http://gardentractortalk.com/ Tue, 22 May 2012 18:58:24 +0000 86400 Manage articles http://gardentractortalk.com/_/featured-tractors/gttalks-featured-tractor-of-the-month-of-m-r108

2009 found me unemployed and laying around the house nursing a back injury unable to do much.  I decided this project would motivate me, stimulate some brain activity, and take my mind off the pain.


Everything came off the tractor until all I had was the frame and transaxle.   I positioned the engine as far back as I could and cut off the front of the frame to shorten the chassis.  The engine is wider than the frame so I ran a V-belt drive down the right side to a homemade jackshaft assembly that transfers power back inside the frame for the stock Roper drive.  I still have the stock hi/lo and three speed gearing for six forward and two reverse.   The clutch has been converted to hand operation but uses the stock linkage from the Sears foot clutch.  Release is go, half way back is clutched, and all the way back is brake.  


The rear wheels are from a Case horse drawn manure spreader that a good friend unearthed while bulldozing.  Its a nice touch that they have the Old Abe eagle embossed in the hubs!  I cut up a pair of Simplicity two wheeler clicker hubs and nickel rod arc welded them to the wheel centers to give me the correct five lug bolt pattern.  The Sears seat spring was used however I mounted it farther back on the frame where the Sears three point hitch would go and changed the angle some to give the seat the correct position.  The seat is very bouncy and that is a good thing with steel wheels!  


The steering box is from a Cub Cadet Original and was lengthened to get the steering wheel back far enough.  The steering wheel is a V-belt pulley from a squirrel cage fan that was in an old furnace in the city dump.   I heated a length of solid 5/8 inch steel rod and laid it in the belt groove so the outside of the steering wheel is rounded as it should be.  When it cooled it shrank and permanetly attached itself to the pulley much like a starter ring gear on a flywheel.  The fenders are one end of an old fuel oil barrel from my house furnace before I updated to propane.  The rest of the barrel became a burn barrel.  


The rear hitch and drawbar are also from the Case manure spreader that supplied the wheels.  The radiator is an air conditioning condensor from a 1982 Chevy pickup that was scrapped.  Of course the Wisconsin engine is air cooled so the radiator is just for looks.  I built the hood from scrap 20 ga. sheetmetal left over from my full size Case orchard tractor.  At the time I didn't know what the front axle was from.  It was also found at the city dump and was complete with tie rods and drag link and was Ford blue.  About a year ago there were four Jacobsen built lawn tractors on the cover of LAGT magazine and there was that axle!  


The front wheels are from a depot cart I believe.  A friend gave me those because they are heavy and the tractor was very light in the front.  Those wheels weigh about four times as much as the wheels I had on the tractor at first.  I used an oval shaped fuel tank that fit tightly under the crown of the hood and added a small external tank on the outside of the hood.  The real case tractors had the small tank for starting on gasoline and once warm switched to kerosene.


Case tractors were a dark green until 1923 so I used Diamond Vogel Coat-All in hunter green with some hardener.  I used to paint cars for a living.  Cars are supposed to shine but tractors didn't have much shine from the factory back then so I didn't want a mirror finish. The morning after I painted the tractor I opened the garage and the shine was visable even before I turned on the lights.  I took a clean cloth and lightly rubbed most of the gloss off as the paint was still tacky.  This gave me the look I wanted and along with minor pitting on the rear wheels and inside the fenders where the barrel had lay on the ground for several years.  It really does look like an old tractor that has been around for 90 years.  I bought some decals from Jones tractor salvage in Nebraska and they worked perfect.  The gal on the phone was most helpful in measuring the decals for me so I would know if they fit before ordering.


While taking the Case to its first show I had to stop for gas in my pickup and an old timer walking with a cane came over and leaned on my pickup.  After giving it the once over he asked "What year is your old Case?"   I said  "2009!  I just finished making it".  Embarrassed, he quickly turned and headed for his car.  I said  "MR!  I made it to look old and you just gave me a great complement.  Thank you for your interest".  He smiled and said "It sure fooled me"


Everytime I take this tractor to a show at least a few people say "I didn't know Case made a tractor that small back then.  What would that have been used for?"
The rules say "completely custom or modified" and I believe this tractor fits that perfectly.  It sure does not look like a Sears anymore! Thank you to all that read my entry and please vote your choice.


Picture 1 is mock-up stage, sitting on blocks.   Picture 2 front axle mounted and all four wheels attached.  Just after this picture the front of the frame was bobbed four inches, front axle was moved back four inches, and the engine was moved back four inches with some more modifications to the frame.  Picture 3 assembly done -ready to disassemble for paint.  These front wheels were replaced with heavy cast wheels as I found the front was too light.  


Picture 4 shows the red "gasoline" tank for starting the engine - once warm the original tractor would switch to kerosene.  The small red tank is from a two stroke Clinton engine.  Picture 5 shows the modified Sears foot rests repositioned in front of the axle.  There are also heavy duty strap foot rests mounted low behind the axle for tractor operation while standing.  With the left hand operating the clutch/brake and the right hand steering it works very well.  The steering wheel is offset to the right just like the real tractor.   Picture 6 the Fabricobble with homemade car.  The car body is an old one door refrigerator.  The car has shine - the tractor is satin finish.  Picture 7 has strange spots that are not on the tractor.  ??

]]> Fri, 04 May 2012 01:15:10 +0000 b9d487a30398d42ecff55c228ed5652b http://gardentractortalk.com/_/tech-tips-how-to/lawnmower-blade-sharpening-methods-and-tips-r107 Sure, to the many of us that have sharpened our own lawnmower blades all our lives, it is definitely not a difficult task, but for those of you that are perhaps sharpening your own lawnmower blade for the first time, or are looking for a few tips, and tricks, on how to go about it, read on!


Having a sharp lawnmower blade is very important in getting an even, satisfactorily cut when you are mowing the lawn. Depending on how large your lawn is, you will have to sharpen your blade one, two, or even three times in one season.


#1 Safety comes first, pull the spark plug wire to make sure the mower does not accidentally start. Professionals would recommend that you never work on your mower with the spark plug installed, because the engine can start unexpectedly. This is especially true when removing the blade, as you can easily turn the engine. As an extra precaution, you could also remove the spark plug completely to remove all chances of the lawnmower starting.


#2 The next step, of course, is removing the blade, which can be quite difficult. A good way to start is to squirt some Kroil, WD-40, or penetrating oil on the blade bolt and nut, and let it stand for a few minutes.


Block the blade as shown in the first picture below so that it does not turn while you are removing the blade nut. An easy way to do this is to use a clamp a block of wood on the inside of the deck with a C-clamp.


#3 Once the blade is removed, use a scraper, wire brush, or steel wool to remove any grass build up from it. This will enable you to balance the blade properly when finished sharpening.


#4 The primary goal in sharpening your blade is to maintain the correct angle. Manufacturers perform hours of testing to determine the angle that will give the user the best cut with the longest span of time between sharpening. It's important to keep the angle as it was intended. Around 40 - 45 degrees, as is shown in the diagram below, is typical.



