Not good when Stuff happens

Magicman · August 18, 2011, 10:26:39 PM

I was bushhogging today at the Tree Farm and got one of these. :-\

Yes, that is a rear tractor tire with either a Honey Locust or Mock Orange thorn in it. I didn't have my trailer with me, so I've got to go back, take that baby off, and load it up. :-\ I could have gotten through bushhoggiing tomorrow.

Dan_Shade · August 18, 2011, 10:29:47 PM

flat tires stink

if you had 100 goats out there, you wouldn't have gotten the flat tire....

Magicman · August 18, 2011, 11:01:53 PM

If I had 100 goats out there they would be gone because I don't have fences anymore. ;D Trees don't get out. :D :D

Coon · August 19, 2011, 01:42:27 AM

Nah Magic the goat wouldn't have gone too far.... cuz they'd be up in the trees. :D :D

redbeard · August 19, 2011, 01:58:36 AM

I had a limb pop up and stab my valve stem last summer on my rear tractor tire didn't even have enough time to drive it in a open area so I could work on it easily. Turned into a huge job my rims and centers had to be replaced due to rust from calcium. Plus I had to do other side cause the set was 1 inch smaller in diameter. Hope yours goes well. Those thorns must be tiff to get threw a tractor tire.

Chris Burchfield · August 19, 2011, 08:06:02 AM

I'm kinda out of business right now cause of one of them. A little bit worse, not a thorn which I'm subject to but, a tear along the bead. Not sure how. A new tire and tube runs just under $500 that I don't have. I have forks on the back of my Ford 4000 I use to move logs around. As opposed to skidding them through the dirt to the mill. I do have a couple of saw jobs lined up that would likely cover the cost. Biggest problem is I'm a fair weathered sawyer and blacksmith. When we hit above 90°F here in Memphis, humidity causes the heat index to be at or above 100. I do grill ribs, butts and shoulders but, I do not do whole hog. Getting me out in heat like that is doing whole hog which I don't do!

paul case · August 19, 2011, 08:58:41 AM

i spent yesterday afternoon helping my dad fix one of those tractor rear tires. 18.4-34. he already had it jacked up so we could take it off. we rolled it to the back of the pickup and used the hydraulic bale bed to pick it up and haul it to the shop. the tire was an old rag and was far expired. dad had bought a set of duals that size a few years back just for the tires, so we took one of those off and put on his tractors rim. we drive a 4x4 3/4 ton pickup's front tire up on the tractor tire to break it down off the bead and then some old (primitive) tire tools to get the tire off the rim. his had calcuim in it too but no cancer. we greased the rim and put her back together. all total it took 2 1/2 hours including the time we had to sit on a bucket in front of the fan.
new tires would double the tractors value, since we only gave $1100 for it a couple years ago.
good luck magic. pc

Chuck White · August 19, 2011, 09:27:13 AM

Quote from: redbeard on August 19, 2011, 01:58:36 AM
I had a limb pop up and stab my valve stem last summer on my rear tractor tire didn't even have enough time to drive it in a open area so I could work on it easily. Turned into a huge job my rims and centers had to be replaced due to rust from calcium. Plus I had to do other side cause the set was 1 inch smaller in diameter. Hope yours goes well. Those thorns must be tiff to get threw a tractor tire.

Those Locust thorns are deffinitely tough.

If they're the ones I'm thinking of, even the thorns have thorns on them.

Magicman · August 19, 2011, 06:13:39 PM

Yup, that's them Chuck. I carried the trailer over this morning, aired the tire up, took it off, loaded it onto my trailer and off to the tire shop. They patched 4 holes while I removed the thorns from the tire. They then proceeded to pinch the tube between the tire and rim when they aired it up. Split the tube open. Yup, off to the Co-Op to get a new tube. I'm still not satisfied that all is OK, but it is back on the tractor. At least I am now $100 lighter than I was when I left home this morning. :-\

Coon · August 20, 2011, 12:27:59 PM

Wow, you carried your trailer all the way to the tractor, whew you must be tired n have a sore back now. ;) :D

Autocar · August 20, 2011, 03:07:02 PM

I had one of those a week ago on Monday $213.00 later I was logging again!

DanG · August 24, 2011, 08:50:42 PM

Quote from: Coon on August 20, 2011, 12:27:59 PM
Wow, you carried your trailer all the way to the tractor, whew you must be tired n have a sore back now. ;) :D

He's from the South, Coon. Southern people can carry a lot more than Yankees and Canucks.

