JoeM 7,873 #1 Posted November 6, 2023 Finally found one held together by wire. (electrical / copper) in this case. This is a C hydro I picked up. Strange maintenance on the machine. Well greased, good engine oil, trany serviced, tight steering.... good bones. Here is the strange part. wire holding rear rock shaft mount tight, pop rivets used as cotter pins, wiring......well we will just call that eliminated. It is beyond me how someone can service a machine so well and jury rig the rest of it. 3 3 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,739 #2 Posted November 6, 2023 18 minutes ago, JoeM said: wire holding rear rock shaft mount tight, pop rivets used as cotter pins, wiring......well we will just call that eliminated. Tell us more, your giving me ideas 1 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,614 #3 Posted November 6, 2023 @JoeM easy enough to make up a bolt on bracket, that gas cap is another looser , don't hesitate to make that better , bet you every related " movement point " has the dry . rusty neglect zone . time for an improvement change , pete Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 38,149 #4 Posted November 6, 2023 1 hour ago, JoeM said: wire holding rear rock shaft mount tight I like it. Holds it together till he got the fender pan bolted on. He even used the RED wire. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 8,316 #5 Posted November 6, 2023 Was the previous owner a Meat Cutter by chance??? BUTCHER !!!!! 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,441 #6 Posted November 6, 2023 3 hours ago, JoeM said: It is beyond me how someone can..... I don't get too surprised by much anymore. Just this morning I was making a delivery where there was a backhoe. Compact utility size. Not very old at all. Paint wasn't even faded. But the machine was sitting outside and covered from stem to stern in leaves dust and dirt. Absolutely baffling to me that somebody could spend 25 Grand or whatever it was and not bother to pick up a $200 tarp. My own father. Love him to pieces. His idea of maintenance and repair.... Well let's just say it's very different from mine. 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 25,539 #7 Posted November 6, 2023 7 minutes ago, ebinmaine said: But the machine was sitting outside and covered from stem to stern in leaves dust and dirt. And... What was your offer to help him out by putting it in the back of your truck? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,441 #8 Posted November 6, 2023 2 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said: And... What was your offer to help him out by putting it in the back of your truck? No thanks. It was one of them newfangled ones. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,214 #9 Posted November 6, 2023 24 minutes ago, ebinmaine said: No thanks. It was one of them newfangled ones. “Ran until it just stopped!” Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cafoose 3,354 #10 Posted November 6, 2023 How's this for a farmer fix? I did it myself today and it works like a charm 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 6,998 #11 Posted November 7, 2023 probably works well - until it snags your sock and trips you up when you try to climb off is someday. Murphy's Law, ya know....... 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cafoose 3,354 #12 Posted November 7, 2023 6 hours ago, 8ntruck said: probably works well - until it snags your sock and trips you up when you try to climb off is someday. Murphy's Law, ya know....... Already thought of that. I twisted the wire tight and pointed the ends towards the center away from my feet 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darb1964 1,042 #13 Posted November 7, 2023 Sometimes it's the situation a person finds themselves in, need a quick fix to get a job done, health all of a sudden changes, life priorities change. When I was younger and much healthier I couldn't understand that type of neglect but now my health isn't great and I definitely can. When I was younger and healthy I would keep my home and yard perfectly maintained, I took pride in keeping my vehicles and equipment clean, shiny and well maintained. In the end it's just steel and plastic, a tool for a job. 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 6,998 #14 Posted November 8, 2023 Got to confess I did something similar today. Was using my tow behind sweeper in the annual battle with the leaves and one end of the rod that supports the back of the fabric catcher bag lost its fastener and pulled out. The end of the rod was not threaded, nor was it drilled for a hairpin type spring clip. Must have been fastened with a spring nut of some sort. I ended up drilling the rod for a spring clip, which I didn't have any in stock. Instead, I threw a washer on the rod, then cut a piece of electric fence wire, threaded it through the hole I drilled and wound the ends around the rod to keep it in place. It held the sweeper together for the rest of the day. