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I got an IRON deckhand to help me with my sawing!

Started by loudsam, February 17, 2006, 09:02:10 PM

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loudsam

I am SO happy today! I went to a tractor dealer in the area and found a terrific deal on a David Brown 1212 diesel tractor.  It's got a dynamite all hydraulic Case Front end loader, power steering,  Dual trac tire chains, brand new adjustable width pallet forks, 65 horsepower and only 2700 hours on the tractor.  Wide front tires, of course.  It's a great looking tractor that's been well maintained.  I knew I wouldn't get far without a way to move logs around.  I even broke down and bought some cant hooks.  Life is SO good!  I have plenty of other work, (besides sawing logs),  to do around the place and this ole girl is going to save me some work! 8)  I can hardly wait to drive my tractor passed my neighbors farm when they deliver it, (for free), next Monday! ;D  I gotta give some thanks though to my Brother-in Law, and partner, "loggerson", (on the forum), for advising me during my purchase and prior to it since I have no experience with tractors or logging and he knows alot about  both.  Thanks Ed! :)  I had a GREAT morning!

loggerson


loudsam

You better break out your longjohns Ed, we're going to have some work to do! :D

jpgreen

Congrats Doug.. smiley_beertoast

I remember how excited I was when I got Biscuit... my little Kubota..  :)
-95 Wood-Mizer LT40HD 27 Hp Kawasaki water cooled engine-

loudsam

Thanks JPGreen!  I feel like a kid, I don't think I can contain myself till they get it here next Monday!  I bought a Corvette once and I'm more excited and happy about this acquisition than I was about that Corvette!  Now, all I have to do is learn how to drive it, and learn how to saw logs, and I'll probably have to learn a whole lot of other things.  So, expect a LOT of questions!

Doug

Dana

Congratulations on that tractor. 8) Don't forget the photo's on Monday when it's delivered. I don't remember if you said its a diesel. If it is, park her close to an electric outlet if its as cold there as it is here. Plug in 2 or 3 hours before starting usually does the trick when its near or just below zero.
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

loudsam

Hi Dana,  Yea, the ole girls oil fired.  The temps dropped to 28 below last night.  I've even got the Dodge plugged in.  I'm going to clear a spot inside where I'll keep the David Brown.  Maybe in the living room! ;D  Thanks for the Congrats!  I'll take pictures when it gets here!!!

Doug :)

wiam

I have been around a David Brown for close to thirty years.  What year is yours?  This  one will not start if it is not plugged in if it is under 50 degrees.

Will

loggerson


Chris Burchfield

Congradulations on the tractor. I told wife after Kenny Chesney wrote "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" I wanted a tractor instead of a Bass Boat.
Woodmizer LT40SH W/Command Control; 51HP Cat, Memphis TN.

loudsam

Quote from: wiam on February 18, 2006, 05:48:30 PM
I have been around a David Brown for close to thirty years.  What year is yours?  This  one will not start if it is not plugged in if it is under 50 degrees.

Will

Other then hard starting, how have you liked the tractor?  This David Brown came off of a Dairy/Beef farm.  The dealer knew the previous owner.  Everyone knows everyone in this area.  Whatever he used it for, he sure didn't use it much, by the looks of it.  We'll just have to keep it plugged in.  It's a 1975.  Thanks for the heads-up on the starting problem.

Doug

jpgreen

-95 Wood-Mizer LT40HD 27 Hp Kawasaki water cooled engine-

loudsam

No, I'm afraid not JPGreen.  It's 2wd.  The chains should help some, at least getting it through the snow.

Doug

scsmith42

Doug, congrats on the new member of your family!

If the forks will pick up more weight than the back end of the tractor will offset, you can add a concrete counterweight to the three point hitch.

Looking forward to the pix.

Scott
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

loudsam

Thanks Scott!  The loader, to me, looks like it means business.  It's a Case loader, looks like it came from the factory with it.  I'll know what it'll do with a log on it in a couple of days.  May need the counter weight like you advised.  I'm thinking of loading the mill on a trailer, and putting the trailer on the tractor, and driving over to the property where I'm buying the logs from, and doing some sawing there to see what I've got. ;)

wiam

The hard starting was an issue for a lot of years but a couple years ago I put a new glowplug in it, and with this it started down to about 10 degrees without  plugging in.



This was a late sixties 996.  Make sure your tires are loaded.  With these chains and loaded tires it would go about anywhere in the snow.  It now has a noisy engine and I have another tractor.

Will

loudsam

Hey Will,  thanks for the info.  This might sound silly but, can I load the tires myself or do I have to have it done?

My Mom grew up on a farm.  My luck, I'll have to ask her to teach me how to drive it!  Am I pathetic, or what?

