmission and high-ratio power steering. Since Sheppard produced a proven one-cylinder diesel it began with a small tractor called the SD-1. Rather than building an entirely new small tractor they used a rolling chassis of the Atomic Babe replacing the Novo gasoline engine with a Sheppard 5.4 HP diesel engine. The engine used in the SD-1 has a 3 x 4-inch bore and stroke. The air-cooled unit in the SD-1 is indirect injected and rated at 5.4 horsepower. The Sheppard engine could be started by hand with a crank or with an optional electric start system. The engine has a compression release on the head for hand starting. The engine has a pressurized lubrication system with an oil filter, unusual for small engines of the day, and a finned oil cooler. The SD-1 didn’t do well in the marketplace. The list price was $1095, about 20% higher than similar garden tractors its size. SD-1 The SD-2 was a 2-cylinder tractor. It looked more like a tractor, sheet metal and all. The SD-2 was also priced significantly higher than its competitors, and sales suffered as a result. The most popular tractor was the SD-3 (3 cylinders). The 32hp (belt) tractor was priced at a competitive $2,995. Business considerations hurt the marketing of all Sheppard tractors. They had no floor-planning (providing a demonstrator tractor to the dealer) or financing plans for the dealers. The only unique feature was the diesel engine and diesels were still not readily accepted by most farmers at the time. Unable to overcome the larger manufacturers head start and having a poor dealer organization Sheppard tractors were discontinued in 1956. The Sheppard Diesel Tractor was ahead of its time. Of the 1,943 Sheppard tractors produced between 1949 and 1956, 14 were the SD1 model, 257 SD2 models built; 1,441 SD3s; and 231 SD4s. The first power steering gear was applied to the SD-4 tractor in 1953, and soon would was used by other tractor companies and on heavy-duty trucks. In 1963, R. H. Sheppard totally committed the company’s manufacturing and engineering resources to the production of power steering. Over the years, the company has been issued more than fifty patents on steering and related technologies. Today, R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. has established itself as a global leader in power steering technologies. Most of their manufacturing plants, remanufacturing facility, pattern shop, and foundries are located in Hanover, Pennsylvania, where they produce 95% of the steering product components in-house In 2008 the company partnered with a Chinese engineering company to provide highly-tolerance custom castings. This partnership has grown to include a partnership with a Western machining house to provide high-precision machining services in China. Most recently, the company has partnered with a Chinese steering gear manufacturer to produce power steering gears for the Chinese truck market.

Mark Twain When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.

I'm more modern. I use peanut jars with lids, because I can see what's inside, and keep the moisture out. But I have six shelves full of jars, more than my dad ever had. Have saved myself many trips to the hardware store with those jars. I had to downsize quite a bit, but my family can deal with the jars when I'm gone.

RIP Toby Keith

One off my favs... 1961 - 2024 right up there with Charlie Daniels, Willie n the boys. Let's see some Y tube. My all time fav.

Hey Fish, my 40 year old kid told me a few years ago. "Dad, you know a lot of those things you said are starting to make sense now." Go figure.

HA, I became the old man that as a teenager I said I would never become. Never thought I'd make it to be 50 anyway so it's just playing with "house money" from now on. At 25 it was a dream to be able to live forever and be immortal. Now, 10-15 more years would be plenty and possibly even too much. It's my assessment people change over time and it's a gradual change. 10 years of life and those experiences certainly provide different views on things. For example we don't think or reason the same at 25 as we did at 15. Or the same at 35 as when 25, Or the same at 45 as when 35 and so it goes on and on.

