lindsay wrote:
>On 15/09/2021 7:19 am, John_H wrote:
>> lindsay wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I've fallen in love with the idea of a front end loader.. I'm thinking
>>> of the payback with the fucking wombats... :-) My Fathers Day pressie
>>> may help out with that...
>>> https://www.olightstore.com.au/olight-javelot-turbo-kit-black-1300m-hunting-torch.html
>>> Insane...
>>>
>>> But really, so much more available to me with a 4-in-1 bucket. I have
>>> about 30-35 acres that needs to be kept clean. If i leave it another
>>> spring/summer, i'll *need* to pay someone to clear it. Dont think i'm
>>> prepared to pay someone again... a FEL with a 4 in 1 bucket would be
>>> awesome and do the job. Whats not slashed will be fodder for the bucket,
>>> pick it up and dump it all on a pile to burn in Autumn. I hate manuka.
>>
>> Don't you already own a skid steer loader?
>
>Unfortunatly, no. The owner of said skid steer renegged after 6 months
>of waiting. Wasn't a huge problem at the time, yet a bobcat would have
>been a very nice, and cheap ($10k), complement to the Deutz while it was
>working (deutz doesnt have a fel). This was maybe 5-7 years ago. He'd
>re-engined with a Kubota donk for $3k (or similar?), and thought he'd
>finished with it, but it became handy again, and that was the end of it.
>He's still using it on his property now. Having said that, I spoke to
>the owner only last week, and he's having a few issues with cancer, and
>has mentioned he may bale out of the whole lot. Who knows what happens
>there... I may still end up with it... Who knows? for $10K, I wont say no.
>
>I'm thinking I'd be happier with a decent tractor, that can drag good
>sized logs out of the scrub, and can slash 30 acres in a day or so. Once
>the manuka is cut, it's 24 months before it needs doing again. It's when
>I miss this (due to chinavirus lockdowns), and it heads out to 36
>months, that the probs occur. Nothing a good bushfire cant fix. Been
>down that path too :-(
>
>Here's an example https://imgur.com/a/CpdzhkM before and after...
>
>> In which case about the only advantage a FEL attachment on a small
>> tractor would have is being able to travel faster. The work rate of a
>> skid steer should run rings around it.

Didn't intend to suggest that a skid steer would replace a tractor but
they do do a lot of jobs better which makes them a useful adjunct if
you can justify having both.

>In 30 acres, full of fucking wombat holes? Tractor is not used just to
>slash... we have issues with wombats, rainfall erosion, firewood
>gathering, upkeep of the tracks through the place...
>
>> If you need to slash tall heavy growth a front mounted slasher for the
>> skid steer might also be worth considering.
>
>What the slasher wont destroy, the FEL and 4-in-1 will. And some diesel
>and a yellow MAP torch... in August tho. ;-)
>
>Agreed, a skid steer would be awesome, but then we have issues... with
>it dragging logs out of the scrub, and using the grader blade and single
>tyne ripper once in a blue moon... I'd love "both" a bobcat and a decent
>tractor, but can only really justify one.... Already have all the
>implements I need (except the FEL/4in1) for a tractor...
>
>Seems the 2nd hand tractors i'm looking at/for are rare as hens teeth
>around Gippsland. Quite a few around the 30-40 hp mark, but then no
>loader, or no 4-in 1 bucket.... I've decided on this:
>https://kubota.com.au/product/mx5200hd/?fbclid=IwAR1OlgzvUyIHnxO3BgUx9dEJjHfPFLwE9qsWQbK9OAUylPPraIOOUX5r37c
>
>or https://tinyurl.com/b275uhvf
>
>52hp 4wd (as the old Deutz bus ran the slasher okay), FEL with 4-in-1
>bucket, hydrostatic trans, canopy, and delivery, 3 year/3000 hour
>warranty.... due in mid october! In the mean time, my neighbour has
>offered to do a couple of laps around the 30 acre paddock to make a
>firebreak, which I was happy with, but he's got his own issues. And I
>dont like asking for help where it comes to others machinery.... :-) For
>obvious reasons. ;-) Hopefully get it before the melb Cup long weekend,
>if we're allowed out? I'll apply for a passout.. :) and cause some
>carnage then. From memory, we're still allowed to slash in fire season
>provided we have an observer and a 9 litre fire extinguisher handy.

Kubota is an excellent choice if you can justify the outlay.

