Homesteading and Hobby Farm/Ranch

Foler · Dec 31, 2023

I’ve had the tractor since October. I have no where to store it covered. I’ve been parking it under some sabal palms so it gets a good quite a bit of shade.. Need to get a carport but a bit burned out to pursue that immediately and think that’s at least 2 months out. Is the juice worth the squeeze to tarp this thing when not using until then?

Apparently rodents are also an issue for people judging by tractor forums. I’m just not willing to commit to a pole barn or garage right now. Hoping my local bobcat and coyote population will help keep rodents in check if I keep under a car port.

What is everyone else storing their tractors, implements, UTVs, ATVs etc under?

Foler · Dec 31, 2023

Ok internet is saying tarping is a bad idea, just traps moisture and ruins paint. I’ll just park under palms for now I guess.

BrutulTM · Dec 31, 2023

Just a carport will make a big difference. It won't hurt it to sit outside really. I have a pole barn to park mine in but I have a lot of machinery to put in there. Even an open shed/lean to provides a lot of protection. I definitely wouldn't tarp the whole tractor every day though. My tractors probably spend half their time outdoors even though there's a shed for them. Mice will get into it with or without a shed but I wouldn't imagine them being a big problem if you don't have a cab for them to live in. I think in your case I would get something to throw over the seat as that's going to be the first thing to crack in the sun, but not worry about it a whole lot.

Foler · Dec 31, 2023

BrutulTM said:
Just a carport will make a big difference. It won't hurt it to sit outside really. I have a pole barn to park mine in but I have a lot of machinery to put in there. Even an open shed/lean to provides a lot of protection. I definitely wouldn't tarp the whole tractor every day though. My tractors probably spend half their time outdoors even though there's a shed for them. Mice will get into it with or without a shed but I wouldn't imagine them being a big problem if you don't have a cab for them to live in. I think in your case I would get something to throw over the seat as that's going to be the first thing to crack in the sun, but not worry about it a whole lot.

Ok cool. I just wanna buy maybe 2-4 months of time. Burned out from homesteading projects and don’t wanna pursue a slab and carport right now. Thanks

Foler · Dec 31, 2023

Oh also had the tires filled - WOW what a difference. Ride is tenfold better..

Blazin · Dec 31, 2023

Foler said:
Finally got it back Friday evening. Dealer did a great job. You can’t see the valves I was complaining about rust but they just put black paint on them so looks clean. Even had the side step fixed. Pardon any weird spots in images, had to edit out a few stickers for PII purpose.

The rear plate with three coupler attachments. I did two float valves and one regular SCV. Not the best angle but you can see the top and tilt cylinders and two hoses running to them.

View attachment 506641

So right now the top and the tilt are on float. From my reading most people don’t float the tilt but for contour grading it can be helpful and that’s exactly my reasoning for it.

Again excuse the poor angle but this is the three rear remotes along with the regular stock 3 point lever.

View attachment 506643

I don’t really have any use right now for the third remote. I could use it for say a BB with hydraulic scarifiers but those things were just too expensive for my taste. I mainly got the third and put it on a regular scv because it would be cheaper to just add it now while I’m adding the two versus sometime in the future and the part cost delta was acceptable.

Iirc you have the MX, I think the grand L and everything bigger come with some form of rear remotes stock so dunno how exciting this is for you.

Looks good foler

Blazin · Dec 31, 2023

Foler said:
I’ve had the tractor since October. I have no where to store it covered. I’ve been parking it under some sabal palms so it gets a good quite a bit of shade.. Need to get a carport but a bit burned out to pursue that immediately and think that’s at least 2 months out. Is the juice worth the squeeze to tarp this thing when not using until then?

Apparently rodents are also an issue for people judging by tractor forums. I’m just not willing to commit to a pole barn or garage right now. Hoping my local bobcat and coyote population will help keep rodents in check if I keep under a car port.

What is everyone else storing their tractors, implements, UTVs, ATVs etc under?

My equipment is stored in barn , but it can get expensive to put everything under roof. I would do carport if no bldg to use .

in all my storage areas I have anti rodent measures , I have one of those simple lids you put on a bucket and it flips and dumps them into water . I have weeks i catch one a day for a bit then go awhile with nothing . May get a barn cat at some point but don’t want to adjust things to give a cat access in and out of areas

Captain Suave · Dec 31, 2023

Blazin said:
May get a barn cat at some point

My dad got a couple barn cats and they made a huge difference with the rodents. Not economical, because one also got into a fight with a coyote or something and needed vet services.

lurkingdirk · Dec 31, 2023

I have an indoor spot for all my equipment, but I didn't always. My tractor spent about a year outside, and for me the thing that kept it healthy was making sure to start it multiple times a week. You don't want your fuel to get stale and you want all the moving parts to be moving regularly. I'm fortunate enough to have a shop large enough to park my tractor in.

Tmac · Dec 31, 2023

Foler said:
Ok internet is saying tarping is a bad idea, just traps moisture and ruins paint. I’ll just park under palms for now I guess.

Pole barn.

