Using my SEE for real work

[The FLU farm]

I was getting stressed, too, Ahab, spending so much time trying to rescue them. Anyway, yes I did fill the water buffalo and used it to supply water for them. About 300 gallons, so far. That was part of why it all took so long. Three different vehicles and one trailer involved.

I wouldn't care that much, except that I'd like them to thrive and create a visual "fence" along the road.
Tomorrow the last one will get transplanted, then it'll be dirt hauling, put in piles on standby. All in an effort to get as much as possible done while it's still dry. Hopefully I can also get a culvert before it all becomes wet or frozen, but I can't work on the ditch until they turn the water off at the end of the month.

 

[lurkMcGurk]

More SEE work

FLU farm and Another Ahab I've been keeping posted and noted the geography lessons and did the same type of research before the pond project. I got lucky with the Blue Clay to hold the water and some nice boulders or glacial erratic's to move around the property. Not quite the million dollar gravel or granite site but I am pleased.

Also had the better half ask me if I could transplant some midsize Pine to the front yard for a barrier to the road about two weeks ago. Glad to SEE someone is doing this! I think that since the roots stay relatively shallow I could actually pull this off next spring. I've been looking for candidate trees out back and will put this on the 2018 list of things buying a SEE made me do for my wife.

With that I had a nice chat with the local ASPLUNDH tree crew working the power line cleanup last week and they were happy to dump a few truck loads of chipped up Pine, Birch, Cedar etc. in my yard. This is less than half the pile I have left for tomorrow. Im hoping they come back next week again.

I love the Cedar smell . I am using the chips to make a more traversable surface for the path to the pond. basically filling in the larger holes and smoothing out some bumpy spots. I'm half way there. So far its working well.
These Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep!

I actually have what has grown back from a pretty intensive cut maybe 15 or 20 years ago. The water sprouts of Cedar that came up after the cut look 6-8 inches in diameter off of stumps almost 4 foot wide. I wood have liked to have one of those monsters still around.

All in all a good day, I got the replacement for the clutch leaky seal but haven't put it in yet (such a slow leak). I did however lose my 4x4 today and had to use the backhoe for leverage backing up my hill after each dump. The switch still turns to 4x4 and I get the air release when I turn it off but it does not turn to diff lock and does not engage the 4x4.

3 theories I have to check out.

1. I have not oiled my diff lock (like the thread peakbagger started) I got the Mystery Oil and then forgot or could not find the painted over covers. I will be doing this incase something seized up. Must be in the manual somewhere!
2. I have not checked the level in the slow oil leak in the right rear axle seal, maybe lack of oil there somehow doesn't let the front 4x4 engage
3. Crap in the air system? that would be odd because I have been running this MOG all Summer but hey Murphys Law..

 

[The FLU farm]

You could always lock the lever in 4WD position mechanically, then worry about why the air part doesn't work like it should later.
And no, getting to it isn't all that easy, but maybe you can get a bungee cord in there.

 

[lurkMcGurk]

I want to pretend I'm more than a shade tree mechanic here but I opted for refilling the denatured alcohol and setting it on winter "I" setting and 3 minutes later 4x4 and diff rock are back on line. These things are beasts!!!..

 

[The FLU farm]

Well that was an easy enough fix.
It's funny how alcohol can make things work better sometimes.

 

[The FLU farm]

Another few hundred feet of ditch created.
Not very rewarding when using the 12-inch bucket, by the way. The front of it tends to fill up, leaving the rear of it empty. And that's in addition to only having the ability to get half the load of the stock bucket in the first place.

Oh well, it sure beats using a pick and shovel.

 

[peakbagger]

Thanks for answering a question I didn't ask but should have. There is someone selling a 12" bucket for SEE about a 3 hour drive away. I only have the Hein Werner bucket with the ripper claws which makes for a very messy hole since it has 4 or 5 ledge hooks hanging off the back. I see aftermarket buckets for around $1000 bucks versus $500 for an unknown condition 12" bucket. I don't have much use for digging narrow trenches so it sounds like I should probably buy a full width aftermarket bucket ?

 

[The FLU farm]

This bucket is the real thing, found it for $400 about three hours away. Half price of the aftermarket stuff on eBay, and in great shape.
I needed a 12-incher, and it's more or less permanent on the Winter SEE now. But the Summer SEE definitely keeps its 24-inch bucket.
If I could only have one, I'd go with the standard and more efficient 24-incher.

Then again, the way things have been going, having to dig multiple graves in river rock, I'd gladly trade you my "left over" stock bucket for your ripper version. I'll even throw in the single, hinged ripper tooth. Stop by and look at it next time you're in the 'hood.

 

[peakbagger]

I think I will keep my ripper bucket as its works better in frozen ground (there is a misc technical manual in the tech manuals section about digging frozen ground with a SEE). It also is great for digging the rock filled soils and hard pan that crops up locally. I ripped through some loose ledge this summer and it surprising what scraping the ledge with hooks will loosen up.