A narrower angle, such as that of a pocketknife, will cut well initially, but will dull quickly, and nick easily. On the other hand, a blade with a less severe angle will not provide the same quality of cut, even though it might wear more slowly.


Whether you are sharpening your lawnmower blade using a file, handheld grinder, or benchtop grinder, many of the same principles do apply. However, I have always used either a handheld grinder or my benchtop, so that's the angle from which I am sharing these tips.


The first step, as you sharpen, is to take a few passes directly over the cutting edge of the blade to remove the nicks in the blades (shown in the 3rd photo at the bottom of the page). After the majority of the nicks are no longer visible, continue grinding the blade at the correct angle that is shown in the photo below. As you sharpen, move the blade back and forth across the grinder, maintaining the proper angle until you get the edge you need. Do not force the blade into the grinder. Forcing the blade to grind, faster heats the blade, and will cause the metal to lose its temper. It is not necessary to grind a blade until all nicks are out. Grind until you have a sharp edge on the blade in the area where there are no nicks. A blade with numerous major nicks should be replaced, but a few can be tolerated.


#5 Try to grind both edges of the blade evenly, removing the same amount of metal from both ends. This is important when you check the balance. One simple, easy way, to check the balance of your blade is to hang it on a screw or nail on the wall.



Make sure that the blade is level, not one side hanging lower than the other. There are many other methods of doing this, such as a blade balancing cone that can be purchased rather inexpensively. An out-of-balance, or bent blade, can cause severe vibration and damage to your equipment. You can balance a blade by grinding just a little more metal off the heavy end of the blade. However, never try to straighten a severely bent blade. Straightening it could cause a weakened or cracked blade. A cracked blade could break apart when turning at high RPM under the deck. The potential liability or injury is not worth the cost of a replacement blade.


Once you have finished balancing the blade and checking it for straightness, clean any burrs or jagged edges with a metal file.


#6 This point is optional, but I thought I'd add it anyway for those of you that will be draining your motor oil at the same time. Because many walk-behind lawnmowers have the oil drain plug on the bottom now, it's a good time to drain the engine oil before you replace the blade.


#7 Now it's time to put the blade back on the mower deck. Remember you now have a very sharp blade. Use extreme caution when installing it. Also, remember to replace the blade with the blade angle turned up towards the mower deck, and the cutting edge towards the ground. Tighten the blade nut until it is snug against the blade, then tighten it another ¼ turn. If your lawnmower has a lock washer, be sure the washer is pressed flat against the blade.


Happy mowing!]]> Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:27:33 +0000 e58cc5ca94270acaceed13bc82dfedf7 http://gardentractortalk.com/_/tractor-events/7th-annual-pa-plow-day-r104

On Friday they started plowing around 2pm at the fields across the street. It did not take long until all of the fields across the street were plowed and they took a short break and did the 50/50 tickets and most grabbed a bite to eat. After the break they opened the field all the way down by the river. Once that field was plowed everyone called it a night. There were approximately 70 tractors that plowed on Friday and 30 acres that were plowed.


We stayed at the Red Roof Inn along with a couple of our GTtalk members. After wrapping up for the night we went out to dinner at Quaker Steak and Lube. I gotta say I was impressed with the place considering that was my first time ever eating at one. We got to get some of the usual bs'ing in as always. I also took a pic with my phone of the Farmall they had right at the entrance inside.


Saturday was a really busy day. There were 200 garden tractors total registered and plowing. The green and yellow John Deere tractors far out numbered all of the other brands but it was nice to see almost all brands represented and plowing. There were a couple of Sears, couple of Wheel Horses and Cub Cadets, along with quite a few Massey's and we can't forget the one AMF. There was also an Allis Chalmers or two and also a terrific Case 155.

Plowing commenced a little after 9am on Saturday morning after a plowing meeting. After the meeting adjourned all of the tractors were off to the races to start plowing. I didn't take as many pictures and video as I did last year. Part of it was because I did plow more this year then I did last year and I also spent more time getting to talk to everyone.


It is amazing the difference it makes having your plow setup correctly. There were various types of plows in use from the John Deere 3pt plows, Brinly sleeve hitch plows, custom two bottom plows and Brinly 3pt plows. I had the Brinly 3pt plow on my Massey 1655 and Dad had his Brinly sleeve hitch plow on his Bolens 1000. I had some tinkering on my plow that I did on Friday but it wasn't going deep enough and I ran out of time to adjust it and try it so I waited until Saturday to do the final settings.


We did however get dad's Brinly setup on the Bolens on Friday. At first he was plowing in 3rd gear on the low side but his plow point was down too far. Also the sleeve hitch was pinned on the upper holes putting the hitch down too far and making it accumulate all of the trash. We put the hitch on the lower pins and adjust the plow to pull the point up some and it was plowing great in 2nd on the hi side.


It wasn't much after noon on Saturday when everything was plowed. The front field closest to the registration booth was plowed last for some better pictures to be taken. Also some of the fields that were already done they allowed the guys back in to flip the furrows the other way so they could still plow some more. Once all plowing was finished around 1pm they did another 50/50 drawing and everyone hung out for a while with some more bs'ing and tractor stories.


This was the best year yet for PA Plow Day since I have been going. Even with the staff being short handed they did a terrific job at keeping things moving and organized. Hats off to the staff for doing such a great job. I am already looking forward to next year and I promise I will take more pics and video next year. Hopefully we will get to see some more of you guys at other shows throughout the year. Until then.... learn, share and have fun

You can check out all of the pictures that were taken from the plow day in the gallery at: 7th Annual PA Plow Day and to see what everyone has been posting about you can check out the 7th Annual PA Plow Day forum thread.


Here is the video I put together from what I took at the plow day:

]]> Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:37:15 +0000 4da04049a062f5adfe81b67dd755cecc http://gardentractortalk.com/_/featured-tractors/gttalks-featured-tractor-of-the-month-of-a-r103

I had some extra ones so we worked a deal and he restored it. As far as we can tell the Wizards were painted orange and the wheels were what ever the color of the Bolens ones of that year. I also have a 57 Wizard and Dave has found a 59. I have heard of about five other of the 57 Wizards but not any other of the 59 or 61 models. Dave has restored several garden tractors over the years for me and does a great job.


I have taken it to a lot of shows and display it with the other Wizard that I have and my Bolens Ride-a-matics. If any one has one of these or any info on them please let me know. I have never seen any of them with any decals so I am really unsure if they had the same as the Bolens, some thing different or no decals. thanks, Steve

]]> Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:58:52 +0000 aace49c7d80767cffec0e513ae886df0 http://gardentractortalk.com/_/history/pennsylvania-panzer-garden-tractor-history-r102 Landscaping with the walk behind proved to be more work than Jim thought it should be and the tractor was not much help.  Jim felt he could build a better product, so he talked to farmers, gardeners and members of the Department of Agriculture at the University of Maryland and with their help came up with a design.