Foler · Jan 1, 2024

Do you guys live in communities with likeminded people pursuing homesteading/farming?

One of my biggest struggles lately is that this is a bit of a.. My land is a bit unique in that I’m not far out somewhere rural. It’s been in my family 99 years now and everything is developed around it. There are pros to this - things are convenient, friends and family close by. Then there are what I believe are cons - no one around me has a similar hobby..

Id love to be helping my neighbors out with their land and be around people with similar homesteading/farming interests. Maybe it’s not truly how it plays out but I have some vision where people help each other, you know your neighbors, etc.

My friends are all very city/suburban. They think what I’m doing is cool but it kinda ends there. Maybe what I imagine it to be like is nothing more than fantasy.

Foler · Jan 1, 2024

lurkingdirk said:
I have an indoor spot for all my equipment, but I didn't always. My tractor spent about a year outside, and for me the thing that kept it healthy was making sure to start it multiple times a week. You don't want your fuel to get stale and you want all the moving parts to be moving regularly. I'm fortunate enough to have a shop large enough to park my tractor in.

Yeah. People on tractor forums make it sound like your tractor will die if it sees the sun.. I use my tractor a ton so far. I put 28 hours on it in the first 6 weeks and it’s not like farming is my full time job.

My UTV has been sitting outside for two years now but I park it next to the side of the house blocked for the most part by shade. It does the trick.

I’m just not willing to commit to anything more than a carport right now that I can move in the future because I want to design a “master plan” for the property. The small cabin needs to be torn down and a house built, then everything designed around that. My problem is I don’t think I’ll do that in the next 5 years so I’m here trying to make things either modular so they can be moved in the future or just not do them at all. Maybe I’m a bit OCD.

lurkingdirk · Jan 1, 2024

Foler said:
Yeah. People on tractor forums make it sound like your tractor will die if it sees the sun.. I use my tractor a ton so far. I put 28 hours on it in the first 6 weeks and it’s not like farming is my full time job.

My UTV has been sitting outside for two years now but I park it next to the side of the house blocked for the most part by shade. It does the trick.

I’m just not willing to commit to anything more than a carport right now that I can move in the future because I want to design a “master plan” for the property. The small cabin needs to be torn down and a house built, then everything designed around that. My problem is I don’t think I’ll do that in the next 5 years so I’m here trying to make things either modular so they can be moved in the future or just not do them at all. Maybe I’m a bit OCD.

Just make your plan and then stick to it. That's what I did with my current property. By doing that I have a huge work shop, multiple outbuildings, a pond I will be fishing in soon, and a track my kids ride a dirt bike through. It just takes time and a vision.

BrutulTM · Jan 1, 2024

Foler said:
Do you guys live in communities with likeminded people pursuing homesteading/farming?

One of my biggest struggles lately is that this is a bit of a.. My land is a bit unique in that I’m not far out somewhere rural. It’s been in my family 99 years now and everything is developed around it. There are pros to this - things are convenient, friends and family close by. Then there are what I believe are cons - no one around me has a similar hobby..

Id love to be helping my neighbors out with their land and be around people with similar homesteading/farming interests. Maybe it’s not truly how it plays out but I have some vision where people help each other, you know your neighbors, etc.

My friends are all very city/suburban. They think what I’m doing is cool but it kinda ends there. Maybe what I imagine it to be like is nothing more than fantasy.

I don't exactly belong in this thread because farming isn't my hobby, but I do live in an agricultural community. I know everyone that lives within 20 miles of me and with a couple of exceptions they're all cattle ranchers, mostly multi-generational places. We do help each other too. If I get stuck somewhere or run out of gas, I'm not calling triple A, I'm calling my neighbor. We work together on big projects during the year, branding and shipping etc. A few weeks ago when we needed to have a vet out to vaccinate our heifers for brucellosis we teamed up with 2 other ranches so we could split the mileage and made a day of it, including a hot lunch at the neighbor's house. We could have gotten it done separately but it's nice to see the neighbors and more people makes it quicker and easier.

A few weeks ago my brother got a call that another ranch's semi had slid into the ditch with a load of cattle on it a couple of miles from our place. He jumped in the tractor and went over there and pulled them out. We wouldn't even think about charging for something like that because we know it will come around sooner or later and sure enough like a week later he was hauling a load of hay from one of our places to another and his truck spun out on ice going up a hill and another neighbor brought their front end loader and pulled him up the hill and then sprinkled some gravel across the ice so he could make it on his own the next load. A couple of days after that another neighbor stopped by to let us know that he had seen our cows bunched up around the water tank which is a good sign it wasn't working and the cows were thirsty. Went down there and sure enough, it was frozen up.

