What's your hoe doing?

[Swetz]

Barn looks great Swetz! It's amazing how quickly it fills!

Thanks....Amen!

 

[T-town]

The train co. is the Reading Blue Mt. and Northern Railroad.
The runs out of T-town are @ Christmas time on a specific wknd.
For a really nice ride look into the runs into the Lehigh River Gorge that leave from the town of Jim Thorpe by the same outfit. Pretty much all year long I think.
They now have day long trips leaving the Wyoming Valley ( Pittston PA) and going down to Jim Thorpe, letting you have a few hours in town and then they haul you back. Easy parking for that trip. The small town of Jim Thorpe is a busy place during certain times of the year. Best to get in and out by train!

 

[Toolslinger]

They run Reading to Jim Thorpe as well. Same kinda deal. I've been meaning to take one of the fall foliage runs in to the gorge for a while... Never seem to have the time and weather line up. I imagine a run in there after snow would be awfully nice as well.

 

[T-town]

...and for all the folks not from this area.... 'Reading' Pa is pronounced 'red-ing'..... just so you know

 

[stinky64]

Thank God for hydraulic snow shovels, especially the one with heat. Have had snow almost every day for several weeks now, that whole lake effect thing.

 

[Swetz]

NEPA is getting its fair share too. Been using my plow truck. Backhoe is in the new building. Cannot bring myself to take it out in the snow...LOL...She was out for the last ~5 years, she deserves a break.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Whatever you do, don’t coddle a backhoe, regardless of gender, they get insulted easily and will get back at you, at the worst time.
I will admit some pride, when I look at my old hoe and we have a deal.
Treat me well in the snow season and every spring, she gets an upgrade.

 

[aighead]

We haven't yet had enough snow for me to get her out to plow. I was supposed to be close this past Saturday and even though it snowed pretty hard all day we didn't get more than maybe 4". I stayed inside.

 

[Badco]

We have had snow since first week of November here went from nice October to mid February in few weeks the old how been in hibernation past month just running the skid steer with the lighter oil for snow plowing only good thing lakes froze over early so off ice fishing

 

[aighead]

Big snow here, so I went out and plugged in the block heater Monday morning around 8a. Went out at about 9a and it didn't want to turn over and I was wearing the battery down. Plugged the battery tender back in and went back inside for a while. Came back out and she fired right up, but the hydraulics were real cold. The hoe was pretty well frozen to the ground. I slowly exercised the hydraulics, while still parked, until POP! and one of the hoses that goes to the manifold on the hoe side started shooting fluid all over. F#*#! Shut her off. I should have left it to sit and run for a while before attempting to move the implements.

It's supposed to be less than 20 degrees for the foreseeable future, so I'm guessing hose replacement is not happening soon.

 

[T-town]

Sorry to hear that...... my old gal is parked for the winter..... she doesn't like to start @ 40 much less single digits.
We ended up with just over 1 ft of the white stuff... thank goodness no ice! Flakes I can push.... not so much with the 'hard' stuff.
I am still shy getting a plow for my beater truck... but have been using the in-law neighbors utility tractors to plow my driveway ( a shy 1/4 mile). But I will like plowing with some heat on in the future!

 

[nova481]

Big snow here,

I clicked the like button but, not because your hose blew. Sorry about that.

 

[Swetz]

Nothing like cold weather (read thick oil) to find a weak hose! One of the reasons that I try not to use my machines in the cold, and it has been cold! Make sure the hose does not empty your tank, if you are going to leave it for a while or you could have a mess...an expensive mess!

I am still shy getting a plow for my beater truck...

I am using a jeep liberty to plow. Many ridicule it...That isn't a real truck...That thing doesn't even have a frame...etc.

I absolutely love it! The short wheelbase lets me navigate around in my cluttered yard. It plows like a beast. Has power angle and up/down. Float as well. The plow cost more than the value of the vehicle...LOL, but it is a legit plow. I did have to install a 2" lift on the jeep because it was sitting low and the angle on the blade didn't seem right. Been using it for 7 winters now.

I forgot to mention...The heat is SWEET! I actually take off my jacket and open the drivers window, and still sweat. I never have that problem in my hoe!

 

[T-town]

I have an old ('00) jeep cherokee sitting for 5 years now.... original plan was to turn that into my plow truck.
But that would need a 'bit' of work to get it to that point.... my '10 chevy 1/2 ( with 258k) has become the 'beater' and the engine/tranny have had 'new' life a bit ago so I will get a plow for that.... as long as the heater stays working ....
Got a '17 250 for pulling the camper around the east coast.... and that is sitting for the winter/salt season

 

[nova481]

Talk about a beater truck, I’m using a not registered 89 GMC with an even older plow. It’s hanging in there to get us out of our 500-foot driveway. My son loves plowing.

 

[Swetz]

Talk about a beater truck, I’m using a not registered 89 GMC with an even older plow.

Gotta love those old GM trucks. Put probably 100 camshafts in the v8s, then an engine a month or 2 later at the utility company I retired from. They rode ruff, but lasted forever.

 

[stinky64]

Nothing like cold weather (read thick oil) to find a weak hose! One of the reasons that I try not to use my machines in the cold, and it has been cold! Make sure the hose does not empty your tank, if you are going to leave it for a while or you could have a mess...an expensive mess!



I am using a jeep liberty to plow. Many ridicule it...That isn't a real truck...That thing doesn't even have a frame...etc.

I absolutely love it! The short wheelbase lets me navigate around in my cluttered yard. It plows like a beast. Has power angle and up/down. Float as well. The plow cost more than the value of the vehicle...LOL, but it is a legit plow. I did have to install a 2" lift on the jeep because it was sitting low and the angle on the blade didn't seem right. Been using it for 7 winters now.

I forgot to mention...The heat is SWEET! I actually take off my jacket and open the drivers window, and still sweat. I never have that problem in my hoe!

View attachment 354947

Lots of people with plow set-ups on 4 wheelers and utv's, yours is about the same size, but you've got windows and heat.

Big snow here, so I went out and plugged in the block heater Monday morning around 8a. Went out at about 9a and it didn't want to turn over and I was wearing the battery down. Plugged the battery tender back in and went back inside for a while. Came back out and she fired right up, but the hydraulics were real cold. The hoe was pretty well frozen to the ground. I slowly exercised the hydraulics, while still parked, until POP! and one of the hoses that goes to the manifold on the hoe side started shooting fluid all over. F#*#! Shut her off. I should have left it to sit and run for a while before attempting to move the implements.

It's supposed to be less than 20 degrees for the foreseeable future, so I'm guessing hose replacement is not happening soon.

Got my block heater on a timer, 9-noon every day any chance of bigger snow, about 75% of the time this year. By time I get out there 11-12 she usually takes right off. If single digits usually needs at least 2 hours. Put your long undies on and fix that line. You might need it. Gonna need that front bucket to haul all them new sap buckets around.

 

[nova481]

Gotta love those old GM trucks. Put probably 100 camshafts in the v8s,

That's funny, about 10 years ago that's exactly what I did, new camshaft and lifters

 

[T-town]

75% of the time this year

Of course, where your at "snowfall" for you is different than the rest of the northeast...
You'd think that lake would be frozen over by now??.... and your snow machine would run out of fuel.

...... Letchworth is on our bucket list of places to camp..

 

[stinky64]

The weather folks say 85% frozen this single digit weather might seal the deal and February will be sunny and cold, wishful thinking. Letchworth "the Grand Canyon of the east" is beautiful most of the year, best part is not overcrowded like many state parks.