Some Days...

[Steve NW WI]

It just doesn't pay to go to the woods. Went out yesterday to drag some trees and do some cutting. Got one load out to the field, then noticed a steady stream coming from the heater hose on the 180 Massey.

I thought about giving up, but decided it would be a quick fix, pinhole leak right next to the tank heater, just cut an inch off and reattach.

Pinched off one side of the hose with a vise grip, just bent the other one over as best I could, and cut the line. Did I mention the tractor was at full operating temp? A steady drool of hot coolant on my hand got annoying real fast, finally had the common sense to put a glove on, a lot harder to do when pinching off another line with the other hand.

Anyway, I got that fixed, and got maybe 5 more logs skidded out when something didn't look right up front. Turns out I was losing wheel studs and was down to 3...I took a nice 1/2 mile walk home for some more tools, 1/2 mile back out there, tightened up the remaining 3 studs, and decided enough was enough. I started for home, got maybe 300 feet when the remaining studs stripped out! :censored: :censored:

Just got fed up at that point, walked the 1/2 mile home and flopped on the couch to watch the super bowl. Now I've got the hub off, and need to helicoil all the threads, but the biggest pain will be getting the old girl started again when it's back together. Supposed to be 30° the end of the week, that along with a little ether and jumper cables should do it...

Just venting, a little unneeded downtime and expense that's cutting into my 7900 budget

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I feel your pain!

I feel your pain!​

I've put a pan of hot coals under an engine to warm it up. Of course, you'll have to be the judge if there is too much oil/grease that this would cause a fire hazard.

Dan

Just so you don't feel left out this is what I did to my truck door by hitting a tree with the door! You can see in the upper corner where the tree made contact. That wasn't a good day! I was able to fix it so I can use it.

 

[wdchuck]

Last week it was cold, apparently fluid filled tires don't like to be worked when its that cold, so they leak. So I guess it's time to bleed and retain the solution, have someone put tubes in, and fill the tubes with the old solution. What a pita. I really wish the guy who sold me the tractor would have at least sent me a letter a week after purchasing it with a list of things to get prepared to fix.

So here's another tractor guy who feels your pain.

 

[chainsawaddict]

Last week it was cold, apparently fluid filled tires don't like to be worked when its that cold, so they leak. So I guess it's time to bleed and retain the solution, have someone put tubes in, and fill the tubes with the old solution. What a pita. I really wish the guy who sold me the tractor would have at least sent me a letter a week after purchasing it with a list of things to get prepared to fix.

So here's another tractor guy who feels your pain.

well, ill second that

bought one last winter. Day 1 scooping snow with the farmall 400, blew a seal in the big loader cylinder. thats funny i thought, all these seals are supposed to be new. I took the seal to a dealer, who replied "wow they quit making leather seals like that 20 years ago...."

That was only the beginning

I thought owning a tractor would make my life easier, but instead it requires more maintenance than my wife.

 

[flxblx]

My 2 Cents

Disclaimer I am NOT familiar with MF 180. Will assume it is a WF (wide Front End)

All my equipment has LUG BOLTS not Studs. So this may not apply.

Take one of the bolts to implement dealer. Get bolts ( I would full set) about 1/2 to 1 inch longer and zip nuts (lock washer built into nut). Use longer bolts and tighten as much as possible; place nuts on inside and tighten securely.

You may have damaged the wheel so that the tapered bolts will not hold wheel very well; then you will either have to get a replacement wheel or you might find beveled washers that fit your application.

Good Luck. I have been there.

 

[wdchuck]

well, ill second that

bought one last winter. Day 1 scooping snow with the farmall 400, blew a seal in the big loader cylinder. thats funny i thought, all these seals are supposed to be new. I took the seal to a dealer, who replied "wow they quit making leather seals like that 20 years ago...."

That was only the beginning

I thought owning a tractor would make my life easier, but instead it requires more maintenance than my wife.

And just as much sweet talkin to warm up too it seems.

 

[maplemeister]

They say that misery loves company so I might as well join in. Last week I noticed I was losing air in my tractor tire so got to looking a little closer and discovered I actually have a small hole in the rim itself, right at the valve assembly. I might be able to have the rim welded once I take the tire off and pull it from the tractor but for now, I'm just hoping I can get through the rest of the winter by adding air every couple of days. If the wheel is beyond a welding repair then I could be down a long time looking for a new wheel and I don't want to chance that right now as I really need this rig to keep myself plowed out as well as pulling firewood. It's time for new rubber anyway so would like to do the entire job in warmer weather when I'm not depending on the tractor day to day. Always something to keep life interesting eh?

