I traded a hole for a lawn tractor.

[Jeff]

Last month, my neighbor Mark asked if I would come down and dig the hole for his solar battery shed he was building. As he couldnt get anyone else that knew what they were doing. I didn't know what I was doing either, but was willing.Marks ground is pure sand, and the digging conditions not optimal. First of all my1 backhoe has a toothe bucket, with varying length teeth on it. Then, his garden is on one side,  and buildings on the other.  He had tried to start digging the hole with his tractor fel so I had to sit at one end of that hole, and reach out as far as I could, dig, and pile the dirt between the excavation and the buildings. The ground was sloped, but the hole needed to have a level bottom. Digging in that sand with a toothed bucket and keeping the bottom flat was a challange.

When I was done, we were within 3" of level at 6' deep at any given spot, 16'  wide and 26' long. I thought I had done a pretty good job considering my only experience digging was my pond. I posted a couple pics on facebook at the time. Mistake. Nothing but ridicule from the experts.

Anyhow  the loose sand on the bottom was easily skreeted flat and Mark's cement guy was able to get the footings in and blocks layed while I was in the hospital.  Mark wanted to pay me, but I opted for future favor trades instead. Mark has a lot of farm equipment, but no hoe. Mark is a lead engineer at what ever Chrysler is called now, and also a prepper.

Both my mowers I have up here are crap. Mark said hey, I have a big mower, but It surges, and I couldn't get it to run right, so he went and bought another new one. He didnt have room under cover for the old one. So it sat out all winter. Take it if you want. It also has a mount on the back for a cultivator attachment and a 54" mower deck.  My other neighbor Pat, 2 days before I had to head for the hospial helped me winch it on his trailer and hauled it back here.

I deduced the battery was shot, the starter bendix shaft was bent, the fuel solenoid was non functioning and the carb gummed up, and the belt for the deck was slashed, but other than thise things, the garden tractor had good bones, and a 26hp kohler engine, and an elecric clutch driven deck

When I got back up here after a week in the hospital. And gone ten days, this place looked like Jumanji and all I had to mow with was the brushhog, so I set out to get the mower going. Yesterday I finished it up. I think I had a total of about $100 in parts, and time to get it going. This may be the best mower I've ever had, and that includes the POS new woodmizer zero turn I traded advertising for that one time. You never heard me say much about it, well because it was a big POS and still is. The public should be happy they quit selling them.

I was able to mow the entire  yard yesterday in a third of the time. Hp and deck width is a game changer!i















II

[customsawyer]

Nothing better than "Horse trading", even if you don't have any horses. 

[Magicman]

I saw nothing wrong.  The man needed a hole in the ground and you provided it.  Looks like you made a very nice "friend" trade.  

[hardtailjohn]

Usually those "experts" are plentiful, unless there's work to be done.  Looks all good to me!
JH

[Jeff]

I started at 10am and was done ny 4pm and burned less than 5 gallons of diesel which Mark provided. He has a concrete fuel shack too, but it's above ground.

[WV Sawmiller]

Jeff,

  You sound like you are well on you way for immigration to WV. We found when we moved here everything was done on the barter system. Had the field bushogged - paid the guy with a spare/duplicate clothes dryer. He came back later and cut some more and took the old fiberglass camper shell off my wrecked truck that would not fit my new truck. Wife swapped for a couple loads of firewood and guy got the extra clothes dryer. I went to sell my wrecked truck and one guy offered  me 2-green broke horses and  agreed to replacing the roof on a couple of sheds when I told him I did not have a fenced pasture.  In every case I offered cash but they wanted to trade.

  The hole and block work looks great, good looking mower. In a good barter both parties leave happy and I think that is clearly the case here. Well done.

[Jeff]

I have some great neighbors up here, ive had 3 spontaneously show up at once before when they heard I was in need. I do the same for them. I have a sawmill and a backhoe and willingness to help. This past winter my driveway never got impassable as they have heavy snow removal equipment. 

Mark came down a couple years ago with one of his tractors to help me get a garden site in. That was a failed endeavor due to the location I chose.