A proto-type was built in 1953, but was soon scrapped. Jim redesigned a new model that featured a used narrowed Dodge or Plymouth automobile rear end, individual rear brakes and a belt tightener/reverse disc (Gledematic) drive system.  These features remained as features of the Panzer throughout its existence.  Jim's boss became interested in the tractor and thought it had sales potential so they formed a company called COPAR (short for College Park) to manufacture the tractor.  A contest among the employees of Ahrendt Instruments was held to name the tractor and PANZER was the result. 1954 saw the start of production with about 350 tricycle Panzers built at College Park.


In 1955 COPAR moved to a refurbished plant in Laurel Maryland where it remained until 1960. Various models were built at Laurel including 4 models of tricycle and 4 models of the 4-wheel version of the tricycle. All featured 16" rear wheels and a 9hp Briggs and Stratton engine. Copar also introduced a light 4-wheel garden tractor in 1958. It featured 12" rear wheels and either a 4HP Clinton or 5 ¾ HP Briggs and Stratton engine. All College Park and Laurel tractors were painted red/yellow except the first model (all red) and the last (turquoise). Less than 10,000 tractors were produced in Laurel.


Copar was sold to Virginia Metalcrafters (VM) of Waynesboro Virginia in 1960. In 1961 VM redesigned the light tractor and eliminated the larger tricycles and 4 wheelers. All Panzers produced after 1960 were painted turquoise and from 1961 to 1963 all grills just read PANZER. Sales, quality and the number of attachments increased dramatically under VM ownership. Panzer became very competitive in the marketplace.


In 1963 VM purchased Pennsylvania Lawnmowers, one of the oldest manufacturers of lawnmowers in the world. Pennsylvania Lawnmowers dates back to the 1870’s. The company was renamed Pennsylvania Lawn Products in 1964 and the tractors were slightly redesigned and renamed as Pennsylvania Panzer.


1966 saw a major redesign to a square hooded model renamed the Pennsylvania Meteor. Early square hoods featured increased horsepower, a wide seat and one of the first hydrostatic (automatic) transmissions to be used on a small garden tractor. The price was just under $1000.00 for a tractor with no attachments. The Meteor with the hydrostatic transmission proved too expensive and so in 1968 the older belt tightener Glidematic drive returned, the name Meteor dropped and the Panzer name returned.


In 1970 Pennsylvania Products was sold to Schenuit Industries of Baltimore, Maryland. Schenuit also owned Jackson Manufacturing (Jackson Wheelbarrow) and the company became the Pennsylvania Products Division of Jackson Manufacturing. They also moved all production facilities to Martinsburg, West Virginia. All Panzers were discontinued and the new company focused on sheet metal riders and rotary walk behind mowers.


In 1971 Schenuit Industries went bankrupt and Jackson Manufacturing was sold in the settlement, but Pennsylvania Products was closed. Machinery in the Martinsburg plant was sold to A.M.F. (Homko) and parts, foundry patterns, blueprints for all Pennsylvania and Panzer products sold to a new company Dandy Sales, Inc. The actual number of Panzers built is unknown, but almost certainly was under 50,000.


This article was originally posted on the Dandy Sales website. With their kind permission it is here for your enjoyment!

Article by: Jim Haynes]]> Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:44:05 +0000 c667d53acd899a97a85de0c201ba99be http://gardentractortalk.com/_/restored-tractors-implements/bush-hog-d4-10-garden-tractor-restoration-r101





I will take some primed parts pics later today.

Here is my stand full of the disassembled D4-10 parts.




The "D" in D4-10 designates "direct drive".  It uses an automotive style clutch in bell housing like a few other makes use.





The transaxle was full of crud, so took it completely down also, every gear/bearing came out for inspection & cleaning.  I also found an unpleasant surprise.  Take a look at that twisted axle shaft!  Luckily I have a parts tractor & both axles were perfect in it.  The tractor brake sticks out from front of transaxle & shoes are in great shape.  A drum slips over.





Just a little progress, but progress none the less.  All the "to be white" parts blasted & under primer.





Use rattle can primer anymore.  Works just as good as bulk spray, unless filling imperfections.  I use spot puTty for that anyway.  Almost hit 60F here today!  I did heat the shop a few degrees.  I have a hanging propane shop furnace.

Been wanting to get more done on this tractor, but just not enough time to get into the sheet metal work right now.  So today I decided to tear into the engine & get it rebuilt.  Easier to walk away at any point when doing engine work....unlike the bodywork.   The engine didn't smoke much at all, but being I'm restoring her, I want to go through everything top to bottom.  Turns out the engine is in great shape, but she's getting a NOS piston & ring set just the same.  Bore has no ring groove at all, and not nare a scratch or blemish.  The insides looked like brand new.  The rod looks to have been replaced also.  Not taken the valves out yet, but they look good & shiny, but they get lapped in regardless.  Someone had been into this engine not long before I got it.  The crank's timing gear has been banged on the edges of the teeth, but shouldn't be an issue as she ran fine with no strange noises.  It doesn't have a magneto, but I may put one in it out of a 7hp Wisconsin I have.  They seem to fire better off a mag as the Delco starter/generator drags power from the auto style coil that this tractor started life with.  Some D4-10's came with magneto....others 12V coil.  

Went to the shop for a few more minutes & finished gutting the block.  Looks like what smoke there was came from worn valve guides.  Can't feel any wear in the valves, thinking they've been replaced.  Gotta see if I can round up some new guides, or just knurl & ream them.

Took a few pics of the innards of the engine.  I have a NOS piston & rings to go into it.  Hard to find parts, but if you keep a close watch on ebay & other places, you can snag them.  Patience is the key.





I've got the block in the sandblast cabinet.  Not had time to finish blasting it clean.  After blasting I will wash it, then dry & prime.  After that I will give it new paint, hone cylinder, lap valves, wash it again, then begin re-assembly.

I'm off duty this morning, so hit the shop early before it gets too hot.  Finished sandblasting engine parts, then washed all the parts & dried.  Hit them with primer.





Then after primer cured in the hot sun....mixed the paint & got that part finished.  Now this coming week I can concentrate on assembling the engine.  

The paint I got off ebay for $54 a gallon delivered, Omni acrylic enamel "Viper Red" and as close a match as I can get, especially for the money.  Ain't RED perty!





Well, turns out the engine I am rebuilding is also a TR-10D identical to  Brian's.  I sold one engine off a Bush Hog and it was definitely a TRA  and I never looked at the engine ID plate...just took it off & put  it away.  After painting my engine today I got the plate out, & low  & behold it's a TR-10D.  I know Bush Hog was good for using whatever  available at the time, as this same model tractor could come with the  Wisconsin or a HH100 Tecumseh.  Now I know they also used TRA &TR  engines.

Wish I'd have kept the other engine now.  Just found out that the TR-10D is just 8 1/4hp.  The TRA-10D is 10.1hp.  I knew the extra 1/4" stroke of the TRA just had to make more power.  Spec sheet:
MEDIUM TUBE FRAME SPECIFICATIONS

I should have it finished this week.  Gotta go through the carb also.  This engine had 12 auto style coil ignition, but I took the magneto off the S7D to put into this one.  Same parts, mine just didn't have the mag coil assembly riveted onto the bearing plate.  If the mag ever goes, it will be simple to convert to 12V coil.

