Cub Cadet

Got some more done today after it stop raining.
 
This is the strip I did by hand yesterday.

 
Nearly to the drive gate.

 
Little C-81 has been working like a good 'un. She looks a lot cleaner in the photo than she is.

 
Drainage pipe in, covered with pea gravel, membrane on that and filled in. Rusty thinking, "Oh goody! Some nice soft earth to dig holes in".

 
 

Unfortunately, where the path ends in front of the studio door, it tends to hold water after heavy rain. So the time has come when I have finally to do something  about it.
  Today a start was made. Arranged with my mate Dunc for him to come over with his digger, so a drain could be installed. This would run the length of the front garden, across the front of the house to the drive gate.
  Dunc couldn't get over till afternoon, so I installed the grid at the path end and started to dig by hand. The soil removed was transported away with the C-81 and Saxon trailer. By the time Dunc arrived, I had dug the length of the house and shifted two trailer loads.
  Remembered a couple of photo's for the Showman. More to follow.

 

 
Sorry about the photo quality. Rushed them to get Dunc back in the digger after he jumped out to pose.
 

Glad you got it ok in the end. 

Thanks to Chris who mentioned Harry was selling it and to Harry for selling it to me I am now the proud owner of an RJ-58. It needs a lot of work and parts but i'm looking forward to this restoration!
 

 

 

 

Well after quite a delay with the shipping company, I get a call asking where we live...
 
followed by "oh Sh1t, I'll call you back...." I hopped on the quad thinking he was lost and I'll find him first. Quad was the wrong mode of transport and not man enough for the job...
 

 
He got got stuck in the bottom of the village, and I had to pull him out. 
 
Anyway, he dropped a pallet off and there's only one way to move a pallet up here
 

 
might leave it for Ewan to unpack when he's next home.... unless he really wants some more pics....

t's here but not without a bit of a kerfuffle!

I got a phone call this morning saying he was half an hour away. Great I replied! Then he said "It's a big tractor and not sure how we are going to get it off..." "I am sure we'll manage" I replied.

It arrived on time and with a bit of maneovoring and shunting the lorry reversed back to my lock up.

He then revealed the tractor in all its glory which was strapped onto a pallet. The first problem or as some people like to say challenge was that the pallet was too wide to go through the rear so i quickly used my hand saw to reduce the width. This worked ok and we could just about get it on the tail lift.

We then came across another issue. It was again too wide to go through my garage. I quickly thought I would roll it off and gave Chris a quick ring to ask him the procedure to release the valves to aid rolling. However, the seller have strapped the deck underneath the tractor and so we couldn't roll it even if we wanted to. ....

By now the delivery guy was clock watching and I said let cut the sides again. This time speed was of the essence so I fired up my chainsaw and quickly sliced through the timber on both sides and after a couple of failed attempts managed to get it through the door and under cover. It was a great relief to get it in the garage as the driver said he was beginning to think he would have to leave it in situ if we couldn't get it inside. Thanksfully it's all sorted.

Chris is coming over on Saturday and hopefully between us we can get it off the pallet ....

Photos to follow but a quick glance around showed me it's a mightily sound tractor and with a good clean and a service will be a good one. Compared to the 850 in the corner, the HT20 is huge!

Starting to look the part now, just got to do a little more tweaking on the lift mechanism and then paint it. 
 

 

Here are some photos...
 
 

More of an RJ update for you chaps, let's have a look at the hood/bonnet shall we..
 
Interesting, a repainted gas tank with no fuel tap (Neil did mention it leaked ) and lot's of paint cleaned off the bottom!
 

 
 
What's going on under (or is that above?) the tank?
 

 
 
Soooooo... Someone has ground back the filler smoothing out the underside of the hood/bonnet to weld on new fuel tank straps! 
I'd guess when the hood was painted no tank straps were fitted.. It so happen that the strap welds are in the same place as the filler cracks above!
 

 
 
Who ever did it thought something sucked as that's what it looks like has been written!
No idea why when I upload this photo it turns it sideways!
 

 
 
Oh, and the top of the tank never got painted!
 

 
 
Out with the grinder and a workshop full of filler dust later it was good to see the rust was surface rust only, and only where the filler had cracked...    And a random pop rivet!
 