Doug

scsmith42

Doug, typically a tractor dealer would load the tires for you.  The tool to do it is cheap (ten bucks or so at an agricultural supply house), but the cost is in purchasing the glycol in bulk.  I am aware of antifreeze and calcium chloride being used, but the glycol seems to be the most popular option around here (cost and longevity reasons).

Scott
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

loudsam

Thanks for the info Scott!  The David Brown, minus the loader is around 6000 lbs, from what I've been able to ascertain.  You mentioned earlier that added weight in the rear end would probably help me in lifting with the loader.  If the tires aren't already loaded on my tractor, (which I know NOT), then it would seem that loading them would be a good idea???  The tractor is still at the dealers so I could probably get them to perform that while it's there.  How much, offhand, (ball park figure), do you think it would cost?  And what about in the summer when the ground is soft, more damage to the ground?  Thanks in advance!!!

Doug

WH_Conley

Had all 4 tires on my 7000 Ford loaded a couple of years ago, cost me $140.00. That was coming to the farm, providing the calcium and labor.
Bill

loudsam

Thanks WH_Conley!  Doesn't sound like it would cost me too much if I just had them do it before they delivered my David Brown.  For a 2wd tractor, do they usually just load the rears?

Doug

sawguy21

I was the snomobile mechanic and gofer at a farm equipment dealership in the mid 70's. Unloading tractor tires so they could be repaired was a miserable job. The reversing switch on the pump didn't work so I had to disconnect the hose and turn the pump around. The calcium retty much destroyed my coveralls and I sure found burns and cuts in a hurry. If you want to do it at home, a swimming pool pump will work with a clip on tire chuck. Remove the tire valve core. Be careful, those tires are HEAVY.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Dana

Just a suggestion. Do Not use cloride in the tires. It causes corrosion and eventually will rust out the rim. There is a product out there called Rim Guard which is a by product of some fermintation process, beer I think. A lot of other non-corrosive fluids available. I would spend the extra 20 bucks a tire for the non-corrosive myself. If the dealership cant get it, most farm areas have mobile trucks that can come to your house and fill there. Our tractors are 2wd and get along pretty good in the snow with chains and the rear tires filled.
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

loudsam

Thanks for the info Sawguy!  And, a very good point about the corrosion Dana.  I think when I call in the morning, I'll mention some type of non-corrosive fluid they might have for the tires.  I sure am glad I've got YOUS to ask questions of.  Every morning I wake up, and my plans are bigger and more complicated than the day before.  My brother in law was asked by a friend of the family if we would saw 20 to 30 cords of some kind of Cedar.  I told him to ask the guy if he would want to share it.  With all my "planning", it might be a good idea to learn something about sawing.  I don't think coming across lots of timber to saw is going to be any problem up here where I live!  The problem might be;  How do I graciously turn down work???  Thanks for help!

Doug

beenthere

loudsam
As this is a farm tractor, I'd be surprised if the tires are not already loaded. You can find that out when you call. I'd not go to the expense of changing from calcium chloride if its what is already in them, however. 
The Rim Guard is heavier and is a product of beets (sugar beets I believe) and is a relatively new product.
I use windshield washer fluid for weight, and it works well. Probably slush below -20°F, so may not work in the colder climate you have up in that 'banana' belt by Lake Superior.  :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

loudsam

Yea Beenthere, good point about the tires probably already being loaded.  Banana Belt?  You might be calling me a monkey!  Nah, you wouldn't do that, being a cheesehead and all!

Doug

beenthere

Banana belt
That comes from a friend who grew up at Herbster, WI on the big Lake. The lake water would keep a strip along the shore on the 'warm' side apparently, thus the reference to the 'banana' belt. I think it was wishful thinking....... ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

wiam

I would reccomend the Rimgaurd also.  That came in my last tractor.  But I would not change if it already had chloride.  The damage has already been done.   With the loader on the front there should not be much reason to load the front tires.

Will

scsmith42

Doug, I'd recommend against loading the front tires.  With the weight of the loader you won't need them loaded, and it increases the wear on the front wheel bearings.

Ditto the other comments in that the rear tires are probably already loaded, but have the dealer make sure.  Also ditto on using something other than calcium chloride, unless that is what's already in them.

Good luck.

Scott
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

jpgreen

... tell em' you coulda swore the sales man said the tires where already done and ready to go..  :D
-95 Wood-Mizer LT40HD 27 Hp Kawasaki water cooled engine-

loudsam

Do you guys realize how much I've learned just about tractors since I joined this forum??  If I only knew how to drive one :D!  I don't imagine all tractors are quite the same, so there's probably not much sense in asking if anyone could give me pointers like how do I know which lever is for shifting gears, etc.
I'll figure it out.  You all are sure a help for me though.  When I learn something about sawing lumber, and moving logs, and felling trees, I promise I'll be happy to share it with newbies on this forum, like me!  If anyone wants to know anything about driving a ship, I'll be happy to teach them! ;D

Thanks guys, 8)
Doug

beenthere

Won't be much different than a shift car, if that is in your experience. There isn't a rudder to steer it from the back (unless you will feel more comfortable driving in reverse at first  :) ).

