# Need Help/Advice



## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

First I hope this is where I should post this, if not sorry.

I have posted before but not in some time so here is the short story. My husband and I have a small 10 acre farm in Eastern SD. We were able to retire early and move up there this past Apr/May. Not long after we moved his health deteriorated and I am sad to say he passed in Jul, he had just turned 58.

This is my problem/concern. I now live in the middle of no where, the town is 15 miles and the nearest neighbor is 3 miles, and I don't know another living soul here. All of our family is either in Grand Forks or Omaha. We moved here because it was half way between and we really liked the area. What do I need to do to prepare for winter, any special things I need to do to the tractor/vehicles. Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated even how to meet people.

Thanks


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

I don't have any suggestions. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss. Those words are so small. I will be thinking of you today and praying for you.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

grakita said:


> First I hope this is where I should post this, if not sorry.
> 
> I have posted before but not in some time so here is the short story. My husband and I have a small 10 acre farm in Eastern SD. We were able to retire early and move up there this past Apr/May. Not long after we moved his health deteriorated and I am sad to say he passed in Jul, he had just turned 58.
> 
> ...


Wow! Sorry to hear of your loss!

The most important thing on vehicles is to be sure the antifreeze is sufficient in each one. We keep ours to -40 but -25 should be adequate in your area.

Meeting locals is easiest at church but you can also join associations or clubs that promote things you are interested in. We've volunteered for things like helping at the food pantry, volunteer fire department, etc.

Good luck and keep us posted.


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## AdmiralD7S (Dec 6, 2012)

If you need to get tractors started in winter, I recommend making sure they have a place in a shelter. If they have a block heater, I'd leave it plugged in (at least when it starts to get really cold). Other than that and what MMM said, I can't think of anything special you should have to do.

A related thought for you is how well are you able to get along physically?


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

grakita said:


> First I hope this is where I should post this, if not sorry.
> 
> I have posted before but not in some time so here is the short story. My husband and I have a small 10 acre farm in Eastern SD. We were able to retire early and move up there this past Apr/May. Not long after we moved his health deteriorated and I am sad to say he passed in Jul, he had just turned 58.
> 
> ...


Oh my, this is not at all what I thought I would be reading. I am so sorry! As a SD native, if I was at all close, I would enlist some help. I wonder what kinds of organizations are around you that you might be able to join the meet people? Do you attend or belong to a church?

I do not remember where you were living before, but if you grew up in Grand Forks or Omaha, you must have some winter experience. I always kept winter gear in my car when I living in the Dakotas. I had tire chains, a bag of sand (heavy), a candle that was made for providing heat, a lighter or two, granola type bars, hard candy, water, a blanket for each person, extra coats, hats, gloves, scarves, balaclavas, boots, a shovel, t.p., a good window scraper.

Many women are used to having a man who will be the one who changes the tires and maybe other minor car problems. When I took driver's ed. in high school, we had to learn to change a tire. If you do not know how to change a tire, get yourself educated and make sure you have the right jack, a good tire iron (cross type), a pair of gloves and a piece of carpet to work on. For me, one of the biggest challenges is that the lug nuts get tightened so tight I cannot get them off. My first tire iron was one of those single ones with an angle in it. What a worthless piece of iron. Whenever I get a different vehicle, I immediately replace that donut tire with a full sized tire and make sure I have a good jack that I can use and a tire iron. Donut tires are good for about 50 miles and in the Dakotas you can drive further than that between car service. I come from independent people, so we never had AAA. I don't know how that works in your part of the state, or if it really can serve you there. If it does, you might consider getting it.

Do you know when your tires were last rotated or your oil was changed in your car?


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

You and your family are in my prayers.

As for the preparing for the winter, I don't live in a very cold climate but aside from the farm equipment make sure you have warm blankets, warm clothing, tons of fuel to heat with be it wood or gas and a good dog to watch your back now that you are alone. That dog will also help keep you warm at night. And a cat to keep mice out of the house. We had mice coming in during the winter up in the cabin.

Like MMM said church is going to be your best bet for meeting people. They may even have a support network to help each other out getting ready for the winters.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

grakita said:


> First I hope this is where I should post this, if not sorry.
> 
> I have posted before but not in some time so here is the short story. My husband and I have a small 10 acre farm in Eastern SD. We were able to retire early and move up there this past Apr/May. Not long after we moved his health deteriorated and I am sad to say he passed in Jul, he had just turned 58.
> 
> ...


