My Mama said there would be days like that

[WV Sawmiller]

   Decided to go ahead and haul and stack some firewood I had cut on one side of my pasture to my new woodshed on the other side of the pasture. Had several loads of cherry and buckeye tops and limbs I had cut to firewood lengths. I hooked my little 3'X4' cart behind the 4 wheeler and hauled and stacked the first load. Came back and loaded another load and started back when suddenly thump and felt a distinct bump then POW! it sounded like a shotgun blast. I got off and checked and found the little 3/4" ax tuned down from a 2" piece of round stock many years ago had finally given way. I guess when it broke and the wheel rolled off it twisted the other side and blew the tire on the other side.


 Snapped axle - I found the races and shims a few feet away and can likely re-use this little wheel. I'll grind off the stub of 3/4" axle and have my friend weld a 6"grade  5 bolt from TSC back in place and double nut it on.


 Opposite side with blown tire. Blowout is on the bottom. While I am at it I will grind off the existing 1" bolt and replace it with a 3/4" too. Last time I had a real hard time finding tires this size with 1" bearings. It seems 3/4" is very common.


 Had to unload and drag out of my path till get it fixed. This cart is as handy as a shirt on a pocket. I can haul it most anywhere there is room for the ATV.

 Oh well, ain't nothing but a thing. Inconvenient but nobody hurt and won't really cost that much to fix. Maybe I'll get another 10-15 years out of the fix.

[mike_belben]

Reckon you got your moneys worth out of that one a time or two

[DelawhereJoe]

Try some log splitter rims they use 1" axle shafts on some Huskee, just had to replace the bearings on my dads. It used a L44643 bearings for its axle shafts.

[WV Sawmiller]

DJoe,

  Thanks for the suggestion but I think I will just switch both over to 3/4" axles. Just takes buying and installing 2 bolts then I have plenty of options to find replacement tires and wheels. I mostly get mine from TSC. I checked with TSC and a couple of local tire dealers last time and none could get the wheels with 1"  bearings/openings.

Mike,

  Yeah. Funny thing is it started life as one of those 10 cubic foot trailers you tow behind your lawn mower. Parts kept breaking and I kept replacing with bigger stronger parts till it morphed into what you see there. It has hauled many loads of firewood, rocks, posts and tools. The fixes aren't that complicated or costly and we will be back in business soon.

   BTW - it currently had one one 3/4" and one 1" axle so better to standardize on same size.

[thecfarm]

I like your building skills.  

[WV Sawmiller]

   What building skills? All the work was done by others. They did pretty good if the truth be told.

[TKehl]

I hear you.  Been trying to mow the lawn here...

Aired up the tires, but the mower wouldn't start.  Suspected a bad battery, but couldn't test it as the battery in my battery tester was bad.  Tester takes a G23 oddball, so didn't have one at home...  >:(  Tried charging it, but without the tester, I didn't know if the charger or the battery was bad....  Wouldn't have mattered though as I was out of gas in my cans.  :

Put a new battery in, aired up the tires, and filled the tank with gas.  Fired right up!  ;D  Unfortunately so did the paper wasps that had built a nest under the dash.  

All I had was WD40, but the wasps left the nest.  ;)  Now the only maintenance is airing up one of the tires 3 times per tank of gas and I think one of the spindles is going out.   :-\  Oh well, at least it cuts now.  We about lost the toddler in the lawn the other day.   :D

[WV Sawmiller]

   Glad you did not lose any small children in the lawn. Sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy topic coming on if you ask me. Happy I did not see a report of wasp stings.

  I got out weedeating around the yard a bit yesterday when the sun went behind the mountains and we had some shade and a little cooler. Made a good start then got to trimming the grass in a spring runoff on the other side of my backyard fence between the yard and the pasture fences. First time I have cut that small corner this year. It stays wet all the time there and I even threw some old locust tops in ther to stand on otherwise you just bog up in it. Got the worst of it done then suddenly the weedeater head exploded. The collar holding everything together came loose and Lord only knows where it went. I could not find it then or today. Got all the parts back except the collar. Lost one a couple years ago the same way and still haven't found it. I may stop by the Stihl dealer Wednesday and see if they sell that part but I suspect I will just have to buy a new head. Oh well, ain't nothing but a thing.