A few things different will be the main gear shift lever likely will be between your knees. There will probably be several gear selections for forward and some for reverse (all will be different speeds of movement). You probably have a split transmission with say 3 gears forward and one for reverse. and then a second gear shift for another selection of speeds within each of the main gears. The same speed selection will be for the reverse gear as well. Put it in lo until you get used to what will happen when you let the clutch out. I think the 1220 has 12 forward and 4 reverse speed selections. Depending on the work you are doing (slow to fast) you will have many options.

The brakes will come one for each rear wheel. These are used to stop a wheel from rotating, such as when wanting to turn a sharp corner or wanting to stop a wheel from spinning because there is no traction. Just keep in mind that due to the rear differential, when one wheel stops the other goes twice as fast.  When in road gear (moving fast) it is good practice to lock the two brake pedals together to avoid applying the brake to just one wheel at a time, for safety.

There is usually a manual throttle to set the rpm of the diesel. When operating, you can decide if a high rpm is needed for the job. Half throttle for learning should work good. Some tractors also have a foot throttle to control the rpm, but don't know if your David Bradley will have that.

Starting the diesel will probably have a particular format to follow and getting help from the dealer would be good here, along with some instructions as to how to operate the tractor and care for it. You should have some good times with this outfit.

Here is a site with more information on the David Bradley 1212
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

loudsam

Thanks alot Beenthere!  I have never had a need or occasion, (even though I've always lived up North), to drive a tractor, or even ask someone what it's like to drive a tractor.  I do have some experience with a diesel engine.  You don't know how great it is to have someone take the time and effort to tell me these things!  Thanks!

Doug

P>S, any other advice is appreciated to the max!

Larry

No brakes on the front axle.  Maximum weight on the loader, little downhill, and a slick surface...you could be in for a fast downhill ride with no way to stop.  Its not a problem so long as you are aware that it can happen...and happen fast.

Have fun and think safety with that new beast.

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

loudsam

Hey Larry thanks, I really needed that, (truly).  It scares me just thinking about it.  Thanks for the warning.   At first, hopefully, I'll just be loading logs on the mill, maybe moving them around the yard a little bit.  I'm not going to be in a hurry to hurt myself, or anyone else, or any equipment for that matter.  Sure helps to know these things in advance.

Doug

scsmith42

Re tractor operation - here are a couple of safety comments.

First - when you're moving around with a load on the forks, carry it as close to the ground as is reasonably possible, to minimize the potential to tip the tractor over.  A pile of cut boards or logs weighing 3000 lbs carried a foot off the ground will hit the ground before the tractor goes over.  The same pile - 4' in the air - will dump the tractor over when turning or on a slope.

Second - farm tractors CAN BE DANGEROUS.  Every time that you get off the tractor, lower your load to the ground, set the parking brake, and be sure that BOTH transmission selectors (gear and range) are in neutral.  I cannot stress enough the importance of putting both the range selector and the gear selector in neutral!  It is all too easy to catch one of the shift levers with your boot or pants leg when you're getting on and off the tractor, and if you don't have both levers in neutral the tractor can, AND WILL, jump into gear, run over you (or through a building, over your mill, dog, kids, wife, etc).  The newer, "flat deck" tractors are not as dangerous as the older ones that have the gearing between your legs and the high tunnel. but I still prefer not to temp fate...

The 3 point hitch has two levers - up/down and draft.  Draft is a sensitivity adjustment that raises the implement when the tractor starts to bog down.  For your usage, you probably won't need to change the draft.

Grease your loader and steering zerk fittings on a routine basis with a high quality grease.  Modern high-quality greases are usually good for 40 operating hours, but go more often if there is a lot of load /wear on the joint.

Avoid the use of starting fluid if you can.  Glowplugs and/or block heaters are much gentler on the engine.

Make sure that the brakes are properly adjusted (wheel and parking) and in excellent operating condition.  Check the tire air pressure on a regular basis too.  I've rolled front tires off of the rims by picking up maximum loads and a front tire was a little low. The first time this happened to me I was unloading a 3,600lb pallet of cement from the bed of my brand new Ford King Ranch dually.  When the tire popped the pallet slammed into the tailgate and made it look like a bananna...  Not a good thing for my blood pressure or the neighor's kids sensitive ears...

Don't walk under the loader when there is a load on it.  Be aware that most hydraulic cylinders will bleed down a bit, and the tilt cylinders on a loader seem to do this more than the lift cylinders.  That means that if you leave a load on the forks, in the air for 30  minutes or so they may tilt down and your load falls off.  