As I see it the main disadvantage of any modern tractor (apart from
cost) would be their closed centre hydraulics which are complicated
and expensive to fix when they invariably fail. Also unnecessary
unless you're running hydraulic motors or multiple remotes
simultaneously.

FWIW we have two very ancient Fordson Majors which do much the same
things as you're doing over a larger area. Their advantages, apart
from costing bugger all (one of them was rescued from a rubbish dump),
is their simplicity, availability of cheap parts and being rugged
enough to withstand mug operators (backpackers and the likes). Mostly
used for slashing but also have an FEL attachment, carry all and a
Hardy 6m TPL boomspray which is mainly used for spot spraying (with
the boom removed).

The FEL attachment hasn't been used since we got a 75hp skid steer
which has a variety of attachments in addition to the standard 4 in 1
bucket including forks (it can lift around 1200kg), trencher (ditch
witch), concrete mixer and post hole auger. Main advantages of a skid
steer over a tractor are the industrial strength hydraulics, the
disadvantage being they're also expensive to fix when things go wrong

The skid steer's 4 in 1 bucket doesn't get much use since we bought a
9 tonne digger (bucket excavator) which is the ultimate loader (easily
the most common sort seen on construction sites nowadays). Probably
great for digging up wombats as well (if we had any). A back hoe
attachment on a skid steer (or tractor) would be the likely
alternative for an operation such as yours.

--
John H

On 17/09/2021 8:50 pm, Xeno wrote:
> On 17/9/21 6:14 pm, Clocky wrote:
>> On 17/09/2021 12:00 pm, Max wrote:
>>> On 16/09/2021 9:41 pm, Clocky wrote:
>>>> On 14/09/2021 9:32 pm, Xeno wrote:
>>>>> On 14/9/21 5:50 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>>>> On 14/09/2021 2:59 pm, jonz wrote:
>>>>>>> On 9/14/2021 9:06 AM, Clocky wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Printed this out, to show a mate of mine who is a (genuine)
>>>>>>>>> auto mechanic.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> You would be asking the wrong person.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> A genuine auto mechanic is unlikely to know much about these
>>>>>>>> things unless they have direct experience with this stuff.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>   A good *all rounder* definitely would..(And could)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Exactly. What he means is someone who has spent their days fitting
>>>>>> oil and air filters at a dealership would have no idea.
>>>>>
>>>>> All the dealerships I ever worked at had a lube Jockey to do that
>>>>> sort of Cert II stuff. The mechanics did all the larger repairs,
>>>>> you know, the jobs that required qualification. IIRC, the
>>>>> apprentices spent a period of time in the lube bay but it was a
>>>>> small fraction of their apprenticeship.
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Yep, every dealer I worked at had Noddy types spinning filters under
>>>> supervision of qualified mechanics.
>>>>
>>>> You'll not I said "unless they have direct experience with this
>>>> stuff" which apparently is too difficult for the 'village idiot' and
>>>> the fraud to comprehend.
>>>>
>>>>>> Glad we got that sorted :)
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, I sorted it. You just told a few of your usual pork pies.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Of course. It's all the fraud has.
>>>
>>>
>>> I have a vague memory of you saying you retired at age 37. Is my
>>> memory correct?
>>>
>>
>> Yes, but I went back to work in the trade. 37 is too young to retire
>> as I found out, so I went back to work part time but then I missed the
>> tools so went back to fixing cars.
>>
>>> If this is true, then that's not a huge amount of work experience as
>>> a mechanic.
>>
>> That was still 16 years as a qualified mechanic with real trade
>> experience plus 4 years of the apprenticeship - by the time I was 37.
>
> 20 years is a long time in the trade. The drop out rate of mechanics is
> huge in the first 20 years. There was a time when nearly 50% of
> apprentices left the trade after 5-10 years. No trade can tolerate an
> attrition rate like that. The problem is a little different now, no one
> wants to sign up to an apprenticeship these days.

People dropping out wasn't uncommon but when I was doing my time it was
hard to find a job let alone an apprenticeship so drop-out rates weren't
high.

>>
>> That's already more trade experience than some pretenders could amass
>> in a lifetime ;-)
>
> Some pretenders don't even qualify to sign onto an apprenticeship! That
> must really hurt them.

You can pick the failures a mile away... they always deride tradesman
and the value of getting a qualification and building on them, as if
just applying yourself for betterment isn't a desirable attribution to
possess.