Got all the innards back in & engine back plate on.  Then I hit a snag.  I've found the mag/bearing plate is not the same between the S7D and the TR-10D....the one for the S7D is deeper, so bottomed on the crank.  So I picked up the original plate & it was in 2 pieces.  Was cracked & I hadn't seen it when I slipped it off.  So if I feel up to it, I'll try TIG welding the plate back together.  It'll still bolt up to the S7D block so I can bolt it down to get a good flush fit.  After welding, I have to mount the mag over to the welded bearing plate. Been unbearably hot today, so worked on the engine some, & will get cows with newborn calves in late tonight when the temps drop a bit.

Got the plate welded, but had trouble with the TIG.  One of the switches is problematic. By the time I got it working right, I made a nasty looking weld, but smoothed it some going over it.  Tomorrow I'm gonna build it up a bit more around the coil tower & call it done.  Then I can complete the engine assembly tomorrow evening.  After that, clean the carb up & I'll be finished with it.  Need to rig me up a soda blaster to polish the carb.  I have sodium bicarb in 50lb sacks for the cows, so endless supply here.  I'll post more pics tomorrow night.  Had to quit on it to mow the yard, once the sun started down & cooled off some.

It's awful hot out and I've been in it long enough, but I went to the shop for a little while & got the bearing carrier plate finished welding and got the mag mounted to it.   The weld isn't pretty, but it's strong.  I need more weld time with that TIG, and a new switch.





Installed plate & got the clearance right on .002" using one (calls for between .001 & .004") .0075 and one .0025 shim gaskets.  I used my dial gauge because I have one, but with these tapered bearings, the rule of thumb for clearance is:  If you can feel play, but not see movement...good to go.  If you can feel AND see the actual crank movement, then you have too much end to end shaft clearance.





Put in the new points & condenser & I have a HOT sparky!

I love having a blast cabinet.  Everything comes out so clean of crud.  I lightly blasted the flywheel & it looks like new.  If you wonder about the paper towel pieces in the holes.  Around here mud-daubers will fill the holes with mud when you turn your back!  lol





While there, I checked valve clearances.  Intake needed a shade ground off the valve stem to get it to the .006" clearance, but the exhaust valve was spot-on.
That may be it for me in the shop tonight.  Been a long hot day...well, 2 weeks.  Think I'll take the rest of the evening off.

Not that I felt like it after my day with my eye injury, but I can't sit too long.  Went to the shop for a few minutes & lapped the valves.  Went out again & installed the valves & springs.
This is my valve spring compressor.  Doesn't fit perfect, but does decent enough.





I figure most of you guys use the grease trick, but I'll post it anyway.  Grease inside & outside each keeper.  Use grease to stick it to a screwdriver & slip onto valve stem.  The grease holds it to stem & you just drag the screwdriver away.





Valves & springs all in.  Made double sure I had the exhaust rotator on the exhaust side.  When not feeling your best, you gotta watch yourself close.  I have the cover on & all buttoned up, so now I just need to install the head & all shields.  Probably tomorrow night.  Then on to the Zenith carb.
.




Got the engine all buttoned up now, so tonight it's carb clean/repair time.

Here's the completed engine.  





   I have the carb apart & soaking in gallon of carb cleaner.  Carb is in amazingly good shape.  Shafts are snug, float good, and little crud inside.  I was going to rig up a soda blaster, but I think I can just use my blast cabinet & hit the carb very lightly.  I have a bad carb body I can test first to be sure. The carb body gasket is hard as a rock, but I have that thickness gasket material, so I'll just cut a new one since I don't need any other parts.  I might get her fired this weekend, and if I do, I will definitely post video!

Cut a new carb center gasket from sheet material & have carb mounted on engine.  

Well, being I'm feeling better, I HAD to hear her running today.  Still need to tweak on the carb & set points with a timing light to dial her in, but she runs!  Sad part is that it'll be several months before she runs on the tractor chassis.
  Click the pic for short video.



More progress!   Got the frame all ready for paint prep work.  Decided just to use spot putty for the rough rust patches left after the electrolysis.  Putty should work just fine on this small pitting.  By end of the day, I should have all wet-sanded down & ready for final coat of primer.  I will wait several days to paint as I'd like to get more items ready that will get the red paint.  I'd rather paint more at a time so I'll have to clean the paint gun less times.








Got all the putty sanded smooth & one side re-primed before a thunderstorm hit, but happy for the rain!  I might be able to prime the other side later today yet.  After I get it all primed, I'll not do the final sand until day to be painted.

Finally got back to a little work on the D4-10.  Today I got the front axle & spindle assembly under primer, as well as the steering tie rod & drag link.  The rear rims had good paint, but did a light sandblast on them & going to wet sand them smoother before painting, which will paint another day.  Got the front wheels that go to this tractor off the other D4-10 and taking the tires off to sandblast the rims.  Might get that done before the heat sends me in the house to the AC.  It's my 1st day off in 2 weeks, so not gonna sweat all day!  By this time I had hoped to have a rolling chassis under paint, but was not to be.

Still at it, but not for long....heating up out there.  Even with a fan right on me, it's hot.  Need to come in, cool off, then do some decal work.  I got the front rims sandblasted & under primer.  Blasting was kinda slow, due to waiting on my compressor to catch up, so I ran my extra hoses down to the farm shop's compressor & blasted till finished.  With the 2 compressors coupled, I can blast till the cows come home...or I get tired.
  Waiting to hear from Gene on some new rib tires for the front.  Maybe, & I do mean maybe, I can get this thing as a painted rolling chassis in a couple weeks or so.

Here are the rims, tie rods, & axle assembly.  Should get under paint by the end of the week.





Worked down the primer with water & a Scotchbrite pad in prep for new coat of yellow paint.  The rear rims aren't the original, but had pretty slick white paint on them, so much easier to prep than the pitted originals & identical anyway.  Fronts are OE.  I have the front hubs prepped also, as the rims & hubs are the only yellow on the tractor.  WILL get these painted Saturday.  Also, UPS delivered my new front tires for this tractor today.  Came from Gene@Gearworks, our GTt sponsor.  Great tires & service.  I cut PVC pipe to stretch out the tires, to make for easier airing up after installation as I will be tubeless.  Can't wait to see some paint going on the D4-10!





The paint went on great, BUT, after curing some, it's still way darker than what New Holland Yellow is supposed to be.  VERY disappointed with the shade.  I might go pick up some more paint in the morning & re-shoot them.  This is the most in-depth restore I've ever done, so I hate to have it the wrong shade.  It's so far off is what bothers me.  I went by our new silage chopper for the shade of yellow, but it looks nothing like our chopper's yellow.  Yet, when I now look up the NH yellow on the internet, I find my rims DO match.  Not sure what gives, unless NH uses 2 different shades.  Guess I'll sleep on it & decide what to do.  Not trying to be so darn picky, but after the super look of the factory restore, I want mine to at least resemble it.  What do you guys think?

This yellow  




Or this yellow?





