Good gracious! Jon, you sure are mechanically inclined - You know how things work. You are an amazing fixer-upper! I loved seeing Clara running free and spirited too!
I really enjoy watching your videos. Both of you are just normal people trying to learn how to do all of this stuff and letting us watch your growth along the way. Don’t let anyone comments get you down, there are always “experts” just waiting to point out their own intelligence. It’s inspiring to see people “our age” getting outside their comfort zone and just going for it. Keep the videos coming!
Handy trick. When trying to make smooth adjustments and the controls are moving, like putting the attachment on/off, rest the heal of your hand on the panel and grab the control lever at the base. Your hand will move with the attachment preventing exaggerated movement. You two have come a long way since starting your adventure. A couple of self reliant salty people that anyone would happily call friends. 😎
People that enjoy this will probably like the videos of Kurt at Cutting Edge Australia who does these kinds of repairs for a living and videos it. Kurt is very good at explaining why he does things certain ways as well as how. You can watch him weld a piece, look at it afterwards and you would swear blind it is robot/automatic weld if you had not just seen him do it.
just for you guys I found a tip cut your logs from the small end to the large, also go to utube type in off grid homesteading , with the skinners this guy has got some good tips hes learned. later
When welding the cylinder be sure to guard the chrome part of the cylinder from welding splatter there is a spray available at a welding supplyer. Or cover that part. Have fun.
Just a suggestion, throw some 4x4 or bigger post on the loading side of mill to keep logs waiting to mill off the ground enough to easily grab with forks or grapple and light to no damage to ground or logs.
All the design plans I had for the 2 small mission oak tables I built went out the window when I cut 3 pieces in a row on a table wrong. I still have those tables, now, in my living room to remind me of measuring wrong and thinking wrong. I guess they work.
John, I know that at the present time you don't have a flat concrete floor to remove the backhoe from the tractor but there is a TH-cam channel called "Tale of 3 Cabins" and the gentleman that has the channel made a video on building a dollie for his backhoe from two flat furniture dollies and 1×4's so that he could wheel the backhoe pretty much anywhere he wanted. Now he has a John Deere 1025R but I have a John Deere 2305 with a little bit different backhoe so I adapted it to work for my backhoe. It works great and makes life easier.
Trim the dead wood first then top it to the height you are comfortable picking the fruit. With deer don't trim the top down to low or you will never get fruit. You might consider leveling the ground under it a bit to make it easier to pick and prune. Remove a third or less of the live wood per year. This makes it take about four or five years to remediate a tree. I did this with four overgrown apple trees on our property in Oregon when we moved in several years ago. And they look 100% better.
Cool, thanks for the tips. That's the advice I was looking for. I like the approach of doing a little bit each year to revive it. I'm also considering planting some young apple trees that would benefit from such a big tree attracting all the pollinators to the area.
I'm really impressed with the RK. I've got a John Deere 2023 and I just bought forks. So, the other day the neighbors stock water tank fell off her truck. 100 gallons left in the tank and my tractor couldn't even upright the tank! Ricky would have turned that tank every which way but loose. Man was I disappointed.
@@WalnutsandWineberries My own fault really, now I'll learn to read the specs. 800 pound available lift minus 375 pound fork weight don't leave much for doing work. I do keep a come-a-long in the ballast box, that is how I uprighted the tank. Keep them videos coming.
You guys get so many "you have to do...". So here is another from me, always cover the chrome on a cylinder when welding. Welding spatter will wreck the seals as the shaft goes in and out. Keep up the good content, see you next time.
I was just re-watching your vid when you poured the slab for the sawmill, as I am going to try doing the same for mine. Why I`m commenting is that hog panels are what you had used, cattle panels the holes are all the same size, on hog panels the bottom third are smaller holes(rectangles) than the top. Therefore piglets don't escape.
