Farmi Winch Trial

We got around to finally testing the Farmi 351P logging winch Saturday.  With autumn around the corner and the impending house clearing that we have planned this winter it was time to set it up, learn its operation and do a test.  The first thing we had to do was read the manual!  With the various forces involved with operating this sort of machinery there is really is no second chance for an operator that does not follow recommended procedures for its safe operations.  In order to run on our Massey tractor we had to size the PTO shaft length to fit our tractor and this required some measurements and cutting of the shaft according to the manufacturer's instructions.  It was a rather finicky task trying to connect the PTO onto the Farmi's splined shaft due to the lack of space around Farmi's PTO guard.  However with a bit of patience, disassembly of the PTO guard (and then reassembly once installed!) we managed to get it done properly and working safely with all guards correctly in place.

With 34 acres of forest around us, a small scale logging winch/skidder seemed justified since our plan is to selectively harvest timber in the years to come for fuel wood to heat our home and perhaps to sell on spot basis if the economics are right.  We had considered the Wallenstein model of winch but instead decided on the Farmi brand (Finnish company) due the ideal mix of performance (log pulling capacity =7,720 lbs), price, reliability and reputation.  It is really a solidly built piece of equipment and I imagine that it will far outlast us!

Barn Erection - Cont'd !

The week of December 14th marked yet another notable event.  The roof of the barn went on (at least partially) and we were able to park the tractor under shelter.  As a side note we actually got the tractor back from the local Massey Ferguson dealer located in Danville, VA.  Boone Tractor took our MF 240 tractor away on October 3 to perform some 'routine' fixes to common problems (such as hydraulics not working).  To make a long story short the three point hitch appears to be working correctly (for) now.  It is possible that our tractor may need an exorcist if the problem returns.  Everyone cross your fingers and pray for our MFer.

In the meantime the MF 240 and Elizabeth look very happy under the barn.

One of the Moon Creek Construction guys installing the roof sheathing

On stage 'left' Elizabeth and I began staining the T1-11 siding panels.  It is a lot easier to do this on the ground versus on the barn.  We went with Behr's Barn Red color which we think is going to look spectacular once it is all done.  The quintessential red barn look is what we were going for.

Eight down...

 42 more to go !