I turned 71 in December. In my early twenties, I had a premonition that I would live to be 84 years old and die from lung problems. I have lived with that in the back of my mind ever since. I've not told anyone this-even my wife- until I write it this evening. I told my Sunday School Class this past Sunday that I have been fortunate that I have not been overnight in a hospital in over 50 years. (That was because my brother ran over my foot with his car.) I retired this past summer. After working 52 years most of them in construction, I felt the time had come to hang up my hammer. While unloading the tools and supplies out of my truck, I was somewhat overwhelmed with a feeling of loss/change. It was as if the "old man was loosing his identity/self worth." One of my points of change is that I've volunteered my experience and labor. I've converted a brand new motor home into a mobile unit that is used to go to towns in our area to help pregnant women. Now, I am helping rebuild a bathroom at a church office and awhile back, I lead a team to build a wheel chair ramp for a needy woman. I'm staying a busy as I want. I've never heard of the song "Don't let the old man in" until I watched it a few minutes ago on this thread. There's a good deal of truth to it and I'm convinced that hobbies such as wheel horse, model trains, music, camping, fishing and hunting, as well as the many others hobbies/interests that you all are involved in help keep "the old man out"

Unlike the rest of you I have become sweeter and kinder as I approach 60. If you’ve met me and you disagree … well prepare to have your dang Red Square account stomped on and deleted! RS is no place for anyone that disagrees with me ! Just messing! I’m feeling the effects of age, especially when I’m driving and some whippersnapper feels the need to tailgate or pass me at MACH-1.

And that's probably why the "Elders" of the tribes were chosen as their leaders over the millenniums. Although there does come a point when too old is just that, too old, the mind looses it's elasticity and ability of normal reasoning. It wears out just like the other organs do over time.

Toby Keith...RIP old soul. So much wisdom in this thread..... My grand dad was a farmer and blacksmith and had baby food jars with the lids tacked to the beams in his blacksmith shop. He would be able to see what was in each one and unscrew the jar as needed. They were filled with odds and ends of screws, used nails, etc. Still carry on some of his habits today....just no reused nails.

And yet, there ARE times that someone else needs to get told off with a lecture. Others need to appreciate YOUR years of common sense experience when it is offered. The lectures are not as frequent anymore. It's all about "tactfullness". Being truly tactfull means you have the ability to tell someone to go to He11 in such a way that they actually look forward to the trip !!

@JoeM when I first got the change of age , added , thin foam mats to floor work / also roller dolly's, had always just gone to the floor like at work , today its also cutting back on much of what I used to do . my wife and I also , turn it around on the grandkids , on issues , WHAT WOULD YOU DO ? talk about it , break it down , support / realize the situation , no sarcasm , insults , just a back and forth for the answer. we do that very often , the kids like that way of problem solving . they also like making the food recipes , that grandma gives them , keep changing with your life , every day is different , pete

Raise ya red solo cups folks!!

One of my fav's.

Worked on the 1257HEAVY today and installed the belt guide. Installed the belt guard for final fitment seems to work as intended! Getting closer to done!

I’m not sure why, but since retiring I don’t have the same sense of urgency to speed to get somewhere. I am puzzled why I ever did. They say memory is the first thing go 😬

Not a lot has changed with me. when I was young I had to take care of a large house and property my self. Changed the Tecky's out when they wore out and kept our large carriage house barn clean and organized .Had my own "Tool room" at 10 yrs. old. Same thing today. I try to keep stuff somewhat neat. If it gets late I will clean up the next day. When I started at Napa I started to have "Zero Tolerance Fridays" Still have them now once and a while. Kind of frustrating now that all the boiler rooms and AHU's that I kept clean and neat look like crap now. I don't say a thing being a part timer and it aint my job anymore. Don't want to step on any toes. In about 10 month's or so we're all retiring the same day!

Excellent thread. I got nothing specific to add because my experiences have been a mix of all of the above. Fighting my body and it's issues over the last few years has taught me a few different things whether I wanted to learn them or not.

Yup. I used to fly off the handle at anything anyone would do or say that irked me. Being a parent and a Landlord tends to do that. Now, as i approach 70, I tend to listen just a tad longer, then let 'em have it!! I don't want to be remembered as "That cranky old guy with too many rules" - some folks that I dealt with early on WILL see me that way forever - tough. There is still time to become "That old guy with not so many rules"........

We were watching the Peoples Choice Country Awards when we first heard him sing 'Don't Let the Old Man In'. Knowing the battle he was in I don't mind saying that his wife wasn't the only one who shed some tears. Rest in Peace Toby and thank you for all the great music.

