I agree with the above" your a good man Jack" I am sure the people in your community appreciate what you do. Happy Holidays!!!

 

Hey Jack glad to hear you're back at it. I hope you're finding hard work sanity during these crazy times.
Our normal tree farm is selling this year. We kind of saw it coming just seeing the lack of up keep. So this year since we were already out we went to Amy's friends farm. She was practically sold out with about 8 to choose from. We usually pay 25 plus tip at our normal place but this one was $50. and already cut to go. I told Amy if her place was sold out you were the next call but I didn't know if you were selling or not.
Anyways, glad you are out there.

Change gears for a minute, we did this. (See pic)
I mentioned to Amy a friend has a litter of Heelers (Australian Cattle Dog) and of course I got a NO WAY. That was a few weeks ago.
Yesterday afternoon she made me go for a ride and we brought this guy home. He was the only one that is still majority white out of all the Blues in the litter. The real fun has begun.




He's got a black ear and black slash mark from his left eye.

 

Cool dog. Les and I always keep talking about getting a dog again; last time, we had three. I like three, the herd mentality shows.

My back is so friggin sore, but I actually like doing heavy work, and my bloodwork always is then at its best. However, putting the majority of it in a two week period is not what the muscles like.

I didn't start until Dec 2. - whiplash and too warm. I'm already running out. Two years ago in 2.5 weeks, last year in two weekends, just under two weeks. I'm not sure there will be any left after Sunday. Two new people so far, all others repeat. Mr. Ford tagged his Concolor, waiting for his wife to approve. She may want to switch, he says; there may not be any left. They are 10 years buying Concolors. Today Memorial Drive dad brought his two girls and a red wagon to buy their 12th-year tree; they lost out last year. I was reminded today by them it was 12 years; the older daughter said, except for last year. It's the only place she ever remembers getting a tree from. I should have taken a picture of them wheeling away. A fat 8' Fraser being carried on a little red wagon with two bungee cords.

A younger couple on Memorial is asking for a 9-9.5ft, I pulled out two, but it was dark. I'll call them after the rain. I have a few that have been coming from the Post Office too. It's neat having that in-town yearly visitation and that they are from the old part of town. But I get Waretown and LBI too.

 

You're hosed with that pup, Dually. I drove that 450 for a couple of years, and all I got was the space within two feet of the driver's door. Brody got all the rest of the front seat plus the entire bed I made the back seat into. So, now I got an Eseries 30' shuttle bus, and Brody has 30' of space, including a couch and a twin bed mattress, except I do have the entire driver's seat now. Since it's a bucket, he eventually tires of standing next to me.

 

I love this time of year, no bugs, 50-60 degrees out and no humidity. Last weekend I fenced off another part of the yard, about a 70x100 area that has great soil. It was a bunch of work, drilling post holes, putting in wood post, drove T-posts, strung electric fence and on the inside of the fence running welded mesh fence, also moved two unused gates to the new area and hung them. Today I serviced the tiller and tilled 8 rows to prep for spring. The chickens have been down digging in the dirt eating grubs and fertilizing, doing their job. Also planted an apple tree to replace one that died, need about 8-10 more fruit trees, have another place in the back earmarked for them.

 

Finally pieced it together. First step was to convert it to skidsteer Quick Attach. Got the Third Function kit from Summit Hydraulics in AZ. It was for a Kubota but worked for the most part. I only needed an 18" hyd hose from TS. $549 for the kit and about $36 for the hose and 2 adapter fittings.
The 72" grapple is from Extreme Implements in NC. Built very well with 2 clamp jaws for only $1049 to the door.
Now I need a ballast box.

 

Nice Grapple Rake! Great price on it too... Only difference it looks like from mine is I don't have serrated lower tines. Are all the bearings greasable on yours? Oh and mine is a 66" one - Bobcat handles it fine though. The #1 most used implement I have!

 

You'll like it, Pete. I haven't set it up on the 1920, which has a poor lift system. The 1710 is better, and I reset the pressure to 1910 specs. It's been that way for 30 years now. My quick-attach came from Everything Attachments; the grapple may have come from the same as your's, NC, but I don't remember the name off-hand. I can't believe how much I use the grapple. With a bucket on the 1920, I don't put the bucket back on the 1710 anymore.

A backhoe attachment makes a good counterweight.

 

They consider this unit "light duty" and the only reason why from what I can tell is it really doesn't have grease fittings. But if I wear it out I'll bush it and add zerk fittings.

Jack, just ordered a ballast box tonight that is coming FedEx out of Perth Amboy. Loaded with sand it should add 900#'s of ballast. I might get a quick hitch on the 3 point to create a greater effect of the ballast. Should have it the latest on Monday I'm thinking.
My Forester friend stopped by tonight to see it and I think I'll have plenty of side work to do to cover the costs. Plus he's looking at a small mill tomorrow to process logs.
I came close to a Woods hoe but it sold before I could even get a minute to go look at it.
Always looking.

 

Maybe tomorrow I take some pics of the logs I just dealt with from the storm damage a few months ago.

I probably could have done well after Sandy renting me and the tractor out. When clearing, I grab what I can in the grapple, then grab a log in the hoe and bring the boom 90 to one side, so the log is parallel to the tires and not a wide track behind the tractor. It reduces a few trips.

Mine was a light-duty too. Depending on what I'm doing, sometimes I pull the cylinder and top jaws off. I just had to replace one of my hoses while in the middle of moving Christmas trees, yes I grapple them, often can grab 2 or 3 at a time.

 

Scott, Pete,

The second to last tree sold before noon. The last coming home with me.

Just turned away two people......

 

The pile of bottom cut limbs, little guys in the background probably screaming, NOOOOOOOO.

 

Wow - only the 12th of December too... Your grapple looks like mine as well - mine came from back east: Mid State Equipment in Denton NJ - I'm not sure if mine is light or what duty, it weighs 605# by itself and was called Piranha Root Grapple. All pivot points have counter sunk zerks and the hoses are all protected (run inside the tubing). Same looking construction with the lower tines having the side gussets that go back to the tubular cross bar. It pretty much stays on the Bobcat unless I need to do something else...

On edit: It looks like Jack's has a single grapple, mine has 2 like Pete's, only other thing I noticed was mine has plate steel across the top of the tongs (grapple clamping part), so the whole ram is protected. I bought a stump bucket from the same place Pete got his grapple from...

Congrats on the sell-out of all your trees Jack!
Scott

 

I think we all got from the same company. Mine is a single cylinder, I was trying to go as light weight but strong. My quick hitch adaptor weighs a lot, I’ve thought about getting lighter or welding on brackets on the grapple so I would just use the existing pin setup on the FEL. My flipping from bucket to grapple is not much at all with two tractors.

I actually prefer the 1710 over the 1920. It’s smaller and more maneuverable. Or maybe I’m just better adapted to it using it for 30 years.

 

Heys guys long time no type to , been slammed at work as usual then I change caps and work the ranch here , why do curious cows always test the fence lol, the new to me 6.7 Diesel we’re getting along better this month , after plunging my skull with the ball cap button on the top of the door frame , why did ford raise the trucks passed anybody’s ability , to be able to land your AZZ in the seat witch is also raised closer to the top of the door frame , with out leaving scars on my bald head, so a set of rails went on and I have learned to properly install myself in what I have found to be the comfort and engine ( somethings wrong it don’t rattle and sound like the garbage truck ) more power hope y’all are heathy and my prayers are with you all in this turned upside down state of plandemic