When you say farm do you have animals? If so you'll need enough feed and bedding to get them thru the cold months. Also enough food for yourself stocked. Also water. How do you heat the house and such? If wood make sure you have enough cords of wood stocked the same for propane. Make sure you get your tanks filled as soon as possible. According to all the reports I'm seeing it's gonna be a cold one so extra fuel for however you heat the place would be a good idea if you can get it.
Do you have a generator in case the power goes out? If so find the manual or look online to see what maintenance needs to be done to it and give it a try. Also make sure you have fuel for it. Extra would be nice to have also. If you don't know how to get it started....learn.

How do you get out of the snow? plow on a tractor or a truck? Learn how to run it. Hopefully it's not one of those kind that you need to know how to fly an f16 to run it 

There are all sorts of ways to meet folks. church, hobbies,local markets or fairs, volunteering for the FFA or the FHA and the local schools ( maybe the band or sports boosters) or library. Check if there are bulletin boards at any of the stores in the town near you and see whats listed on there. Might be classes for something you're interested, sign up and meet people. *shrugs*

The small town I live near is about 15 miles away ( or maybe a little more) and I only go in when I need to. Unfortunately in the 35 years we've lived here the area has turned into a bedroom community for the dc metro area so no one knows anyone anymore like we used to. They're never home. They're on the road commuting or out doing errands on the weekends for the coming week. The older folks have died and their kids sold the homes and don't live in the area so we know very little of the people who used to be in the Valley where we live.

You're living my nightmare so I'm rooting for ya. You can do this.:2thumb:


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

First - Find a good financial planner and set up an appointment to discuss what kind of budget you can come up with that is realistic to live on.

Second - make categories of all the things you need to live, one at a time. house, car, land, food, heat, etc. 

Third, try to prioritize what things will need attention the soonest. 
Are the storm windows ready to put on? 
Is the fuel oil or propane tank full now, while the prices are lowest? 
How many more years before the roof needs to be replaced?

Once all the big stuff is listed, budget for each. 

Try to find a good mechanic that understands that a car battery that is 5 years old is probably fine, but a 7 year old one might not make it through the winter. Synthetic motor oil is worth the extra cost in the cold, and doesn't need to be changed as often. Don't buy "synthetic blends", they are a rip-off.

Have a plan for each failure. 
What happens if the furnace quits working? 
If the power lines get covered with ice and come down? 
If the well pump quits?
If the land taxes go up?


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## airdrop (Jan 6, 2012)

Winter you need heat, if you lose electricity ,propane, wood stove or pellet might be nice, water have some buckets set aside if well goes out, I'd think generator ( one that might run on propane tank ). Moving snow off of drive how much drive do you have ? I found a blower with my long drive was not good so got a blade for the Quad an the 2 hour job went to 20 minutes. if your out in the wide open maybe snow fencing on drive. Ask county how offend they plow the roads to your house if it's bad and stock up on food accordingly . Out there I'd ask the propane company to never let the tank go below 40% as they might not be able to get to you during a snow storm. Maybe check and see how big the tank is I'd have at least 500 gal size. Find a good mechanic in town and keep all your vehicles well maintained. 
The women in the old days on the plains keep diaries of their new lives out on the great American desert lol , it might make good reading someday  be of good cheer friends are near  they just have to be discovered .


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Sometimes your area gets alot of snow so have your plans made for that event if it happens this winter. Yes it will get quite cold and you have to try to think ahead on that score also (like the possibility of frozen pipes). If I remember you had or were thinking about a wood heater which could be very nice if the power did go out. Chances are your neighbors are great people and would help you if you get in a jamb. If you have not done so go talk to your neighbors NOW. I have spent some time in that area and found the people there were friendly and would freely give good sound advice. After winter comes the spring and flooding in some areas it not uncommon (more plans needed) but again talk to your neighbors. They know if your place floods or not, they know how cold it will likely get and for how long, they know how much snow they often get and can tell you which side of the buildings the drifts will form. Remember us if you have questions or problems we will all help any way we can.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I am so sorry for your loss.

Call the previous owner explain your situation and ask for a list for winterizing the property. This will give you site specific information. Your neighbors may also have this information especially if they were friends of the previous owner. If there are any family members still in the community they may have information. If you can figure out the church they used to go to, previous employer, the local restaurant where the locals go for coffee or breakfast every morning, somebody knows his friends. He may have also hired someone to work on his property and that would be a good resource. We can give you some general ideas but if you can find information specific to your home it will be far more helpful. 

