[dlskidmore]

Our northeast as the “advantage” of rocky and hilly terrain, so the guys with big tractors are not so interested in it, and small farmers have the big market in tech communities surrounding Boston to sell their fresh local goods.

[dlskidmore]

Welcome. I’m still in the planning phases myself.

Tiller’s International is less focused on the US, but they based in the US and I don’t think they have an Australian branch. They do have plans available to buy, which should be a bit easier to have shipped than yokes: http://www.tillersinternational.org/tillers/store_toolsandequipment.html

[dlskidmore]

It’s not just a matter of when they get around to it, if baling on shares they may have different goals than you on quantity vs quality decisions. Buying depends on your local market. My options for buying would open up if I was free on a weekday to go to the hay auctions.

[dlskidmore]

You never know a new business model before you try it. Goat and Sheep rentals are a thing in some places.

[dlskidmore]

Spousal negotiations didn’t go well in winter of 2014, didn’t get the trained pair, but making incremental progress. Got an upgraded truck, even at the current farm state we need bigger truck to handle large loads of hay and pumpkins. I have consent to buy a 16′ trailer when I can come up with the cash, and perhaps maybe next year a pair of beef calves. There’s a Brown Swiss place near me, I hear those are mild tempered and easy for beginners to work with despite their size.

I got the “Oxen, a Teamster’s Guide” book, reading spouse bits on our daily drive… Joined the “All Things Oxen” group on Facebook, showing spouse pictures…

I really do need either a tractor or an ox to harvest my own hay to improve matters on my farm. I can’t get a baler for hire, the guys that want to do it on shares are harvesting for quantity over quality. I need to spread my manure and some lime to bring up fertility (although I’m getting a good pumpkin crop out of my manure pile, it can’t go on piling like that forever…).

[dlskidmore]

Five foot cutter bar is a good place to start, would you expect to be able to work up to a longer bar? Or are you as likely to need to adjust downwards?

[dlskidmore]

Thanks!

[dlskidmore]

Are the repair kits generic or do I need to match brands? I’m not sure which brand mine is. I’ve not seen obvious markings. Previous owner installed it…

[dlskidmore]

The leak is around the valve handle, not out the spigot.

[dlskidmore]

How do you fix the adjustment if it doesn’t turn off quite all the way? I think that’s the problem I had with mine, it had a slow leak and the leaking water froze. I got it thawed out again by wrapping it in blankets and garbage bags over the heat tape (yes, I know that’s against package directions.)

I’ve been considering digging it up and replacing it, but if I can make an adjustment or change seals without doing all that digging it would be worth a try. Time is the thing I have the least of.

[dlskidmore]

Is it worth reseeding for just one year? Which veggies were grown on it, do you think you’ll get many volunteers, and are they varieties that make good fodder? Corn and beans and beets make plenty fine forage if it comes in dense enough, some of the weeds will be good forage, but only experience with your field will tell if going fallow for a forage year is a good idea or not. You also have to consider in your condition if it is more expensive to pay for seed or suffer loss of production per acre…

[dlskidmore]

Picked her up today. The dealer strongly recommended annual Krown treatment. Seems they recycle used engine oil and aresol it all over the under-body and inside the body panels…

[dlskidmore]

2004

Most weeks hubby and I carpool. Our mechanic talked us into making it a point of driving the truck once a week to keep her in good condition, so she goes into town (40 miles round trip) most weeks. Occasionally when we have scheduling issues or the other car is in the shop we drive her more. When the old 2WD truck got stuck in the mud or snow, we just left her for a few weeks until the weather was more favorable for getting her out. Mileage is not a major concern. She just needs to do the job when we have a big job to do. If we needed a daily commuter, we might consider picking up an old sedan for summer use. As it is the gas savings wouldn’t be that considerable to make that worth it.

[dlskidmore]

Guess the trailer is next summer’s project…

[dlskidmore]

Differences in size would be an issue.

I’ve also read of a method where you use multiple pairs of oxen for big jobs, and you put the well trained oxen in lead, and a younger matched pair behind. One reference suggested keeping 5 pairs, and each year butchering the lead pair and introducing a new pair to the rear. I’m not sure that’s useful in any situation other than heavy cargo hauling. Might be useful for deep plowing, but there’s only so much of that to do in a year.

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