The Journey Home, 2020.

joanfenn · April 05, 2020, 08:08 AM

I can see him now. Wearing his kilt and holding the pitchfork watching over his chickens. Enjoy it Kevin.

ClydesdaleKevin · April 05, 2020, 09:42 AM

Quote from: Elandan2 on April 05, 2020, 07:15 AM
Hey Kev, you're changing one costume for another, Ren Faire for suburban farmer. You got the boots and next will be the overalls!! LOL

LOL! It is hard to conceal carry with overalls...lol!

Kev

ClydesdaleKevin · April 05, 2020, 09:43 AM

Quote from: joanfenn on April 05, 2020, 08:08 AM
I can see him now. Wearing his kilt and holding the pitchfork watching over his chickens. Enjoy it Kevin.

LOL!

Kev

ClydesdaleKevin · April 05, 2020, 03:59 PM

The 20X30 garden is tilled! Actually, it is tilled twice.

First I tilled it...then I spread the fertilizer, lime, manure, and peat moss...and then tilled it again!

That was the easy part. I also hoed the garden into 9 rows, 30 feet long.

Whew that was a lot of work! I'm not used to physical labor like that anymore, and took it slow and easy. And now it is done!

Right now I'm watering it in with a sprinkler...and tomorrow, I'll be planting the seedlings!

The baby chicks are doing great! I only put the brooder in the pen with them at night now, and use the heat lamp during the day. Otherwise the silly little things spend most of their time huddled up under the brooder.

Kev

ClydesdaleKevin · April 06, 2020, 04:15 PM

So now a few pictures! Here is the "barn" and the Ford F-100, a picture of our chicken brooder hutch, the chicks, and the garden (before and after putting down the weed barrier cloth and the straw mulch).

ClydesdaleKevin · April 06, 2020, 04:18 PM

Okay...so only four pics allowed at a time, so here is the garden, before and after adding the weed barrier cloth and straw mulch...plus a pic of the roto tiller and the plants we will be planting tomorrow...lol!

Kev

ClydesdaleKevin · April 06, 2020, 04:22 PM

We have the sprinkler on now to saturate the garden, so the weed barrier cloth and straw mulch stays put and "beds in."

So just four more pictures, taken today of the property and whatnot.

Kev

Elandan2 · April 06, 2020, 05:17 PM

Looking good !!

ClydesdaleKevin · April 06, 2020, 05:59 PM

Quote from: Elandan2 on April 06, 2020, 05:17 PM
Looking good !!

Thanks!

Kev

ClydesdaleKevin · April 06, 2020, 06:01 PM

And...here is a picture of the garden, ready to plant! After a few hours of light watering, the weed barrier cloth and straw mulch is nicely bedded in!

Kev

HandyDan · April 06, 2020, 11:01 PM

It didn't take you long to "put down roots". Home Sweet Home, May it ever be so humble. I enjoyed the pictures. At first I thought you had one of those riding tillers. It looks just like you have a seat and steer bars on it. LOL

ClydesdaleKevin · April 07, 2020, 09:28 AM

Quote from: HandyDan on April 06, 2020, 11:01 PM
It didn't take you long to "put down roots". Home Sweet Home, May it ever be so humble. I enjoyed the pictures. At first I thought you had one of those riding tillers. It looks just like you have a seat and steer bars on it. LOL

LOL! That is my wife's little scooter chair behind the tiller.

Kev

Rickf1985 · April 07, 2020, 09:56 AM

I got a Tractor Supply ad in the mail today and what do they have? Troy built mowers and tillers. Guess it just took a while for them to move north. Looked into the Troy built name and found they are owned by MTD. Now I know all MTD stuff is one step above garbage but the Troy built info says it is still made in the USA. I am really curious to see how it holds up for you. Can you tell me what engine it has? I know you said before it was a troy built engine but they do not make engines, they used to use Briggs or Kohler. Kohler now is Chinese, I have one on my log splitter and it is fair but not good. I bought one of those Harbor Freight 99.00 specials years ago for my other log splitter and it would start first pull every time and I left it out in the worst weather all year round. This Kohler I have now, if it gets wet it will not run. The water runs right down in the carb and into the engine.

tmsnyder · April 07, 2020, 10:31 AM

Briggs is Chinese too, the reason the HF Predator motor is so good is b/c it's a direct copy of a Honda.

Rickf1985 · April 07, 2020, 02:10 PM

Yup

ClydesdaleKevin · April 07, 2020, 02:43 PM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on April 07, 2020, 09:56 AM
I got a Tractor Supply ad in the mail today and what do they have? Troy built mowers and tillers. Guess it just took a while for them to move north. Looked into the Troy built name and found they are owned by MTD. Now I know all MTD stuff is one step above garbage but the Troy built info says it is still made in the USA. I am really curious to see how it holds up for you. Can you tell me what engine it has? I know you said before it was a troy built engine but they do not make engines, they used to use Briggs or Kohler. Kohler now is Chinese, I have one on my log splitter and it is fair but not good. I bought one of those Harbor Freight 99.00 specials years ago for my other log splitter and it would start first pull every time and I left it out in the worst weather all year round. This Kohler I have now, if it gets wet it will not run. The water runs right down in the carb and into the engine.

