Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you

[CntryBoy777]

It seems that ya have had quite the adventures while I have been preoccupied STA....tho, with most of the issues, my "pay grade" is well below being of any worth with advice and suggestions. However, the holes ya described and the water situation is something that is a "shared" experience. On the 20 acres we left there was a very similar situation happening in 1 of the fields....this field was bordered by a ditch on one side and woods on a hill on the other. We had rabbit, fox, and coyotes that utilized that area and there were also underground springs in other places, too. GB mentioned he had a similar experience with beaver, in my case I believe that the holes and tunnels were originally done by rabbits and possibly later used and widened by fox, possum, or coon....this increased the amount of waterflow towards the ditch and eroded dirt, causing it to give way at the surface. I was going to endeavor to pursue this had we remained there, but now, it is another's issue to deal with.....so, I'm unable to post any outcome as to what it really was...or, whether there was success in repairing it. I know it isn't an up-to-date topic for ya now....but just wanted ya to know ya don't have to feel like the "lone stranger" with such a bizarre situation.....

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Mr. @CntryBoy777,

As you probably have figured out, I have been reading your journal. (I would normally have said that I have been stalking you, but I think I spooked Miss @Rammy badly [see below], so I don't want to spook her any more.)

I dont know, dude. You kinda have me worried now.

I am currently on page 151, so I have a ways to go. The fact that you stated that you no longer reside at your former place means I have a lot of news to read. I hope it has a happy ending.

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[greybeard]

I took some pics of the channels the aquatic rodents caused here, recently and in years past, one was probably a decade old. I just haven't gotten around to posting them.

 

[Bruce]

The fact that you stated that you no longer reside at your former place means I have a lot of news to read. I hope it has a happy ending.

We all hope so too. The story is still evolving, read fast and maybe you can "hear" the end of it "live" with the rest of us .

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

All,

I have been busy the past few days trying to tear up my mower and tractor. I was unsuccessful in tearing up the mower, but I was successful in tearing up the tractor. Fortunately it was only a fuse on the tractor that was easily replaced. First, here are a couple of pictures that I took Saturday after mowing the overgrown southernmost pasture, including the "Forest of No Return". I could not remember exactly where I took the "before" pictures back in August, so the locations may not exactly match. These are points C and D from my post of August 1 (see https://www.backyardherds.com/threa...for-the-rest-of-you.38161/page-16#post-562125):

Point C, before and after:


Point D, before and after:


Now to the tractor. Once I had finished for the day mowing through the "Forest of No Return", I decided to head back home. But rather than simply drive straight there, I decided to mow some of the pasture that I had yet to mow. I got about halfway through the first pass when the tractor suddenly died. All electrical power appeared to go away. I immediately suspected a fuse or fusible link. So I called my Beautiful Gal on the walkie talkie, who then came and got me. After going back to the shop to get my toolbox and volt meter, we both went back to the tractor.

First, I measured the voltage across the posts of the battery: 12.97 volts, so the battery is OK. Next, I decided to check the fusible link. I was unable to get the two halves of the fusible link apart. I worked for 30 minutes trying to get the two halves apart:


I was tempted to go get my Dremel and cut the two halves apart, but I hated to do that, as I feared that I would never be able to get the two halves back together again and have them stay together. Then I noticed that the ends of the fusible link could be reached using my volt meter probe. So I tested the red wire coming from the starter and battery with ground and read 12.97 volts. Then I tested the other red wire from the fusible link going into the main wiring harness. Again, 12.97 volts. So the fusible link was good. I then determined that fuse #3, which controls the gauges, starter switch, etc., had blown. The cause turned out to be the neutral safety switch wiring had torn loose from the switch into the transmission and was grounding out on the tractor. Once I fixed that, then the tractor started right up and I was able to get back to the shop.

But do any of you folks know how to get that fusible link housing apart? It may actually blow one day and I will need to replace it.

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[CntryBoy777]

Is the link spring locked or a twisting lock?....or clips with tabs?.....not being a tractor man, I don't know what is normally used on them.....the work sure looks really good and know ya are pleased with the results....I sure would be....

 

[Bruce]

I don't know either, wouldn't even know where my tractor's fusible line is. But that does look like a connector where you have to push something down, a tab maybe, to be able to pull the halves apart.

 

[greybeard]

You slip a thin blade between the 2 halves. Are you sure that's a fusible link? Looks like a regular Asian type connector they all use.

(it may come apart from the opposite end..I didn't lighten the other image so I could see it good.)
I usually use a set of leads with really sharp points and just probe thru the wire's insulation on things like that.


Now you're doing some serious mowing!

For future enjoyment, make sure you take some good close google earth screenshots of the areas you are working. It is always interesting to go back in a couple of years, when the new sat photos show up in GE and compare what you have done with this years images.

 

[Latestarter]

Looking much clearer after the mowing! Nice job. Glad the tractor issue wasn't more serious.

 

[Baymule]

You got it looking real good! And you are learning the joys of fixing the tractor.