Have at least two heating systems for your home. At least one should operate without electricity, a wood stove is a good choice. If you have a wood stove I recommend that you keep at least two years worth of wood ahead. Dry wood provides more heat. Top off your oil, propane, or other energy sources in the fall except for wood, get that now to allow it time to dry.


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

Everyone thank you for the kind replies. I will try to reply to each of you individually but for just an overview. I am retired military and a disabled vet, financially, once I sell the Omaha house, I will be fine. Until then it will be tight, but I am not down to eating alpo as of yet. I keep a go bag, including protection, in all vehicles at all times and switch them out for summer/winter. We do have the pellet stove, just still need to get it "hooked up" and will contact our local heating person for that and had already planned for getting 2 tons of pellets - 1200 sq ft house. Contracted/prepaid for 1000 gal/lbs (don't know which) of propane for the winter as I heat and cook on it. Electric, I keep solar lights around the patio in the even the power is out, and also have oil lamps. Hot water I can heat on the stove and we have rural water and no pump. The tractor is a Kubota subcompact with bucket which I will have to use for snow removal but don't know what I need to do to get it ready for winter, also have a 2 stage walk behind blower if needed. No animals as of yet except for the normal house pets, we had just moved here and hadn't gotten that far, but the plan is for chickens and a milk cow (Dexter) but not until next year. As much as I hate to admit it our retirement dream has turned into my worst nightmare. Oh did I mention that I have NEVER EVER lived alone.


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

weedygarden said:


> Oh my, this is not at all what I thought I would be reading. I am so sorry! As a SD native, if I was at all close, I would enlist some help. I wonder what kinds of organizations are around you that you might be able to join the meet people? Do you attend or belong to a church?
> 
> I do not remember where you were living before, but if you grew up in Grand Forks or Omaha, you must have some winter experience. I always kept winter gear in my car when I living in the Dakotas. I had tire chains, a bag of sand (heavy), a candle that was made for providing heat, a lighter or two, granola type bars, hard candy, water, a blanket for each person, extra coats, hats, gloves, scarves, balaclavas, boots, a shovel, t.p., a good window scraper.
> 
> ...


I have lived the last 23yrs in Omaha so am familiar with winter just not in rural areas, even there. While my husband handles it I do know when all the oil changes were done/due and I can change my tires if necessary. I do have AAA and Good Sams (my husband insisted) but out here it is basically useless. With a town of 1100 people I am not sure what organizations they have, and while my background is computers and Medical Admin, not a lot of things I actually have a skill set for Thank you for your suggestions thought it did give me something to think about.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Sounds like you have the energy thing lined out. One thing you may want to look into is that most pellet stoves need electricity to feed the pellets. Some pellet stoves also burn wood and I don't know which model you have. Read the manual and ask the installer about your appliance.

One answer to your electricity problem would be an inverter and battery bank. Another answer would be a generator and since you have propane on site I suggest a propane fired generator. You should be able to find information about both these options on other threads by doing a search here.


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

Genevieve said:


> When you say farm do you have animals? If so you'll need enough feed and bedding to get them thru the cold months. Also enough food for yourself stocked. Also water. How do you heat the house and such? If wood make sure you have enough cords of wood stocked the same for propane. Make sure you get your tanks filled as soon as possible. According to all the reports I'm seeing it's gonna be a cold one so extra fuel for however you heat the place would be a good idea if you can get it.
> Do you have a generator in case the power goes out? If so find the manual or look online to see what maintenance needs to be done to it and give it a try. Also make sure you have fuel for it. Extra would be nice to have also. If you don't know how to get it started....learn.
> 
> How do you get out of the snow? plow on a tractor or a truck? Learn how to run it. Hopefully it's not one of those kind that you need to know how to fly an f16 to run it
> ...


Thanks for the vote of confidence. I am also living my worst nightmare. I grew up back east on the DELMARVA peninsula. Laurel DE to be exact then went in the AF and ended up in Omaha. We have never been here thru the winter so it will be interesting.


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## PamsPride (Dec 21, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss! 

Have you considered selling the farm and either moving back to the Omaha place or another place closer to family?


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

LincTex said:


> First - Find a good financial planner and set up an appointment to discuss what kind of budget you can come up with that is realistic to live on.
> 
> Second - make categories of all the things you need to live, one at a time. house, car, land, food, heat, etc.
> 
> ...


