Tossing Thoughts: Tools needed around the farm
 

Spending ANOTHER weekend doing nothing but farm chores while my '83 sits neglected and demanding new wheel bearings I was thinking about the tools required around the farm. And as I am going through a lunch hour I figured "What the" and started typing:

A second (or more if you are REALLY lucky) person, preferably one of weak mind and strong back! My Wife fills this, though she has stronger mind she can and does lift 100 pounds by herself. Together we can move alot and get much done!

Tractor - Size depends upon the number of acres and the chores at hand. If you are leasing your land out to others, you might NOT need a tractor. Heck, if just mowing a nice riding mower might be cheaper and quicker to operate and purchase. Most can even pull small trailers with a bit of gear in them out to the work area.

Get with a good dealer and talk around to other farmers. If you have five acres you really do NOT need a 100 HP tractor! If you have 100 acres an 18 HP tractor might be a bit TOO smally :D

Tractor Implements -

Front End Loader! I have had it both ways and let me state, the FEL is the most versitile of attachments! We would hate to be without! Bucket and forks (forks can lift and move round bales) If you have a universal mount, large enough tractor, and the hydraulics then a grapple and a front mounted auger would be in my cards! Do NOT forget a rear weight! People load the tires but a rear counterweight is VERY handy!

Auger - If you are putting in holes, the auger is your friend. Can make life easier (unless you are always replacing the shear pins like I seem to)

Rear (3pt) scoop - You never know when it is handy to have the ability to move just that much more per trip

Rear fork - good counterweight to the front fork and can double your production!

Rear carryall - put posts and all sorts of stuff back there! Makes life easier!

Mower - this will depend variously on your tractor size! You do NOT need a 15 foot bat wing for five acres and an 18 hp tractor, but if you have 200 acres and a 100 hp beast maybe it will be worthwile? I have a five foot on a 60 HP tractor and 57 acres.

Shovels, really, they break and you need more than one anyway!

Manual post hole diggers - We have several but I'd suggest a light one that collects loose dirt well and a heavy duty one for driving down at a minimum.

Breaker bar - You will hit clay, rocks, etc. The bar (heavy metal bar) will help break up stuff. I have two, one for rocks one for cutting clay and squaring up a hole.

Fence tools - fancy pliers that cut, form, pull, small hammer. We have a Klein set that is WONDERFUL! However, we also have four cheap ones ($5.00 each) that come and get replaced as well. They last a year or two then go on the scrap metal pile for resale.

Hammers - Have an assortment from light to heavy duty. Get a good brass one and a dead blow as well. You will need them.

Rakes - Strong to break up dirt clods or help break up manure.

Heavy duty forks - like a shovel but these will go through your compost pile easier!

Paslode brand tools, cordless operated by propane canisters - Seriously, you will need something like this. Putting up wire/mesh? They make a cordless stapler that will make your life easier! Repairing barn, building? Cordless framing nailer. Check out their line, well worth the cost! Good return on investment!

Portable/cordless drill - you will need something to put in holes or screws or to remove them.

Breaker bars - Necessary! Stuff gets stuck, barns have to be fixed, etc. Have some small, med, large.

Hay equipment - This can be a large list depending upon your actions and what you are cutting or how you put up:

Bailer

Cutter - tooooo many options

Rake - again tooo many options

I like the accumulator and grapple and will hopefully be investing in them. Turns the job into a two person pick up versus three, four, or more.

Hay elevator to run the hay bales higher up with less work.

1/2 and 3/4 inch socket sets in SAE and Metric. Good quality.

Screw driver sets! You will want several!

SAE and Metric allen keys!

Chainsaw - I have a cheap one that has worked well for YEARS!!!! Clean and repair every year. I also have an old Echo that is great! The Echo goes and goes but the chain is getting older and needs replacing. Between the two I seem to alsways have one ready to go.

Small hand saw for cutting, I have a recurved with wicked off-set teeth!

Hand trimmers, the kind to cut limbs up to 2" in diameter.

Tree saw, telescoping. You will need one.

Chains, two or more so you have at least 40 feet of chain.

Tow straps, you will need them.

Heavy duty tie down straps.

Good, heavy duty flat bet. I like the lowboy style better. Ours is 24' and has two 7500 pound axles and is a gooseneck. I like towing goosenecks as compared to bumper pulls.

Pipe wrenches! adjustable wrenches! open and boxend wrenches!


Most of the above can be bought used at auctions for 10% of the price of new. Save yourself alot money! Be careful buying used and make sure you know what a good one runs/looks like! Be prepared to make mistakes! Check several auctions, some are more honest than others...

I have bought shovels for $2.00 and groups of 10 hammers for a buck. You just never know how things will come out! Heck, I even bought a nice chute for a hay baler for $1.00.