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 16,994 #15 Posted November 8, 2023 2 minutes ago, 8ntruck said: Got to confess I did something similar today. Was using my tow behind sweeper in the annual battle with the leaves and one end of the rod that supports the back of the fabric catcher bag lost its fastener and pulled out. The end of the rod was not threaded, nor was it drilled for a hairpin type spring clip. Must have been fastened with a spring nut of some sort. I ended up drilling the rod for a spring clip, which I didn't have any in stock. Instead, I threw a washer on the rod, then cut a piece of electric fence wire, threaded it through the hole I drilled and wound the ends around the rod to keep it in place. It held the sweeper together for the rest of the day. You will be called a butcher now! LOL I fix stuff fast (Butcher) all the time. I'll have time to do all of it right and perfect whenever I retire and have the time. But for now, I just need it to work! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 16,994 #16 Posted November 8, 2023 11 hours ago, Darb1964 said: Sometimes it's the situation a person finds themselves in, need a quick fix to get a job done, health all of a sudden changes, life priorities change. When I was younger and much healthier I couldn't understand that type of neglect but now my health isn't great and I definitely can. When I was younger and healthy I would keep my home and yard perfectly maintained, I took pride in keeping my vehicles and equipment clean, shiny and well maintained. In the end it's just steel and plastic, a tool for a job. Right, one never knows the situation. Maybe a 12 year old kid without a father needed it to mow the lawn. Divorced mother can't afford to pay a repair shop to fix it Young man with no mechanical ability, tools or knowledge just needs it to work. Old man that can't do the things he used to be able to do Then there's always the "I don't give a Kr app". It only needs to work until I buy a new one Don't be too harsh on the butchers out there. Some have some pretty good ingenuity and are pretty resourceful. Not everyone has the skills, abilities, tools or the time to do a factory correct repair. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 6,998 #17 Posted November 8, 2023 17 minutes ago, wallfish said: You will be called a butcher now! LOL I fix stuff fast (Butcher) all the time. I'll have time to do all of it right and perfect whenever I retire and have the time. But for now, I just need it to work! At least I planned ahead for the proper fix. All I got to do is find the proper hairpin and replace the fence wire with it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,214 #18 Posted November 8, 2023 17 hours ago, wallfish said: whenever I retire In my very limited experience, old habits don’t die at retirement! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee1977 6,656 #19 Posted November 8, 2023 21 hours ago, wallfish said: Right, one never knows the situation. Maybe a 12 year old kid without a father needed it to mow the lawn. Divorced mother can't afford to pay a repair shop to fix it Young man with no mechanical ability, tools or knowledge just needs it to work. Old man that can't do the things he used to be able to do Then there's always the "I don't give a Kr app". It only needs to work until I buy a new one Don't be too harsh on the butchers out there. Some have some pretty good ingenuity and are pretty resourceful. Not everyone has the skills, abilities, tools or the time to do a factory correct repair. If your that old farmer, or doing work for someone, there's no pay until the job is finished. Some times it's a long way back to the shop got fix it with what you have . 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ohiofarmer 3,265 #20 Posted November 9, 2023 You mean like a big zip tie to hold the ball tight to the tie rod end? still choochin after a year 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,441 #21 Posted November 9, 2023 42 minutes ago, ohiofarmer said: You mean like a big zip tie to hold the ball tight to the tie rod end? still choochin after a year We've had more than one go through our shop that had fine mechanics wire doing that job. Appeared to work pretty well. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 6,998 #22 Posted November 10, 2023 On 11/9/2023 at 3:46 AM, ohiofarmer said: You mean like a big zip tie to hold the ball tight to the tie rod end? still choochin after a year I used electric fence wire on mine when it came apart a couple years ago. Same roll the sweeper repair came from, I think. Yes, the tie rod has been replaced. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee1977 6,656 #23 Posted November 11, 2023 I replaced my tire rods with Hiems Joints when they came apart. That was 34 years ago have had that problem since. All my tractors get hiems joins right after I bring them home. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
23 Reo 229 #24 Posted November 11, 2023 That's not a hack job it's art. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites