The Beast |
Getting the beast running has been a high priority for me of late. My neighbor Joey was able to identify that the starter was defective. We struggled to get it out, but were unable. Then a friend (Jonathan) with experience on this kind of equipment had some available time and was able to get the get those last two hard to reach nuts. I think it take patience and forearms the size of a child. You wouldn't believe the tight space into which the starter is mounted.
In any case, I took the starter in and had it rebuilt at a local auto electronic shop. In the meantime, Jonathan replaced all the filters, changed the oil and serviced the entire rig. This included adjusting the track tension and getting lubricant to the planetary drive and all the "bogey" rollers.
In the process I learned how to prime the fuel line. The beast has two fuel filters and when you change them it introduces air to the fuel line. The process reminded me of bleeding brakes only more tedious.
Business end of the Brush Cutter |
Once we got it started we turned our attention to the attachments I had marshaled in our down time. The brush hog weighs in at almost a ton, cuts through a 6 inch tree and spits out chips while clearing a 72 inch swath. It has three blades that spin very fast and have lots of inertia with them. The tip of a blade is visible in the picture. It is a truly awesome tool.
Root rake / Grapple |
I also purchased a root rake/grapple for pulling up and transporting material that wasn't pulverized by the brush hog.
I hope this doesn't sound like whining. This is not how I pictured retirement. While I enjoy not having an office or job to go to, I am very busy. Have not been fishing in a while and need to fix that soon. I need to get the farm infrastructure established. So far it's just land and there is much to do. I think I had a mental image of me living a genteel laid back life, but I've been wrong about other things too...