fun with the tractor and the hydraulics.

first was a delivery of two pallets each weighing 2000 pounds each (around 900Kg each). That went without too much hitch. beginner's luck.

Second delivery was a pallet loaded with the green house I had ordered. A 20' by 48' by 12' high green house. It's small as green houses go. And the whole thing came on an eight feet long by about four feet wide and about a foot thick. Freight guy pushed the pallet to the back of the truck for my tractor to pick up. Forks on my tractor are not eight feet, maybe four feet wide. Tried to pick up and it doesn't want to balance on the fork. We dragged it out onto the truck lift and lowered it on the ground. Got to the side and everything was fine. Not as smooth as the first delivery of ground rock mineral in the two pallets.

It's been about a week now and only now am I willing to write about it. It was a delivery of a brand new wood chipper. Chipper capabler of grinding and chipping a tree up to about eight inches in diameter (20cm or so). Again the freight guy pushed the pallet to the back of the truck for my fork lift to pick it up. That was easy. Got off to make sure it was securely and well balanced on the fork. My dismay, Forks have lifted the pallet on the side that had two big stickers that said "DO NOT LIFT ON THIS SIDE"... too late.

Drove the tractor with the chipper on the fork into the pole barn where it will stay dry. Lowered it onto the ground and realized that if I unpack it there, there is no way I can get it out. The attachment to the tractor is on the wrong side. Besides, I picked up the pallet on the wrong side.

Back out the tractor and the chipper on the pallet. Lowered on the ground, continue backing up and the back side of the fork catches on the ground and causes the fork to pitch up and my chipper on the pallet goes THUMP onto its side. And its pouring rain now!!!

Righted up the pallet with rope attached to the chipper and the tractor and rest went without a hitch. Pouring rain puddled on the vinyl seat of my tractor for which my pants were more than eager to soak up all the rain. YUCK!! Soaking wet bottom for my pants. Rest of me is wet from the down pour but nothing like my bottom...

Drove the tractor back to its normal storage place away from the rain. Normally I back it in but not this day. I had more than enough frustration. BTW I didn't mention that I also managed to bend to exhaust pipe that sticks vertically out of the tractor. Now its got that racey swept back look. I was backing the tractor into a car port. I was worried about clearing the roll bar on the tractor, worried about clearing the 6 foot tiller on the back but forgot to check to see the exhaust pipe clearing the rafters. It didn't so when I drove out from the car port space, the pipe got bent back wards.