 
 
As the bonnet/hood has quite a lot of ripples under the filler, there was no point in taking it all out only to replace it.. So with the surface rust carefully cleaned back to bare metal the first layer of filler went back in..
 

 
 
Easy sand no pin holes filler eh! At least the easy sand bit was right.. No worries, a second skim will sort it.
 

 
 
Meanwhile I catch Nigel dancing with some masking tape and a bench full of RJ parts!
 

 
 
Some parts like the gear (I'm not sure it should be called that!) lever had never be repainted, so here it is with all the thick surface rust cleaned off awaiting some red oxide primer.
 

 
 
Some parts in the "need to to have the paint flattened back to give the primer a good key" Que
 

 
 
Some primed parts hanging about the place.
 

 
 
The hood now looks good with a fresh coat of red oxide primer, I'm happy with the overall shape of my filler work, there's a just a couple of little spots that are annoying me.. I will sort them tomorrow.
 

 
 
 
 

Paint chat now had, he (I keep going to call him her!) will look stunning with fresh paint.
Glad you like the vid's, Part two will be along in a mo..
 
 
It's a shame about the cracked filler, but the rust has been caught in time before it chews holes through the hood..
 
 
 
Lot's of filler in it, but it had been done to a very high standard.. Just a shame about the bubbling.
 
As promised here's Part 2 of the RJ Diaries..
 
 

Bit of an update. She has now moved in and given it a name. The Hutch. Still some bits to do on the outside.
 
Name plate up and the hay rake rescued from John's, painted and hung.
 

 
The artist at work.
 

 
The view from the door.
 

 
 

Should be here on Wednesday morning 
 
Will take better photos for those interested 

Ewan, a tractor I picked up a couple of years ago should have a K161 fitted but it has been replaced with a much smaller engine. I remember doing a double take when I first saw it thinking that the engine had shrunk so it is possible that it is a smaller Kohler like a K91. The tractor is in storage at the moment and I tried unsuccessfully to get to it earlier today. Next time I have access I will check.
 
Iain 

Another nice tractor you've got there, good find 

A few weeks ago I got a call out of the blue saying would I be interested in this old tractor. My pulse quickened when he mentioned that it was hydrostatic and had 20 HP engine in it. I asked for photos which duly came a week later and my thoughts were confirmed. It was a Large Frame and both Chris and Iain identified it as a HT20. I have been told it is an early model. It runs and stops ok and come with a 56" deck too. There's a bit of tinware missing but otherwise it's solid. These are hard to come by ad I am chuffed to but that I got my hands on one.
 
i 
 
 

Sorry I can't help you Ewan, I've got a spare K90 but it's a spare for my roundhoods as most of them have Kohlers fitted.
and if i sell it something bound to go wrong.
i have used the one with the tapered crank before ( mostly fitted to gennys ) and made a pulley to fit

I asked my mate today if he still had theClinton engine. He said yes & will dig it out next week
It was complete & had a fuel tank. he said it the same as Trojan trac but I cant be sure
 
Its not far away from mine & Harrys house

Thats a cool bit of history to have! Great little machines 

Thanks Neil, Having worked on Kohlers before I would prefer one so I will be keeping an eye out. 

If you want to put a Clinton in it Ewan you will need the 1290 Clinton , you will be very lucky to find one of these , my opinion would be to hang of for the Kohler K90 or K91 , but make sure you don't buy the one with the tapered crank , 

Neil has got some

Hi all I have been busy this  wee while converting my Little Tractor from a hand lift to a nice Hydraulic lift for the up and coming Horticultural plough matches / working days here are some pictures of it today after completion i think it was well worth the time and effort involved I think I might rename this Tractor Heinz 57 as it has a Villiers 44 h engine a countax seat two Fergy Headlights and now a hydraulic lift to boot  but what the heck i think its great bring on the plough days       

Sure will, it is interesting but it will have to go. I'm still hoping to build my other one as well 

Thanks to Chris who mentioned Harry was selling it and to Harry for selling it to me I am now the proud owner of an RJ-58. It needs a lot of work and parts but i'm looking forward to this restoration!
 

 

 

 

I just have, Ewan. He won't part with them. Proverbial hens teeth.