How to remove a belly mower from a Kioti CS2410

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Every year, twice a year, Matt and I get up close and personal with our little tractor, Wiley. Attaching the mower deck in the spring and detaching it in the fall are pretty intimate operations.

Just a refresher, Wiley is a Kioti CS2410. His mower deck is a Kioti SM2410. It’s a belly mower, meaning it rides under Wiley’s middle (as opposed to the mowers that are towed behind a tractor).

I thought this year that I’d finally properly document the process. I’ve tried to do this for the past few years, but attaching and detaching is always a bit stressful. See how concerned Baxter is when we did this two years ago?

I usually feel like it’s better for my marriage if I don’t try to prep a blog post at the same time as we’re installing or removing the deck.

That’s not to say this is an overly complicated undertaking. It’s just an undertaking that is a bit tricky in spots.

Here are the steps to remove the mower deck from the tractor:

1. This whole operation will be dramatically aided by level ground (which does not exist at the farm). So, step 1: park the tractor on level ground… or at least the levelest ground you can find.

2. Start with the mower raised but set at the shortest cutting setting.

3. Turn the wheels that support the deck so that they’re perpendicular (90 degrees) to the tractor’s wheels. Pop out the pins and rotate the wheels.

Repin them in the highest position–meaning the mower is as high off the ground as you can get it, i.e. the pins are in the bottom hole on the sleeve.

4. Disconnect the PTO. Push the shiny gold collar towards the mower deck (forwards), and pull it off the shaft. The person with the longest arms should do this (i.e. Matt), as the PTO is right in the middle under the tractor, and you have to reach over the deck and around the back wheel to reach it.

5. Lower the deck–use the three-point lever, not the cutting height lever. Give the deck a good shake to make sure it’s all the way down. You do not want this thing falling on you. It will crush you. (Not quite the same, but I have this line in my head now and I can’t resist. Plus, it’s one of Matt’s favourite movies.)

6. Pull the pins that attach the deck to the tractor. There are three on each side. The quick connect pins at the front and back are on springs. Just pull them out and turn them out of the way. The other pins at the very front have split rings that you have to remove first.

The pins are when things get stressful for us. The deck is super heavy. And if you’re not on level ground, there’s invariably some weight still resting on the pins. So sometimes they just don’t want to come out, no matter how hard we yank on them.

There are two techniques we’ve found to help: one, slide some blocks under the deck to help support the weight. Use trial and error to find out where you need them–front or back, starboard or port.

The second solution is tried and true: the hammer. Tap (as gently as you can given your current frustration levels and your limited maneuverability under the tractor).

It’s a wonderful feeling when the pins pop free. You will end up with two metal arms that hold the deck to the front of the tractor. Those arms should stay with the deck. Don’t lose them. You’ll need them if you ever want to cut grass again. (And just a note for when it comes time to reattach them, the springs point in).

7. Raise the mower using the three-point lever to fully detach the deck. At this point the deck should not be connected to the tractor, but still sitting under the tractor. Use the front end loader to lift the tractor up a little bit–just enough to give you clearance to slide out the deck. (Put the parking brake on–safety first!)

8. Push, push, push and pull, pull, pull the deck out from under the tractor, and you’re good!

Well, you’ll probably want to tip up the deck, scrape the dried up crusty grass from the underside, hit it with the hose, inspect the blades and grease all of the fittings.

Just to be safe, we also tuck the PTO into a plastic bag to keep dirt out of it.

But do all that, and you’re done. And you don’t have to cut grass for another few months. (Don’t mention attaching the snowblower).

Time for a victory dance! (Wow, Bax was skinny that first year).

What type of mower do you use at your house? Have you tucked your mower away for the season yet? Do you have any jobs that put your relationship to the test? Do you have a sidekick who helps (and celebrates) the tough jobs?

Guess what?

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Something new showed up at the farm a few weeks ago, but I haven’t gotten around to posting about it yet.

Before I do, I’m going back to an old standby: my guess what post.

Any guesses as to what this is?

I’ll be back on Monday with the answer. Until then, have a great weekend.

Farming questions never end

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Since moving to the farm, I’ve realized how incredibly hard farmers work and how little I knew–and know–about farming. I’m learning more because I now live here and I see farming up close, but I still have a lot of questions. Sarah in Illinois is back today to share some of her experience living with a farmer and some of the lessons she’s learned so far.

Growing up in a farming community, I have always been familiar with some aspects of farming. I could always identify a corn field from a soybean field and a tractor from a combine. I knew that farmers put seeds in the ground in the spring and harvested crops in the fall. But what else did they do all year?