>>
>>   I mean, you might still know a lot, but not as much as people
>>> who have worked until normal retirement age.
>>
>> I agree!
>> It's also about keeping up with what is current which is another
>> reason I went back on the tools. My last stint primarily as a
>> (qualified) auto sparky.
>
> Modern cars are such that 60-80% of the work today is electrical. In my
> teaching, I saw that most of the apprentices were flummoxed by
> electrical stuff. That tells you something - and I suspect it was
> something you observed in the trade as well. Probably what motivated you
> to do electrical studies.

I started my automotive electrical studies before I even got an
apprenticeship just after getting my license... a few hours every
Thursday evening that required a 90km round trip to the city first in my
parents' Datsun 200B then my first car, a Renault 16.

The electronics certificate later was because I have always had an
interest in electronics.

It was certainly what motivated me to do my
> advance automotive electrical course and some study of electronics.
> That said, the mechanic will still need a deep understanding of all the
> mechanical principles in order to correctly interpret the diagnostics.
> If you hear people say they can do it all with a hundred dollar code
> reader, they are wankers who haven't a clue. Code readers only tell you
> what the diagnostic system *thinks* is at fault based on signals it
> sees.

Having a decent depth of understanding of electrical and, to a
> degree, electronics, enables one to test and evaluate the *systems*. For
> that you need a scantool, oscilloscope, multimeters and more. You also
> need access to manufacturer's info and an understanding of the data the
> test equipment provides.

Which is why the dealership bashing is amusing. Don't get me wrong,
dealerships deserve much of the flak they receive however in terms of
access to in-depth training and tools and equipment, they have it all in
spades.

Who else had specialist diagnostic ECU breakout boxes and data capture
and storage diagnostic tools for diagnosing intermittent problems on
their essential tool list 20 years ago?

>>
>> btw, those are the facts - but no doubt the fraud squad will know what
>> I do and have done better than I do.
>>
> The important thing is, though he lied and lied, he never did an
> apprenticeship - ever.
>

I could claim to be doctor but at some point I would expect to be held
to account for making that claim. He's simply being held to account for
his claims because something is *very* rotten in the state of Denmark.

His reaction only serves to fortify the suspicion.

On 18/09/2021 8:37 am, John_H wrote:
> lindsay wrote:
>> On 15/09/2021 7:19 am, John_H wrote:
>>> lindsay wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> I've fallen in love with the idea of a front end loader.. I'm thinking
>>>> of the payback with the fucking wombats... :-) My Fathers Day pressie
>>>> may help out with that...
>>>> https://www.olightstore.com.au/olight-javelot-turbo-kit-black-1300m-hunting-torch.html
>>>> Insane...
>>>>
>>>> But really, so much more available to me with a 4-in-1 bucket. I have
>>>> about 30-35 acres that needs to be kept clean. If i leave it another
>>>> spring/summer, i'll *need* to pay someone to clear it. Dont think i'm
>>>> prepared to pay someone again... a FEL with a 4 in 1 bucket would be
>>>> awesome and do the job. Whats not slashed will be fodder for the bucket,
>>>> pick it up and dump it all on a pile to burn in Autumn. I hate manuka.
>>>
>>> Don't you already own a skid steer loader?
>>
>> Unfortunatly, no. The owner of said skid steer renegged after 6 months
>> of waiting. Wasn't a huge problem at the time, yet a bobcat would have
>> been a very nice, and cheap ($10k), complement to the Deutz while it was
>> working (deutz doesnt have a fel). This was maybe 5-7 years ago. He'd
>> re-engined with a Kubota donk for $3k (or similar?), and thought he'd
>> finished with it, but it became handy again, and that was the end of it.
>> He's still using it on his property now. Having said that, I spoke to
>> the owner only last week, and he's having a few issues with cancer, and
>> has mentioned he may bale out of the whole lot. Who knows what happens
>> there... I may still end up with it... Who knows? for $10K, I wont say no.
>>
>> I'm thinking I'd be happier with a decent tractor, that can drag good
>> sized logs out of the scrub, and can slash 30 acres in a day or so. Once
>> the manuka is cut, it's 24 months before it needs doing again. It's when
>> I miss this (due to chinavirus lockdowns), and it heads out to 36
>> months, that the probs occur. Nothing a good bushfire cant fix. Been
>> down that path too :-(
>>
>> Here's an example https://imgur.com/a/CpdzhkM before and after...
>>
>>> In which case about the only advantage a FEL attachment on a small
>>> tractor would have is being able to travel faster. The work rate of a
>>> skid steer should run rings around it.
>
> Didn't intend to suggest that a skid steer would replace a tractor but
> they do do a lot of jobs better which makes them a useful adjunct if
> you can justify having both.
>
>> In 30 acres, full of fucking wombat holes? Tractor is not used just to
>> slash... we have issues with wombats, rainfall erosion, firewood
>> gathering, upkeep of the tracks through the place...
>>
>>> If you need to slash tall heavy growth a front mounted slasher for the
>>> skid steer might also be worth considering.
>>
>> What the slasher wont destroy, the FEL and 4-in-1 will. And some diesel
>> and a yellow MAP torch... in August tho. ;-)
>>
>> Agreed, a skid steer would be awesome, but then we have issues... with
>> it dragging logs out of the scrub, and using the grader blade and single
>> tyne ripper once in a blue moon... I'd love "both" a bobcat and a decent
>> tractor, but can only really justify one.... Already have all the
>> implements I need (except the FEL/4in1) for a tractor...
>>
>> Seems the 2nd hand tractors i'm looking at/for are rare as hens teeth
>> around Gippsland. Quite a few around the 30-40 hp mark, but then no
>> loader, or no 4-in 1 bucket.... I've decided on this:
>> https://kubota.com.au/product/mx5200hd/?fbclid=IwAR1OlgzvUyIHnxO3BgUx9dEJjHfPFLwE9qsWQbK9OAUylPPraIOOUX5r37c
>>
>> or https://tinyurl.com/b275uhvf
>>
>> 52hp 4wd (as the old Deutz bus ran the slasher okay), FEL with 4-in-1
>> bucket, hydrostatic trans, canopy, and delivery, 3 year/3000 hour
>> warranty.... due in mid october! In the mean time, my neighbour has
>> offered to do a couple of laps around the 30 acre paddock to make a
>> firebreak, which I was happy with, but he's got his own issues. And I
>> dont like asking for help where it comes to others machinery.... :-) For
>> obvious reasons. ;-) Hopefully get it before the melb Cup long weekend,
>> if we're allowed out? I'll apply for a passout.. :) and cause some
>> carnage then. From memory, we're still allowed to slash in fire season
>> provided we have an observer and a 9 litre fire extinguisher handy.
>
> Kubota is an excellent choice if you can justify the outlay.