LinTex, I have always loved your posts, you are great.

Budget - I am retired military, DAV, Ron had a small life ins policy, and as he is retired Civil Service I have his pension. I have managed our household budget for 25 years and we had very little debt some but not major. While I have a house I NEED sold I am fine financially

We had already contracted to have new windows installed as well as the basement waterproofed - already paid for. That will have all energy efficient windows so no actual storms.

Propane tank at 87% and contracted/prepaid for 1000 gal/lbs

Metal Roof - no idea of install date of expected life - will look into it.

Propane furnace and pellet stove for heat Cook on Propane so as long as I have propane in the tank should be fine. Also have many portable grills if worse comes to worse - I know not to use them in the house.

Electric lines - My main concern is the blower on the pellet stove, no ele no blower, same with the furnace. We had intended to put in a back up generator for emergency use but until everything falls out financially that is on hold - need suggestions. Light I can use oil lamps

Rural Water - no well pump

Taxes - at 573.00 per year this isn't a concern especially since my home in Omaha is at 4000 and change per year


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

PamsPride said:


> I am so sorry for your loss!
> 
> Have you considered selling the farm and either moving back to the Omaha place or another place closer to family?


No this was his dream and I brought him back here for burial. He passed in Omaha as we were there for a Dr's appointment. Once I figure everything out and quit feeling sorry for myself and having a pity party I should be fine. This forum is great as everyone has been very helpful at getting me back on track.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Really sorry to hear about your situation, as important as it is for us to have plans the universe sure has a way of showing us how much it thinks about them.

I have to say that it sure seems like you are doing a good job of taking care of things and not losing your head, I have seen others fall apart when faced with similar circumstances.

Most of the bases seem covered, first priority would be the vehicles/tractor imo (you have to be able to get out at the very least). A little tractor like that is a huge asset if kept ready to go. 

I would;
Check/change antifreeze if it is questionable. 

Make sure that the battery is charged (that goes for anything that is not started regularly) A plug-in trickle charger or a $10 solar trickle charger can be a life saver (literally).

Get some winter diesel or more likely just treat the diesel in the tank.

Like mentioned, synthetic oil can do wonders. We have gone to a wide range oil like 5W40 or even 0W40 year round in many of our machines and it works great, it also can go much longer between changes. 

Then of course you should plug in vehicles when it is really cold, much easier on them. I don't like to rely on that though, much better to have everything primed to start anyways, then plug it in.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

take some pictures of your driveway if it is long and curvy, finding a road under 2 feet of snow can be a challenge, As Cowboyhermit said winter diesel or treat the fuel in the tank and run the engine for at least 1/2 an hour to get the fuel mixed and into the lines and filters, best to change the fuel filter(s) before winter to. look for some how to maintenance type books for the stuff you don't know about and ask all the questions that come to mind on this forum , there is a huge collection of knowledge and wisdom here take advantage of it.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

grakita said:


> We do have the pellet stove, just still need to get it "hooked up" and will contact our local heating person for that and had already planned for getting 2 tons of pellets - 1200 sq ft house.


Many places that sell pellets also deliver; if possible that will keep you from having to handle 80ea 50lb sacks! Once the bags are on your site, you can open one at a time and only haul 10-20 pounds at a time in a bucket if you can't easily handle 50 lbs bags.



grakita said:


> Contracted/prepaid for 1000 gal/lbs (don't know which) of propane


Good that you did this ahead of time. Try to never let the tank go below 40%



grakita said:


> for the winter as I heat and cook on it. Hot water I can heat on the stove


Does your stove have a pilot light, or do you hear the "snap-snap-snap" of the electric spark device when you turn the knobs on? If the latter, you might need to have a small 120volt electric source to make the sparker work. Some *will* light with a match, you'll have to unplug the stove to see if it will do so or not.



grakita said:


> and we have rural water and no pump.


Which means you will need to store some water somewhere on site.



grakita said:


> The tractor is a Kubota subcompact with bucket which I will have to use for snow removal but don't know what I need to do to get it ready for winter, also have a 2 stage walk behind blower if needed.


Try to practice with it moving some dirt or something, while it is still nice outside. It stinks learning a "new skill" in the cold!!