John I've always been impressed with the hydraulics on the RK brand tractors. Ricky's like a little giant compared to my John Deere 3025. My loader refuses to lift 500 lbs. A 55 gallon drum of diesel fuel weighs less than 500 and I can't lift it with my wimpy loader. I know, I shoulda went to Rural King.
I once had a lengthy discussion with one of RK's mechanics. He actually talked me into the 24 model because of the size of the hydraulic pump vs the engine and what you get out of the machine. I guess I'm spoiled with Ricky's muscles, but I'm still having the time of my life on that skid steer 😉
You've got to fix that boom swing piston swivel pin. Movement is always bad - it amplifies forces because the sloppy part has inertia when it's allowed to move extra.
Was thinking something similar. My thought was to check the diameter of the other side at the pin junction and see if they matched. Wouldn't be the first time something came from the factory with the wrong size pin installed. Lot of movement in that thing.
I'm catching up on all of your videos, and I'm 6 months behind so you may not see this John. But I know of 3 people who killed themselves near me by doing what you did, Operating equipment while standing next to the tractor rather than on the seat! It's too easy to bump the control lever too hard and smash yourself with the bucket or stick! You would be very lucky if you only broke a leg or arm. And the seat safety switch is there for the same reason, so you don't run over your self! Otherwise, looks like you did a great job welding the cylinder rod!
Tell the kids to kneel on Ricky's seat right in the middle, and only on one knee if all else fails. The knee concentrates weight of said short person, which should trigger the switch.
I love your channel and am very impressed with all six of you. A question: is there a place to see a list ( with link) of the episodes in numerical order? I would find that helpful.
Nice work Jon! I admire your welding skills, I need to practice more. I only have a stick welder. Seems as though the type you have would be an asset. The mill looks like it’s going to be good. I agree with one of the other followers, a loading bunk would be good, you can load up a bunch of logs and use a peeve to roll them on. It would save a mishap of bumping your mill. I’m sure you have your own ideas on that. If you check out Saw with Sandy his setup works pretty good. Love the slow mow of you daughter at the beginning. Cheers
That little welder is great for novices like me. It's called the easy flux 125 at Harbor Freight (the Titanium brand). I like that it's small enough that my generator can run it when I'm somewhere on the property without power.
The sensor is in the seat the wires going to it can be just butt connected or jump the terminals in the bottom clip with a solid wire that you can remove so you can reattach the sensor if you sell it
Great video, I don't think a lot of people realize how much time on a homestead build project can be eaten up by tool and equipment repair! It's all worth it in the end because you end up learning something new during the process. I would highly recommend wrapping the hydraulic shaft with tin foil when welding on or near them to prevent any potential damage to them which will in turn increase the chance of damaging the packing seal that it slides through. If you are interested, check out my channel. We are farther along in the build overall, but still not ready to move onto the property so there will be a lot of progress videos coming along over the years to come as well. I can't wait to keep watching new videos and catching up on your old ones! It's great knowing others are doing the same thing we are pretty much for similar reasons!
That pin really shouldn't be that loose, but your use of that tractor might be a little more than intended. Heavy equipment would always have a pin and bushing were the bushing would wear and be replaced as needed. But on these tractors it's typically not necessary but that movement will just wallow those bores out more and more and may have had something to do with that cylinder failure. Maybe you can find a sleeve to weld in there and act as a bushing.
So you guys stil have to finish the driveway right? And mill wood for the house that has to sit and cure.... just curious what your timeline and priorities are.
I haven't seen a need for loading. The skid steer with grapple makes it so easy. However, a neighbor offered me an old conveyor system that needs some work. Might make it nice for unloading, which is usually where I need the help.
I have been thinking about RK24. Been watching lots of videos of people with these machines I like how are yours? Actually it looks used. A lot of people have a few hundred hrs and the paint is barely worn.