OK, I changed the color!

Got the correct paint!  The auto paint shop, "Gipes Autocolor", has the "color capture" camera, so I took a piece of my vinyl that I make the Bush Hog decals with & had them exact match it, and it looks great!  Will be repainting the rims after lunch, and pics will be forthcoming.  Good thing I use hardener yesterday, so I can recoat right away.  Without the hardener, the 1st coat would likely lift.
  This higher quality acrylic enamel is cheaper than the tractor dealer's straight enamel!  Dealer is $25/qt, and this PPG acrylic was only $22/qt!

One side & centers painted, and looking GREAT! I'll sleep good tonight!  The flash changed the look some, but to the eye, the decal vinyl & the rims are a dead even match!





Quite the difference from this, the wrong shade:





Rims are Painted!
Just finished the last coat a few minutes ago.  Looks like a good-nuff paint job.  Some flaws as always, but makes me happy, and my wife says that's all that matters is that I'm happy!   Had to fight a bunch of bugs/waspers before I could spray.  Covered the rims & did a light fog of bug killer, let that settle, then sprayed the paint.  After these rims cure a few days, I'll mount the new tires on all 4.  I bought new rear tires like 2yrs ago, thinking I would get to that point way back then.  Better late than never.
  Now that all the yellow components are  painted, it's on to the chassis. LOTS to be painted red, so will have to be done in smaller lots.  All the chassis components need to be wet-sanded, then will be ready for paint.  Not gonna happen in the next few days...gotta get back to chopping last of corn silage this coming week.





Getting the rims painted injected some energy into the project (well, me! lol), so I have the chassis components all prepped & on stands, ready to paint red.  If nothing happens to detour me, then they will get red paint tomorrow after I finish morning milking.  Also brought the differential in for a new coat.  I previously painted it MF Red, but the true factory color is more of a true pure red, so going to use "Viper Red" as it's much closer to the factory paint color.  Bush Hog Corporation used a "Tomato Red", but that's not too close to an OE match, but they wanted plenty of "flash", so they went a bit brighter.  I want to stay as close to OE as possible.

I'd have to say it is as close to JD Yellow as is humanly possible.  But having them match to my vinyl was the most important, but I believe I could have bought JD Yellow & had a dead ringer!  I love the acrylic enamel much better than any tractor dealer's straight enamel.  Cures to touch in no time, leaving less time for bugs to get in the paint.  Out here on a dairy, bugs are a big problem when painting.  Acrylics also hold their shine so much better, plus I always use a "wet look" hardener.

Got the chassis components all shiny red before noon.  Got the cows milked, then picked up a load of bedding sawdust, took the truck back to the sawmill, then shot home to shoot some paint.  Came out pretty good.  I could have got the frame a bit slicker with "feather-fill", but the front part that really shows looks real nice.  Have all painted that will allow me to put the chassis on wheels, once the rims cure enough to safely put the new tires on, which I'll likely wait about a week to do.  I almost forgot to paint the front axle pin bolt, but remembered just before I cleaned my gun.  If I decide to paint all the mounting bolts, I'll do that by hand with small brush after assembling.  The pics make it appear to have a heavy "orange-peel", but it really is pretty smooth.





I know...one day in the sun isn't gonna cure the paint, but I get yancy & jump right in.  I just had to mount the tires today.  All went great.  Treated them gingerly & just has a couple tiny spots to touch up, and on the back side.  I put the side that will face outward on the tractor "down" on the changer, & mounted them from the back side of rim.  Laid an old bed sheet on the changer before putting rim down.  Not a single spec marred on the show side.

  I am very pleased!  Now time to get my "Caswell Copy Chrome" plating kit out & nickel plate the lug bolts!





I like installing one front hub & wheel/tire having a complete rolling chassis put together.





Today I got the clutch bell housing & driveshaft painted, plus injected grease into the bearings.  Tomorrow my plan is to get the clutch all mounted to engine & mounted into the chassis.  Hadn't worked on this one in the last couple or so weeks due to work & playing with the newest JB & repairing the 3pt bush hog gearbox, but I'm back to it now.  I may get some other red components painted tomorrow as well.

The paint on this looks rough, but the bell housing is sand cast, so nature of the beast.  The paint has a good shine just the same.








The weak link is the sliding cluster gear in the transmission.  One of my D4-10's, but not this one I'm restoring, had a stripped 1st gear.  The cluster has 3 gears made as one.  Center is 2nd gear, with gears on either of 2nd being reverse & low.  Gear can be flipped either way, as low & reverse are identical, and shift fork can work on either side of 2nd gear.  To repair the stripped cluster, I turned down the stripped side, then found a motorcycle transmission gear that would mesh with the mating gear.  Then I turned the inside of the motorcycle gear till I got a press fit onto the cluster.  Once on, I welded the new gear to the cluster.  I flipped the gear to make the new welded on gear to do reverse duties, so that the good gear now does low gear duties as it should be much stronger.  I've since acquired a 3rd D4-10 for parts & it has a good cluster gear, but I'll use my home-brew gear as long as it will last.  I only take the "rusty" tractor to show as contestant in "Ugliest GT" anyway.




Engine & clutch mounted!  It's looking good, but SO much more to go!  Doing every single piece is daunting, but worth it in the end.





Cut off early at 3:00 shelling corn as we have to switch bins and we'll get into that tomorrow.  So I got some prep work almost finished for the parts that will be painted white.  Just the one part on the left that needs some spot putty block sanded, the seat support/toolbox.  These will all be painted bright white Saturday, if not before.
  Just edited to add:  I just realized I need to prine & prep the steering column too, as it will be white also.  Hard to keep up with all the parts when completely broken down.





Ate supper at 5.  After I finished, I checked GTt posts, then went out & shot some red on pedals, linkages, and the cast iron steering sector unit.  If the sharp eyes wonder why the sheet over the door, it's because the sun shines in & I can't see a darned thing when trying to use my sandblast cabinet.  I'm not doing anything top secret, just blocking the sun.





Yesterday, when going into the milk parlor to repair a fan's electrical connection, while stepping down into the milker's "pit" on the concrete steps, my feet just slid right out from under me.  Landed on my tail & elbow.  Elbow swollen, and my back is jammed up a bit.  Back was hurting from previous day's work already, so I really needed to hurt it more.  Anyway, I got up after a few seconds of reflection & fixed the fan & been kinda slow since.

  So today we kinda took a break from corn & I got a little shop time.  Stiff, but did do some tinkering on the project.
  Got all the shift, steering, rear PTO, & clutch linkages, plus the clutch & brake pedals in.  Next step is to paint all the white parts, as the dash panel has to mount before slipping in the steering column.  I would be able to do the dash panel later, but the steering wheel is still on the column & I do not want to attempt removing it.  I tried removing the steering wheel from my parts tractor's column & the bakelite steering wheel's center exploded, so not risking this one.

  I could have painted the white today, but just don't feel up to it.  Maybe tomorrow...definitely by Saturday afternoon.





