How to be a cheapskate

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Early this year I broke down and bought a small tractor to help keep the place up in shape. I priced a shade and when they told me $400 I didn't even ask the price of a ballast bucket.I went out to the scrap pile and found some 3" line pipe, some 7/8 and 3/4" sucker rod and a little 1/4' plate. Built a frame and stuffed it full of 3/" rod to add weight and welded 1/4" cap on the ends. The 7/8" rod fits in the 3 point hitch. Set a 30" pieceof 16" 3/8" WT pipe on top of the frame with ends welded in it, 1/2" pipe collars welded in the bottom for drains, and an 1 1/4" pipe collar in top to fill it with water. A little 3/8 X 1 1/2" flat to attach the top link. Welded it together with some 7018 that had been laying around for 2 or 3 years. Total cost: 10 bucks fo two cans of Kubota orange paint from Tractor supply. If I would have used rust colored paint like I did on the BBQ, it would have been free. Had a piece of 1/8" 6061T alum. plate that had been here at least 15 years and it turned into the shade. It cost a little more. I had to buy five 3" square bottomed u-bolts and a hand full of 1/2" X #10 stove bolts and another can of that orange paint.Then I built this super heavy duty trailer hitch for the FEL. I had the 3" channel iron and the 1" bolts laying around and there was enough paint left from the shade so it was basically free.
Reply:Looks good. Does the bucket bend when you put a load on the hitch?Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:A-1 scrounging job.I wouldn't imagine the hitch would bend the bucket because the bolts attaching it are spaced well, and actually spread the load further rearward on the bucket, not on the lip.  (Unless you go to movin' mobile homes with it)"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammA-1 scrounging job.I wouldn't imagine the hitch would bend the bucket because the bolts attaching it are spaced well, and actually spread the load further rearward on the bucket, not on the lip.  (Unless you go to movin' mobile homes with it)
Reply:Good stuff oldtimer.A buddy of mine has a similar Kubota, and he's claimed to have had the thing stood up on one front wheel. The ballast tank looks like a real good idea.'Bout time we got some pictures out of you!
Reply:Awesome work oldtimer.  That shade looks like a World of Outlaws sprinter wing!  Did you install those grab hooks on the bucket too?MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Daddy, without the ballast tank the FEL is almost usless. Not enough traction. The little tractor never bogs down, it just starts digging holes with all four wheels. The added weight makes a big difference.Duane, at 8.8 mph wide open it needs something to hold it down.  :The hooks on the FEL were the first thing I did and, boy, are they handy. I don't know how I got along without a tractor now that I have this one. It has saved me a bunch of hard work this year. I bought it mainly to keep the place brush hogged. I got burned up in a 75 mph grass fire three years ago and I don't want it to happen again. I've found a lot of uses for it besides brush hogging though. And it is a lot of fun to play with too.
Reply:Nice stuff in true weldor fashion.You have a lot more hitch than tractor David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Originally Posted by OldtimerDaddy, without the ballast tank the FEL is almost usless. Not enough traction. The little tractor never bogs down, it just starts digging holes with all four wheels. The added weight makes a big difference.Duane, at 8.8 mph wide open it needs something to hold it down.  :The hooks on the FEL were the first thing I did and, boy, are they handy. I don't know how I got along without a tractor now that I have this one. It has saved me a bunch of hard work this year. I bought it mainly to keep the place brush hogged. I got burned up in a 75 mph grass fire three years ago and I don't want it to happen again. I've found a lot of uses for it besides brush hogging though. And it is a lot of fun to play with too.
Reply:Originally Posted by David RNice stuff in true weldor fashion.You have a lot more hitch than tractor David
Reply:Nice work, Thrifty!  That is a fine example of clean detailed work.I guess no one was yelling: "That's cool enough. If you need that ground cable again you'd better get it off my bucket, now!"I like your garden edging too! And a  scale on the ready; probably in case anyone wants to buy some grass!