mike newman

....lot of New Zealander's fit the second category.....!!! Mike

...just to add to this topic....when I visited Brian Foster...a long time contributor to the 'Construction Site '' on this Red Power Forum, on his place there were two small cemeteries...this in Lorane , Oregon.. They also dated back into the mid 1800's...were very untidy...but kind of spooky and reading the names and seeing how young some of the children...very sad... I know from down under, the mortality rate for kids was very high...all for obvious reasons.. Mike

...the big fella sure has a ton of guts.......riding without any safety gear...... ...guess there was not enough bike ...for the lady to hit the trail, as well.... Mike

Yes, Steve...that clip settles it without doubt...a very interesting, informative watch.....almost like a 'Sasquwatch '' ..pity about the flatulence level of the beans....that can always spoil....soil even, the party.... Mike

.......a lot of New Zealand cattle 'were' exported to Asian countries only...but ..inevitably there were protests from the great unwashed...mainly the goofballs that purport to dining exclusively on food ''that does not have eyes'' (potatoes...anyone ?? )....thus the Socialists bowed to pressure and have banned live exports.... ,,,and on one of the last trips , the boat carrying the cattle was lost....along with some of the crew, including NZ Vets ..or suitably qualified personnel to care for the animals ....thus giving the ''anti's '' more grist for their mill....... Mike

......another great memory from the lower part of Kentucky...forgotten the name of the little town and adjacent air field where the ''Glacier Girl '' was housed.... One could walk around it...look down on it from a purpose built walkway .....and there was a little 'theatre ' in which was the fascinating 'doco' detailing the rescue from the vague premise of the aircrafts 'tail'' sticking out above the snow...right thru to the aircrafts current ...(then ) domicile... For anyone interested in Aircraft.......a great experience... ...and all this from a chance remark to a friendly gas station bloke.....as to what was around the area there to interest a middle age bloke wandering around the hallowed Southern States.... Mike

,,,,Dad had one for the tobacco...it was an amazing little tractor.....it did countless hours over many years....and to add to its usefulness, he had 12x28 tyres fitted on the original rear wheel centers.... ,,no loader, though !! I put a picture of it, on the recent Allis Collectable thread.... Mike

...I am going against the grain here...and say that I have virtually no alcohol.....not because I am God's gift to the Ladies Christian Temperance Union....or any thing like..... that...but because of the death of my Dad...from a drunk driver...My Dad whom I met when I was four yrs old....(WW2 )...and a scant 17 yrs later he was gone...and then, just six months after that ..my best Mate ...you know the boy down the road with whom you grow up together from raiding the neighbours Orange trees to building a cabin up in the hills for hunting and opossuming etc etc ...was killed by a kid in a 56 Chevrolet sedan ..T boned at an intersection. Les had a 1949 Bonus Built 3/4 ton Ford...''got him, his Australian Fiancee and the kids 'girl friend '' The kid was pissed out of his tree....no license even.....sigh Now I just. know that about every adult that cares to read this , has a similar story......family .... friend .... neighbour down the road......this sort of thing just happens, and you just have to get on with it....accept it and move forward....however difficult it may be.....but for me personally, I figured I could get on with my life without alcohol , if that was the result of a bit of excessive drinking..... ,,,and that is how its been for me... I admire @MinnesotaFarmall for his candid overview of his penchant for a having drink to many ...and having the guts to tell the troops on this fine site about the issues its created and how he has faced those issues..... Well done Mate...and all the very best for the years ahead ... Mike ....and trust me...I have got myself into all sorts of trouble over the years...without any help ''from the bottle '' .....

...good play on words there !!! ...a 'steal '' none the less Mike

.....time for these ''pricks'' to suck up a feed......again..... Mike

.......well Dave..that is rather sad news.........and I guess you are at a 'loose end ''......???.....you know...lack of self esteem...delirium tremors and other sundry afflictions that come with parting with an old friend......so.... help is on its way.... Check options below.......all running when parked.... Always happy to help ..... Mike

Ian...We had several BTD6 crawlers.....none gave final drive issues....except for a very early BTD 6 track loader .....it duly spat out a hole in the bottom of the final drive housing via part of the pinion bearing....but I think that the damage was done long before I brought it ...!!! And ,of course those little tractors with "Drott' loaders (4x1 ) were very aggravating for the drive train..... On some of our hills....over the years many a good bloke died because of an ''approach'' issue.....this when discing...and the small Caterpillars and TD 's would tip over the front idler.....They only had four roller track frames......(this when turning down hill....very dangerous...) I had ''wrecked '' BTD 6 and used the track frames off it,,,by grafting the front half on to the existing four roller frames...thereby running a fifth bottom roller and an additional carrier roller...also used 16 inch grousers on the extended chains...it made it very stable ..but it would slide a lot more ,with the wide feet, on steeper slope gradients....However....overall it was very useful, particularly for harrowing in grass seed...this via fixed wing aircraft... Never had any final drive issues, with any of them except for the old traxcavator BTD... I think the ""single ram blade"" could have been the last of the (British ) TD 8 crawlers... Mike ..only picture on the computor of that extended track frame tractor...