I doubt the antifreeze will need to be changed before 10 years is up. If the tractor is pretty new, you are good to go. I would add a block heater to it if it doesn't already have one. Definitely add some "anti-gel" fuel additive to the fuel if you plan on using it in the winter. Since modern (c.2007 & up) fuel has no sulfur and is very "dry", I like to add 1oz of 2cycle oil (outboard/chainsaw, etc.) to each gallon of fuel.
If you can, keep it inside until you need it. There is no need to keep it plugged in all the time, that is a huge waste of electricity - - 1-2 hours before using it should be fine. Let it warm up at an easy idle for several minutes before putting it to work in the cold.

Don't try running the snowblower unless you feel comfortable operating it. You may need to ask someone to give you lessons 



grakita said:


> Oh did I mention that I have NEVER EVER lived alone.


You will need to network: 
Get involved in the community, 
get active in a church, 
and make friends! 
Get to know your neighbors well, as you will all tend to rely on each other.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

grakita said:


> LincTex, I have always loved your posts, you are great.


Awww! (blushes) 
You are so welcome!



grakita said:


> We had already contracted to have new windows installed as well as the basement waterproofed - already paid for. That will have all energy efficient windows so no actual storms.
> 
> Propane tank at 87% and contracted/prepaid for 1000 gal/lbs


Sweet on the home improvements!
Propane is typically by the gallon in large home tanks. 
I think it is about $2 something a gallon nowadays?



grakita said:


> Metal Roof - no idea of install date of expected life - will look into it.


Unless you have a tornado, it will probably outlast you.



grakita said:


> Propane furnace and pellet stove for heat Cook on Propane so as long as I have propane in the tank should be fine. Also have many portable grills if worse comes to worse - I know not to use them in the house.


See my previous post about the possible need for power, even on the propane cook stove.
Propane grills are *mostly* safe in the house, but charcoal is a definite no-no!
.
.


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

LincTex said:


> Many places that sell pellets also deliver; if possible that will keep you from having to handle 80ea 50lb sacks! Once the bags are on your site, you can open one at a time and only haul 10-20 pounds at a time in a bucket if you can't easily handle 50 lbs bags.
> 
> For some reason I can't find pellets local except at Menards. My son lives in Wisconsin and we can get the pellets local there, or I can get them in Omaha. Don't like the idea of moving the bags but can do it if necessary. I want to keep a 10bags or so in the house (basement) so I don't have to go out that often.
> 
> ...


..............


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

grakita said:


> Why? If there is no pump wouldn't the water keep flowing...
> 
> Working on it. I want to meet the neighbors, but stopping by someone's house, that I don't know, knocking on the door and saying Hi I live down the way, is just so scary, awkward, etc.


Because rural water delivery systems use electric pumps, too. 
If the power lines go down where the well pump is located, you may run dry after that. Not much you can do about it.

Do you bake goodies? Most folks will always stick around long enough to say hello if you hand them a fresh cookie or brownie!

Besides, if you are a neighbor of theirs, they (country folks) most likely would really like to know who you are.


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

LincTex said:


> Because rural water delivery systems use electric pumps, too.
> If the power lines go down where the well pump is located, you may run dry after that. Not much you can do about it.
> 
> Ok, now I feel really stupid, of course there is a pump "somewhere" duh! I never thought about that, just figured since I didn't have one, I didn't need one... thanks. :dunno: I do keep around 6 cases of bottled water, as well as my 15 Gal emergency water container filled. I also keep sawdust and a bucket, we worked up here all last winter and had had the water shut off at the main, you lean to adapt... :teehee:
> ...


 Also, we just had all of our plumbing supply lines redone with pex to prevent freezing in the winter as our basement isn't heated, the lines should be fine, but since they didn't run it the way I wanted I do have to worry about the fittings


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

grakita said:


> Also, we just had all of our plumbing supply lines redone with pex to prevent freezing in the winter as our basement isn't heated, the lines should be fine, but since they didn't run it the way I wanted I do have to worry about the fittings


The Pex will provide more protection than you might think. It will expand thus reducing some pressure on the fittings. There are three types of Pex. My guess is that they used Pex "C" as it does not bend as easily as Pex "A". While Pex "A" is by far the best any Pex is better than copper.

If you have not already done so putting insulation on the pipe will help delay the freezing of you pipes. While risk of rupture with your water pipes is minimal they can still freeze which will be inconvenient until they thaw. This is easily accomplished with foam insulation that snaps over your pipe. a 45* angle cut at each corner makes a fairly tight connection.