Set my high ball glass down & broke out a red solo cup in memory.

Dibs like I said on FB Nancy you should decide to sell. I'm sorry my bad. More important to my planter mongering... @c-series don I'll get yours too.. @TonyToro Jr. Did dad cut your allowance not to be a supporter... do I need to have words with him? You know we love your posts n pics here!

Like Toby sings " How old would you be If you didn't know the day you were born". I'm a 55 yo that happened to be born sometime during WWII.

Just sayin'...

I’m 65 and mostly feel great. Three back operations, and feet that need special inserts in the shoes. Still, not bad. I have some minor limitations that cause me to be more creative in how I go about things. As an example, I was very happy to sell my 2-stage snowblower to @ebinmaine. Damn near killed myself moving that thing around. Like @Ed Kennell, I started school at a small schoolhouse - 3 rooms - first, second and third grade. There was no nurses station, just a cot in the hallway for if you had a headache or stomachache kind of thing. You did not want to be laying on that cot when the recess bell went off, it was a flurry of kicks, punches and insults as the kids went by! It was great! Every first day of school my mother put a letter in an envelope to give my teacher. It was a note saying that if I misbehaved they could punish me. As I get older, I find I have less patience but more gratitude. I’ve seen so many family, friends and acquaintances leave the party through death or dementia. I’m much more afraid of the latter. My grandchildren are a great joy and keep me on my toes! My work is still mentally challenging, so that helps. And working on my tractors keeps my mind engaged. I like to be learning something new everyday and I’m convinced having a sense of curiosity, and humor, keeps you young and interesting to others. I’m inspired by people on this site, who are older than me and still sharp as a tack. I’m often in awe of the clarity and precision of comments/suggestions/how-to’s written by@Ed Kennell, who I don’t personally know and think, man, maybe 80 ain’t that scary! Paul

I wanted to post something short and to the point, but Eb beat me to it. Have to say this perfectly says what I wanted to post. I was immortal for 40 years. Then my body taught me different. I was convinced even then that I would bounce back 100 percent. Then I settled for 70 percent. Now I want to cling to 60 percent....

Went to the Ford and Edison Museum and Homestead in Fort Myers today. We took our time and spent about three hours there. It’s amazing how modestly they lived compared to the millionaires of today. Found this little note about a Fordson toolbox in one of the displays.

A little control work on a rat motor co-generation plant

As I've crested 50yrs old a few years ago I'm slowly becoming the grumpy old man. Lol. I just wanna be left alone to play out in my garage. Fortunately my girlfriend who's 39 has some sort of social anxiety or something I guess. She doesn't like big crowds of people. Small social events with people she's comfortable with is fine. She does her thing in her she shed & I'll be out in garage. We enjoy spend time together. I can drag her to any car show, tractor show, etc. Sometimes she asks if theres a show! We barely watch tv- especially the news, makes me angry. Both us stay off social media. Except me on this forum. My kids are 17 & 20. My daughter graduates this year. She intends to follow a career in real estate as my mom did very successfully for 45yrs. She's smart, takes no crap (cause I raised her that way) & has social skills. My son tried college & hated it. I was ok with that. He spent a year doing carpet/flooring work. After the year he determined that was not how he wanted to make a living. Sometimes gotta let kids figure things out. I told him if he wasn't interested in going back to school or a trade to seek out a civic job- state, county, city, govt, etc. Unknown to me he actually listened. In January he started a job w/county as a waste water treatment operator. Great pay, benefits, retirement (30&out!) His supervisor told him that he wishes he was my son's age when he got hired. Remind him daily how lucky he is to landed that job. Proud of both my kids. I pretty much raised them while my ex drank & partied etc. I admit I was tough on them & I still am. My son already thanks me & says he doesn't know how I managed it for all those years.

He’s delusional. This guy has no idea what he’s talking about. Run and don’t look back. I can do the machine work for you, I just no longer have the dexterity in my left hand to install the two part cam for those models.

Your small engine guy has been in the fumes too long, EPA has given no such order to destroy legacy engines.