Why did they always seem so stressed about the rainfall, the wind, and the temperature when there was nothing they could do about it? What were all those other pieces of equipment that traveled up and down the roads and slowed me down?

When Steve and I started dating he was working for a company that sold seed and chemicals and applied chemicals to fields. And I was fascinated with what he did. I asked questions, and more questions, and more questions. And after 6 years, I realize that I still know so little.

What else do farmers do all year? They watch their fields for weeds, fungus, and insects and then treat accordingly. They maintain their equipment, they keep the ditches mowed, they clean out grain bins to prep them for harvest, and I am not even talking about the farmers that also have livestock.

Why are they so stressed about the weather? Well, there are some obvious reasons, but they also have to be concerned whether the root system of the plant is strong enough to hold up against a bad windstorm. Did they plant the seed too deep? Not deep enough? Did they apply the right chemical, fertilizer and at the right time? And all of those pieces of equipment? I am still learning their names and what they are used for.

Now that Steve is finishing his second season working for himself, and we have crops of our own, my questions have only multiplied.

Every one of those decisions, every single factor affects the quality and the quantity of the harvest. Should we have put on more fertilizer? It may make more bushel, but will it be worth the cost? How much damage have wild turkeys and deer done to our field? (This year, we had a fair amount of damage.) And now that Steve has harvested, should we sell right away? Or store it and hope prices go up? And if we store it, since we don’t own any bins, will the price go up high enough to offset the cost of storing it?

I saved our first ear of corn!

But even with all of those scary decisions and all of those risks, all of the evenings I spend home alone because Steve is in the fields, all of the stress wondering if we are making the right decisions, I still love that we are taking a leap into farming.

We are growing crops that feed people, feed animals and produce fuel. There is so much to learn. My questions to Steve will only increase.

I never tire of watching a tractor driving through the field turning over the ground or the combine cutting beans and unloading them into a waiting truck.

I hope that we are able to grow our business, rent more acres and even buy some when possible. And I hope to continue to learn all I can about farming!

Thanks so much for sharing your questions (and some of the answers), Sarah. I learned some new things. When it comes to farming, I find there are lots of things I’ve never thought about before–like root systems.

What about you? What questions do you have about farming? Or any surprising lessons you’ve learned?

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Photo by my mother-in-law, Audrey.

Today, I am thankful for (in no particular order) a day off, starting the weekend with a fun night out with my father and brother, Doritos (Sweet Chili Heat and Dill Pickle) and fizzy Coke, a squirmy nephew, a wiggle-butt dog, a barn cat with a serious balance issue (and an affinity for belly scratches), two turkey dinners and all of the chefs who cooked them, my mother who works so hard to bring everyone together, my father-in-law and his chainsaw, my mother-in-law who takes the dog for a walk and shares pictures for my blog, my husband and helpmate (who supplies the Doritos and wields his own chainsaw), an outstanding harvest that’s more than enough to share (seriously, so many squash), this farm and my favourite tree out behind the barn.

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians.

Time to get my act together

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

I can no longer deny it. Fall is here. I’ve been hanging onto summer as long as I can, but last week the temperatures DROPPED. As in, we had a windchill, and I wore my winter jacket, hat and mitts for Baxter’s and my morning walk.

So, it’s time.

Every year as fall rolls in, a list starts in my head. It’s not completely a do or die list, but it’s definitely a “winter is coming and you’d better get your act together” list.

So here we go: the fall to-do list.

The vegetable garden

This was my biggest home goal for 2015, and before the year ends, there are a few more things I’d like to do.

Hang the gate – The gate has been hanging around unhung for long enough. We need to take a bit of time, sort out the hinges and just get this done.
Edge the garden – We have a huge pile of old fence posts, and my plan is to use them as kind of “curbs” to help keep the weeds out of the garden.
Put in raised beds – I’m going to use the rest of the fence posts to make a ring of shallow raised beds around the outside edge of the garden.
Spread manure – This is our chance to knock two tasks off our to-do list at one time: clean out the 17 stalls in the barn and fertilize the garden. The manure is well-aged since it’s been here since before we bought the farm.

The bird feeder

I love watching the birds from the dining room window, and feeder is the best way to attract them.

Reattach feeder bracket – Last year when we were hammering the bird feeder post into the ground, one of the brackets broke off. My cousin made the post for us originally, so I’m going to tap him to reweld the top bracket.
Install a sleeve for the post – To make sure we don’t have to hammer the post anymore, I’m going to put a length of pipe in the ground so that the post can just slide in every fall.