I'm not easy on mine. The things that have broke were probably my fault. With proper care, these are fantastic machines and very strong for their size. The one big complaint I have is the frame. Mine seems undersized as far as thickness goes and also bad engineering on mounting it to the tranny. Three bolts are inline and create a weak spot near the rear wheels. I have a video when my frame cracked (my fault), if you want to check that out. I have driven Kubotas and New Hollands of similar size and they were sissies compared to the RK I have. Final thought: the RK24 has a bigger hydraulic pump than the RK25, if you're eyeing up that machine to compare. Good luck.
@@WalnutsandWineberries thanks for the reply. I was looking at the 25. I do like that it has a a dedicated seat for the backhoe. And the Controls are a little different. In a couple other things, but have not seen any of them personally, we have about 15 acres in North Carolina but only about a anchor needs to be cut. Have a pretty long driveway to maintain and two outbuildings that I like to get a water supply to and a larger electrical service. Both tractors may be to big and have been looking at a CS2520. Hopefully I can go with the RK24 or 25. Not in any rush to buy something right now. I did had to get the lawn cut this year and I was.$600 just to do it once. And it took them a day and a half. It’s mostly because they have to use a weedeater because of the terrain. I know I won’t be able to get this with the tractor, but at least I can do some of it.
@@flyyxmke sounds like it would work well for you. The extra seat would be really nice. I'm constantly flipping mine around and it is a pain. I've sat on the RK25 and it does feel roomier and more comfortable. I'm 6 ft and 200 lbs and a little more knee room for the steering wheel wouldn't be a bad thing. Regarding driveway maintenance, I have a 48 in. box blade for mine and it does a nice job. Also, I have Ag tires on mine, which I chose as an option when I ordered it and it helps tremendously in the woods, mud, and pretty much anywhere you want to go. I just wouldn't drive it on a golf course. Haha. Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck again.
650 hours on the tractor. No clue about the backhoe, but it's usually what I leave on the back. Maybe 500? Good idea about bushings and just add a longer pin instead of an entire reconstruction process.
Hey Bill! This episode was our first one with a new camera. I noticed while I was editing that the view was narrow as well. Can you be more specific about what part of the video felt this way. We will work out the kinks of the new equipment, but more specific about when it was an issue can help us going forward. We moved from a go pro to a Samsung Galaxy, much clearer and more capabilities, but definitely need to back up. Thanks for the feedback. 👍
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
I sure am glad to see you using the log roller tool. You must really enjoy that tool.
Your video intros are so awesome!! The slow-mo of your daughter along with the music was terrific!
Good gracious! Jon, you sure are mechanically inclined - You know how things work. You are an amazing fixer-upper! I loved seeing Clara running free and spirited too!
I just love love love the intro. I think it was Clara. She rocked it. HUGS!
I really enjoy watching your videos. Both of you are just normal people trying to learn how to do all of this stuff and letting us watch your growth along the way. Don’t let anyone comments get you down, there are always “experts” just waiting to point out their own intelligence. It’s inspiring to see people “our age” getting outside their comfort zone and just going for it. Keep the videos coming!
You don't know how much this is appreciated. Thank you!
Handy trick. When trying to make smooth adjustments and the controls are moving, like putting the attachment on/off, rest the heal of your hand on the panel and grab the control lever at the base. Your hand will move with the attachment preventing exaggerated movement. You two have come a long way since starting your adventure. A couple of self reliant salty people that anyone would happily call friends. 😎
👍 I do this all the time with the skid steer, with the controls so sensitive. It helps a lot!
That is the exact comment I was looking for before I made one, Works a treat.
Just think, you’re going be be an expert on that sawmill sometime soon....I can see it now! Very nice fixes for Ricky!
A lot of knowledge is really just experience. By god, it works!
Greetings from the BIG SKY. Again. It works, that is good. Oh, Oh you knocked down some of her rocks. Now you've done it.
You guys get to hear a tree fall in the woods. Enjoy the sound.
Thanks for the video on the rk24 I haven’t taken off the backhoe on mine yet I’m sure your tips will help
Great job John and Meg happy you got Ricky fixed
Good work on the cylinder!
