Day 426 - I've Waited a Year For This Day
We have a patch of southern dewberries within eyesight of the shop. Last year, TK ate off of them for a few weeks. We actually have three patches around the property, but it's been too wet to venture far from the clearing. This was the first picking.
Jamie's impossible garden is starting to produce! Everything has doubled in size, color, and production since recording this video. She's been making salads from her lettuce and has already picked a few vegetables.
I had a road trip day through some dense fog. South to Pontotoc to drop off a busted tractor cylinder for repair. Unfortunately, it's beyond repair. This is the same cylinder I bent last year by moving root balls. I don't know for sure, but I believe I bent it again, pushing root balls closer to the center of the fire, the morning after the shooting range video.
The sawmill has arrived! In partnership with TimberKing, I have a 1220CRZ sawmill to turn my piles of logs into lumber. Day 1 with the mill was both exciting and disappointing. The tractor's curl cylinder is MIA, so I can't use the grapple or pallet forks, or any attachment on the loader. To load the first log, I rolled a log over two ratchet straps, strapped it to the loader, and placed it on the mill. While it worked, it was massively time-consuming. I only milled one log that day, with enough no-rain weather to mill many. That was the disappointing part. I've got so much to cut up, finally have a sawmill setup, and the supporting machines are now the bottleneck. Blah!
In real-time, we experienced rain for 12 consecutive days. The entire property is a soggy mess, and the tractor can't make much progress regardless of the cylinders. During this time, I took the cylinder to a hydraulic shop who had to use a dump truck to pull the ram out. It is beyond repair. He said he could get a replacement, so I waited...and waited...and waited... A week passed, and "Nope, I haven't heard anything from my guy." I then took the good cylinder from the other side to a different hydraulic repair shop, where they said they could source a new cylinder for me. A week of phone calls later, and they still haven't located a replacement. Same old song and dance from store #2. Two days ago (Friday afternoon) I found a cylinder that I'm told is stronger than OEM, has a slightly different travel distance, and is way cheaper than OEM.
An OEM cylinder is $1500. I got a pair of stronger cylinders on the way for $420. I'll have to go to O'Reilly Auto Parts and get four new, longer hydraulic hoses made, though. So there will be a bit more added cost. But at least if this happens again, I'll have a MUCH cheaper source to buy and repair without the time-consuming aspect of dealing with local shops. The tractor has been down since June 6th. It's June 22. I'm ready to have my tractor back.
Like the music? Find my playlist with the music I've used here:
https://share.epidemicsound.com/j1by8w/?playlist=6q1mc5b7avojbsfuwp0c6eqk726uz45m
Homestead stuff:
American Green Lights, use code jaybates for 10% off https://americangreenlights.com/
Yard Glider (SO handy!) Use code jbates for 5% off https://yardglider.com/
Tractor/Off Road Lights: https://amzn.to/4bmBfHr
Bad Boy 4035H tractor
Kioti KG4066 grapple
W.R. Long 3rd Function
W.R. Long 3rd Function Continuous Flow
Piranha Bar
Universal Workmaster with D Rings https://www.jufabworks.com/products
Chainsaw earmuff helmet https://amzn.to/3XmPsif
PROYAMA chainsaws, 26cc top handle, 66cc big saw: https://amzn.to/4h0c7b0
Stihl MS250
Husqvarna Rancher 460 https://amzn.to/3AUq9v6
UTV mirror https://amzn.to/4dYHeCz
Measuring wheel https://amzn.to/3Z6cATw
Time-lapse cameras https://amzn.to/4cMR6hQ
LockNLube grease gun https://amzn.to/4g48UHR
7/32 chainsaw files https://amzn.to/3XoFFIs
#homestead
JK Boots:
Hands down, without question, the best outdoor working boot that I have ever tried. They aren't cheap and they aren't inexpensive. The break-in period was brutal for me. But after some boot oil and a few working days for them to conform to my feet, I've never worked in anything as form fitting and comfortable.
My Lineup:
- O.T. Bison Canyon for everyday work
- Superduty Bison Shadow Roughout Smooth for earth work days
- The Buck Indigo Chocolate square toe western for days where quick on and off are valued
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