If lost or destroyed I would immediately replace my Leatherman and double bitted ax. I use both with great frequency. The Leatherman is for convenience, it can be replaced with a bucket full of tools, but I don't often carry a bucket and always have a pocket. A sharp ax is a most useful tool. Also a good drag, one that can be used in forward and reverse.

Flatbed trailer

Dump trailer

Manure spreader

Good credit

Tractor Supply store near by.

Good neighbors with all of the big equipment

Come along, maybe a nice winch, or even better a bad wench and a barrel of grog

Still running stuff down and expanding....

Neighbor swears by his welder, I never learned how to weld and it scares me.... But, welding is a VERY helpful skill around the farm and it can help you make som money on the side.

Small tiller for going between rows of the vegetable garden. Rear tined tiller for larger garden break-up, this can be rented! Once the ground is broken up add aged manure. After two years ours turns easier with forks and shovels than with the tiller.... For large area of ground either a rear mount tiller or look into disks for really large plots.

A grader blade for the tractor! Missed that one earlier, it helps to keep drive graded AND to help remove snow. Neighbor does about a mile of gravel road with his rear blade (snow and gravel).

Chipper to remove small limbs and branches that one cannot sell or use as firewood.

I bought a $7.50 used Maruyama industrial weedeater (similar to the B42, but an older and LOUDER generation) at an auction. $35.00 for a generic head, cleaned the carb and lubed the straight shaft. This thing is a beast! New is over $400.00! Wife likes the high-wheel whacker. They run from $379 on up right now. Both these units can be fitted with blades similar to chain saws to remove small saplings and help clear around your fences. I also have a Stihl mid-range weedwhacker that does well on most small stuff and is light enough I can use it with one hand to reach down into ditches.

Rural King or Orschelyns or Ace or local dealer!

We are having HUGE issues with our John Deere (110 HP) and Deere does NOT stand behind it. Case (60 HP) is going very well, never had an issue (knocking on wood!). Keep in mind these are different tractors for different uses!

Kawasaki Mule has been most useful and helps FIL get around the farm easily to feed and check on fencing (230 acres).

Been using cut-off saws alot recently.

Some tools you just do not need if you are not doing that type of farming!

Muck boots and rain gear and a coboy hat.

Good gloves if your hands are soft, and tender, (like mine)

Not sure what kind of farm you have or the type of work you're doing.

For sure, you would want some way to fuel, service, and change tires on the tractor. Other than that, you'd want a box scraper. The terrace scraper is another kind of scraper. The auger should be a PTO type.

A welder/torch set.

You left out the dynamite for stump and rock removal... or 4th of July parties.

Absolutely.

Rusty metal uses different types of welding rod if arc welding, or flux core if MIG welding.

I would say an oxy/acetylene torch set is a must for rusty fasteners.

I raise cows, lumber, hay, and vegetables (small quantity). For this I have access to a wider variety of tools or attempt to borrow what I need as it becomes necessary. We also have horses and birds.

Wife wants a 90HP skid steer, fully enclosed with a forestry mulcher/destroyer.

Like a Bobcat, or Mustang? Those are nice. We use them for augering holes, loading bins/ pallets, and construction guys use the bucket for loading concrete or sand.

Springtime (read get equipment ready time) the past few week had me buying/using the following:

- Spare Zerk Grease Fittings. Odd year in that I replaced a bunch.

- Shear pins. The bush hog goes through them...so much so that my son replaced one with the wrong shear strength so the input shaft on the bush hog sheared instead. Which led to...

- Propane torch and a gear puller. The ten year old bush hog had so much corrosion in the splined gear shaft I needed a gear puller and heat to get them apart and remove the gear box from the cutters. For which I needed...

- Tow straps and chains. I hoisted the bush hog on it side using the front end loader and chains.

- Bench grinder to sharpen mower blades from the mower and bush hog.

- Funnels with really long necks.

- Breaker bar.

- Medium sized ag sprayer for pastures.

- Small electric powered ag sprayer that tows behind the small tractor with a spot want to kill weeds.

The joys of Spring.

Deere has great little tractor for small farms - you can attach the center mower deck by just driving over it and pulling a lever (!)

Air compressor, and battery charger. Rusty old farm pick up truck.

recently purchased a smallish country "farm" property in PA. 13.5 acres, mostly wooded.

Pick up truck - check!
Shovel - check!
Chainsaw - check!
Gas powered leaf blower/vac - check!
rake - check!
Splitting axe, maul, splitting wedge, sledge hammer - check check check check!

Currently shopping for a John Deere 318 for mowing and other property maintenance chores.

Welcome to PA my boosted brother!

Besides my 30 horse Kubota Tractor, and my Zero Steer Cub Cadet 50" riding mower, the rest of my 5 acre pastures get mowed for me...............



Meet Dusty, our fattest ranch worker.



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