Of course the downside is that we're really in the middle of nowhere. 50 miles to the nearest gas station or grocery store, 200 miles to the nearest Costco or Home Depot etc. If you have a heart attack or your house is on fire you can dial 911 but nobody is going to be there for a while. I never really appreciated the community aspect growing up but after leaving for the big city and then coming back 13 years later I definitely do. There's something pretty cool about most people you meet you not only know them, but you know their kids and grand-kids and you remember their parents or grandparents. Also knowing that your neighbors are watching out for you and they actually care. It's something you just can't find in the city where people are coming and going all the time. It's actually getting weaker here too. A lot of ranchers are getting older and don't have kids coming back to take over and land gets sold to rich people who just visit during hunting season, etc. but I still think it's better here than where 90% of people live.

lurkingdirk · Jan 1, 2024

BrutulTM said:
I don't exactly belong in this thread because farming isn't my hobby, but I do live in an agricultural community. I know everyone that lives within 20 miles of me and with a couple of exceptions they're all cattle ranchers, mostly multi-generational places. We do help each other too. If I get stuck somewhere or run out of gas, I'm not calling triple A, I'm calling my neighbor. We work together on big projects during the year, branding and shipping etc. A few weeks ago when we needed to have a vet out to vaccinate our heifers for brucellosis we teamed up with 2 other ranches so we could split the mileage and made a day of it, including a hot lunch at the neighbor's house. We could have gotten it done separately but it's nice to see the neighbors and more people makes it quicker and easier.

A few weeks ago my brother got a call that another ranch's semi had slid into the ditch with a load of cattle on it a couple of miles from our place. He jumped in the tractor and went over there and pulled them out. We wouldn't even think about charging for something like that because we know it will come around sooner or later and sure enough like a week later he was hauling a load of hay from one of our places to another and his truck spun out on ice going up a hill and another neighbor brought their front end loader and pulled him up the hill and then sprinkled some gravel across the ice so he could make it on his own the next load. A couple of days after that another neighbor stopped by to let us know that he had seen our cows bunched up around the water tank which is a good sign it wasn't working and the cows were thirsty. Went down there and sure enough, it was frozen up.

Of course the downside is that we're really in the middle of nowhere. 50 miles to the nearest gas station or grocery store, 200 miles to the nearest Costco or Home Depot etc. If you have a heart attack or your house is on fire you can dial 911 but nobody is going to be there for a while. I never really appreciated the community aspect growing up but after leaving for the big city and then coming back 13 years later I definitely do. There's something pretty cool about most people you meet you not only know them, but you know their kids and grand-kids and you remember their parents or grandparents. Also knowing that your neighbors are watching out for you and they actually care. It's something you just can't find in the city where people are coming and going all the time. It's actually getting weaker here too. A lot of ranchers are getting older and don't have kids coming back to take over and land gets sold to rich people who just visit during hunting season, etc. but I still think it's better here than where 90% of people live.

So this is how it should be. I clear my elderly neighbours drive when it snows. I help people take down trees. My neighbours help me as well. This is how it should be. You live next to someone? Then help then when you can, and leave petty shit go.

Sanrith Descartes · Jan 1, 2024

lurkingdirk said:
So this is how it should be. I clear my elderly neighbours drive when it snows. I help people take down trees. My neighbours help me as well. This is how it should be. You live next to someone? Then help then when you can, and leave petty shit go.

We call this community where I'm from.

lurkingdirk · Jan 1, 2024

Sanrith Descartes said:
We call this community where I'm from.

I call it that as well. It's just not as common as I'd like it to be.

Foler · Jan 2, 2024

lurkingdirk said:
So this is how it should be. I clear my elderly neighbours drive when it snows. I help people take down trees. My neighbours help me as well. This is how it should be. You live next to someone? Then help then when you can, and leave petty shit go.

It’s like this with my Nextdoor neighbor. If I have equipment rental like a stump grinder I’ll swing by his place and knock out stumps he’s needed grinding for a long time and other random things. My other neighbors not so much. Not sure why it’s only taken off with him. He doesn’t farm but he’s got all sorts of used equipment like mowers, skidsteers etc he’s bought. I’ve helped pull his mower out of muck a few times. The other houses on my property perimeter are very much straight suburban so maybe that’s what? Not the kind of people to do their own lawn or projects. Also I don’t drive past their house on my way in/out.

I did see a neighbor cutting a 10-12” down tree limb with a hand saw a few weeks ago. Made it a point to stop and tell him I could feel his pain just watching him work too hard. I went back home and grabbed one of my chainsaws and cut it for him real quick.

I did do a quite a bit of clean up for neighbors after the 2022 hurricane since I have chainsaws and other tools.. Trying to bring back the idea of community to America I guess.

Foler · Jan 2, 2024

Maybe this is the best thread to ask this… I’m interesting in buying a chain grinder like an Oregon 620 or Stihl usg. Most of my property is woods and I do a ton of chainsaw work with my ms261 and ms462. Last place I had sharpen my chains I think did a shit job. They didn’t seem to cut great. I’d rather do it myself. I don’t really want to spend time hand filing… I don’t need to be able to do it on a worksite so I’m interesting in these tabletop grinders. Anyone have experience with them? Oregon 520/620 seem popular. Stihl USG as well but people seem to shy away from it due to cost.

BrutulTM · Jan 2, 2024

I've thought about one but never tried it. I hate sharpening chainsaws. I've also wondered about the $55 Grizzly version.

Homesteading and Hobby Farm/Ranch

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