Greetings from the BIG SKY.
I'm lucky to live in Lewistown, I have a True Value Hardware store a few hundred yards from here.
People that enjoy this will probably like the videos of Kurt at Cutting Edge Australia who does these kinds of repairs for a living and videos it. Kurt is very good at explaining why he does things certain ways as well as how. You can watch him weld a piece, look at it afterwards and you would swear blind it is robot/automatic weld if you had not just seen him do it.
just for you guys I found a tip cut your logs from the small end to the large, also go to utube type in off grid homesteading , with the skinners this guy has got some good tips hes learned. later
When welding the cylinder be sure to guard the chrome part of the cylinder from welding splatter there is a spray available at a welding supplyer. Or cover that part. Have fun.
Greetings from the BIG SKY. Just checkin it out to see if you pilgrims are makin it.
Greetings from the BIG SKY
look at you I remember a guy buying some land and cutting it with LAWN mower now look, good memories lol
Just a suggestion, throw some 4x4 or bigger post on the loading side of mill to keep logs waiting to mill off the ground enough to easily grab with forks or grapple and light to no damage to ground or logs.
All the design plans I had for the 2 small mission oak tables I built went out the window when I cut 3 pieces in a row on a table wrong. I still have those tables, now, in my living room to remind me of measuring wrong and thinking wrong. I guess they work.
enjoy your videos
John, I know that at the present time you don't have a flat concrete floor to remove the backhoe from the tractor but there is a TH-cam channel called "Tale of 3 Cabins" and the gentleman that has the channel made a video on building a dollie for his backhoe from two flat furniture dollies and 1×4's so that he could wheel the backhoe pretty much anywhere he wanted. Now he has a John Deere 1025R but I have a John Deere 2305 with a little bit different backhoe so I adapted it to work for my backhoe. It works great and makes life easier.
Trim the dead wood first then top it to the height you are comfortable picking the fruit. With deer don't trim the top down to low or you will never get fruit. You might consider leveling the ground under it a bit to make it easier to pick and prune. Remove a third or less of the live wood per year. This makes it take about four or five years to remediate a tree. I did this with four overgrown apple trees on our property in Oregon when we moved in several years ago. And they look 100% better.
Cool, thanks for the tips. That's the advice I was looking for. I like the approach of doing a little bit each year to revive it. I'm also considering planting some young apple trees that would benefit from such a big tree attracting all the pollinators to the area.
I'm really impressed with the RK. I've got a John Deere 2023 and I just bought forks. So, the other day the neighbors stock water tank fell off her truck. 100 gallons left in the tank and my tractor couldn't even upright the tank! Ricky would have turned that tank every which way but loose. Man was I disappointed.
Ah, it's ok. You can also keep a snatch block in your toolbox for the extra umph.
@@WalnutsandWineberries My own fault really, now I'll learn to read the specs. 800 pound available lift minus 375 pound fork weight don't leave much for doing work. I do keep a come-a-long in the ballast box, that is how I uprighted the tank. Keep them videos coming.
You guys get so many "you have to do...". So here is another from me, always cover the chrome on a cylinder when welding. Welding spatter will wreck the seals as the shaft goes in and out. Keep up the good content, see you next time.
I was just re-watching your vid when you poured the slab for the sawmill, as I am going to try doing the same for mine. Why I`m commenting is that hog panels are what you had used, cattle panels the holes are all the same size, on hog panels the bottom third are smaller holes(rectangles) than the top. Therefore piglets don't escape.
Cool, makes sense. They were nice to work with. Very rigid.
John, the first thing I did when I got my RK24 was put a jumper wire on that seat switch. When I took it in for its 50hr maintenance I reconnected it.
I think I'll do the same. I start it too frequently without actually being on the machine, for warm up.
Heat the fork where it’s bent. Put something under it way out , and push down. With the hydraulics.
