OT: Building in isolated location

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pete
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by pete »

It may already be in your plans Bill. But I had a couple of close relatives living off the paved path. They both said the same thing. Having a paved or concrete driveway would save a massive amount of air born dust, mud, snow and whatever tracked up to and at least into the entry way or into the garage area. It's much easier to keep the area plowed in the winter as well if you get snow. Unpaved roads up to your property line also create a high maintenence problem whenever it rains. That great peace and quiet does unfortunately come with a price.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

Bill and Pete—-

I want to answer more fully to you both. But I have almost no service. It will have to wait until I get back to KC.

Thanks for the advice.

—Bill
You are what you write.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

Bill and Pete and All--

Bill, I've never had a zero-turn, so I do not know how well they do in rough terrain. My guess is poorly.

However, my neighbor-friend's mowable area, about two or three acres, is nice and flat, as are my two areas. I'll have to walk his area to make sure there are no killer rocks. My northern area has none of those creatures. I got the vast majority out with the rock bucket and the Komatsu, but the last couple of tons were done by hand as my back can attest.

The southern park area needs to be cleared of rocks. It will (mostly) have to be done by hand. (Ouch!)

Pete, the concrete drive pad will be as long as $money will permit. I agree with you 100% about the dust, mud and snow. Tracking that stuff into the garage and then into the house would be bad, to say the least. However, if tracked into the garage, there is at least a chance of cleanup before entering the house. SWMBO has already stated that the house will be a no-shoes zone. But, there are actually six entrances to the house proper: the garage, the foyer and four patio doors on the lower level. It will be easy for us to observe this rule, but how about the grandkids? I guess we could keep the patio doors and the foyer door locked with the only unlocked entrance being the garage, but then they would figure out how to climb up on the 12' high deck and come in through one of the three patio doors up there. (I don't think we can outsmart them!)

On paper, the main entrance to the house is via the foyer. In practice, the foyer will be the least used section of the house. Our plan is to use the garage as the entry, even for guests . . . which will be few, unless you guys come to visit. (If so, you can enter through the foyer!)

--Other Bill
You are what you write.
pete
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by pete »

Sounds like your well ahead of my thoughts anyway Bill. :-)
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liveaboard
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by liveaboard »

I have 10 acres; 1/3 of it is mowed regularly in a sort of lawn like manner, although the vegetation is mostly mixed weeds.
The other 2/3 I mow once or twice a year, including brush, cane, and any helpless little trees and critters that get in the way.

I use a 9' wide double axis brush cutter [solid blades, not chain] on an agricultural tractor. I added castor wheels to the rear for 'lawn' work, and I use the original skids for the outer fields.
It cuts grass quite well, but the width of the deck means it spans over dips and crashed on mounds.
I'm thinking od adding front and rear rollers to smooth things down as I mow. I saw something like that in a catalog but haven't found anyone who's tried one and can tell me about it
The mower weighs about 1/2 ton now, the roller pipes would probably bring it up to 3/4.

It's not easy to maneuver around things, but it works fast. Tractor is useful for many other things, but you already have machines for most of those jobs.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

liveaboard—

Thanks for the info. I’ve got a 7’ brushhog (blades) that I have never used. I’ll post a picture of it (when I find one!) to see if it is something like yours.

—Bill
You are what you write.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by warmstrong1955 »

I like the maneuverability of the zero-turns. Would work well in my yard part of the yard. Lots of trees, shrubbery & flower beds to zip around.
Problem is, I would still need a tractor for the rough stuff. I think a zero-turn would be getting stuck in the sand a lot. Even my tractor did till we smoothed things out a bit.

Other Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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liveaboard
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by liveaboard »

Major topper with castor wheels small.jpg
The propane tank wheels work well on my sandy, stone free ground. these first pivots were 22mm steel rod and bent too easily, so I replaced them with 30mm [1-1/4"].

I bought it from a UK scrapyard and had it trucked to southern Portugal. They call it a "topper" in the UK.

The tractor is 1985 "SAME" Explorer 85 4wd. Unknown hours, the clock was stuck at 6,000 when I got it. The linkages were worn so badly some were in danger of falling off, and the drawbar holes were pulled out into ovals. Used with a capital U, but like me, living in semi-retirement now.

I looked into buying a ZTM, but the cost was just way to high for a single purpose machine. I've never seen one for sale in Portugal at all [not much lawn culture here].

It takes just under 3 hours to cut 3 acres with my tractor, including a lot of working around trees, poles, and shrubs. 2 hours of strimming as well.
I sometimes wonder if it could have 4 blade per axis instead of 2, so I could double the ground speed.
Too much bother; and I'm not sure that the opposing blades could be kept from hitting each other. But you have to do something with the noggin while mowing, so I keep thinking about it.

I have a 2 speed PTO, so I can use 1/2 engine speed and still have full rotor rpm. This is good.

I made a lot of attachments for it; hedge trimmer, trenching bucket, pallet forks, rake, and a thing for pulling tubes under the ground.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

liveaboard--

Here is my brush hog while it was still at the dealer's . . .

09-02-16 HD brush hog resized.jpg

I've never used it. I would have to remove the backhoe from the frame of my tractor. I've watched videos and it can be done in less than five minutes. However, I want to put the hoe in the garage and the garage is FULL and getting fuller. I hope to soon clear stuff out as the contractors leave. Plus, I am always using the backhoe.

--Bill
You are what you write.
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liveaboard
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by liveaboard »

That's a nice looking thing; yes, garage space. If anyone has enough of it, let us know!
Take a backhoe off a tractor in 5 minutes? In real life? Hmmm.
Be careful with those things, they're heavy.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

All--

The deck: 12' x 72'. Trex with Trex Elevations metal frame. I need special screws for the outside row. Probably get them this week.

The color variation is sun related. Some of the boards were not exposed and some were. It will all be the same in a couple of weeks.

DSC_7546 - resized.jpg

--Bill
You are what you write.
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seal killer
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Re: OT: Building in isolated location

Post by seal killer »

All--

Today I am loading up two safes to move to The House; a 900lb unit and a much smaller one. I don't know what the smaller one weighs, but it is about five feet tall by a couple of feet wide (maybe less) and eighteen inches or so deep.

My plan is to use a heavy duty refrigerator dolly to move the big one out of the garage here in KC to my tilt-bed trailer which now sits in the driveway. I'll tilt the trailer up all the way and lay the dolly and safe down on the tilted bed. Then I will use the trailer's 10k lb winch to pull the dolly/safe up past the dual axles of the trailer.

Now that I am typing this, it occurs to me that FIRST I better use that dolly to get the little safe out of the basement! I'll stage the little safe at the end of the trailer such that I can still get the big one past it. Once the big one is loaded up and strapped down, I'll use the winch to pull the little safe into position.

I'll leave the dolly beneath the big safe. But, I will lift the safe a bit and put blocking beneath both sides so that when I strap it to the trailer, I won't be cranking it down on the dolly and the safe won't be "balancing" atop the narrower dolly. I think that sounds good.

--Bill
You are what you write.
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