Tractors?

[criket]

Have you used goats to clear an area? I've got a small area I've thought about trying to clear with goats. Lot's of briars and weeds/vines

Yea my dad had a couple that did do a good job clearing some thickets. It wasn't the main reason he bought them but it worked out that way. Just remember that they like to climb so if you have buildings or downed trees they will climb up them.

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

If you get goats, get atleast 2. Use a heavy chain to tie them to a stake or cylinder block. They will climb a fence. Also, don't feed them. They won't eat anything once you start feeding them.

 

[Ron]

If you get goats, get atleast 2. Use a heavy chain to tie them to a stake or cylinder block. They will climb a fence. Also, don't feed them. They won't eat anything once you start feeding them.

I was planning on 2-4 and was going to fence them in the area. Chains and stakes seems too barbaric for my tastes

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

Could be me but I haven't had good luck with goats & fences

 

[k5-1402]

My neighbor had to chase their goats earlier in the week and they have them in a six foot tall fence.

 

[obullfish]

Don't care how good of a fence you got it ain't Goat proof. They will get out and will end up on a chain or at my house the smoker.

 

[Ron]

Hrmmm...that may be a deal killer then.

So 5'pig wire won't keep em in even if they have nothing to climb?

 

[snappy]

Hrmmm...that may be a deal killer then.

So 5'pig wire won't keep em in even if they have nothing to climb?

Have seen a goat chew through a fence before.......

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

Have seen a goat chew through a fence before.......

We've had to tie them with cattle chain because they chewed through smaller stuff.

My parents neighbor has had success with goats in a half ass fence, with plenty of trees overhanging. They stated with 3 and are down to one now. They do feed them every few days. When there were 2-3 they would eat the trees and grass. Now not so much.

 

[Blkvoodoo]

judicious application of voltage is a great deterrent.... works for dogs, cows, pigs, deer (keeping them out) should work for goats too.....

 

[Ron]

Hrmmmm....we have a small area between our pond and the property line. I put a fire pit back thee and we love it in the winter. In the summer it over grows with briars something terrible. Can't cut them with a standard lawn mower and I hate dragging the Bush hog from the farm ever couple weeks to clean it up. My daughter has been wanting a goat so we thought this might solve 2 problems....maybe not.

 

[CLRracer]

judicious application of voltage is a great deterrent.... works for dogs, cows, pigs, deer (keeping them out) should work for goats too.....

"Should" is the operative word lol.

Duane

 

[Infamous1]

We kept goats in a chain link and woven wire fence for years (chain link by the house b/c of appearance ) with no issues. It also matters the type of goats you choose also. We had Nubian (dairy/pet) and Boer (meat/market). Both were larger calmer breeds than the weed eaters you used to get for $20 off the am radio swap shop (you can't keep those suckers in Leavenworth).

Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk

 

[banjopicker]

I bought a 1960 Ford 601 Workmaster off of craigslist about 6 years ago for $2100. I put about $500 into it, and it has been great ever since. I have used it about every other weekend since then (every weekend in the summer) and it has never failed me. What a joy it is to have a machine that is both simple to work on and tough! I use it for bush hogging, maintaining a gravel driveway, drilling post holes, picking up and moving 1000 lb hay bales, moving gravel, hauling cut tree limbs, … the list goes on an on.

Craigslist is full of old tractors and implements. The things I looked for was: strong oil pressure, strong compression in all cyls, no cracks or welds in the head or in the block, runs good, hydraulics work with a load on them, and good tires. I looked at a few before I found the one I wanted. If the basics are good, you can work with it. On mine, I redid the wiring, put in a new fuel tank, rebuilt the carb, rebuilt the starter, and replaced a freeze plug which had been leaking a little coolant. I did it all in a weekend, and it was all pretty easy. Now it starts every time and runs great.

Different tractors have different hitch systems (how you hook up an implement). The standard is the "3 point hitch". I would stick with that, because it makes finding implements easy. Farmall used a proprietary hitch called a "fast hitch" which was perfectly good, but it is harder to find implements for it. They are around, just a little more scarce.

Ford 8Ns are all over the place in NC. They are good little tractors, but one drawback is that the PTO has to be running for the lift to work. Later Fords like mine have an independent hydraulic pump , so the lift will work even if the PTO is not turning. Much handier!

 

[banjopicker]

Older stuff like 8Ns drive the PTO off the clutch so they stop spinning when you push the clutch in. Not a big deal with a scrape blade, but really annoying with a bushhog or tiller when you're trying to back up to a fence line or tree and inching with the clutch.

For the older style tractor, you can get an "overrunning coupler" that goes between the PTO drive on the tractor and the PTO shaft. It will prevent an implement like a bush hog from pushing the tractor when you push in the clutch. You have to keep them greased though.

 

[jeepinmatt]

For the older style tractor, you can get an "overrunning coupler" that goes between the PTO drive on the tractor and the PTO shaft. It will prevent an implement like a bush hog from pushing the tractor when you push in the clutch. You have to keep them greased though.

Right, but my annoyance is that the implement is NOT powered when you need it to be in the situations I described.

I also love the Ford 601 series tractors. Basically the same size/weight/cosmetics as the Massey 35s. Can't go wrong with either.

 

[banjopicker]

Right, but my annoyance is that the implement is NOT powered when you need it to be in the situations I described.

Ahhh, I got ya. Yes it is a little annoying. I sometimes put it in neutral and let the bush hog spin up.

As you know (but maybe others don't) the overrunning coupler will prevent an annoying and possibly dangerous situation of the implement pushing you forward.

 

[R Q]

Ahhh, I got ya. Yes it is a little annoying. I sometimes put it in neutral and let the bush hog spin up.

As you know (but maybe others don't) the overrunning coupler will prevent an annoying and possibly dangerous situation of the implement pushing you forward.

Yes it will