Firewood

This is our first fall with a fireplace, and we’re so looking forward to firing it up.

Put up another row of firewood – We have two rows of wood dried, split and stacked. I think we’ll need one more row to get us through fireplace season.
Tidy up the trees – Tree maintenance that’s an ongoing task at the farm–as demonstrated by the big tree above that came down over the weekend. Fortunately, we have a steady supply of firewood as a result.

Get Wiley ready for winter

Our handy-dandy tractor needs his annual tune-up.

Change the oil – More accurately, have my handy cousin change the oil for us.
Check the battery contacts – Wiley’s a bit reluctant to start sometimes. In the spring, we had a loose connection on the battery terminal, and my cousin made us a little sleeve to tighten up the clasp. Cold weather starts are even harder for Wiley, so we want to make sure we do everything to help him out.
Remove the mower deck – It’s that time of year again.

The house

There are a few things to do for the place where we actually live.

Take off the screens – The screens get so dusty during the summer, I’ve found it’s necessary to take them off and give them a good cleaning before it’s open window season again.
~~Clean the heat pump filter~~ – I broke out the shop vac on Friday, figuring that we’d need to fire up the geothermal before the end of the weekend. Sure enough, as of last night the heat is on.
Clean out the gutters – Matt did round one last week, but we’ll need at least one more cleaning before the snow falls.
Turn off the water

I feel like I’ve been taking it easy for a little while when it comes to work around the farm. So step one to completing is to find my motivation. Any tips?

Obviously, some of these tasks are unique to the farm. But some of them are universal no matter where you live.

What’s on your fall to-do list? Are you feeling the pressure of impending winter?

Previous fall to-do lists:

#Harvest15

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Happy first day of fall!

I had a different post planned for today, but this is too timely not to share.

I had a great day yesterday. I had booked it off work, and set everything up so that I wouldn’t have to look at my phone or open my computer all day. The result of a random Tuesday off is a very relaxing day.

Bax and I started the day with a long walk. On our way home, we saw our farmer. He shouted out the window of his truck that he’d be on our fields in a couple of days.

At least that’s what I heard.

When B and I drove past the farm on our way back from the dump (where they stock doggie treats at the gatehouse) and headed for the charity scrap metal bin at the local therapeutic riding centre, we saw a combine circling around the east field.

Apparently the farmer had said he’d be on our fields today.

Harvest is such a special time. I love that I was home to see it.

B and I walked out to the “four corners” (the crossroads where four of our fields meet) to watch.

We timed it perfectly to see the combine coming up the hill to the truck.

I missed seeing the combine unload the beans last year, so I was glad we were able to watch the transfer this year. In just a matter of minutes, the beans had slid through the chute into the truck.

It turned out that the truck was full after this transfer, so we got out of the way so that it could hit the road. Can I just say how cool it is to have such a large property that a dump truck driving across it looks small? And this is far from our biggest field.

Bax and I decided to stay out of the way of the combine and investigate the freshly cut east field. We sat at the crest of the hill (just above the dump truck path) and watched the combine through the gap between the fields.

What a great way to spend the last afternoon of summer.

A changing view

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

At the end of August, over the course of just one week, our soybeans suddenly turned gold. We knew it was coming after our first soybean crop last year. However, we were amazed at how quickly it happened this year.

And within a short time of going gold, the plants went brown. They dropped their leaves and the beans are starting to dry. I love hearing them rattle as we walk through the field–a familiar sound from last year.

We do still have a few spots of green–the random corn stalks that were mixed in with our soybean seed lot.

Pretty much any view across the fields is special to me. It’s awesome to look over the property and know that it’s all ours. Seeing the productivity of the land and how it changes over the year is something that I’ve come to treasure since moving to the farm.

If we go with last year’s experience, we are still about a month away from the harvest. We’ll continue enjoying the view and monitoring the crop.

What’s the view like at your place? How do you track the progress of the seasons? What harvests are happening in your area? Does anyone else have random plants that spring up on your property?

Snapshot

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

The field across the road has been in grain this year for the first time since we moved to the farm. Saturday, a combine was hard at work harvesting the crop.

Guest post: Introducing Sarah In Illinois

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

I’m pleased to introduce Sarah, also known as Sarah In Illinois. Sarah is a long time reader and commenter on the blog. Over the years we’ve exchanged a few emails and gotten to know each other a bit. It seemed like Sarah and I were living similar lives in a lot of ways, so I asked her if she’d like to share some of her story here. Sarah doesn’t have a blog of her own, so I’m happy to turn mine over to her today.