Maple:

 

[wdchuck]

They say that misery loves company so I might as well join in. Last week I noticed I was losing air in my tractor tire so got to looking a little closer and discovered I actually have a small hole in the rim itself, right at the valve assembly. I might be able to have the rim welded once I take the tire off and pull it from the tractor but for now, I'm just hoping I can get through the rest of the winter by adding air every couple of days. If the wheel is beyond a welding repair then I could be down a long time looking for a new wheel and I don't want to chance that right now as I really need this rig to keep myself plowed out as well as pulling firewood. It's time for new rubber anyway so would like to do the entire job in warmer weather when I'm not depending on the tractor day to day. Always something to keep life interesting eh?

Maple:

You talkin about marriage, firewood, or tractors???:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[coog]

I've put a pan of hot coals under an engine to warm it up. Of course, you'll have to be the judge if there is too much oil/grease that this would cause a fire hazard.

I tell people down here in Kansas how we would do this when I was growing up in MN.They look at me like they are waiting for the punchline .Get cold enough and you don't care if the d**n thing burns.

 

[thejdman04]

Some days are like that. Seems liek everything breaks down at once, all the sudden the backhoe, chainsaws truck trailer everything breaks down at once.

 

[laynes69]

I need a 1000 dollar injection pump for my tractor, and the head rebuilt. Had the whole bottom end rebuilt a couple years ago. Its always something. Last year I installed a lower radiator hose coolant heater. Best thing I ever did. Still takes a snort of either to start, but wouldn't start w/o the coolant heater. I'm still trying to talk the wife into a new tractor. I love mine, but hate it at the same time.

 

[maplemeister]

You talkin about marriage, firewood, or tractors???:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

Now that you ask Woody, I guess it could be all three. Ha Ha Ha

Maple:

 

[zr900]

They say that misery loves company so I might as well join in. Last week I noticed I was losing air in my tractor tire so got to looking a little closer and discovered I actually have a small hole in the rim itself, right at the valve assembly. I might be able to have the rim welded once I take the tire off and pull it from the tractor but for now, I'm just hoping I can get through the rest of the winter by adding air every couple of days. If the wheel is beyond a welding repair then I could be down a long time looking for a new wheel and I don't want to chance that right now as I really need this rig to keep myself plowed out as well as pulling firewood. It's time for new rubber anyway so would like to do the entire job in warmer weather when I'm not depending on the tractor day to day. Always something to keep life interesting eh?

Maple:

Just clean up any rough edges, and tube it.

 

[dingeryote]

LOL!!! OK, I'm in.

When it gets cold, it seems things just break and give out whenever the best opportunity arises for murphys entertainment. Someday, I'll meet that guy and it ain't gonna be pretty.

Weekend before last the plan was to back the truck down to the woodpile, load it up and transfer half a cord to the lean to by the hootch.

The road from the hootch to the barns have been plowed and the slop is piled up about 4' on each side, and sure enough, I slid a bit and high centered the chevy on a bank of snow.
No problem, just fire up the Tractor and pull it out.

Go to barn, Tractor wont start. Battery cold, oil might as well be Peanut butter, forgot to plug in block heater..
No problem, fire up the LP Salamander and heat tractor while charging battery and tinkering a bit.

Fire off Salamander, release button, and it goes out.
Try again, same result. Thermocouple took a dump.
No problem, go fetch old electric heater from other barn.

Get to the Chem Barn, find heater, Plug in and the :censored: fan no longer works, but heating element works....:censored: :censored: :censored: :censored:

Place heater under tractor, Start up the Jeep, attempt to jerk truck free and get bungied into snowbank, wife fetches ATV and we winch the Jeep out.
Leave truck stuck, load Jeep with wood for the day, and head to the Movies.

Some days, it just dosn't pay to chew through the straps in the morning.


Agreed on Tubing that leaky rim. Odds are Chloride has chewed it thin elsewhere as well, so wire wheel the inside and look for other spots.

"Doom, despair, and agony on me, deep dark depression, excessive Misery, if it weren't for bad luck I have no luck at all....."

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[LAH]

Cut through a nail and two rocks Friday. Seems ever log I cut was dirty and frozen. Probably filed enough chain away to cut a tractor trailer load of wood but made little firewood.

 

[Buckethead]

Okay..I don't want to feel left out.

The other day, while pushing snow, I had one of the clevis' let go and the tire chains fell off the right wheel. I managed to find all the parts so I should have known I was in trouble.

As I was putting the chains back on I noticed the quick disconnect for the backhoe was leaking pretty good. So I pull the chewed-up o-ring and teflon backup washer out and trot off to the local hydraulic shop....new o-ring 1 American dollar...score!

Try to install the o-ring and discover that o-rings are NOT very pliable at 18 degrees. After numerous unsuccessful attempts I grab the torch and heat up the QD. Burn my fingers but get the o-ring and back-up washer installed.

