[Roscoe]

We had same conditions last year. I only could mow 2/3 of my hayfield. in the wetter part of the field knives were in the water and the horses made 8″ deep holes with their hooves.
This year are the conditions ideal so far. I made the mower ready in the evening, hooked the horses up and made a short test run. Morning at 5 I hooked them up and started mowing. Not even half way around the field one mare wanted to make the turn were we last year did, but I didn’t let her because this year we can do the whole field. Anyway, she started acting up, jumped in the harness and the pitman broke!

[Roscoe]

Finally, this spring after the snow was gone and the mud dried up, I got access to a Ford 3/4 ton frame with axles. In the beginning I wanted to use the front axle for my ground drive cart because of the lock hubs and the possibility to steer. When I started to remove the axle from the frame, I realized it is not a solid live axle. The axle has a joint in the middle and would have required a frame that is connecting with the axle in the middle.
Anyhow, I was running late and in need for a cart, I removed the rear axle and cut off 3 feet at the end of the frame. I turned the frame piece upside down so that the hitch receiver holds now the tongue. With some rough cut lumber I made a platform and a guard to the rear so I can stand and lean to it. I pulled with the team the pasture drag and it worked just fine. Next stage is to fabricate the PTO and the clutch. That will take certainly longer then one day…

[Roscoe]

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[Roscoe]

Cool. I haven’t seen that before. It’s pricey, but well worth if you use it on a regular / commercial base.

[Roscoe]

How about setting up the Trailer with electric brakes and the forecart with a electric brake controller. So the brake would work when you pull with a truck and you could use the forecart for pulling other trailer which already have electric brake (stocktrailer).

[Roscoe]

Thanks for sharing your experience.
3 wheeler would only have an advantage with either a 3 point hitch or an implement witch changing tongue weight (dump trailer, manure spreader)?
How much less is the “tongue slap” on a 3wheeler with a turning tongue compare to a 2 wheeler?

[Roscoe]

I thought about using the clutch/tensioner of an old lawn tractor.
And I still have to decide if it should have 2 or 3 wheel. And IF 3 wheels, if the front wheel should be a “crazy wheel” or steered with the pole.
Decisions…

[Roscoe]

Since nearly 30 years,  these wasp are used in Switzerland for worm control. It was in a trial phase at that time, so we went through many different desings of cardboard frames and other setups who contains wasp eggs. It’s pretty labor intensiv. It took the whole evening for the whole family to hang the frames to the corn. You barely can see these wasp, they are pretty small, but it works.

But I don’t know if they still use the same system today, would have to ask my brother.

[Roscoe]

Here, farmers use 3 times a year Roundup for their no-till fields.

[Roscoe]

If you need the ultra-heavy-duty just for one implement, like the baler, it’s probably easyer to convert the implement in ground drive. You will save a lot horse power with avoiding draging a lot of dead weight around, especially in hilly country.

Tracks have a lot of friction, I doubt that there is some advantage over wheels on level ground. To figure out, how the relations are between weight reduction, efficiency and resistance, could be a nice future project for Andy 😉

But if you need tracks that you not sink, it’s definitly the wrong time for field work…

[Roscoe]

This is a SWISS cookery program. These guys are from the region were the cheese with the big holes comes from.
These guys are all farmers and do logging only in the winter. Forest is mostly on places where it is not feasible for farming. These woodlots are barely accesible with haevy equipment, especially in the winter, thats why they skid the logs for long distances downhill.
They probably set up a winch in the summer and use it with pulleys as a crane.

[Roscoe]

@Farnorthfarmer: Valleyview

[Roscoe]

Hey, you are nearly my neighbour!
You are only one hour north of me!

[Roscoe]

And IF you use buck-back straps, tie them to the noseband of the halter, not to the bit. So it won’t interfere with the commands from the lines.

[Roscoe]

Hi George
What animals do you use for guarding the goats?
Donkeys are hard on brush as well, aren’t they?

[Author]

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