Hi! My name is Sarah, and I am so excited to stop in and share with you. You may have seen me leave comments here as “Sarah In Illinois.” When Julia asked me if I was interested in an occasional guest post, I was flattered and honored. I hope my contribution to this site will be interesting to read!

I really enjoy reading everyday life/farm living blogs and I think it stems from having pen pals when I was in elementary school. I loved to read how everyday things were done differently in other countries or even in other areas of the US, and I view blogs as a modern version of a pen pal.

Steve and I

A little about myself: I am in my late 30s. I have always lived near small towns in rural Illinois. In fact the population of my current town is less than 1,200. I am engaged to my boyfriend of over 6 years, Steve. Steve sells seed, farms for another person and more recently he started farming for us.

He has 14 year old twins that are often with us, and our pets include a German Shepherd, a Chocolate Lab, a barn cat and 3 hermit crabs! Both of our sets of parents and my brother live less than 15 miles from us and his siblings and our extended families live not much further away than that!

Completely peaceful rural living!

I attended college and received a bachelor’s degree in construction management and a minor in architectural design. I chose that area of study because I love old houses, but I never went to work in that field. My parents owned the automotive parts store where I worked growing up, and when they sold it I continued to work for the current owner. So my love of old homes is really just a hobby, at least for now.

Until a couple years ago I lived alone in a huge old farm house. There was never a shortage of projects there and with my dad’s help I learned so much about home renovations hands on. After 10 years, I began to realize that the house was really too large for me both physically and financially. And it was about that time Steve and I decided we were ready to move in together, so I said goodbye to my farm house and moved in with Steve.

Our current house is smaller, but of course there is a long list of projects we want to accomplish there too! Steve and I have tackled projects together with nothing more than a quick look on YouTube and a run to the home improvement store. We have replaced windows, tiled floors, built walls, textured walls (often called knock down) and our next project, that we plan to do all on our own, is a two room addition!

Knock down is so, so messy!

When I am not at work or working on home projects, I like to bowl in a league, read self-help and dystopian fiction, watch TV with Steve (thank goodness for DVR!), paint with acrylics, feed and watch hummingbirds, and run. This year I decided to try to make healthier decisions and so I started training and ran my first 5K in July!

My first 5k!

I plan to share some of our projects in the house, in the yard and in the garden in future posts. Like Julia and Matt, we love our pets like family members so I am sure they will make an appearance occasionally.

I hope you enjoy my posts and if you have any questions or suggestions, you can email me at tharpsarah77@hotmail.com. You can also follow me on Instagram: sarah_in_illinois.

Thanks so much, Sarah! I had pen pals growing up too, but it’s been awhile. And I don’t think I ever had a pen pal in Illinois. It’s great to learn about your life there. Country living, DIY home reno, pets, running, living close to family, dystopian fiction… I feel like we could be the same person (except for the hermit crabs, of course)!

Odds and sods

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

It’s been a good vacation week here. I feel like I’ve found the balance between productivity and relaxation.

All of the gardens–flower and vegetable–are weeded. We’ve bought wood for the garden gate but not built it yet. We “fixed” the bathroom tap–when we couldn’t find a new cartridge that fit, we lubricated the old one and reinstalled it.

I’m 2 1/2 out of 3 on my vacation goals: I’ve had lots of long walks with Baxter, one with Matt and one with our hike group (and one more to come this morning). I spent a late afternoon on the couch with half a movie (as opposed to a lazy morning and a whole movie). I discovered that I can in fact still turn a cartwheel.

Here are some other things that have caught my eye recently:

Some great art–including DIY options–from Brooklyn Limestone and The Makerista. I love the room that Gwen made for her son. The gallery wall is outstanding.
I just discovered Love Grows Wild a few weeks ago, and now it seems to be popping up everywhere. Liz has been open about finding her style, and the spaces she’s making are beautiful. Plus she lives on a farm, so she’s totally someone I love to read.
And speaking of open and honest, Jen at IHeart Organizing wrote a great post about the challenges of blogging for “the reveal.”
Eat that frog totally helped me get ready at the day job for this vacation, and it’s helped with the small day job tasks that I’ve had to deal with during the vacation too.
My Mom brought me a beautiful bouquet of gladiolas. Our flower gardens are pretty much done blooming. I need some plants that bloom past August. Perhaps gladiolas would work?
I’m feeding my love of gardening with a new Sarah Addison Allen book. Now if only our garden had a magical apple tree…

How has your week been? Any suggestions for late summer flowers to add to my gardens? Have you read Sarah Addison Allen? Did anyone else try a cartwheel?