Now I can't get the male end of the QD to fit into the female side....try 4 more times....swear...throw stuff....yank out the new o-ring and washer. Lube up the new o-ring and washer and reinstall them after 5 attempts.

Male end still will not fit...repeat above. This time I reassemble it without the teflon back-up washer which has mysteriously flown off into the woods. Four tries later the whole thing is back together.....don't care if it leaks, I'll check it out later.

Now I need to figure out why it keeps overheating.......

Ya gotta love a 45 year old tractor

 

[maplemeister]

Just clean up any rough edges, and tube it.

If things get tough I may have to go that route. I have been runnning every day in the woods and so far she seems to be ok with just some air added every third or fourth day. I really need new tires on both rears so am hoping to get through to spring at which time I will pull both wheels, check and repair rims as needed and replace both tires with new tread. I expect the tractor to be down for a week or more to get this done so I don't want to mess with it in the middle of winter if I can avoid it. I really can't complain as I have had this rig for ten years now and the only thing I have done beyond routine maintenance is replace a solenoid switch for the starter. It has been a very reliable tractor and intend to keep it forever.

Maple:

 

[StihltheOne]

After reading this thread, I feel a lot better about my $440 monthly payment on my new JD 2520. I have had nothing but used up put back together heaps of almost everything, then after my dad died, I decided that heck with messing around with this ol stuff and I have been on a bit of a spending spree for a couple of years. I never buy anything until I can pay cash, except for the 2520, they had 0% on it. The strange part is, I never got rid of any of the old stuff, saws, etc... now I really enjoy using them. I guess it has to to with having to, verses wanting to. murphey has a large family, cuz I know he is still hanging around here just waiting to jump out at me!!

 

[Buckethead]

After reading this thread, I feel a lot better about my $440 monthly payment on my new JD 2520. I have had nothing but used up put back together heaps of almost everything, then after my dad died, I decided that heck with messing around with this ol stuff and I have been on a bit of a spending spree for a couple of years. I never buy anything until I can pay cash, except for the 2520, they had 0% on it. The strange part is, I never got rid of any of the old stuff, saws, etc... now I really enjoy using them. I guess it has to to with having to, verses wanting to. murphey has a large family, cuz I know he is still hanging around here just waiting to jump out at me!!

Kudos to you for not cutting corners on the "important stuff!"

As much as I love my old tractors, I'd gladly have a new JD or Kubota 45-50hp tractor under my butt. However, like all things mechanical, there is no guarantee that Murphy won't still visit.

My B-i-L has a 2 year old Kubota...2 months out of warranty with 423 hours on it. His son was back blading some snow and the hydrostatic transmission quit. The dealer says the transmission is nuked..thankfully Kubota did the right thing and replaced it for $0. Apparently it's a known problem as the new transmission is a different part number than the old one. The only downside was the 3 weeks without the tractor.

Enjoy your JD2520!

 

[Steve NW WI]

Kinda depends where you visit. Some of the farm sites I frequent, chainsaws are a necessary evil, and anything with rubber from new to 60 years old gets all the love.

It seems a little bit the opposite here, for obvious enough reasons. Tractors are just a tool to make firewood easier for most on here.

I'm about 1/2 way between the 2, I enjoy both (heck, anything that burns fuel and makes loud noises!) This tractor has been in need of more work than it's actually worth for some time now, but it was the last tractor dad bought new, so I'm keeping it if it eats me out of house and home. I'd really love a newer MFD tractor and put this one into semi-retirement, but it's not in the budget right now.

Replies for some of you:

Maple, I've been in your boat, and I have a 44 Massey Harris out on the hill with a patched rim. The valve stem area gets most of the damage, as a little seepage lets the calcium chloride eat the metal away in that area. I cut out the bad stuff, pounded a patch to fit the area, welded and ground till everything was smooth, then drilled a new hole for the valve stem 180° from the original (this tire is tubed, and still runs fluid).

FLX, this thing is on it's second or third set of hubs and spindles (a good bearing repacking spring and fall minimizes the problem, but still doesn't fix the fact that it's an underengineered front axle assembly). One side is studded, the other side uses bolts. It was actually the bolted side that came off, I may look into studs for this side as well, or just bolt through after I ream the bolt holes (9/16" fine thread). Rim doesn't appear damaged, caught it "just not soon enough".

Laynes - mine is plugged in on a timer that runs a few hours every morning, just in case I need it.

Dan - I have had a door look similar to that before. Good reason to look out the mirrors or back window instead of backing with the door open.

Wdchuck - never had a problem with leaking fluid in winter, but I have also always ran fluid in tubed tires, never tubeless.

If I missed something, I'll be back later. I'm about 2 hours behind on bedtime! (I work 4-10's on nights)

Steve