I'll look closer at the literature that came with the tiller, but as far as I can tell, this particular engine is proprietary and not marked with any other engine maker's name. I'll let you know when I find out more.

As far as how long this thing lasts? I'll be putting in through the paces. I have to till another garden in the next few days (this time around 20x15 for root veggies and beans/peas) , as well as a couple of 8X10 gardens (one for herbs and spices, and the other for strawberries for Patti).

Kev

ClydesdaleKevin · April 07, 2020, 02:49 PM

The first garden is planted and being watered in as I type this! Two types of watermelon, three different types of squash including zucchini, 2 different types of cucumbers, eggplant, habenero peppers, hot red peppers, green and yellow and red bell peppers, two different heirloom varieties of tomatoes (beef steak and cherokee purple), tiny little sweet tomatoes, roma tomatoes, and grape tomatoes. And the garden is full!

I'll be putting in another 15X20 garden in the next few days for legumes and root veggies...and another smaller one for herbs, spices, lettuce, spinach, etc...and another small one for Patti's strawberries.

Kev

ClydesdaleKevin · April 07, 2020, 05:44 PM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on April 07, 2020, 09:56 AM
I got a Tractor Supply ad in the mail today and what do they have? Troy built mowers and tillers. Guess it just took a while for them to move north. Looked into the Troy built name and found they are owned by MTD. Now I know all MTD stuff is one step above garbage but the Troy built info says it is still made in the USA. I am really curious to see how it holds up for you. Can you tell me what engine it has? I know you said before it was a troy built engine but they do not make engines, they used to use Briggs or Kohler. Kohler now is Chinese, I have one on my log splitter and it is fair but not good. I bought one of those Harbor Freight 99.00 specials years ago for my other log splitter and it would start first pull every time and I left it out in the worst weather all year round. This Kohler I have now, if it gets wet it will not run. The water runs right down in the carb and into the engine.

So here is the latest scoop about the engine. I talked to one of their general managers (who happens to be on my Facebook friend's list for a totally unrelated reason), and this is what he said:

"A question because I'm curious...does Troy Bilt make the engine on this thing? I can't find any manufacturer marks or branding on the engine....is it proprietary? Seems like a damn fine engine, and starts up with one pull, even with the choke off, every time"

"We make a lot of our own engines in OUR factory...made over 4 million with a 1% failure rate. They are made overseas in our factory to our specs. Tariffs almost brought them home. All other TB are built in Tupelo, MS. Cub is built in Martin, TN.
I'm glad you are enjoying your Super Bronco Tiller.
If it doesn't say Honda, Kohler, Briggs or Kawasaki its our engine. Some of our push mowers have Briggs or Honda engines to offer an option."

So there you have it!

Kev

Rickf1985 · April 07, 2020, 06:19 PM

The "overseas in our factory" part is the giveaway. But hey, the Chinese small engines of late seem to be doing quite well compared to the Briggs and Kohlers. I realize they are reverse engineered Hondas but they did a good job of it. With that said that just goes to show how good they are at stealing technology.

Froggy1936 · April 07, 2020, 07:01 PM

On a side note when i was service manager @ a Foreign car dealer Jaguar, Roots Group, (Hillman, Alpine incl the Tiger) Alfa Romeo,Datsun . (Now nisson) The first Datsun truck we got in , I opened the hood and there sat a Chevrolet Blue Fame 6 cly with a rochester 2 barrl carb . No names or markings anywhere The Engine was even painted blue ! 1964 Frank

Rickf1985 · April 07, 2020, 08:47 PM

Sunbeam Tiger! Used a 260 V8 Ford engine. Neat little car as long as you weren't 6'3" tall!

Froggy1936 · April 08, 2020, 01:39 PM

They were AMAZING V8 4 BBL 4 speed Jaguar Differential IRS ,1st gear would make 60 MPH , Because they were so light (built on the 4 cly Alpine body with a beefed up frt suspension ) i never wound one out all the way !But they were lots of fun to drive, Not quit as much as a Jag E Type . Frank

Rickf1985 · April 08, 2020, 05:05 PM

Or a Jenson Healy with the 440!!

ClydesdaleKevin · April 08, 2020, 05:14 PM

We got a whole bunch of seeds planted in starter pots, since the varieties we want to put in the next garden just aren't available around here. Lettuce, spinach, onions, beets, radishes, carrots, corn, broccoli, and green beans. I also scored some pretty big strawberry plants for Patti pretty cheap...which have to go into the ground soon. Also acquired were some herb and spice seeds...so we'll get those started soon too...probably after this batch of seedlings we just planted are ready to go into the ground.

God is watering the garden while I type this...lol...and the plants are looking great! No wilting and they look like they are growing already! Like...they seriously look bigger than when I planted them just yesterday!

The chicks are growing as well...and tonight they get their first "treat" of scrambled eggs. They also got their first little dish of "grit" today as well.

Kev

Froggy1936 · April 09, 2020, 02:08 PM

WOW, There has to be something sacrilegious To Giving Chickens SCRAMBLED EGGS

Frank