Paint your chains orange, you won’t lose them so easily. You’re welcome.
John I've always been impressed with the hydraulics on the RK brand tractors. Ricky's like a little giant compared to my John Deere 3025. My loader refuses to lift 500 lbs. A 55 gallon drum of diesel fuel weighs less than 500 and I can't lift it with my wimpy loader. I know, I shoulda went to Rural King.
I once had a lengthy discussion with one of RK's mechanics. He actually talked me into the 24 model because of the size of the hydraulic pump vs the engine and what you get out of the machine. I guess I'm spoiled with Ricky's muscles, but I'm still having the time of my life on that skid steer 😉
good job, hope it holds. must remember to wioggle it ...wiggle it JOHN said.
You've got to fix that boom swing piston swivel pin. Movement is always bad - it amplifies forces because the sloppy part has inertia when it's allowed to move extra.
Was thinking something similar. My thought was to check the diameter of the other side at the pin junction and see if they matched. Wouldn't be the first time something came from the factory with the wrong size pin installed. Lot of movement in that thing.
I'm catching up on all of your videos, and I'm 6 months behind so you may not see this John. But I know of 3 people who killed themselves near me by doing what you did, Operating equipment while standing next to the tractor rather than on the seat! It's too easy to bump the control lever too hard and smash yourself with the bucket or stick! You would be very lucky if you only broke a leg or arm. And the seat safety switch is there for the same reason, so you don't run over your self! Otherwise, looks like you did a great job welding the cylinder rod!
Tell the kids to kneel on Ricky's seat right in the middle, and only on one knee if all else fails. The knee concentrates weight of said short person, which should trigger the switch.
You mean Bavarian beef. ;)
👍
I love your channel and am very impressed with all six of you. A question: is there a place to see a list ( with link) of the episodes in numerical order? I would find that helpful.
Weld up or drill out swing pin holes and add bushings as the more they wear the faster they will wear.
Nice work Jon! I admire your welding skills, I need to practice more. I only have a stick welder. Seems as though the type you have would be an asset. The mill looks like it’s going to be good. I agree with one of the other followers, a loading bunk would be good, you can load up a bunch of logs and use a peeve to roll them on. It would save a mishap of bumping your mill. I’m sure you have your own ideas on that. If you check out Saw with Sandy his setup works pretty good. Love the slow mow of you daughter at the beginning. Cheers
That little welder is great for novices like me. It's called the easy flux 125 at Harbor Freight (the Titanium brand). I like that it's small enough that my generator can run it when I'm somewhere on the property without power.
The sensor is in the seat the wires going to it can be just butt connected or jump the terminals in the bottom clip with a solid wire that you can remove so you can reattach the sensor if you sell it
Greetings from the BIG SKY. If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it fall?
Wrap it with a wet rag close to the cylinder
Great video, I don't think a lot of people realize how much time on a homestead build project can be eaten up by tool and equipment repair! It's all worth it in the end because you end up learning something new during the process. I would highly recommend wrapping the hydraulic shaft with tin foil when welding on or near them to prevent any potential damage to them which will in turn increase the chance of damaging the packing seal that it slides through.
If you are interested, check out my channel. We are farther along in the build overall, but still not ready to move onto the property so there will be a lot of progress videos coming along over the years to come as well.
I can't wait to keep watching new videos and catching up on your old ones! It's great knowing others are doing the same thing we are pretty much for similar reasons!
the bolt through is to stop the pin droping out
When hooking up you backhoe notice that the pins are getting wollard out also you can buy bushings for that
That pin really shouldn't be that loose, but your use of that tractor might be a little more than intended. Heavy equipment would always have a pin and bushing were the bushing would wear and be replaced as needed. But on these tractors it's typically not necessary but that movement will just wallow those bores out more and more and may have had something to do with that cylinder failure. Maybe you can find a sleeve to weld in there and act as a bushing.
Thinking of welding a bushing above and below and get a longer pin.
