Little off topic but thought I'd share my fun

[Matt Ranum]

I don't get a chance to do this much anymore and always have a ball when I can run equipment this big. Years ago its all I did but I maybe only get to play once a year anymore. This is an area that needed to be ripped up and prepped for replanting Christmas trees this spring. This particular spot was down to about 200 White Pines left that were 10'-13' tall, so last fall it was time to get them harvested and replant. Next is to get the big stumps and roots picked off, get it spread with lime and work it up again and plant with Fraser Fir trees. The pic of the little trees were some that we planted last year.

That bush Hog disc pops a 8" green pine stump right out of the ground like nothing. Of course it only weighs 9 ton.

My Mrs. was nice enough to pop out, take some pics and go for a ride.

[David E Keller]

Looks like fun...

[Charlie Reals]

The last farm I worked on our tractors were new JD 4010's with umbrella sun shades. Ahhhhh the good days.

[Fred Perreault]

Dang, I'm jealous. I love reshaping Mother Earth. I was an Earth Surgeon for more than 40 years. Trucks, trailers, bulldozers, backhoes, track and wheel loaders, excavators, up to 13 employees, and lots'a fun. The more violent the machine, the bigger the smile.
I worked around a 471' grounded freighter right on the beach in town for a couple of weeks, and all kinds of other adventurous things.

[Jim Mattheiss]

Fred:

Those images remind me of some show on History channel (I think) about ship salvage companies. They would come in a re-float grounded vessels.

In typical HC fashion there was lots of drama and craziness but I like to watch the big toys at work.

The closest I have come to it is using Bobcat's and small Tractor/Loader/Backhoes. Still fun.

Cheers

Jim

[Bernie Weishapl]

The last farm I worked on our tractors were new JD 4010's with umbrella sun shades. Ahhhhh the good days.

How about a John Deere D or a Massey Harris 55 with no cab. I love farming but my dad just couldn't afford to keep pay me and raise 6 more kids.

[Charlie Reals]

How about a John Deere D or a Massey Harris 55 with no cab. I love farming but my dad just couldn't afford to keep pay me and raise 6 more kids.

Not familiar with those but we had a couple of farmalls no cabs lol. ford 9n. I was a farm hand $200 a month and found 6 days a week. I also loved farm and ranch life.

[Matt Ranum]

How about a John Deere D or a Massey Harris 55 with no cab. I love farming but my dad just couldn't afford to keep pay me and raise 6 more kids.

I've spent a lot of time on JD A,B,50, Massey Harris 44 & 22, Farmall A,C,H,M,300 and this list goes on and on and on......

I actually learned how to drive on an early model JD B. Memory serves I was 9 when I started raking hay with it.

These new tractors sure are different than the old ones. The one I used today was a JD 9300, if I remember correctly its 350 HP. Here are a couple shots from inside while the wife was riding with me. You can see the "quad-3" shifters, 4 speed ranges A-D and 3 speeds. You can't see it but directly above the gear shifters is a digital readout that shows RPM, speed and high or low range indicator. The right arm rest houses the throttle, 3 hydraulic controls and the high & low range for the tranny. On the right side wall you can see the engine gauges, digital readout for everything from engine hours to % of slippage and the control settings for the hydraulic remotes. Heat & AC controls, lights, wipers flashers etc. My hand is in the way to see it but along side the steering wheel is a new GPS steering control (basically an auto-pilot)to go along with GPS field mapping they set up in all the tractors. I'm not privy as to why they needed it, don't recall ever getting lost in a field, although there was that one time when the fog was super thick and I had to try and strike off a straight line on a field over 1/2 mile long.

[Charlie Reals]

I have kinfolk in ND who farm with equipment like that. Only closed cab I saw was a combine and it didn't have a radio. A nephew told me he didn't even have to be in the tractor. "set it and forget it." Widest equipment I pulled was maybe 12 ft. now it's what 30 or so?

[Matt Ranum]

Dang, I'm jealous. I love reshaping Mother Earth. I was an Earth Surgeon for more than 40 years. Trucks, trailers, bulldozers, backhoes, track and wheel loaders, excavators, up to 13 employees, and lots'a fun. The more violent the machine, the bigger the smile.
I worked around a 471' grounded freighter right on the beach in town for a couple of weeks, and all kinds of other adventurous things.

I've used a loader backhoe on occasion but never more intense dozers or crawlers. Always wanted to though.