When I was having freezing problems I kept a clean plastic trash can full of water. In the eventuality of a freeze up I had water for coffee, dishes, and a few flushes. For your first winter this might be something to consider.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

A good h-d yard or garden wagon is a great tool if you don't already have one, the same with a good hand truck. 

your Kubota probably has a quick attach on the loader bucket, if so a set of pallet forks can be a real back saver and make it a lot easier to move larger or bulk things around the place,


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

Tirediron said:


> A good h-d yard or garden wagon is a great tool if you don't already have one, the same with a good hand truck.
> 
> your Kubota probably has a quick attach on the loader bucket, if so a set of pallet forks can be a real back saver and make it a lot easier to move larger or bulk things around the place,


I have both a garden wagon - 900lb and a hand and appliance truck. Our Kubota isn't the quick connect  and converting it just isn't in the budget right now. I do agree with the pallet forks and will be something to look into maybe next year. Thank You


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

I have a pretty simple design for a set of forks that chain onto the bucket if you are interested,


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

Tirediron said:


> I have a pretty simple design for a set of forks that chain onto the bucket if you are interested,


That would be great, Thank You


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

I will try to get some picture of them tommorow

the chains at the cross bar are welded on, and are connected to a longer chain with a boomer. the rear chains go over the back of the bucket and come down and wrap around the fork on the same side in front of the buckets cutting edge, the chain is tightened with a boomer (load binder). this way the load is applied to the back of the bucket instead of on the cutting edge. the angle iron guides are to locate the forks on the cutting edge, not carry the load. this set is for the yellow loader in the background and are quite large, the green part is a round bale spike using the same principle, it works great.

link to bale spear mounting instructions, forks are pretty much the same except for separate chains/boomers
http://hi-hog.com/bucket-mount-bale-spear/


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

pics are in previous post


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

Thank you for the pictures, I finally met a neighbor so maybe this could be possible.


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## grakita (Dec 13, 2013)

Well it has been almost 2 years since I started this thread, so I thought I would stop in and give and update. First, thanks again to everyone who responded with advice or simply thoughts and prayers. They were greatly appreciated then and now.

I did move back to NE into my former home. It is a rather large home, so Ron's Dau, her husband and 2 kids moved in with me. I now have a 3 and 6 year old in the house again. They are the same age as mine were when My Ron and I got together. He works so they aren't a burden and she is quite helpful. Life is a bit of a change but I am adjusting. I went back to my old job this past Feb (I need 13 months to qualify for my retirement). We continue to prep as much as we can living in town. I did find out I can keep chickens so that is on my list for this summer. The garden is on hold for now, other than a little eat as you go patch, I did get half of the fruit trees pruned, oh yeah, I planted the berry vines last year so they look good for this year. I thinned the Rhubarb last year as well and it has come back with a vengeance. Don't know why as we have never used it, but it came with the house and it would be a shame to let it die. I hope to be able to spend a bit more time on the forum now that life is getting back into a bit of a rhythm again, missing a few beats, but still moving on. I am moving My Ron back here so I can take care of him, and that will happen next Sat. Didn't feel right about him being up there all alone with no one to visit or care for him, so I am bringing him home. Again thanks to everyone.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

grakita said:


> Well it has been almost 2 years since I started this thread, so I thought I would stop in and give and update. First, thanks again to everyone who responded with advice or simply thoughts and prayers. They were greatly appreciated then and now.
> 
> I did move back to NE into my former home. It is a rather large home, so Ron's Dau, her husband and 2 kids moved in with me. I now have a 3 and 6 year old in the house again. They are the same age as mine were when My Ron and I got together. He works so they aren't a burden and she is quite helpful. Life is a bit of a change but I am adjusting. I went back to my old job this past Feb (I need 13 months to qualify for my retirement). We continue to prep as much as we can living in town. I did find out I can keep chickens so that is on my list for this summer. The garden is on hold for now, other than a little eat as you go patch, I did get half of the fruit trees pruned, oh yeah, I planted the berry vines last year so they look good for this year. I thinned the Rhubarb last year as well and it has come back with a vengeance. Don't know why as we have never used it, but it came with the house and it would be a shame to let it die. I hope to be able to spend a bit more time on the forum now that life is getting back into a bit of a rhythm again, missing a few beats, but still moving on. I am moving My Ron back here so I can take care of him, and that will happen next Sat. Didn't feel right about him being up there all alone with no one to visit or care for him, so I am bringing him home. Again thanks to everyone.


Thank you for the update. I had just been wondering how life was for you. It sounds like it is good.


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