WD 45 next? YES!!!

 That was a snowy day! 

Not sure about the fluid, but I think it does have them loaded. The 45 plows snow good!

May get another sap run this weekend? But since the taps have been set for six weeks that may be the end of our season. The tree starts to heal over inside the hole and stops the flow of sap.

Regards,

 Chris

 Get up here and fish! A good small hotel that caters to fisherman is the Green Roof Inn in Platea PA. Address may be Girard PA. (I think thats the name of the place?) Google it!

We can talk tractors. Friend also has a boat he takes on Pymatuning reservoir too. Mid April he will put it in the water. 

I don't have many other surprises.:)

Regards,

 Chris

Ranse,

 I worked in the rubber industry for 40 years. Mostly behind a desk but did learn a few things too. Yes rubber trees are in hot to tropical climates around the world. Natural rubber is still very good product! They scribe the outer bark of the rubber tree and the white sap flows into a cup. They gather that daily. Slow process I think. Rubber trees take about 7 years to develop enough to be tapable. (a maple tree takes at least 40 years).

We do get summer once a year for a few minutes and the fishing is very good in streams within 10 miles of home. (I dont fish much, should fish more)

Regards,

Chris

For sure! 

Dave, most maple folks in their right mind don't run all over for sap like I do. Most try to have a single or several locations with most of their trees. My approach is to rent groups of roadside hard maples that produce high sugar content sap and high volumes of sap too. Also I don't have to get off the road and get into the muddy conditions in a wood lot. Its just the way I started making syrup and works for us. It does take me at least 2 hours to make a gathering run if I don't have to come back and unload. 

We are shut down from cold weather: (time to get a Allis picture in here to keep it all legal:))

I know it looks a lot like the pictures from late Dec 2017.

Even setting out in these conditions The WD45 fired up first try! Could be a keeper!

Regards,

 Chris

 

One thing though... I think that tank would look better on a carryall behind one of your WD's

 

It looks like you've got some good help there.

Ted,

 No problem on the questions! 

Granulated maple sugar looks similar to brown sugar. Made by heating the syrup to 260 deg F and then stirring it. The Hobart takes the work out of that. I made 2.5 gallons of syrup into sugar. That made 55 jars 4.5 oz each. 

Made a small batch of maple cream and two batches of Maple Mustard today.

Sorry that first picture of the evaporator does not have the Allis milk can in it, that's the large Massey can. 

Regards,

 Chris

Hi,

 Usually a freeze will stop the flow. Sometimes it will flow at 30 F if the sun is on the trees and no wind.

This picture is legal here because of the AC milk can in the lower right corner!:)

Making granulated maple sugar in the Hobart:

Wood fire at the end of a boil:

Gathering sap with the granddaughters:

Off to make some maple mustard. I miss my AC tractors being here!:(

Regards,

 Chris

Well the weather has been colder and not much sap. Gathered 140 gallons of 2% sap and made 3 gallons of suryp last night.

 So between 40 and 50 gallons of sap to make a gallon. Really depends on the sugar content.

 We can boil at a rate of about 120 to 130 gallons of sap per hour. Or about 3 gallons of finished syrup per hour. I will have to post a couple pictures.

Regards,

 Chris

Well we had a snow storm last night that dumped 10 inches of very wet snow on our area. I called the daughter and she said she did not attempt to drive through the 2 feet of plowed snow at the end of her drive. I got there around noon and fired up the WD45. Started on first pull, and all systems worked as they should. Temp never came up to 120 deg F on gauge. Hydraulics functioned very well and the tractor ran good. When I shifted into third once I thought it had come out of gear in the shifting forks. But no it was just loose. I gently shifted back into second and finished using just reverse and 2nd gear. Was able to shift back and forth with just the hand clutch. Was going to take a picture but it would have looked like all the others above!:)

Hope things are good in Orange land!

Have been busy making maple syrup. At 73 gallons, and the weather looks real good for a couple more weeks.

Regards,

 Chris

Steve,

 Good we didnt loose you! Crestron has helped guide you to the start of a new thread. ( I will look for it too).

My guess is that the dip stick you have found is actually for the hydraulics. These tractors have several chambers Hydraulic, transmission and rear end, and several types of fluids, and several drain ports under the tractor too. I have had them all open and drained, filled all and used to remember all that stuff but the old brain is so cluttered I dont try to remember it all.  I usually Call Don(MO) to remind me!:)

With that said, a good manual may help,  Although I havent looked at one lately, and I know the guys on here will help too. 

The final drives have a small pipe plug on the inside of the low pan. Remove that plug and probe to see the fluid level. I think it takes 1.5 qt of 90 wt gear lube in each side. 

You will have to drop the pans to change it probably. Usually messy and yucky, as it is the last place folks look to do maintenance on these tractors.

My post jan 15 2018 with pictures of the back of the tractor show the top link bracket around the rock shaft. And below that how I stabilized it from moving side to side.

Regards,

 Chris