...a mobile wardrobe...... Mike

...right on the money there, Louie !! ...when , as a callow youth, I started my time at the Caterpillar dealership, all sorts of small crawlers were coming in for various ailments...albeit mostly track repairs...as the Cat W/S had a full track repair setup with submerged arc welding and, of course, track press... Where I lived was quite a lot of easy rolling hill country and very productive land...Apples / Pears were everywhere, and as such there were a slew of small track machines, usually bladeless...which of course, prolonged their life....and it was obvious how some horticultural Farmers looked after the machines ....and others seemed to neglect the very basics...... I well recall a TD6 coming in with Final Drive issues.......As we were removing the sprockets for rebuilding ....one could see all the studs holding the housing onto the main cast frame, were all lose....!! unusual issue..but it happens....so that old Cockie had to spend a lot of money because no one noticed the oil leaking out around the housing... ...Yes, Louie....it is all about the operators... At least the steering clutches on the TD's were so easy to access...compared to the small Caterpillars.... Mike

...just what is that all about, Lorenzo...??? ...is @Finney working there ???,,,,I reckon there is a place for a specialist welder there.... ....Not me, for sure ....(My marine certifications have expired...) Mike

...always good to locate lost tools.....especially tools of "Knipex'' quality.... You will never lose some crap Chinese shifter spanner....as are 'provided' in the Excavator that I currently am the Captain of.... but two years ago..prior to the Chinese shifters, I had my own 12 inch American Crescent on board...this for shutting off the remote valves etc...and I managed to lose it...I spent hours walking back and forth looking for it..(I was windrowing forestry slash...)..never did find it........ ...and your ''magnetic beer holder '' DT Fan....is this for Magnetic Beer ...or have I missed something here...?? Mike

...that is one expensive David Brown.......Even in New Zealand...the Land of the long white shroud. ........I mean Cloud......where we get fleeced at every turn...that piece of ordinance would fetch barely a fifth of that sort of money..... Mike

...that's not a gun ..is it runner ?? I think it is...there is no aquatic life hanging ,lifeless from it....so it must be a GUN !!! ...about bloody time , Runner... Mike

...how did you make out, Seth ??.. Mike

......last frosts down under...guess ol' Jack is heading North ..... Mike

reminds me , Lorenzo......must pick up a new smoke blanket when Ma takes the trap into town.......We don't have one of them motor cycles,...... Mike

..people mover with strings attached.....?? Arkansas ...??? Mike

Sadly , Jeff you are , shall we say ''bang on '' re the fodder for said firearm......... A lot of comments on this ''fun'' topic, talk of Kentucky....as a place to live......The old Cook and I stayed near , or south of Lexington...this when sourcing certain equipment for the Caribbean job I was involved with.... We were there or thereabouts for several days..went to that 1300 odd acres equestrian place ....Great place to spend a day there, but what really impressed us was the ''picture postcard '' farmland ....around that area...Damn , it was beautiful...!!! I remember the old bloke from Elizabeth Town ,,, ( whose name escapes me ...sigh..) was saying there is a huge development for making batteries for those coal powered cars that are all the rage.....and it has consumed hundreds of acres of beautiful farmland.... Bloody criminal when all the infrastructure for ICE vehicles is already in place , around the world..... Kentucky is a little over 104 thousand square kilometers as I recall (??)...and to turn farmland into making bloody battery's for Chinese made coal burners.... should be a hanging offense..... Welcome to the new reality ...for the peasants ..... Mike

...Would you consider a very tidy 32 Rim Fire Marlin.....????with which to keep the IRS predators at bay ... This for your shootin ' window....... All bark and no bite..... Mike (family rates , also .... )

......beef price down , down under ...lamb price way down......compliance cost from the marxist govt way up....but of course with the total population less than the city of Denver Co....we will save the planet....Petrol running at three dollars a litre.....(four litres = US Gallon ...) Let the good times roll... Election in four weeks...Bring it on !! Mike