Why didn't you use the hydrologic blue hose CAPS when you unclamped them so no dirt get inside
There bright 🔵
Because my caps have dirt on the inside. Haha!
So you guys stil have to finish the driveway right? And mill wood for the house that has to sit and cure.... just curious what your timeline and priorities are.
Love your program, have you thought of building a log deck for the sawmill
I haven't seen a need for loading. The skid steer with grapple makes it so easy. However, a neighbor offered me an old conveyor system that needs some work. Might make it nice for unloading, which is usually where I need the help.
So now that you have that done would you you do the repair on the machine if it happens again ?
Drill it out to a larger pin size if possible
Your front tires low on Ricky? When lifting the log they looked pretty low.
Dude, I almost popped them lifting that log 🤣
I have been thinking about RK24. Been watching lots of videos of people with these machines I like how are yours? Actually it looks used. A lot of people have a few hundred hrs and the paint is barely worn.
I'm not easy on mine. The things that have broke were probably my fault. With proper care, these are fantastic machines and very strong for their size. The one big complaint I have is the frame. Mine seems undersized as far as thickness goes and also bad engineering on mounting it to the tranny. Three bolts are inline and create a weak spot near the rear wheels. I have a video when my frame cracked (my fault), if you want to check that out. I have driven Kubotas and New Hollands of similar size and they were sissies compared to the RK I have. Final thought: the RK24 has a bigger hydraulic pump than the RK25, if you're eyeing up that machine to compare. Good luck.
@@WalnutsandWineberries thanks for the reply. I was looking at the 25. I do like that it has a a dedicated seat for the backhoe. And the Controls are a little different. In a couple other things, but have not seen any of them personally, we have about 15 acres in North Carolina but only about a anchor needs to be cut. Have a pretty long driveway to maintain and two outbuildings that I like to get a water supply to and a larger electrical service. Both tractors may be to big and have been looking at a CS2520. Hopefully I can go with the RK24 or 25. Not in any rush to buy something right now. I did had to get the lawn cut this year and I was.$600 just to do it once. And it took them a day and a half. It’s mostly because they have to use a weedeater because of the terrain. I know I won’t be able to get this with the tractor, but at least I can do some of it.
@@flyyxmke sounds like it would work well for you. The extra seat would be really nice. I'm constantly flipping mine around and it is a pain. I've sat on the RK25 and it does feel roomier and more comfortable. I'm 6 ft and 200 lbs and a little more knee room for the steering wheel wouldn't be a bad thing. Regarding driveway maintenance, I have a 48 in. box blade for mine and it does a nice job. Also, I have Ag tires on mine, which I chose as an option when I ordered it and it helps tremendously in the woods, mud, and pretty much anywhere you want to go. I just wouldn't drive it on a golf course. Haha. Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck again.
How many tractor hours? How many BH hours? You may want to add bushings to eliminate some of that play. Excess movement is not your friend.
650 hours on the tractor. No clue about the backhoe, but it's usually what I leave on the back. Maybe 500? Good idea about bushings and just add a longer pin instead of an entire reconstruction process.
Those are hoses not wires, Daniel son
Hey John your attention span is very short! We were going to saw wood but instead we were taken on a tour!
Just joshing -but true!!!
I agree! Too much Jibber Jabber!
Dude..., no matter what, (MAN LAW#2) says.
Never scream like a baby girl in front of your wife.
😂 must have missed that episode of 'the art of manliness'
Cut way back it gone to long
Please quit using the hand held camera. The field of view is small like a close up and we can't gt the big picture.
Hey Bill! This episode was our first one with a new camera. I noticed while I was editing that the view was narrow as well. Can you be more specific about what part of the video felt this way. We will work out the kinks of the new equipment, but more specific about when it was an issue can help us going forward. We moved from a go pro to a Samsung Galaxy, much clearer and more capabilities, but definitely need to back up. Thanks for the feedback. 👍