I cant, but there's not a lot else available down here... having said
that, Kubota's spring sale has taken $4500 of the cost which has made it
a bit easier. Not happy that I'm supposed to pay for a counterweight,
when the slasher will live on the 3 point linkage. We're going to park
the old Deutz under a tarp, and leave the hydraulic wood-splitter (the
one that DOESNT throw the wood at the operator) hooked up to it
permanently. Unless the dealer offers me a bit for it as a trade in. :-)
>
> As I see it the main disadvantage of any modern tractor (apart from
> cost) would be their closed centre hydraulics which are complicated
> and expensive to fix when they invariably fail. Also unnecessary
> unless you're running hydraulic motors or multiple remotes
> simultaneously.

Not me. It'll be either the FEL, or the slasher.
>
> FWIW we have two very ancient Fordson Majors

Ah, the big Blue's.. my mate at Colac had one, and it worked hard with
no issues either..

which do much the same
> things as you're doing over a larger area. Their advantages, apart
> from costing bugger all (one of them was rescued from a rubbish dump),
> is their simplicity, availability of cheap parts and being rugged
> enough to withstand mug operators (backpackers and the likes). Mostly
> used for slashing but also have an FEL attachment, carry all and a
> Hardy 6m TPL boomspray which is mainly used for spot spraying (with
> the boom removed).

That may be another path to take. I cant poison everything, but poison
would be the go on the tracks through the place. I havent forgotten the
goo you recommended. (the details are at work) but a sprayer setup
would be gold. And this is part of the problem. I've had some new tracks
cut, but now need to keep them clean(ish) as well. Would be fine if i
was allowed there, last time was May from memory. A carry-all with a
1000l palecon/IBC full of metsun 600, or the gear you mentioned, and a
pump would get a bit done. And on a decent tractor thats not shaking the
shit out of me... Time, time, time. :-)

> The FEL attachment hasn't been used since we got a 75hp skid steer
> which has a variety of attachments in addition to the standard 4 in 1
> bucket including forks (it can lift around 1200kg), trencher (ditch
> witch), concrete mixer and post hole auger.

Nice!!! I have a 330 metre pipe to bury, and was relying on the single
tyne ripper. Bloke with excavator has a pipe layer, so we'll see what
happens there down the track.. it's all time related now. most important
to me is getting the slashing done. Hopefully before xmas.