Magicman · August 24, 2011, 09:12:45 PM

Heck, I can even carry on foolishness. :D :D

thecfarm · August 25, 2011, 07:26:26 AM

Must be the Grits. :D

OneWithWood · August 25, 2011, 08:33:10 PM

Just another reason I don't particularly care for honey locust.

Glad you got it fixed without too much else going wrong.

Magicman · August 27, 2011, 09:46:35 PM

I drove over to the tree farm this morning to finish my bushhogging today. NOT

That $100 repair job was just that. $100 gone. I can not say much about the intelligence of the new tire repair shop owners, but I am a witness to their ~~competency~~ incompetency. I avoided a conflict when they split my tube and really owed me a new one, and I will also avoid this one. When you are outnumbered and playing in someone else's playground, the best thing to do sometimes is to just leave.

I'll go back over Monday with a trailer, load the tire up and go to a different tire repair shop.

I did get a lot of stuff done. Changed the oil, hydraulic oil, and all of the filters. I also filled a leaking gearbox on the Bushhog with high temp grease.

I have to replace that lower seal before it cost me many $$$.

paul case · August 27, 2011, 09:56:13 PM

Quote from: Magicman on August 27, 2011, 09:46:35 PM
I also filled a leaking gearbox on the Bushhog with high temp grease.

I have to replace that lower seal before it cost me many $$$.

i am not sure about that costing that much. my dad has one that the seal went out on when his dad had it(passed away in 1970). we have used it off and on for all my life just pumping a tube of gun grease into the gearbox each time we use it. still works well. dad says it will last you a lifetime , if you die when you should. pc

thecfarm · August 28, 2011, 08:16:55 AM

I would not bring my ball back and play with them at thier play ground again. ;) I feel the fault was theirs for pitching the tire. You did the right thing. Sometimes it's just not worth it.

paul case · August 28, 2011, 09:17:35 AM

oh i forgot to mention, i am proud of you for taking the high road.

my dad protest bad service at a restaurant by tipping, maybe not a much but still leaving a tip, and then not going there again. it takes a lot more stuff to put up with it for a while but it shows smarts to not subject yourself to it given the chance.

screw me once, shame on you. screw me twice, shame on me.

if i was within an hour of you i would come out to your tree farm and help you fix that tire. pc

Magicman · August 28, 2011, 09:42:56 AM

Your comments mean a lot to me Paul. Thanks.

Al_Smith · August 28, 2011, 12:19:17 PM

This spring I had a 12.4 by 28 tire full of fluid split itself apart .The water valve was shot so I just bought a new tube for 50 bucks .

After taking a little better tire and cutting a 3 feet long boot with two reinforced patchs in the tire and a day of hard labor I'm back in business .Considering the Fergeson TO -20 tracter was made in 1951 and the tires probabley that old it comes as no surprise they gave up the ghost after that length of time .

I've done some 34's in my day and that really is a chore .

Al_Smith · August 28, 2011, 12:24:18 PM

Oh say not that's it's any of my business but gun grease won't work as well as oil .People have tried it on dozer track rollers instead of regular roller lube because the seals got blown out .Then after a period of time they get to rebuild the whole roller assembley instead of just the seals .--Ask me how I know . :-[

Magicman · August 28, 2011, 02:32:07 PM

Yup, I only have about 4 more acres to cut and then I will be done bushhogging. Seals are in my future.

Plus, your expert advice is very much your business and very much appreciated my me.

Magicman · August 28, 2011, 05:42:25 PM

The saga continues.
:-\

I'll have it at the tire repair shop in the morning. I already have an appointment with the shop owner.

PC-Urban-Sawyer · August 29, 2011, 12:27:13 AM

Quote from: Magicman on August 24, 2011, 09:12:45 PM
Heck, I can even carry on foolishness. :D :D

DanG, MagicMan! I thought you had to be "veddy British" to Carry On...

Herb

Dan_Shade · August 29, 2011, 07:01:04 AM

MM, do you have any local "come out and fix em" guys?

My dad always preferred to repair tractor tires with the rim attached to the tractor. He'd take his work truck to the site, and fix it up for them.

much easier than manhandling a heavy tire/wheel, especially if it had calcium in it.

Al_Smith · August 29, 2011, 07:41:23 AM

You can't hardly handle even a 12.4 by 28 tire filled with fluid unless you have equipment .Those things could break a leg in a heart beat if they ever tipped over on you .

I've changed them in my shop by using the double set of overhead crane rails and chain falls but not everybody has such a set up .Even then you have to drain the fluid in 5 gallon buckets which takes quite a few then pump the stuff back in the tire .We're talking half a day .