I just have few projects that I would like squarer holes and the hooks really make messy walls plus its hard to get up close to something without snagging it.

I did my time in Northeast Wisconsin years ago and escaped back to northern New England so I don't think I will be by your way anytime soon

 

[The FLU farm]

I think I will keep my ripper bucket as its works better in frozen ground...
I did my time in Northeast Wisconsin years ago and escaped back to northern New England so I don't think I will be by your way anytime soon

Alright, be that way.

 

[The FLU farm]

Today's SEE related festivities were to modify a very neglected ditch. It only required two cleansings of the strainer, which for whatever reason now clogs the screen rather than ending up at the bottom of the cup. Must be getting down the finer crap in the tank.

In the photo, I'm letting the bucket cool off after using it for several hours. Not that the fans came on, but better safe than sorry. Not sure that the thermostat for the fans work anyway, but the lines haven't got hot, yet.

 

[The FLU farm]

Today's SEE "work" was something they're undeniably really good for: compaction.

This also presented the opportunity to finally lube the backhoe, and after an hour I'm still fighting one Zerk that won't take grease. Two I did get to cooperate, but this last one (at the bottom of the boom) is putting up a real fight.

 

[The FLU farm]

Dug grave number three in a relatively short time, out of four total. Practice makes perfect, so I am at least getting somewhat good at operating the backhoe.

Was going to check the thermostat for the fans after completing the task, as I was running a (for me) unusually high rpm of about 1,450 and the fluid was getting warm. They came on just as I was done. Saved me that job.

Checked the strainer afterwards and now there was only some fine stuff on the bottom of the cup, and nothing stuck to the screen. The Summer SEE is getting healthier by the day.

Lastly, Ahab once asked how old this riverbed stuff may be. Very, would be my answer after digging up a river rock with moss on it, from about seven feet down.

 

[The FLU farm]

Have spent the past few days cleaning out a ditch. Spent today mostly on extracting the Summer SEE.

Couldn't get the back end out with the backhoe, and for the first time ever I wished the loader was installed, rather than the blade. It didn't help that the structure for the blade was in the dirt, and with the loader I could've probably lifted the front tires out of their holes, making it easier to drag it out with the backhoe.

Winter SEE to the rescue. Although, with two people (one driving, one running the backhoe) I'm sure it'd got unstuck by itself.

 

[peakbagger]

I never noticed your "high tech" solution to the hood latches. Quite creative.

Nice 3rd shot of your "drag slicks" looks like you have some interesting clay.

 

[The FLU farm]

I never noticed your "high tech" solution to the hood latches. Quite creative.
Nice 3rd shot of your "drag slicks" looks like you have some interesting clay.

Those latches are early Jeep windshield hold-down latches. Had them and modern rubber versions laying around, but prefer the metal. They're holding that miserable fiberglass hood down just fine.
Although, I must admit that with the simple latches, a very light hood, and without the loader in the way, it's almost pleasurable to remove the hood - now that I really don't need to do it anymore.

The ditch I'm cleaning out is an irrigation ditch, and what I overlooked was that water had been diverted for a lot longer, at that particular point, than the ditch has been turned off.

What I'd been digging farther down stream was not dry by any means, and the tires would sink in an inch or three, which is why I opted for these 40% wider tires in the first place. Well, between getting into much wetter stuff and crossing two small outlets on one side, spaced the same distance apart as the FLU's wheelbase...

Now I have to figure out what I messed up in the hydraulics. After the workout, the swing pedal valves apparently aren't centered anymore, and there's a slight sound coming from them unless I hold the pedal up a little bit.
Also, at one point the boom cylinder would no longer hold the rear of the FLU up and would let it drop by about a foot in a matter of seconds.

But I'm not all that surprised; my parts SEE is leaving later this week, so it makes perfect sense that a spare backhoe attachment would come in handy now.

 

[Speedwoble]

But I'm not all that surprised; my parts SEE is leaving later this week, so it makes perfect sense that a spare backhoe attachment would come in handy now.

A parts backhoe you say? I know someone with one.

i have been debating parting it out to sell the plain backhoe bucket, and selling valve sections to anyone wanting to add an auxiliary circuit for a thumb.

 

[The FLU farm]

I'm interested. Would you mind bringing it over so I can take a look at it and decide if I want it?

 

[The FLU farm]

Today's SEE activity was to replace a too small culvert pipe with a larger one.
A completely uneventful job - no stucks, nothing broke...didn't even have to clean the strainer. Almost boring, actually, since I'm getting better at operating the backhoe.

 

[The FLU farm]

FINALLY got the ditch done that the Summer SEE got stuck in. It took forever, between waiting for it to for it to dry out, getting stuck when it wasn't, and now because the ground is frozen, making it tricky to not pull large clumps up along the edges.

It was easily the most time consuming 700 feet I've dug. Except, maybe, with a shovel.