Toby Keith never served in the military but he served the military with USO tours to seventeen countries entertaining over a quarter million of our troops.

When i used to do K series rebuilds, id bore it to +0.009" on the machine, then use a rigid 2 stone hone to bring it out..using the piston and rings to get my piston clearance, once i had piston clearance in spec, drop the rings in..check gaps, if they are too snug, open then up on a ring filer. Alot of shops just rebuild by measuring then check ring gaps, they dont check thrust face clearance of the actual piston...you end up too snug or too loose. Once im happy with my clearances i run the 3 stone to set crosshatch. It all centers around piston tolerances though, rings you can file down, bore you can open up..but piston isn't so simple to resize.

She’s coming together.

Done with it ... for now. Motor is out but carcass & motor needs pressure washing and not gonna happen till spring/summer and I can fire up equipment. Good news is the motor has hope from what I can see now. Prolly coulda had it running with a quick clean but my analness took over. Plan is to drop a k301 in it for testing both motor and hydro. Any body heard of a 1980 C with a SG motor? We think these holes in the frame will allow drop in. Guessing a PO thought the tranny clutch was poppy cock. It was all removed and no drive belt. Did get the tow valve opened tho so still a roller. Both hubs loose or shot. We'll see. She's going out to pasture for now. Someone says I got other projects.

I was in grade school when my Dad and a carpenter he hired built our new home. As a helper, one job I had was to collect bent nails and straighten them for reuse. 8, 10, and 16 lb common. Musta done many hundreds over the year or so of construction. Kept me out of trouble and was productive. During high school, we moved to a house that needed a garage and now my help was as a framer, rough-in electrician, and roofer. For this job, the bent nails went into the metal recycling bin! When Dad downsized his shop, he had a couple hundred jars with various hardware. My brothers and a couple of grandchildren and I divvied up most of them. I already had twenty or thirty jars from my Dad’s dad plus many of my own. Took me a month or so of spare moments to filter the good from the useless and consolidate. As noted above, “the jars” have helped me resurrect many a broken object and saved me $$ and trips to the store.

27HP Saki with 45 hours 3 pt hitch 47" SS blower cab with mirrors, lights, glass windshield and wiper $6300 I didn't buy it cause it was the wrong color, oh, and the cab wasn't heated .

The two thru the black tunnel plate cover?

Wow, the response has been amazing...what a great community! @WHX?? what a generous offer. I will plan to pull the engine when it warms up a bit here and like @Achto said see what I have got to deal with. If there is no damage other than the broken rod I will take it to the local machine shop to check the bore and crank shaft. If they are in spec I will have them do the cylinder work and can probably install the piston and rod myself. If the engine is worn out of spec I will be reaching out and take advantage of the offers here! I rescued this 'ol 701 with hopes of restoring it to running condition. I probably could handle a tear down and rebuild as I have the tools but I just don't have a good dedicated space to keep things. Thanks again for all the good advice. This one will make you chuckle...the small engine guy I mentioned stated that he was told by the EPA to punch a hole in any worn out Kohler K engine.....reason being they were so "dirty" the EPA did not want them rebuilt......hope I don't trigger any heart attacks!

Kind of covers both.

Just a couple comments. I enjoy this read and call it coffee with Richard. Other thoughts. The early 50's late 40's was a time when it was evident were lawyers did not demolish a company. Very simple ideas that worked and we allowed to grow. And this is ironic, just yesterday a friend was over and he works on machinery, mostly lawn and farm stuff. He talked about Kawasaki engines. How he favors them. We talked about the Chinese knock offs and other things. I looked around and was checking out the cycle world seeing what interest the Chinese has in Kawasaki. It seems as if China has partnered with thousands of manufactures world wide. 25, 30 up and beyond 50 percent. A small but important signal in the article how a solid Pa. manufacture is now in with the off shore group. I guess money talks.

I’ve got to have a chat with my farmer to see what jives with planting beans this year. I’m shooting for first weekend of May possibly?

Well done son. Well done. Remind me to tell you about the first time I heard that classic sometime....