Got the white parts painted just now.  Will be putting the dash on this weekend as well as the steering column & maybe the seat pan/toolbox as well.  Once it started coming together, it gives me momentum to keep it going. Much yet to do, but seeing progress is so much fun!





I love acrylic enamel for a few reasons, one of which is being able to handle the parts soon after painting.  After lunch I put fresh sawdust bedding in 96 cow stalls, then set the fresh painted parts in place.  Now she's really taking shape!



Got a little more accomplished today, but smaller, tedious things.  Got the dash all snugged up & everything installed into it.  The original wiring, surprisingly, is in great condition except to re-tape things up.  Got a new throttle cable (from bhts) installed along with original choke cable assembly.  The OE throttle cable is identical to some Bolens locking style assemblies, so ordered new from him.

  The hole someone burned through the column will be covered once I repair, paint, & install the bracket that secures the column.





   This is really the 1st ever I've restored.  Never have I taken one apart piece by piece & refurbished it ground up.  I had once said I'd use this tractor, but I've decided it will live the easy life.  Too much time & trouble invested to muck her up. And too late...done dinged a place or 2 already, but a steady hand & tiny paint brush & you can't see the spots.  No scratches yet though...but I'll slip up before she's done I'm sure.  Bless those within ear-shot when/if I do!

Between milkings & fixing my cattle fly spray system, I brushed & scraped some more parts fresh from the electrolysis tank.  Got all these parts brushed & under primer today.  I have another load in the tank now (front PTO linkages, and hood).  After this load, all I have left to do is the seat base, fuel tank, & the Delco starter/gen, besides the mower deck, which I'll do much later more than likely.  Of course I'll sandblast the tank & generator & wrap the pulley shaft to keep grit out of it.  The fuel tank is like new inside, so I don't wanna tank the tank.
  The fender & grille frame in pic will be getting some spot putty to smooth the pitted areas.



Did just a little to the D4-10 yesterday.  Someone had welded through on the steering column tube, but I left the hole & painted the column, thinking the column bracket would cover it.  It doesn't cover it.  So I wire welded the hole up & ground the weld smooth.  Now I will have to glaze the spot & repaint the tube.  Might do some more on the tractor today.....jury is still out.


  More Bush Hog news....guy has a V4-6 Bush Hog tractor just 2hrs or less away.  Says it's rough.  Waiting for pics.  If it's mostly there I'll bring her home if I can make a deal & enlarge my herd!  The V4-6 is a 6hp with variable speed sheave pulley coupled to a 4speed transaxle.  Looks quite similar to the D4-10.
  The show was October 2nd, so too late for it this year.  It was at Hodgenville, Ky.

Getting ready to shoot some paint, but all spraying will be indoors despite the war weather out....windy today! Have a lot of parts ready to shoot, but not sure how much I'll get finished today.
Have them drying outside after a wash.  Wish me luck.  I always love & hate paint day.  So much can go right OR wrong!





Most went pretty well...till the danged fly got into the side of the hood freshly shot, then worked his way down the side, kicking & screaming!  Had to let it dry some, then wet-sand that area down & re-shoot it.
  I have had trouble getting the proper shine out of this paint I got off ebay.  From here on out I'll only buy my paint locally, regardless of price.  I've never had problems with my local paint shop paints.  Some problems aside, I am happy with the paint job.  Still have a few pieces to paint red, but it'll have to be another day as they haven't even been shot with primer yet.





Decided to bolt on some sheet metal & stuff.  She's beginning to look like a tractor again!





I couldn't help myself....had to put the driveshaft cover decals on!





I spent several $'s to put new stainless steel hardware where they show on the bodywork.  I polished them on my buffer before using.  No worrying about bolts rusting there!  If I could afford, I'd put SS bolts throughout, but man are they pricey!





Drug out my electroplating kit out yesterday that I bought 7 years ago & never got around to using.  Did my first garden tractor part today.  I will have an article up in a few days about the entire process.  In the meantime, here is my implement lift lock arm off my D4-10.  I forgot to take a before pic, but this parts tractor has one that looks about the same as the one I plated, but minus the rubber grip & has been painted.  Turned out great!  Be looking for the article soon.





Plated another D4-10 part today.  Before & after pics.





More D4-10 parts plated today.






I also have the implement lift arm assembly mounted.  Will update with tractor pic tomorrow.

Yesterday I had to make a run for barn repair materials, so I went to my metal yard to get some general steel supplies.  The D4-10 uses  "expanded steel" for the front grill.  So I got some general steel for the farm use, then a cutoff of some expanded steel.  Got the expanded out today to cut a piece to form my grill.  MAN was this stuff tough as heck to bend!  Then it hit me.......got a magnet, and NOT magnetic....they gave me a piece of STAINLESS expanded flat!  WooHoo!  Now with all my stainless bolts, I will also have a stainless grill!  I'll get some pics later.

OK, time for a small update.  Here's pics of the plated parts all mounted up.





And here is my stainless grill.  I had an old water fountain, so I took a thin 4" grinder slice wheel & cut off the corner edge to make the bottom mount plate, then riveted it to the grill screen.  I had to drill 2 small holes in the bottom of the bottom plate, then spotweld 2 stainless pins (piece of 308 stainless welding rod) into these holes.  The pins fit into holes in the frame of the tractor to secure the bottom of the grill in place.  Turned out pretty good, especially considering I got stainless expanded for the price of mild steel.  I have enough left for 8 or 10 more grills!  Once I get the NOS Bush Hog emblem (Bush Hog Corporation sent this to me) in the grill, then it will "pop"!





I plated several parts last night.  Two 3/4" sleeve hitch bolts/nuts, their four 3/4" flat washers, switch key & the switch mount washers, the 3 PTO engagement plates, and the headlight bulb reflectors.  All plated well, except maybe the headlight reflectors.  I "think" they plated ok, but hard to tell.  If they plated, I can leave leave them in the open & they should not rust.  After polishing it's hard to tell one way or another, as they would still polish even if the nickel didn't transfer.  
  I forgot all about plating the key end of the key switch, plus the brass headlight switch knob I turned.  Will do them sometime this week.

Been out in the shop for a while today.  Would like to have gotten more accomplished, but I think George jinxed me talking about his bad headache.....now I have one.  Not a migraine, but enough to take the juice out of me.  I did get several small parts media blasted & primed (headlight shells, PTO clutch & engagement bracket,tool box tray, starter generator & it's brackets, etc) .  The original starter/generator quit on me a few years back, so dug it out today & took it apart.  Brushes gone & bearings tight.  I had another of the same era, but longer body.  It had good brushes & great bearings, so swapped what I needed.  Wanted to have the original starter back on the tractor.
  I also got the sleeve hitch installed on the tractor.  Won't be long & I'll have all the rest of the remaining parts ready for paint.  Before Spring, she'll be finished.  Then onto the mower deck & the 32" Bush Hog tiller.  The tiller has the brackets to be used on the JB tractor, but I may make brackets for it to fit onto the D4-10.  It's the same tiller for both tractors, just different mounting brackets.  Maybe I'll take it to the shows with the snow blower on the front, mowing deck under the belly, and the tiller on the back!





