[Rod]

Hi Tim

Thanks, I was in their this morning, I guess someone was watching over me. No insurance, too cheap, penny wise and pound foolish my Mother used to say about me. This is my second barn I lost to snow, one more and I will buy insurance! I am going to check on the possibility of a warranty because their was not that much snow on, but it’s 6 years old so I doubt it.

[Rod]

I think you are supposed to use 30 weight motor oil.

[Rod]

When I did mine I jammed the gear inside the gear box and put a pipe wrench on the pulley, not around it but sideways through the opening on the edge. and GENTLY unscrewed the shaft. A seal puller will get the old seal out.

[Rod]

You are not alone on that Donn, I have the same problem and was able to buy a nice looking cover (made in China) from my local tractor dealer for $22. Brought it home and while pulling the draw cord to fit it to the seat the cord broke. It was made of the most flimsy rope I have ever seen, you could just pull it apart with your hand. Marilyn and I spent an hour snaking a new rope into the hem and it works ok now. Had a single row if stitching to make the hem and I suspect that we will be resewing that before too long. It sure feels nice riding on though.
Speaking of “China quality” I bought a 10″ saw blade yesterday made their and since I had just dropped off a bunch of mine for sharpening I though why not get a cheap one to last until mine were ready. The blade lasted one hour! How I hate buying foreign made goods when we have neighbors and friends who cannot find a job. Some day I will learn the cheap is not inexpensive.

[Rod]

Nice work.

[Rod]

Here is a much better video showing the plow action and the mule.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkisQASG7PE

[Rod]

@Jean 23566 wrote:

That is great. Your mule looks as if she really likes to go!

Was the person filming it on horseback? The camera was swaying like a rider does.

Jenny has long stride and does move out nicely. She is a pleasure to drive in a cart. The swaying was Marilyn, first time on the camera and not quite sure what she was doing and she was walking down the driveway following me as she filmed it.

[Rod]

@ricenmor 23563 wrote:

Looks like fun. Certainly more economical and easier on your ears than a tractor! How much does the Pioneer plow set a person back? Thanks for sharing that video.

It a lot more pleasant and can turn on a dime. I Think the plow was in the $600+ range.

[Rod]

@near horse 23500 wrote:

biovol,

Adam Smith’s comment about not buying imported goods would be considered “protectionist” under today’s rules and sublect to review by the IMF.

Too bad if the IMF and World Trade people do not like it. If we refocus on domestic production it’s none of their business anyway. It’s nuts to be bowing down to these groups while we are sinking down the tubes. We, the USA can’t help anybody if we do not stay healthy ourselves and while I am all for helping and I also believe we have to sometimes take a break and get back to health our selves. And don’t forget other countries can produce for their own markets also instead of just focusing on ours. That should be the goal of each with world trade being from excess goods we can not produce at home.

[Rod]

@bivol 23505 wrote:

domestic production isn’t just about jobs and being able to produce something, it’s also a possibility for the future…

Very good point and one often overlooked, their are other values lost when a job is lost.
Add in all the satellite industries and services and you can see that sometimes the sending of a manufacturing business overseas is like ripping the guts out of a community. It’s jobs and at the same time more than just jobs.

[Rod]

One thing I believe in which could be a big help is the buy local movement and this can be understood as buy American as well. When I can I try to do that. Our community recently lost our downtown anchor store after many years of being a great source of outdoor clothing and sporting goods. I can’t help but think that the big box stores in Keen which is a 45 minuet drive away had an effect. When you factor in the gas and time to drive 1.5 hours to save a little money and the fact that now we are without the resource of the local store it can be self defeating. If we wait for the stargazers in Washington to craft policies that will solve this crises it will be to late but this is something we all can do without the government spending billions on the problem and something that can encourage local and USA made products and services. Just say NO to foreign goods unless you can’t get it from our own country.

[Rod]

@jac 23466 wrote:

Im all for free trade but you can only buy for so long… if you dont sell anything you cant make the money to buy… unless we follow Adolf’s idea and keep printing notes…
John

I completely agree and think we should have policy’s that resemble barter, in other words we can trade but only up to parity with any particular country. That is, a balance trade amount and after that we apply tariffs. I know the major producing countries benefiting from cheap labor and lax safety and environmental controls would scream but I say so what. They need our markets and will have to play fair if they want access to them.
The mechanics of how to do this I will leave to more creative minds.

[Rod]

@jenjudkins 23437 wrote:

So my plan is to evaluate the horse for soundness and start working with him in harness. I suspect that skidding wood would be an excellent way to build some hindquarter muscling as well as build a solid partnership… I don’t log for a living, nor for firewood even. Thoughts, insights???

Sounds like exercise to me, if you dragged a concrete block instead would that make you a contractor?

[Rod]

Neat, Donn, something those small shops that I really tune into. I have a 1 horse MD that is a winter project and I will be in touch when I figure out what I need.

[Rod]

Hi Bivol

Great perspectives from someone who has been their. Thanks for your input into this dialogue which has many of us overly concerned.
I grew up very poor (in money) in an era when the great depression was still a recent memory. We had no car, no vacations, no new clothes, no TVs, made our toast on the kitchen stove top, made our own soap, patched our clothes, did our on shoe repair, lived out of our gardens, had an ice box, heated with coal, and used hand me down bicycles for transportation. It works, we had a good life and came through it whole.
I think it could be like that again and we will find ways to survive.

[Author]

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