Here is Mark working that spot up, at 6 minutes 12 seconds into this video

[Resonator]

"Experts" are always gonna say what they gonna say. They weren't there doing the diggin'... Jeff was! Hole looks mighty fine!  
I'd take diggin' in sand over hitting hard rock any day. 

[Jeff]

I probably should keep my mouth shut, but what got to me was the expert was a long time member here. I can take a ribbing, but I was sick when i was working on that, and had a great sense of accomplishment when I finished the day, and then the comments came. Not ribbing. Ridicule. It was the last day before I really made a down turn health wise and I was just in no mood. I responded back with some serious profanity on what he should go do to himself, and where, which I really should not have done.

[SwampDonkey]

Hole looks good to me.    Your new mower is built a lot like the Craftsman pro series with same engine. Look under the mower seat, I bet Husqvarna is stamped on it. They make them 54" decks. Yours is painted sage green, mines dark yellow. Mines got a heavy cast front end and a steel brush guard you have to release to put the hood up on it. The hoods were never not made with latches on Craftsman models. My seat looks the same and has never cracked in 20 years. I have never blew a belt either.

[doc henderson]

The proof is in the final project, and it looks good.  

[Jeff]

It is,a craftman pro series built by Husqvarna. I think it is black. It has some cool features, like a belt detention lever. I like the forward reverse peddles versus having to shift, and it also has cruise control.

[CCCLLC]

Cruise Control?!! You can drive to town.😃

[SwampDonkey]

You got'r made now Jeff. 

I was referring to the mower deck color.

[Cicatrix]

No one can do everything perfect, it looks like you and Mark were both happy-that's all that counts.
I also have a Case 580 mine is an SE no extendahoe, very solid machine(flipped it and only minor damage).
For $80-100 you can order a set of teeth from H & L Tooth Co in Tulsa, Ok - comes with 5 teeth, pins and pin tool- did mine.
Steve

[barbender]

We used to tack weld a piece of flat stock across the rock teeth when we wanted a flat cut. Simple and effective.

[Jeff]

Thats a great idea, but sign me welderless in da U.P.   although Mark probably had one.

[customsawyer]

I wonder how far my tree's tap roots would go down in that type of dirt? I know you've seen one pushing 6 ft in the firm clay I have. 

[Jeff]

Until it got what it needed I suppose.

[aigheadish]

It's hard to cut a nice flat hole with a backhoe, I think you did a great job. 

Nice to hear you are back at it too. 

[Resonator]

We used to tack weld a piece of flat stock across the rock teeth when we wanted a flat cut. Simple and effective.

Another trick is to make a "Mop Pipe". This is a length of heavy wall pipe with a slot cut length wise in the center, this slips over the bucket teeth, and a chain hooked to the pipe ends secures it to the bucket. Handy for working sand like a screed, and for slicking up a muddy spot when you're done digging.

[Magicman]

The camera angle is screwy but:


Marty put new teeth on his excavator this morning.  He also found out the value of a "Roll Pin" punch.  

[SawyerTed]

A fellow visiting my house was critical of some project I was in the middle of.   It wasn't complete and admittedly a bit rough. 

I simply asked, " So where were you when I needed help with it?  Your expertise would have extremely helpful.   I do 95 % of this alone and you weren't here when I was doing that!" 

"Well I ah had to work, I guess."  Was all he could say.

My response was, paraphrasing " Then shut up sphincter." 

We laughed and went on but he got the message. 

As long as your neighbor was happy and you were happy, nobody else's opinion matters.  But I will say it looked like a fine hole to me!

Great mower BTW

[aigheadish]

I'm not sure if I shared it here but I saw someone affixed a piece of I-beam to a side of their bucket perpendicularly for a real handy looking trench digger. 

[Resonator]

Another tip, if you have an excavator and access to a welder, add a bead to each tooth - shank joint. This will greatly reduce the likely hood of a missing tooth somewhere in the dirt situation. Just need an angle grinder handy when it comes time to change them.