Unless there's an odd part I forgot about, all parts are painted.  Now just to cure & do final assembly!  I think I'll make my show yet!
Here are the parts I shot today, and the HVLP gun I use.  The price is still on it that I paid at a Peddlar's Mall.  Even came with case & spare parts & care kit!  It does a great job too!





Got my headlights all mounted & new wiring inside/to them today.  These are OEM headlights with separate glass lens....not sealed beam.





Getting some shop time with the D4-10 this morning.  I built a grill from stainless mesh steel & was thinking of leaving it SS finish, but not gonna.  Just doesn't stand out like the OE white, and wouldn't appear restored.  So sandblasted it to remove the super smooth finish so as to hold primer & paint better.  Got the air cleaner cover blasted & primered, paint that later.  May get the grill painted today as well.
  This restore is finally winding down.  Mostly little things to do now..... applying the hood decals, finishing the grill & air filter, new battery ground cable, tail light installation, & little bits like that.  I do need to cut the new seat & backrest bases so I can drop it off at an upholster shop asap.

D4-10 shop time today!  New battery & ground cable, some more stainless hardware, tail light repaired & installed (all lights working).  Also have the grill primed, air cleaner cover painted, PTO clutch installed, and more.  Might go out in a bit to get more done.  My feet hurt & need a break! lol

I had still forgotten some "to be red" parts, so I got the muffler guard, fuel cap, and engine dipstick handle shot with red.  I also got the grill shot with white, and with a tiny brush, did touch-ups where bolts chipped the paint.  I have a little red paint left, and if I can bend far enough, now that I've eaten supper, I will hand paint the lug nuts & bolts.  Painting them before installing just results in badly chipped paint, so I do it after tightening.  Except for these  lug nuts, ALL the tractor is under new paint!  

.
I've gotta get/make a retaining clip for that tail light wire.  Bugs me in the pic!





This evening, my D4-10's grill gets my prized gift from the Bush Hog Corporation installed.....a NOS never used Bush Hog emblem!  They sent me a ton of great stuff when I made the decals for their restorations.





Almost finished with this project, and strange as it seems, it's kinda sad to see it finished.  Been a long run with it, and it's been fun.  Just have to get my seat from the upholsterer, and make a steering wheel cap decal. You may notice I changed the tail light.  The one I had on it went to that fender, but I had another original tail light like some D4-10's used & I like it better, so I swapped them out.





When I get it totally finished, I'll use my higher megapixel camera for "beauty shots"! LOL  This camera is lower resolution, so makes for fast uploads.  I've had this Sony Mavica for years & it still works like new, even original battery still.

Gotta pick the seat up from upholsterer this week.  Show is Saturday, so need to call him & be sure it'll be finished in time.  Busy week, and I have a dairy board meeting in Louisville Friday, then that night milking chores.  Gonna be hectic, plus I have the trailer loaded with treated wood I have to unload. Can't wait to get the seat & backrest on & "Final Pics"!

After over 2 1/2 years, she is finally completed.  Took her to my local tractor show & came home with "Best of Show" trophy!  I love this tractor, and my hard work paid off!  I'll keep this tractor till someone buries me!



]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:03:57 +0000 c6bff625bdb0393992c9d4db0c6bbe45 http://gardentractortalk.com/_/featured-tractors/gttalks-featured-tractor-of-the-month-for-r100
One day before last year's FCVAEC Plow Day (held annually the last Saturday in April in Cochranton PA), We were adjusting my sleeve hitch on my MF10. Once we were done adjusting the sleeve hitch, I decided it would be a good idea to go start my tractor to warm it up and adjust the plow in the field. So Dad and I exited the bay and did the adjusting. When I came back into the garage, Dad noticed oil leaking out of the left axle casting. There was a puddle of oil and we decided to check it out. This was broken all the way around and had been that way for a long time.

We were up till about 3 AM, but we got it fixed and to plow day on time. Thankfully, we had a parts transmission with other things wrong with it. So we had to combine the two so called "Broken" transmissions. When Dad told me it could have given way anytime while I was riding it, I felt darn lucky!

~Ry@n


Here are the pictures of the crack that was leaking.








I even made the paper!]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:19:57 +0000 1e6e0a04d20f50967c64dac2d639a577 http://gardentractortalk.com/_/tech-tips-how-to/tips-to-help-you-get-your-garden-tractor-running-r98

1.Portable Air talk, "full of air"
2.Gas Can, "with fresh gas in it"
3.Fully charged Battery.
4.Can of Carburetor Cleaner.
5.Tool set.
6.Spark Plug
7.Gas Line and filter,.
8.Jumper Cables.
9.Replacement Battery Cable Ends.
10.Multimeter.
11.WD40.


I keep a fairly large tool bag with me, including some emory cloth, feeler gauges, hose clamps in varied sizes, small tube of silicone, a couple jumper wires with alligator clips on them along with several different sets of sockets and end wrenches in SAE and Metric.


I try to get a good idea from the PO.on what the reason why it is sitting and not being used, that will give you a better idea what you may need to do to get it up and running. First thing I like to do is see if the tires will hold air. I check to see if the engine will turn over by hand. I always check the fluid levels and make sure it's got engine and hydro or transmission oil. I then move to the carb, remove the main and idle jets, only after running them in to see where they are set. I spray a good amount of carb. cleaner through both jets, I also spray down the throat of the carb. and work the butterflies a few times.


i check battery cables and install the battery. I usually pull the spark plug and spray WD40 through the spark plug hole, this helps lubricate the top end of the piston and if one of the valves are open it will lube it on top. WD40 will also ignite and help the engine to fire.


Next, I check to see if the engine will turn over with the starter, if it does I also check the plug for spark. If I don't get spark, I clean the points with Emory cloth and check to see if I have 12v. at the coil. If all is good, I put some gas in the tank, allow gas to get to the end on the line, either at the pump (if equipped), or to the carb.. If all has worked to this point, I try to start it. There are times that I have had to hot wire the coil because of wiring issues or bad ignition/ safety switch's. I have even bungee corded the gas can to the tractor and stuck the gas line in it to run the garden tractor.


I know a lot of guys would just roll them up on the trailer to load them, but more times then not, there is other stuff you are picking up at the same time. I can quickly run through these checks and get them running pretty quickly, I always enjoy the "getting them running part" when the previous owner will let me try.


Here is a good example, I got to work this morning and needed to get something running around here to mow with since the starter is out on our regular mower. Dad bought a 125 Cub Cadet garden tractor a few weeks ago, and was told it hadn't run in about 3 years. Dad picked it up using the winch on our trailer and rolled it off out back.


I went out this morning with a battery, some fresh gas and socket set. After cleaning the sediment bowl, jets, and bowl on carburetor, opened the petcock on the tank and waited for gas to run through the carb. I installed the battery and blew up 3 tires and cranked it over, as i cranked it over, I gave it a couple shots of carb cleaner down the throat of the carb and away she went. I am glad that it had fire to the plug, those points are a bear to get to on these Cub Cadets, Here are a couple photo's of the Cub Cadet running in front of the shop. I spent about 15 minutes getting it running and now all I have to do is change the oil and grease the deck to start mowing grass with it.

