New to us

UNCLEBUCK · September 19, 2006, 12:37:23 AM

Oh thats too bad Greg but you will get it changed I know . That would drive me crazy in a heartbeat . Get em changed and charge your camera up and knock that log pile apart ! Make that mule scream ! 8) 8) 8)

Corley5 · September 19, 2006, 12:53:53 AM

Quote from: UNCLEBUCK on September 19, 2006, 12:37:23 AM
That would drive me crazy in a heartbeat .

Oh it makes me crazy and Dad too ;) ;D It's gonna get switched right away

We put a loader on a 300 Farmall this summer and before we read the book ;) ;D and found out the valves had selectors for dual or single acting cylinders we could only get it to work backwards. That was bad enough with one lever off. Five of them like that is

smiley_dizzy

sprucebunny · September 19, 2006, 07:26:55 AM

I've run into the backwards levers a couple times because "float" was at the wrong end of the lever. That meant that the hoses to the cylinder needed to be swapped and, of course, one was TOO short :

Don't think I could handle having 5 backwards.

I'm looking forward to more pictures of that classic, Greg ;D

Ron Scott · September 19, 2006, 06:25:06 PM

Relocating the hoses should get it back to "normal'.

Some of my loggers have had night time vandals change their skidder hoses around so that everything works backwords when they go to start up in the morning. Aggrivating "down time" relocating the hoses back again.

Better than sugar or sand in the fuel tanks though. ;) We now hide the equipment on the jobs so that they aren't found as easy by the vandals.

Corley5 · September 20, 2006, 12:05:47 AM

Quote from: sprucebunny on September 19, 2006, 07:26:55 AM
I've run into the backwards levers a couple times because "float" was at the wrong end of the lever. That meant that the hoses to the cylinder needed to be swapped and, of course, one was TOO short :

Thanks for pointing that out SB 8) 8) The main boom hoses will need to be switched at the cylinder and they look long enough ;) ;D The other valve with a "float" is the swing and it won't matter for it. We can change it at the valve body 8) It takes a pretty determined vandal to take the time to switch hoses and even know how to do it for that matter. I fired it up today between rain squalls and Zach and I went for a ride. He was impressed especially since he can run the blade ;D ;D

Ed_K · September 20, 2006, 07:35:28 AM

Well I'm jealous now, I've been looking for a machine like that for a yr and can't find one here in newengland. Can you switch the in-out line from the pump rather than all the lines?

Nailhead · September 20, 2006, 08:03:01 AM

Nice find Greg 8)
How many tires on the ground does that make? ;D
I just keep showing my wife how many "TOOLS" you have and she can't complain too much on what I bring home. :D

Corley5 · September 21, 2006, 12:38:56 AM

We had our first breakdown with it today. The fuel line between the filters and the pump broke :

Of course we don't have any ferrules that small so off to NAPA in the morning. I can't count that many tires and to replace them all we'd need to sell the farm

;) ;D I didn't realize these were that hard to come by until we got this one and I've been browsing around looking for them. They aren't out there. Three other potential buyers stopped to look at it and wanted it after Dad put a deposit on it.

Corley5 · September 21, 2006, 12:42:16 AM

http://www.richardsmachinery.com/ Send this guy a message. He's got lines on machinery literally all over the world. He may know of one in your area

Corley5 · September 26, 2006, 10:45:28 PM

It looks like the H Farmall and its manure loader have been replaced. We've done a couple little things to the Mule. The return line from the injector pump broke which wasn't a big deal. The new tire on it went flat which was unexpected. When it was put on the extra valve stem hole in the rim wasn't plugged so the tube worked there and went flat :

We compared the operation of our backhoe's valves to the Mule's and decided that we needed to switch the hoses on the valve for the jib. Now it works like we think it should ;) ;D It's amazing how one lever being off throws the whole works out of whack ;D The plan is to take it to the woods on Monday.

beenthere · September 26, 2006, 11:19:50 PM

That mule sure seems it is a good fit with your wood splitting operation. And as you say, many other uses you will find for it too.
Are you creaming any logs out for the sawmill?

Corley5 · September 26, 2006, 11:25:08 PM

I pull one out now and again. There's one in the pics that I probably shoulda taken out. It was a 10' white ash 14" on the small end. Sure made nice firewood and a lot of it ;) ;D

Corley5 · October 08, 2006, 09:31:35 PM

Finally made it to the woods with the Mule today 8). Dad and I cut this timber a week ago and then a bunch of firewood orders came in 8) ;D

The machine works very well 8) It's fairly agile and has good power. The loader will lift more than it should ;) It's possible to tip the machine over. I'm glad I had my hand on the down lever ;)

Sugar maple sawbolts destined to be flooring.

Firewood on the left

Basswood sawlogs. Too bad they aren't worth more :(

These piles grew quite a bit by the time I shut down tonight. I've got about that much more to haul out yet.

Tom · October 08, 2006, 09:54:40 PM

Isn't basswood a favorite of carvers?

Wish I'd have had a machine like that.

Corley5 · October 09, 2006, 12:17:50 PM

Carvers do like basswood. Duck decoys used to be carved from it. I'm gonna have a bunch if anybody would like some 8) I wish we'd have had this a long time ago

dail_h · October 09, 2006, 07:31:13 PM

THOU SHALLT NOT COVET CORLEY'S IRON MULE THOU SHALLT NOT COVET CORLEY'S IRON MULE

Furby · October 09, 2006, 08:08:56 PM

Says you!!!!!!

Corley5 · October 10, 2006, 08:04:51 PM

Other uses so far- Crunched and munched an old board fence at Grandma's, picked up and hauled away slabs from mill, cleaned up a cottonwood that had fallen in the barnyard, held logs too big for processor in bucket so I wouldn't get the chainsaw in the dirt or most importantly have to bend over ;) ;D and then piled the big chunks with it 8)

Corley5 · December 10, 2006, 09:09:21 PM

View from the Driver's Seat

Basswood Logs

Maple Sawlogs, Bolts and Firewood

American Elm Log

Elm Log and Assorted Firewood

Sorting Basswood According to Length

Adding a 12' to the Pile

So far the old machine has been good to us 8) We've put 130 hours on it with only minor maintenance. Today was the second day with new bypass grapple. It's a night and day difference in efficiency and most importantly safety. I'm saving almost a half hour per load 8) Makes it fun again ;) ;D

Thanks for the recomendation on the Valby Buckets.