Tractor time.

[jbarnett]

I wasn't wanting to use calcium chloride or antifreeze. I need to look into beet juice.

 

[Mr.Glock]

We have dug many 15 to 20ft holes and cased them off like a water well with perforated pipe for guys to draw the water down and they dug some nice looking small ponds with those small tractors and backhoe’s. We have Dozer’s, Trackhoes and even a drag link for ponds. But have seen many ponds that turned out great, the guys saved a ton of cash building them on their owns in the spare time.

It amazed me many times watching them use small sumpumps and above ground trash pumps to keep the water way down while they built the ponds. They had a small tractor, maybe a backhoe and would get after it.

 

[Timmy59]

It would be easier on the tractor and hydralics if you ran a disk or something over the area your wanting to dig out.

You are correct, and I did on the 1st hole and will again on any future holes, thank you brother. The current hole is in such a state that it's drive in and back out. It's not very big and maneuvering is tight. Plus I only get small bits of time on it. It's not an item on the honey do list.

 

[Timmy59]

We have dug many 15 to 20ft holes and cased them off like a water well with perforated pipe for guys to draw the water down and they dug some nice looking small ponds with those small tractors and backhoe’s. We have Dozer’s, Trackhoes and even a drag link fir ponds. But have seen many ponds that turned out great, the guys saved a ton of cash building them on their owns in the spare time.

It amazed me many times watching them use small sumpumps and above ground trash pumps to keep the water way down while they built the ponds. They had a small tractor, maybe a backhoe and would get after it.

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Thank you brother.

 

[Mr.Glock]

To add, we have gave many bids on Ponds, and many times we suggested to them to buy a tractor and get after it, evenings and weekends a guy can do a shitton of work with a small tractor.

 

[Timmy59]

To add, we have gave many bids on Ponds, and many times we suggested to them to buy a tractor and get after it, evenings and weekends a guy can do a shitton of work with a small tractor.

I can imagine. Our newest neighbor had 2 pieces of equipment there for at least 30 days. There's no doubt it could have bought a tractor. but that hole would have taken more than evenings and weekends.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

This almost sounds like the tractor version of Goldilocks...

I've owned 4 tractors. I bought my first in early 2017...a Massey Ferguson GC1710 w/backhoe because I needed something to move snow and thought I'd use it for other things. As a matter of fact, I used it for so many other things it wasn't long before I realized how handy a bigger tractor would be. It was too small.

2nd tractor was a 2015 TYM T454 w/cab. Big, heavy tractor that was really nice. The cab was nice to keep out of the weather but visibility wasn't as good and the tractor was too big to get around in some of the places on the property. It was too big.

3rd tractor was a John Deere 2038R w/backhoe. Perfect size for my property in Idaho and very capable for a compact tractor. I really regret having to sell it when I moved to OK. It was just right.

Latest is the JD 3025E. I NEED to get the tires filled with RimGuard. Good size tractor. But, it's probably a little on the small/light side for our property here in Ada. I like it because there's no emissions crap on it.

I think the ideal tractor for this place would be something like a 3046R or even a 4044R would be great. But either of those are at the very high end of what we could afford. But I think I'll keep the 3025E for a few years, sell it and move up just a smidge. I haven't met too many tractors I didn't like. I do know the big-name brand tractors are much easier to sell when it's time for something new than some lesser known brands. I think the TYM was as good as any tractor out there but few people, at least in Idaho, had ever heard of them. It took almost a month to sell. The MF took less than a week. The JD took less than an hour once I posted it.

MF working by the creek:

TYM in the shop in Idaho:

2038R:

3025E:

 

[SoonerP226]

I think the TYM was as good as any tractor out there but few people, at least in Idaho, had ever heard of them.

The last tractor my dad bought was a TYM, I want to say it's a T754. It gets the job done, for sure.

 

[retrieverman]

What are your tires filled with? I have all the equipment I just haven't filled them.

We always used water and antifreeze in ours, but there have been times they didnt get the ratio correct and some cold days you could tell it if you went down the road.

Yes, water and antifreeze.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I've always heard anti-freeze is corrosive and if you're going to use the water/anti-freeze you should put tubes in the tires first. I don't know, just heard it.

I like the idea of RimGuard (aka: beet juice) because it's about 40% heavier than water and isn't corrosive.

I don't like the idea of the cost, though, so I can see why water/anti-freeze would be an attractive option.