On a side note, while looking this Cub Cadet over, I found this on the side of the hood. Not sure what it means, but maybe when the Cub Cadet 125 was bought new??

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 03:42:34 +0000 0e65972dce68dad4d52d063967f0a705 http://gardentractortalk.com/_/news/buyers-beware-scams-are-out-there-r97

Like the old adage that "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is." If you come across a deal that sounds like way too much of a bargain it should start raising flags. Yes there are deals out there to be had but if you follow some simple steps it can be a pleasurable buying experience rather then one of disbelief that you just lost hundreds of dollars to a scam artist.


As the picture I made is for representation purposes only and some would jump off their seat in a heartbeat to scoop up a tractor with a loader for $200. I know I would, but this is how they lure you in, they have something posted for sale or they contact you about something you have posted that you are looking for.


It is always a decent deal that they offer but there is always one catch. They want you to western union money or send a money order to a post office box, they may even have you send it to a real address with the promise that they will either ship it to you as soon as they receive payment. They might even use the tactic that "They trust you that you will send the payment so they will go ahead and get the item shipped" which gives you that false sense of trust. Now you have that false sense of trust so you send them the payment in the method they asked for.


So what do you do if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones that have fallen for the scam? Contact your local police is the first thing that you should do. When it tends to be the same person scamming people the more reports the better. The next thing you can do is post on sites like GTtalk or on other forums and let people know, give as many details as possible, but don't share personal information.


So what can you do to prevent this from happening to you? There are quite a few things and I will try and list them all and I am sure I will miss a few. There is one though that would pretty much guarantee that it won't happen and that is going to be the first one that I list.

• Never send money to someone to purchase an item through a money gram service like Western Union. It is one thing if it is your kid in college and they need some cash but don't ever send money like this to someone you never met.
  
• Never send a money order to someone you never met offering something for sale.
  
• If it is a transaction that required shipping use paypal or another escrow service. There are scams that happen even with paypal but the chances are much less then sending a money gram.
  
• Only do a transaction in person
  
• Try to refrain from posting your phone number or email address allowing the scammer to contact you directly. Make them use other methods to contact you like eBay's messenger, or a private message system like GTtalk uses. This way messages would be logged, their ip addresses tracked and can be used by police to aid in finding the criminals and as a documentation trail. Sites like GTtalk, eBay, Paypal and others do abide to police requests for information regarding catching criminals.

I know there are not a whole lot of tips there but basically the first two would eliminate 99% of the scams we are experiencing with the garden tractor stuff.


It is hard to pass up on a good deal but use your thinking cap and remember scammers are out there.


As for the picture of my Massey 1655 with the loader,.... No it is not for sale. ]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:06:31 +0000 85d8ce590ad8981ca2c8286f79f59954 http://gardentractortalk.com/_/history/olde-abe-r96

Daniel McCann was a farmer who lived in Wisconsin.  Mr. McCann was physically handicapped.  He lived near Jim Falls, Wisconsin on the Chippewa River.  In the year 1860, Daniel McCann’s wife traded a bushel of corn for a young eaglet to the Chippewa Indians.  The eaglet became the family pet.  The McCann children would feed the eaglet whatever they could find such as small rodents.  The bird became very tame.  Even though Mr. McCann was physically disabled he could play the fiddle which the bird loved.  The bird would stand on his perch and hop up and down and flop his wings.  The bird grew to love human attention.  It came upon the point where the McCann family could not keep up with the demands of the bird’s eating habits.


In the spring of 1861, the Civil War was in its early stages.  President Lincoln told each state governor to get local groups of men to form into a militia.  Mr. McCann tried to enlist in the Chippewa Falls Militia Company but was unable to because of his handicap.  So Mr. McCann thought that maybe they would be interested in having his eaglet as the Chippewa Falls’ mascot.  The Chippewa Falls Militia were not interested in the bird as a mascot.  So Mr. McCann ran into the company from Eau Claire Militia Company and asked the captain John E. Perkins if he was interested in purchasing the eagle as their mascot.  Mr. Perkins was very interested in having the bird as a mascot.  Mr. McCann was paid $2.50 for the bird.  From this point on, Mr. Perkins’ Militia was known as the Eau Claire Eagles.  Mr. Perkins named the bird as Old Abe in honor of President Lincoln.  


The first time Old Abe marched in formation with his militia was in Madison, Wisconsin.  As music played, Old Abe made a spectacle of himself.  He grabbed the flag in his beak and flapped his wings.  Old Abe was in thirty-eight battles over the four years of the Civil War.  After the Civil War, stories of Old Abe grew into folklore.  Some of the stories that he was accredited with included: artillery guidance, the capture of a rebel map, and also with air reconnaissance.  After the Civil War, Old Abe spent 16 years in a cage in the basement of the state capital of Wisconsin.  


In February of 1881, a small fire started in the basement of the state capital.  It was captured quickly.  However the smoke played a toll on Old Abe’s health.  On March 20th, 1881, Old Abe refused to eat.  On March 26th, 1881 he died in the arms of his keeper.  After his death, his fame grew to higher levels then during the war.  Even President Theodore Roosevelt viewed Old Abe.  He was quoted as saying, “By George I’m glad to see him.  I read about him in my reader at school!”


Old Abe was mounted and moved to a new exhibit at the state capital building in Wisconsin.  A fire destroyed the mount of Old Abe.  At this point there were three replicas that were made.  One of them is at the Smithsonian Institute.  


In the early periods of the Civil War, Jerome Case was traveling through Wisconsin and came across the Eighth Company of Wisconsin marching with Old Abe.  While they were marching, the eagle made a spectacle of himself and made a great impression on J.I. Case.  Not long after, the eagle became the official trademark of the J.I. Case Company.  The trademark eagle stance changed several times.  After the death of J.I. Case in 1893, the company changed the eagle’s design.  This has the eagle standing on top of the globe.  This showed how the J.I. Case Company wanted to be known as a leader internationally in agriculture.  This design lasted until 1969 when the J.I. Case chose a more modern logo.


I found this story captivating because the eagle stood for freedom back then and still stands for freedom today.  I found this information while I was reading the book, Full Steam Ahead.  I discovered that the J.I. Case Company was an innovator in the early years of agriculture.  They were also a diverse company because they produced threshing machines, steam engines, cars, and tractors.  They also made proto-type aircraft and were involved in automobile racing.  I would encourage anyone to read who this book who would like to learn more about the J.I. Case Company.  This 352 page book Full Steam Ahead: J.I. Case Tractors and Equipment 1842-1955 can be purchased from ASABE.  You can contact Sandee at martin(at)asabe(dot)org for details or visit their website at www.asabe.org.  



Reference:
Erb, D and Brumbaugh, E.  (193).  Full Steam Ahead J.I. Case Tractors & Equipment 1842-1955 Volume One.  St. Joseph, Michigan:  American Society of Agricultural Engineers.]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:43:31 +0000 084b6fbb10729ed4da8c3d3f5a3ae7c9