Winter Holding Fast - February 2018
- windyhill4.2
- Member
- Posts: 6072
- Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
- Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
- Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both
titleist1, i was hoping that you would chime in with some info on your rigs. Those 2 units are good heavy duty units too,but older & why i didn't mention them.As you stated,one should be handy with tinkering if getting an old machine like that & then using it hard.
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- Member
- Posts: 1744
- Joined: Thu. Sep. 28, 2017 10:57 am
- Location: Coal Township Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: K2- Keystoker
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker Stove
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
Darn nice shape for 20 years old! Something like that is probably all i need. Does it fit in a pickup box?windyhill4.2 wrote: ↑Thu. Feb. 08, 2018 2:53 pmThis is my 1997 MTD 800 series that bails me out of trouble especially when things get icy.It has gotten quite the workout this week between plowing the wet,icy snow & then hauling coal cinders on a big cart for me to spread by hand. The entire drive &
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14659
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
I have one of those, model L120. After 6-7 years of abuse the transmission started to fail. I rebuilt it the first time, that lasted a couple years, after that failed I bought a new transmission for it. No more plowing... Then last spring I bent a valve rod, thank god that was a cheap and easy fix lol. I've rebuilt the mower deck a couple times too with new spindles, belts, blades and pullies. But, its 15 years old now. Still mowing with it.
The one thing that somebody might not like with mine is they are not foot pedal hydros, but a lever on the tower for speed control. I don't mind it at all on the 332 for mowing. But it can be a bit of a juggling act on the 430 when moving the bucket while changing speed and steering with only two hands! If i had a magic wand I would trade up from the 430 to a JD 955 loader. It has the foot pedal hydro and is also 4wd. The chains on the 2wd 430 do fine on our flat property but I'd have fun making some occasional snow removal money in the development about a mile away if i had the 955. I LUV the old iron!!windyhill4.2 wrote: ↑Thu. Feb. 08, 2018 3:01 pmtitleist1, i was hoping that you would chime in with some info on your rigs. Those 2 units are good heavy duty units too,but older & why i didn't mention them.As you stated,one should be handy with tinkering if getting an old machine like that & then using it hard.
Check out jibs JD318 in the pic on his Clayton thread. He has a blower on the front of it. Those are workhorses also.
Old Clayton Furnace Issues
Old Clayton Furnace Issues
- windyhill4.2
- Member
- Posts: 6072
- Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
- Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
- Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both
- windyhill4.2
- Member
- Posts: 6072
- Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
- Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
- Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both
The 318 was a very good work horse.... but... they are old & need a handyman or buy a unit that has been restored but then they are very valuable $$$$$$titleist1 wrote: ↑Thu. Feb. 08, 2018 3:29 pmCheck out jibs JD318 in the pic on his Clayton thread. He has a blower on the front of it. Those are workhorses also.
Old Clayton Furnace Issues
titleist1, i did forget about the JD 55 series tractors,they are very good units. BUT, as all things John Deere,they are too pricey for me. I generally spend 100's of $$,the John Deeres usually require 1,000's of $$$$
Very nice MTD rig ya have there WH!! I like FF's wheel horse too. My neighbor has an older Wheel Horse that runs great. He is a tinkerer too though!windyhill4.2 wrote: ↑Thu. Feb. 08, 2018 3:46 pmThe 318 was a very good work horse.... but... they are old & need a handyman or buy a unit that has been restored but then they are very valuable $$$$$$
titleist1, i did forget about the JD 55 series tractors,they are very good units. BUT, as all things John Deere,they are too pricey for me. I generally spend 100's of $$,the John Deeres usually require 1,000's of $$$$
Very true about the JD $$$. If you are patient and lucky you can come across one that hasn't made the papers or CL yet for a good deal. Or look for something a collector doesn't want like my 332 which has a yanmar without the serial number tag. It was on CL for about 6 weeks and I got it for less than $1500. I am pretty sure it will last longer than a comparably priced big box gasser.
I also like the older Cub's....not the real old IH Cub's but something like their Super 2182 or 2284's . My FIL has a nice 2182 w/ snow blower that I will buy from him someday. Those 3 cyl gas Kubotas are soooo smooth! I have a CC 2155 lawn tractor that has been real good. My niece is using it now. Those CC's are in the middle, more than the MTD's but less than the JD's.
- windyhill4.2
- Member
- Posts: 6072
- Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
- Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
- Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both
Thanks. I was working at a John Deere shop where this was traded in. I paid $350 for it in 2003,it had been neglected but not cosmetically beat up.This was my only tractor for 2-3 yrs,had a 46" deck & i often pulled my big grass/leaf vac with it,even did some custom grass & leaf collection with it. For several yrs.this tractor pulled a big homemade cart of firewood.... many loads... in my OWB days. I added the front bumper which i found in a dumpster & made modifications to it to add "suitcase weights" to it. The weights are 1/2" thick plates of steel that weigh 3# each x 8 =24# hanging on the front. The extra weight was needed to keep the front end on the ground when pulling the big vac cart up hills with a decent sized load in it.The 48" snow plow i got from a customer who no longer used it on his old White tractor.
I even pulled pine logs 10" diameter & 25' long by short hooking the chain to the sleeve hitch on the back. The front end will get lite doing that even with the blade on the front.
The 800 series MTD's are over looked & under valued & under rated.
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- Member
- Posts: 1744
- Joined: Thu. Sep. 28, 2017 10:57 am
- Location: Coal Township Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: K2- Keystoker
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker Stove
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
Ill remember that. I'm looking though ads now to see if I can find something with some attachments .plow and deck at least. I'm not dead set on a JD just something of reasonable quality.windyhill4.2 wrote: ↑Thu. Feb. 08, 2018 9:29 pmThe 800 series MTD's are over looked & under valued & under rated.
The only 2 models i ever had was a Massey Fergusen (tractor was good) ,deck was stamped steel and junk. Then I got a good used Case with lots of attachments for $2500, that was good quality machine ,nice thick steel deck. Gave it with the land I sold.
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- Member
- Posts: 1744
- Joined: Thu. Sep. 28, 2017 10:57 am
- Location: Coal Township Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: K2- Keystoker
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker Stove
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
Getting back to the original topic, I took a day off today, too cold to stand and fill an insulation machine all day which is next on the agenda for a rental I'm rehabbing. Second floor Apartment and stays 55 with no heat at all ,so after I insulate may be warmer yet. Next week looks better with 40s most of the week.
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- Member
- Posts: 1744
- Joined: Thu. Sep. 28, 2017 10:57 am
- Location: Coal Township Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: K2- Keystoker
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker Stove
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
Spring thaw ahead. 51 today 55 by Thursday ,The K-2 is quiet most of the time. Time to clean the fly ash out of the stovepipe.
- hotblast1357
- Member
- Posts: 5657
- Joined: Mon. Mar. 10, 2014 10:06 pm
- Location: Peasleeville NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1984 Eshland S260 coal gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite pea
- Other Heating: air source heat pump, oil furnace
My new holland has done me well this winter, especially with the 3 pt snowblower, I’ve also got around 700 feet, plus another driveway that’s about 50 feet..
It is -8 here this morning!!
It is -8 here this morning!!