Costly OPs today!!!

JD Seller

Well-known Member
I finally got around to fixing a leaking hydraulic motor on our fertilizer spreader today. The seals and o-rings were under $20. I had to argue with the parts guy some as he wanted to sell me the complete motor. He went on and on about not being able to get the old motor apart after all the fertilizer rusts the old motor. I got it apart easily enough. I had all the seals installed. I turned around to get a tool out of the tool box and knocked the gear section off the bench. It landed hard on the concrete floor. Sure enough it cracked the outside housing right through the gear housing. So I had to go BUY the complete motor. The parts guy was nice enough about it. It ONLY cost me $1187 for the complete motor. So ONLY 300 bushels of corn to pay for my blunder!!!!!

P.S. I kept the housings that I already installed the new seals in. So when either of the motors leak in the future I am ready. LOL
 
Well, at least you didn't say you turned around to get your phone to see who was texting you...

Bum luck...I hate it when I do stuff like that.
 
Here in ky there are not many big farms like in your part of the country. Why do you own your own spreader? I know the maintenance is very high. Around here coops have buggies and spreader trucks. Do you have fertilizer delivered in bulk to your farm? Just curious. Nathan
 
On a smaller scale I was gluing some pvc pipe together, I usually put the top right back on the purple primer,,didnt do it today,,,bumped into it with my foot,,,lost a full can of purple primer,,
 
Shi!! happens all the time!! Sorry, JD, just glad it wasn't my OH shi!! day. Crap happens, just glad it wasn't my O-crap day for a change.
Loren
 
mtf: We buy the fertilizer through a local supplier but we pick it up directly out of the river terminal. The local supplier never handles anything but the paper work. I build a mixer out of an old cement truck years ago. We store it in an old open front hog barn. We save about $100 a ton over having it stored/mixed/delivered in the spring by any of the local suppliers.

We also spread our own lime with this spreader too. So it is used more than you would think. I figured that we paid for the equipment in the first four years we owned it. The spreader was bought in 2001. So it has paid for itself. Plus we do not have to wait on delivery this way. Some times in the heat of planting it can be days before you can get a spreader.

If you hire the spreading done here it cost $5 an acre for a custom machine and $2.50 an acre for a cart.

We also have the sprayer attachment for the machine. So it does double duty.

Here is a picture of a machine like the one we have. Your was bought used and not near as high price as they are now. When we bought it a new larger pull type sprayer cost as much as we gave for the entire unit including the spreader.
a227729.jpg
 
And here I got a little grouchy when the shaft seal went out on the little orbit motor the size of a large coffee cup on one of my seed augers.
 
I've tried to get into that habit of always putting the lid right back on. It seems every time that I don't I spill it. Always seem to knock over the full can too, never the one that's just about empty :(.
 
Thanks for the interesting read. I can absolutely see the advantages of self ownership for your operation. A $100/acre savings is BIG plus the convenience of having it when you need it is worth a lot as well. Nice to see ways of saving money and intern making money, in ways that don't necessarily involve technological investments.
 
Old pickup bed mats also work well in front of a work bench. A poor man's anti-fatigue mat.
 
That's a law of nature; dropped parts will land to do the most damage. Then roll to under the exact geometrical center of the work bench.
 
That's a law of nature; dropped parts will land to do the most damage. Then roll to under the exact geometrical center of the work bench.

And only on reassembly, after hours of time spent replacing the seals in a now-ruined motor, and, of course, in the process, releasing a spring and ball check into the itsgonoshpere.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top