Main advantages of a skid
> steer over a tractor are the industrial strength hydraulics, the
> disadvantage being they're also expensive to fix when things go wrong

I'm hearing ya. We'll do the spill test on the deutz next time i'm up
there with my mechanic mate, but i'm now resigned to the Kubota. I dont
see a lot of sense in spending more money on a 50 year old. Even if the
test sorted it, it still doesnt have a FEL and 4-in-1, which will be
invaluable now..

> The skid steer's 4 in 1 bucket doesn't get much use since we bought a
> 9 tonne digger (bucket excavator) which is the ultimate loader (easily
> the most common sort seen on construction sites nowadays). Probably
> great for digging up wombats as well (if we had any).

HAhaha how many do ya want? :-)

A back hoe
> attachment on a skid steer (or tractor) would be the likely
> alternative for an operation such as yours.

Oh jesus.. a backhoe v a wombat... Too much fun.. :-)

On 17/09/2021 7:25 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 17/09/2021 4:54 pm, lindsay wrote:
>
>> I'm thinking I'd be happier with a decent tractor, that can drag good
>> sized logs out of the scrub, and can slash 30 acres in a day or so.
>> Once the manuka is cut, it's 24 months before it needs doing again.
>> It's when I miss this (due to chinavirus lockdowns), and it heads out
>> to 36 months, that the probs occur. Nothing a good bushfire cant fix.
>> Been down that path too :-(
>
> I think you'd find a tractor more useful.

I'd love to have both, but struggling to justify the new Kabota. BUT,
i've gotta have something! :-D I figure if I look after it, I'll not
have too much drama selling it either with the property, or alone. Even
2nd hand tractors are suffering covid tax. Spoke to bro today and a
large outboard is up to a 9 month wait.

>
> Not that I'm writing off Bobcats as useless as they most certainly are
> not, but they have their limitations. Yeah, they're a power worker
> compared to a tractor as John said, but on the downside they're a pain
> in the arse to get in and out of and especially if you're back isn't the
> best, they can be rough riding things that throw you around pretty well,
> they can rip the ground to pieces pretty easily just moving them around,
> and they can be *very* expensive when it comes to attachments.

Thats oe thing I'll be watching,, how the new toy damages the ground. I
have a dodgy left ankle, so i like flat ground.. I'll be making up a
spreader/leveller for the 4-in-1 bucket. After the excavator had been
in, we used to drag 3 heavy steel beams chained together behind the
tractor. it did a reasonable job...
>
> If you currently have any three point linkage attachments then they'll
> work on whatever tractor you buy,

yep, cant remember if they were Cat 1 or 2, but the Deutz did the job
with them.. currently have a 5' slasher, a single tyne ripper, a
hydraulic woodsplitter, a lifting jib, and a 5' grader. The slasher and
the woodsplitter get all the work...

and there are some jobs with a tractor
> that are just so much easier such as ripping and pipe laying which I've
> done here. In fact, the last time I used a bobcat was a couple of years
> ago when I had a couple hundred metres of fill to move around that I
> thought would take forever with my little tractor so I borrowed a mate's
> Mustang skid steer to do the job. Turns out that I found using the
> Mustang to be *such* an uncomfortable experience that after around 4
> hours I parked it back on his truck and switched to the tractor.
>
> It probably took me about three times as long to do the job on the
> tractor, but it was *far* easier than being tossed about in that fucking
> Mustang :)

:-) I still am disappointed that I didnt get the skid steer. Not the end
of the world, but i could just see it charging into places we've never
been. Sounds like Star Trek! :-) Havent given up on the idea, but only
if it comes along as cheap as it was ($10k)... Can only use one thing at
a time !
>
>

On 18/09/2021 10:40 pm, lindsay wrote:
> On 17/09/2021 7:25 pm, Noddy wrote:
>> On 17/09/2021 4:54 pm, lindsay wrote:
>>
>>> I'm thinking I'd be happier with a decent tractor, that can drag good
>>> sized logs out of the scrub, and can slash 30 acres in a day or so.
>>> Once the manuka is cut, it's 24 months before it needs doing again.
>>> It's when I miss this (due to chinavirus lockdowns), and it heads out
>>> to 36 months, that the probs occur. Nothing a good bushfire cant fix.
>>> Been down that path too :-(
>>
>> I think you'd find a tractor more useful.
>
> I'd love to have both, but struggling to justify the new Kabota. BUT,
> i've gotta have something! :-D I figure if I look after it, I'll not
> have too much drama selling it either with the property, or alone. Even
> 2nd hand tractors are suffering covid tax. Spoke to bro today and a
> large outboard is up to a 9 month wait.