I did only one 13.4 by 38 on a John Deere A once ,on the tractor .That was when I was about 30 years old .What a job that was .At twice that age now I doubt I'll ever repeat that performance .

Just so ya know they have non corrosive fluid now which replaced calcium chloride ,it's not cheap .Often times if you break down say a 40 year old tire you spend a goodly amount of time welding the holes in the rim left by the calcium .

Magicman · August 29, 2011, 07:52:46 AM

Quote from: Dan_Shade on August 29, 2011, 07:01:04 AM
MM, do you have any local "come out and fix em" guys?

I don't even have a "take it to um and get it fixed" guy close to me anymore. Especially with this last episode. I'll have to haul this about 30 miles to get it fixed.

I have nothing but air in my tires. I'm not pulling a heavy disk so traction is not an issue.

Magicman · September 04, 2011, 06:45:37 PM

Monday morning and ready to haul the tractor tire to the tire repair shop. :-\ :-\

Yup, now I have two flats. :-\

Tractor tire fixed and I also haul a load of 1X6's and 1X8's for the Cabin Addition.

And then when you think everything is OK.

I hairlipped a bushhog wheel. Actually, the tubing was not welded on two sides. I have an Acetylene torch and stick welder at the Tree Farm, but I just brought it home. I would rather use the wire welder.

zopi · September 04, 2011, 07:03:08 PM

Went to help a bonehead pull his bucket truck out of the swamp yesterday...neighbor showed up with big honkin john deere...pulled the kid out and he promptly drove past the tractor and cut a thousand dollar front tire with the outrigger on his truck....I sort of shrugged and left.

bushhog920 · September 04, 2011, 10:23:01 PM

this is why i like my 30 yr old tires, soo hard their just about bullet proff

Magicman · September 07, 2011, 09:43:25 PM

I welded the wheel bracket back together this afternoon. At least this time all 4 sides are welded. ;D

Hopefully, better than new.

Coon · September 08, 2011, 12:04:09 AM

Now that you welded that up so good there wont be any give to it and something else may break. ;) ;D

Magicman · September 11, 2011, 07:30:25 AM

I'm back to running all 3 wheels again.

I'll need to make a final grass "knockdown" before the "Chickin Crispin". ;D

paul case · September 11, 2011, 08:53:58 AM

i am a little afraid a lot of folks in texas and oklahoma would really like to have the fodder off from your mower! ;D pc

doctorb · September 11, 2011, 08:56:16 AM

With all this trouble of haulin', and flat tires, and weldin', and trips to two different tire guys, and hydraulic fluid, and grease......there's only one question that needs to be answered.

"HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THE HONEY LOCUSTS?" :D ;D

Magicman · September 11, 2011, 09:05:21 AM

Get rid of the Honey Locust.

Then how would I know what to try to avoid to keep from getting flat tires ???

Al_Smith · September 11, 2011, 07:31:58 PM

:D The only thing that won't get a flat on is a crawler or a set of skeleton wheels like the Amish .Then the problem is two fold .First finding a set of skeleton wheels to fit a more modern John Deere .Secondly with a crawler if the track and under carriage is shot you toss the tracks .Real neat to get retracked especially in a swamp .Been there .

Now that bush hog .That triple trail wheel set is is much better than a single trail wheel .The former has a tendency to really dig up the dirt on a turn .

Magicman · September 11, 2011, 09:25:25 PM

I have a complete set of steel wheels, but they fit an 8N Ford. I remember that they would shake your teeth out. :-\

When I bought that 8' Bushhog, the salesman wanted to know if I wanted 1 or 2 trail wheels. It did not take much discussion to decide on 3. They certainly are blade savers. Also, it is not set up as a lift or a true pull behind. I use a Quick Hitch and pull it in a semi-lift fashion. I control the cut height with the tractor's lift arms and the rear trail wheels with a hydraulic cylinder.

Al_Smith · September 12, 2011, 07:15:39 AM

I had a 60" Woods heavy duty with a "stump jumper" and a 50 HP gear box but a single trail wheel .Talk about a scalper,mercy .It took me about 15 years but I managed eventually to knock the gears out of that thing .Off to the auction it went .

At the time I was totally ignorant of places like Boston gear and priced every thing through Woods which of course is top dollar .Like over 900 for the two gears not to mention seals etc .Since then I've gained a lot of insight into dealing with supposedly OEM stuff .Had I been more enlightened at the time about 200 bucks and a little lathe work it could have been salvaged .Then again that many years ago I didn't own a metal lathe so it's just wishfull hindsight at this point .Live and learn .

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