Blizzard is running full bore out in the open, but inside the shelterbelt trees it was tolerable. So I thought I'd get a head start on removing some snow. The driveway was drifted in about 3 1/2 or 4 feet deep and there was about 8 inches or a foot of snow in the parking area.
I started the GMC pickup first, it's got the snow plow on it and then I started the tractor with the snowblower on the three point. By the time I got back to the pickup, brushed the snow off of it, it was warmed up. I used it to windrow up the snow in the parking area and then parked it out of the way and went to get the tractor.
It had been an hour or so and the tractor was nicely warmed up. I backed it out of the machine shed and started blowing snow. About 2 minutes into it and I slugged a throw rug that had been in the back of the Chevy pickup. The wife had thrown it out of the box. I saw it there before the snow and forgot all about it. Twang! The sound of the Power Take Off shaft shear bolts breaking off.
Back into the machine shed, out of the wind, to replace them. Easy job, just a nuisance.
Back to blowing snow. Made a pass in front of the garage and ran something, don't know what, into the horizontal auger. Thunk! The sound of another shear bolt breaking. This one on the coupler for the auger. Back into the machine shed. Another easy fix, just a nuisance. Criminy, you'd think this was my first day with a new snow blower.
All fixed up, I made a couple passes down the driveway. But it was storming so bad outside the woods that I decided to park the tractor for a while and grab a bite to eat. The storm was predicted to pass in a couple hours, so maybe conditions would improve.
After a bowl of the wife's chile and a short nap I went out to try the snow blower again. Tractor wouldn't start. Ookay, it must have cooled down to much, I'll just plug it in again and in an hour or so, it'll start. In the mean time I'll push a little with the pickup.
Pick up wouldn't start. Just clicked. Confused, it's never done this before. I'll just get the other pick-up to jump start it.
Riiight. Hood latch is frozen on the plow truck. Can't jump start it.
Get the booster pack that will boost through the cigarette lighter outlet. Booster pack tells me the pick up battery is just fine.
Turn on headlights to verify and they sure look bright. That means the battery is OK. The Starter motor is bad.
By this time, the tractor should be warmed up enough to start. Nope, tractor is not having it. It'll crank over but won't start.
Looks like the block heater has quit working.
Okay, that's it for the day.
plow truck has a bad starter and the hood is frozen shut.
Tractor won't start, possible block heater has gone bad.
Broke two sets of shear bolts.
Did I mention I had a front tire go flat on the tractor and separate from the bead No? Well that happened too. I nursed it back to the shop where the air compressor is located. Tire is still on the rim, but the bead seal is broken.
I've seen videos of guys spraying starting fluid into the tire and then hit with a torch to ignite it. What the he!! I got to lose here. I'll try it. Holy crap, it works! About the only thing that went right today. I didn't lose any eyebrows or anything!
That's it. Tractors sitting, plow truck sitting. There's chili in the house, I'm gonna quit for the day. I've had about enough.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.