Check all of the hydraulic hoses carefully.  Any that look severly worn - REPLACE.  It is much cheaper to proactively replace than have to replace a bunch of lost oil, not to mention damaging the pump.  Getting sprayed with 3000 psi hot hydraulic oil when a hose breaks is not an enjoyable experience.  

I would suggest that you change all lubricants and filters (or have the dealer do so as part of the package) right off the bat.

Ditto Larry's comments about having fun while thinking safety.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

jpgreen

-95 Wood-Mizer LT40HD 27 Hp Kawasaki water cooled engine-

wiam


Dan_Shade

Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

wiam


loudsam

There's no ROPS on the tractor.  Why on earth would you need a seatbelt on a tractor??  Do you guys really wear them?  I was thinking that I would install a ROPS, and I like the idea of a protective cage, for falling limbs, etc, around the operators seat.  I've even been considering fabricating a heated cab.  Why the seatbelt?  I must be missing something.  So that you wouldn't fall off the tractor, I would think???  Can't imagine that it would be for sudden stops, except to keep from falling off?  Scott,  Thanks a bunch for all the great safety and operating advice!  I've got a WHOLE bunch more insight about how a tractor operates. 

wiam

If you have a ROPS you need a seatbelt.  The seatbelt will keep you inside the ROPS if the tractor rolls over.  If you do not have a ROPS you should NOT wear a belt.

Will

loudsam

Quote from: wiam on February 19, 2006, 11:08:48 PM
If you have a ROPS you need a seatbelt.  The seatbelt will keep you inside the ROPS if the tractor rolls over.  If you do not have a ROPS you should NOT wear a belt.

Will

Very simple explanation!  Thanks Will.  I don't know if I would have figured it out!  Makes sense now though. ???  Something else I've found out since I've started this thread.  David Brown tractors were made in England!  They're very popular there, but aren't made anymore.  David Brown was a subsidiary of Case, and Case bought them out, or took them over or something.  I've searched for parts and they seem to be relatively easy to find. ;D

wiam

On my 995 I gave up on trying to keep regulators on the Lucas alternator and put a Delco on it.  Parts that are available at dealer are $$$$.  Does it have a paper air filter on the hood?

Will

loudsam

I don't know about the filter on the hood.  I didn't see one.  But, it was about 15 degrees below, and I wasn't noticing much.  I did call the dealer and she said the tires are loaded, she checked while I was on the phone.  She's also going way out of her way making sure the tractor is in A1 shape for me when it's delivered.  I would gladly give anyone her business ph# and address!  Top notch service, so far.

UNCLEBUCK

Usually if its below freezing you should be able to see the frost line on your rear tires from the fluid in them and you can see how much is in each tire.  My cousins are clutch riders , feeding cattle and going through gates all day with the throttle set at 3/4 open and they burn up clutches . A clutch should be engaged at idle speed I tell them but its something they never got use to . Congrats on your tractor and I sure would love to hear about your ship driving !
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

loudsam

Quote from: UNCLEBUCK on February 21, 2006, 12:27:21 AM
Usually if its below freezing you should be able to see the frost line on your rear tires from the fluid in them and you can see how much is in each tire.  My cousins are clutch riders , feeding cattle and going through gates all day with the throttle set at 3/4 open and they burn up clutches . A clutch should be engaged at idle speed I tell them but its something they never got use to . Congrats on your tractor and I sure would love to hear about your ship driving !

To show you how DUMB I am;  I thought a "clutch rider" was some kind of title for a ranch hand on a cattle ranch!  It took me a few times reading the post before I combined it with riding the clutch. 

The ships I work on are owned/operated by American Steamship Company exclusively on the Great Lakes.  I'm licensed by the Coast Guard as 1st Class Pilot, (not as high tech or interesting as it sounds), but, In reality I'm usually just thought of as 1st Mate or sometimes 2nd Mate and I supervise a navigational watch.  I do navigate though, or "drive" the ship.  The Captain, also a 1st Class Pilot on Great Lakes Vessels is the REAL pilot.  He's the one that manuevers the ship in harbors, etc.  It's all probably not nearly as interesting as it sounds!

UNCLEBUCK

Oh I am fascinated by the big ships on the great lakes . My neighbor is a retired ship captain on the great lakes and when he walks into the barber shop everyone just kind of goes silent for a moment because he just has that look about him . Hope you tell about it someday  ;D
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

loudsam

UncleBuck, If your ever going to be coming around the Duluth/Superior harbor for any reason during the shipping season, send me a PM and let me know when you'll be here.  I've been riding on a 1000 footer that's up here about once a week.  I would be really happy to be able to take you on a tour of the ship.  Of course, you would have to stay for dinner.

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