just one of those days...

I got then jackshaft back up there only to find out the inside belts (went with single banded on the inside because the double banded are only available form AGCO) are too long, and the outside one is too short.

The good part is I managed to get the belts out without messing with the jackshaft again, but now we're probably going to have to eat the cost of the one double banded belt because it was a special order belt. The other good part is, the cost is still going to be cheaper than AGCO belts and with the single banded ones on the inside, replacement should be a little bit easier.

To top it all off, I left the tractor and heybine in the driveway over night, all the tools laying out everywhere, tool box open. We got over 1" of rain last night... Corn don't mind though and the 3rd crop is really gonna use it too.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Hi Don With that said it also seems as though whatever some people touch turns to gold and what others touch ...uuhhh ..doesn't . You seem to actually be one of the former from your past posts . Even those with the Midas touch have bad days so don't let it eat on you . I've found that the quest to save a few pennies almost alway's cost's more in the long run . Get the Agco belt ...You'll probably never have to replace it before the whole machine is worn out . It's good to look to the future but look realisticly (sp) . Good luck ...Randy

I REALLY don't feel like dropping the jackshaft again, it's about 40 pounds and akward as all heck. Then I gotta reach in a small access hole and get 1 of the (4) 5/8" bolts in that hold it up there.

The new belts from the other place are Good Year so they're just as good as the ones from AGCO. The 2 Agco belts would run right around $100 for the set. From Bachall Rubber they ran me about $30 for the set. Bit of a difference, and since we really only cut swamps with it anymore, it'll only be used about 5-7 hours/year, unless the Hesston goes down...

As far as my luck, it's been hit-n-miss lately. I'm also working on fixing the axel on the neighbor's Minnie-Mo disk we borrowed to work some plowing because our old JD just isn't big enough anymore. The trouble comes with the big water tank they've got on top, and the weak axel under neath that isn't designed for that extra weight. I was just pulling oput of the feild when the axel on one side, made of 2 peices of 3/16" channel iron welded in a box over the pipe axel, snapped off where it had once before and was poorly welded back on.

I got 2 new peices of thicker channel iron on Friday and welded them together. Now I gotta put them on the CNC machining center and put 2 holes through them, a 3 1/2" and 2", 26" apart. Then I gotta find a new peice of 2" thick wall tubing to put the axel stubs in and drill 2 3/8" holes in it for the roll pins. I should be able to bring it back in another 2 weeks, just in time to borrow their chopper boxes for straw...

Donovan from Wisconsin

I still need to replace the clutch disk in the clutch pack assembly for their JD swather, after we borrowed one from their parts machine to fix the other neighbor's swather when it broke the drive chain and blew the clutch disk...(last year's oats) It's a good thing I have full access to 2 different machine shops right now, all I have to do is sponser the material.

I suppose you're one of those poor bastards who doesn't have anyone around willing or able to help out aint ya?

Donovan from Wisconsin