Here's a "Talk About Anything" - II

bczoom

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Yea, I'm hoping it does save my bucket. The OEM bucket was pretty much shot so I had a new one made. Instead of the OEM 3/16" steel, it's now 1/4" and weighs around 40 pounds more. Seems much stronger. The added tooth bar should help keep the cutting edge of the bucket straight.
 

Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower

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Hey Greg, I have been looking at used mini excavators or maybe just renting one. But my land has a lot of hills and slopes and those things look a little top heavy or unstable. No outriggers either. how you ever used one like that?
 

bordercollie

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This is collie . I bought a Kubota U35 with a cab and it won't do what I thought it would. I can load limbs and small trees but have to put the blade down or it will rock a bit if the trees are much bigger than 500 lbs (guessing) . depends on the stretch too. It is nice being cool though. Still less than 500 hrs but those rubber tracks are a tad delicate on rough stuff. I wish I had my 45,000 back in savings at times... but I'm getting old and it does give me a smile- at least until I break something big.
 
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Doc

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I had the Kubota KX033. It performed great. But on hills I had a good bit of pucker factor. Didn't really need outriggers for that size but I always put the blade down for stability. Like collie said, the blade is the key. Without it down you rock an roll. I never noticed it being top heavy. Being new at it I did work slow and talked a good bit to a friend who is a heavy equipment operator by trade. His tips helped but nothing better than hands on experience.

Still amazed at the work it helped me do. And I could sure put one like it to work again, but have a hard time justifying the cash outlay. One of the tow behinds might be able to help me a bit. I would need one with at least the reach my KX033 had which was 11ft ....and I could have used more to reach up the hills to clear the brush away while sitting on the trail.

I got lucky when I found this one. If I remember right it was a 2017 and it had 500 hours on it. I bought it for 25k. used it a couple years and was able to sell it for a bit more than I paid. Very fortunate.
When I was shopping ones I found in the 10 to 15 price range seemed like they would cost me a lot of dollars in maintenance or repairs.

1.jpeg
 

Doc

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After posting my reply I took a look at FB marketplace for excavators.
This one looks interesting. :D

2023 FF 12 mini excavator​

$7,800 · In stock
Listed in Chapmanville, WV

Details​

  • Condition
    New
Description 2023 NEW FF-12 MINI EXCAVATOR WITH THUMB 39" PUSH BLADE Operation Weight 1 ton 2100 pounds Engine B&S HP 13.5 Capacity of bucket 0.03 m³ Max Digging Depth 65" Max Digging Height 94.5" Max Digging Distance 118" Min Rotation Radius 63.2" Max Angle of Climb 30° Max Load Height 65.7" Hydraulic oil: ISO 46 anti-wear hydraulic oil Motor oil: 10w-40 motor oil (-25°C-40°C) or 15w-40 motor oil Width of Original bucket: 15 "


Pics are not the best but here is one.

ExcavatorFF12-1.jpg
 

Doc

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Oh lordy. I feel the excavator bug taking hold again. LOL

I see the FB link above didn't work but here is a pic of another similar one for sale near springfield Ohio.

ExcavatorJX12-1.JPG
 

bordercollie

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This is a picture of mine... with a peacock named Big Daddy sitting on top. Ha, I had to move it back to the barn after I got done... he was thinking it was his throne.
 

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Bota Fett

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This is a picture of mine... with a peacock named Big Daddy sitting on top. Ha, I had to move it back to the barn after I got done... he was thinking it was his throne.
I just know he's going to leave a nice "present" for you,:poop: on that shiny new machine! I have a red truck and every time I wash it, the birds use it for target practice.
 

bordercollie

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True Bota Fett. That's one thing they do well - the peas I mean. They're very nosey - I mean they inspect everything . When I was a kid in Ark one of my parents friends had a few and one grabbed the friend's diamond earring off her ear. I don't know if they waited for it to pass or done the deed and got it back immediately. Anyways, they're always a hoot and can be great burglar alarms or so I've heard. :)
 

ETF

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My neighbor has peacocks. I've only seen the peacock once on my place but the hens come visit for a couple of days every few months. They terrorize the outdoor cat and will even gang up on the dogs when they are outside. I had to take the cat to the vet for a peck wound on her side the last time they came. On top of all that, they are bloody noisy and take over the place. I've been severely tempted to dispatch some frontier justice. I'm told they taste pretty good.
 

Doc

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We also have a neighbor 1/10th of a mile away who keeps peacocks. Thankfully they never get loose.
I'd be very tempted to use some frontier justice. All depends on how neighborly you are with that neighbor. He sounds irresponsible.
 

ETF

Member
We also have a neighbor 1/10th of a mile away who keeps peacocks. Thankfully they never get loose.
I'd be very tempted to use some frontier justice. All depends on how neighborly you are with that neighbor. He sounds irresponsible.

He doesn't actually live there. In fact, I don't think that he's been there more than twice in the last 5 years. He has "staff" to look after the place. He owns a nutritional supplement/vitamin company up in New Jersey. He uses the place as a "retreat" for his employees and paying guests, mainly paying guests, in order to cleanse themselves. Fucked if I know but there are some strange stories of naked baying at the moon sessions. They go for a walk along the road every morning and evening when they're in attendance and I can honestly say that there isn't one that I've seen that I would want to see naked, baying or otherwise.

When I took my cat in to vet with her side wound and explained to the vet what had happened, he suggested I fire a shotgun into the air to scare them off. My comment was, "Eh, close enough". I have no problem with popping the buggers. Now I don't want anyone to take that as a statement of intent. If his birds disappear, it has nothing to do with me.
 
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bordercollie

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Well, I love my birds and will squirt them with water if they get out of line. I guess they are like some people... some will get out of line and others are ok. These have never bothered our outdoor cat . They like our collies and will fly into a tree when my niece's golden retrievers visit with their fluffy tails wagging. It's really neat when I see them walking around this 180 year old homeplace with their plumage- or without. Makes me smile even on my worst days of working in this heat.
 
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ETF

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Bordercollie, I'm usually a live and let live kind of guy. If it doesn't bother me then I don't bother it. The only exceptions are hogs and armadillos, especially hogs. If the armadillos are just passing through, then I let them go. However, I don't take any prisoners when it comes to hogs and they're all over the place in East Texas. I haven't had any trouble in the last couple of years since I started spreading granules and spraying for grubs. Long may it continue.
 

Hunter11

Member
We are in East Texas and have gone to hunting pigs at night. With this heat they have gone to only moving at night. We just watch the game cameras and when they start hitting a feeder or water hole we head out with our night vision scopes and go to work. We will never get rid of them.
 
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bordercollie

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Those wild hogs are on the move. Some have been spotted in our county in central MS but not on us yet. Real destroyers of crops and about anything they can root on.
 
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geohorn

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Sheiks used peacocks as security/alarm systems for the harems. Most of the harem-members I’ve seen didn’t need protection however.
 

bczoom

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59160-1613238802323.png
 

bczoom

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A friend has a Kubota G series garden tractor. The diesel engine is a little smaller than a RTV 900. The WSM says to change the engine oil every 100 hours. It doesn't specify dino or syn.
If he's using SYN oil, what would you say is an appropriate oil change interval?
 
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