Fark.

Had to wait 10 days for a VE Commodore power steering hose a few weeks
ago, which is largely unheard of. Getting *anything* is difficult at the
moment.
>> Not that I'm writing off Bobcats as useless as they most certainly are
>> not, but they have their limitations. Yeah, they're a power worker
>> compared to a tractor as John said, but on the downside they're a pain
>> in the arse to get in and out of and especially if you're back isn't
>> the best, they can be rough riding things that throw you around pretty
>> well, they can rip the ground to pieces pretty easily just moving them
>> around, and they can be *very* expensive when it comes to attachments.
>
> Thats oe thing I'll be watching,, how the new toy damages the ground. I
> have a dodgy left ankle, so i like flat ground.. I'll be making up a
> spreader/leveller for the 4-in-1 bucket. After the excavator had been
> in, we used to drag 3 heavy steel beams chained together behind the
> tractor. it did a reasonable job...

Two best tools I have for mine are a leveling bar for the 4 in 1, and a
grader blade for the 3 point. My little Shibaura compact has a hydraulic
tilt on the three point which makes using the grader blade a piece of piss.

The bloke over the road used to drag a huge sheet of concrete reo around
behind his old Ford tractor to level out his driveway, and while it
sounds dick it did a pretty good job :)

>> If you currently have any three point linkage attachments then they'll
>> work on whatever tractor you buy,
>
> yep, cant remember if they were Cat 1 or 2, but the Deutz did the job
> with them.. currently have a 5' slasher, a single tyne ripper, a
> hydraulic woodsplitter, a lifting jib, and a 5' grader. The slasher and
> the woodsplitter get all the work...

I'm sure they do.

> and there are some jobs with a tractor
>> that are just so much easier such as ripping and pipe laying which
>> I've done here. In fact, the last time I used a bobcat was a couple of
>> years ago when I had a couple hundred metres of fill to move around
>> that I thought would take forever with my little tractor so I borrowed
>> a mate's Mustang skid steer to do the job. Turns out that I found
>> using the Mustang to be *such* an uncomfortable experience that after
>> around 4 hours I parked it back on his truck and switched to the tractor.
>>
>> It probably took me about three times as long to do the job on the
>> tractor, but it was *far* easier than being tossed about in that
>> fucking Mustang :)
>
> :-) I still am disappointed that I didnt get the skid steer. Not the end
> of the world, but i could just see it charging into places we've never
> been. Sounds like Star Trek! :-) Havent given up on the idea, but only
> if it comes along as cheap as it was ($10k)... Can only use one thing at
> a time !

Yep. I sold my bobcat to buy the tractor, and principally because it was
just going to cost an absolute fortune to buy all the "clip on" bits I
wanted in bobcat format compared to what you can get them for the
tractor for. Sure the Bobcat I had was a fucking brute and I'm sure it
would have done whatever I wanted *faster*, but I dunno if it would have
done a better job or whether I would have enjoyed doing it more.

The little tractor has proved very useful, and I don't regret buying it.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 18/9/21 11:28 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 18/09/2021 10:40 pm, lindsay wrote:
>> On 17/09/2021 7:25 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>> On 17/09/2021 4:54 pm, lindsay wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'm thinking I'd be happier with a decent tractor, that can drag
>>>> good sized logs out of the scrub, and can slash 30 acres in a day or
>>>> so. Once the manuka is cut, it's 24 months before it needs doing
>>>> again. It's when I miss this (due to chinavirus lockdowns), and it
>>>> heads out to 36 months, that the probs occur. Nothing a good
>>>> bushfire cant fix. Been down that path too :-(
>>>
>>> I think you'd find a tractor more useful.
>>
>> I'd love to have both, but struggling to justify the new Kabota. BUT,
>> i've gotta have something! :-D I figure if I look after it, I'll not
>> have too much drama selling it either with the property, or alone.
>> Even 2nd hand tractors are suffering covid tax. Spoke to bro today and
>> a large outboard is up to a 9 month wait.
>
> Fark.
>
> Had to wait 10 days for a VE Commodore power steering hose a few weeks
> ago, which is largely unheard of. Getting *anything* is difficult at the
> moment.

If SH is OK call my son in Gisborne, he has lots of VE parts.

--
Daryl