My old John Deere 730.

[smallfoot]

Since 2004 (my house fire) fire is one of the only things I really fear. Maybe not fear but total respect for the devastation it can achieve! Wildfires here can get really bad because of all the fuel naturally available. Right now I have a bud in the critical care unit at the hospital because of a house fire yesterday. He caused it with errant sparks from a grinder in close contact with lint from a clothes dryer. The emergency teams found him on the floor unconscious with 2 empty fire extinguishers next to him, The first responder Sheriff also exhausted an extinguisher to help fight the fire. Outside of minimal damage to his house he remains in critical condition due to smoke inhalation.
Be careful please.

 

[dutch]

I hope your friend will recover...

 

[MercuryMac]

Ya Snopro, it was the Red Deer Swap Meet.
The friend that I rode to Red Deer with, had his yard about half burnt, including all around my truck, which I had left at his place. The firefighters saved his house, shop, fixed up old trucks and my pick-up. Everything else is toast. A couple of days ago he was allowed to go back to his house for half an hour, so he took my pick-up to a neighbour's.
Tonight we went over to that neighbours house that was just out of the 'evacuation' zone to get my daily driver pick-up.
On the way home I took a picture of our sun.

 

[anvil]

Prayers being sent.

 

[05snopro440]

Ya Snopro, it was the Red Deer Swap Meet.
The friend that I rode to Red Deer with, had his yard about half burnt, including all around my truck, which I had left at his place. The firefighters saved his house, shop, fixed up old trucks and my pick-up. Everything else is toast. A couple of days ago he was allowed to go back to his house for half an hour, so he took my pick-up to a neighbour's.
Tonight we went over to that neighbours house that was just out of the 'evacuation' zone to get my daily driver pick-up.
On the way home I took a picture of our sun.

Thankfully they saved a bunch of stuff in his yard, that's sad though and I'm sure will be a log recovery in his yard.

Yikes, that's an eerie sun!

 

[MercuryMac]

Today I got word that a friend in the next community was selling a 620 John Deere parts tractor. After a phone call I scooted over to his place and undid the floor extensions and the tool box. These pieces will be slightly different than my tractor needs but with a big enough hammer I can make them fit. The pieces I'm referring to are like toe boards on a car or truck.

 

[Old Iron]

Sounds like you have a good network of parts finding friends.

 

[MercuryMac]

Yes OI, we have a tractor club here and the guys are in communication quite a bit.

 

[MercuryMac]

Yesterday, was different. I took the 730 and a people wagon to a neighbouring community and hauled some graduating kids around in a parade. There were quite a few old cars and trucks taking kids on the tour but the excess had to ride on the people wagons. There were three tractors and wagons.

 

[MercuryMac]

Those floor extensions that I was crowing about, well, I reworked them today and mounted them. It took longer than I thought, as they were quite different, but they were faded green. That was enough.
The first picture is the 'before' I started.

 

[Old Iron]

Looks like they belong on there

 

[bob w]

Looks good. Nice what you are doing with your rolling stock. Helping in the community.

 

[old28]

Real nice mounting & fitting of the floor extensions [

 

[smallfoot]

Nice work Mac!

 

[MercuryMac]

Thank you Guys.
When I was getting the floor extensions I noticed a nice tool box so I grabbed it too. Here it is on the tractor.
I also put an electric shut-off switch in my gas line to the starting motor. On most motors, when the motor is not running the float valve can stop the flow of gas into the carb because there is no movement or vibration. These poor little starting motors are shut off but they get to bounce and vibrate and shake for the next many hours. Their bowls over fill and the little motor floods and won't start sometimes. Now, maybe I can avoid that trauma.

 

[old28]

Nice looking made to order tool box, now you got to fill it with parts. Sounds like that switch in the fuel line will work out great.[cl

 

[MercuryMac]

So today I got back to the 730. My plan all along was to have dual hydraulics on this tractor, it didn't come with them. When I went plowing at our spring Plowday, I only had time to get single hydraulics plumbed in, but now I have duals.

 

[MercuryMac]

A couple of months ago, I told you that I put a cute little electrically controlled shut off valve in the gas line to the put-motor carburetor. Well, it only worked for three starts and then wouldn't let any gas through. The valve was in a horrible position, under the hood, and on the far side of the carb. I had taken it out and thought I could get by with no valve for a while. Nope, the poor little motor flooded if there was any bouncing or rough stuff. So, today I started mounting a manual shut-off valve. It will be remotely controlled, by hand. Oh ya I also put the valve on the close side of the carb, so I can get at it if need be.

 

[smallfoot]

Good idea![cl

 

[Burgerman]

Good idea![cl

2X. Nice work.