A new Snowblower + Breakfast with DaveNay

About 9:15 am I got a call from Dave, he had just pulled into town to pick up his new Buhler Farm King "600" 3pt snow blower. I met Dave, and his father-in-law Jerry at Don Bales Cub/Kubota dealership on outskirts of Lowell and we loaded up the blower into the back of Dave's truck. Dave got a heck of a great deal on the blower from my dealer, I have always had good luck working directly with Garry Bales, and that is who Dave was dealing with. $1580 for a 60" snow blower. My other dealer has the very same model blower and was set firm on the price at $1899, sounded like no negotiating would lower the price.


The 3 of us headed into to town for breakfast and to talk. While we ate, Dave's cell phone rang a few times. The first call was from his wife (I think). Seems the snow plow driver who is was trying to clear the driveway was outside with a shovel. Dave's drive is about 1300' long. A phone call to the plow driver confirmed that a shovel was being used, seems the truck was stuck in a drift and he needed some help to free it.

As Dave lives a solid 2.5 hours away where we were all having breakfast, I think the driver was probably done for the day without getting much done at all.

Too bad they had to rush back to free the plow truck from the driveway, they were within 2 miles of my house at one point but didn't have the time to stop in. Then again my 10 year old daughter was having a slumber party so I was pretty glad to get out of the house for an hour! Heck, Dave probably could have talked me into delivering the blower to his house. But then he would have had to stay home to dig out the plow driver.

.....I'm back! Got home around 2pm to find that the plower had finished about half the drive, and told me that the average depth was about 14" (14" x 12' wide x 700' long= a shitload of snow!) He was basically dead in the water having hit an ice patch, and the drive now being blocked by a 5' tall pile of snow, ice and rocks. When I dropped off my FIL, I also picked up his 8HP 23" walk behind blower as a backup plan.

I dug into that pile of snow, rocks and ice like a chainsaw carver on a bole of gnarly maple!

More than an hour later, the pile is gone, and there is a 23" wide path through the remainder of the driveway, so we can at least walk to the end where we parked our cars. We are going to my mothers tonight for Christmas dinner, so that is the end for today, but tomorrow, I will be finishing the remainder of the drive with the walk behind blower. I figure it will probably take 5 gallons of gas!

As for the new Farm King 600 blower, it is still waiting in the back of my pickup. I can't get to the barn yet where my hoist is, so I can't unload it. I doubt someone will steal a 450lb blower from the back of the truck. Hopefully my tractor will be repaired and delivered on Monday, and I can get it hooked up and clear the big drifts along the sides of the drive.

It was great meeting you today Bob, and I firmly believe that Gerry gave me such a great deal because of his prior relation with you. Thanks again.

I am also proud to say that we were probably the first official meeting of any FF members! Hoorah!

Well maybe he gave you a good deal "in spite" of the fact that you dropped my name!?!

I do know they are good people over there. I've had quite a few deals with them over the phone based on only his word & mine. He keeps fairly short hours so I usually just slip a check under his door a day or two later. Nice people to deal with when they do business that way. Not a big dealer, not a small one, but well established and knows their stuff. And they gave Dave a better deal than I usually get!!!

DaveNay said:

...........I am also proud to say that we were probably the first official meeting of any FF members! Hoorah!

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Glad to hear that all went well and that you got a good deal...... as for the first official meeting of any FF members that honor goes to LarryRB and myself.. I have lunch with him on a fairly regular basis. Right after FF started and he joined, we were discussing it over lunch and that was at the tail end of September. I will concede that you are the first in the State of Indiana.....

Congrats guys! Glad you got to meet up.
It was the 2nd meeting of two FF members that I'm aware of.

TomLesco and myself hooked up a few weeks ago. He picked up my Ford F350 dually for a friend of his. Tom and his friend had lunch with my wife and I at Applebee's. Heck he even bought lunch (I owe you one Tom!). He also took me for a ride in his new chipped out Dodge 3/4 ton, to show me the power of these new deisels! Wow was I impressed.

Dave, sure sounds like you'll put that sno blower to good use! It's 38 here today and all the snow is gone. I haven't had to fire up the tractor for snow yet this season.

And Tom and I hooked up last Saturday. I drove down to his place to pickup a backblade. Even got to use it the next day. Had breakfast at an Amish restaurant. Wooster is a real nice area.

Doc said:

TomLesco and myself hooked up a few weeks ago.

He also took me for a ride in his new chipped out Dodge 3/4 ton, to show me the power of these new deisels!

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I've met up with Tom too, and probably will at the Power Show Ohio in January (I think).
Too bad that truck of his bright Red........

Just teasing Tom

Dave, just a follow up:

• Did you get your John Deere back from the dealer?
• Did you get the snowblower hooked up to the tractor?
• Did have have any fun busting drifts yet?

B_Skurka said:

Dave, just a follow up:

• Did you get your John Deere back from the dealer?
• Did you get the snowblower hooked up to the tractor?
• Did have have any fun busting drifts yet?

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Bob, the dealer called this morning. It will be delivered this afternoon.

OhioTC18 said:

I've met up with Tom too, and probably will at the Power Show Ohio in January (I think).
Too bad that truck of his bright Red........

Just teasing Tom

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Jerry......Did you get any tickets yet ?? I'll probably go on sunday again this time.

TOMLESCOEQUIP said:

Jerry......Did you get any tickets yet ?? I'll probably go on sunday again this time.

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Haven't gotten any tickets yet. Guess it's time to go visit the local green dealer, since my blue dealer doesn't give away any tickets.

Hmmm.......Just looked and my blue dealer is listed, I'll have to try there first.

B_Skurka said:

• Did you get the snowblower hooked up to the tractor?

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Yes.....

B_Skurka said:

• Did have have any fun busting drifts yet?

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....WOW!!

DaveNay said:

Bob, the dealer called this morning. It will be delivered this afternoon.

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How bad was the repair cost???? Did he give you back the broken piece for you to mount on a trophy board??????

Junkman said:

How bad was the repair cost???? Did he give you back the broken piece for you to mount on a trophy board??????

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Actually seemed reasonable. $430 total including pickup and delivery. The cylinder alone was $280, trailering was $50, the rest was labor and hardware.

They even plugged a slow leaking tire for no charge (yeah, right....heard that before )

Hey Dave, is it snowing like crazy over there in Illinois? We were supposed to get scattered light flurries.

B_Skurka said:

Hey Dave, is it snowing like crazy over there in Illinois? We were supposed to get scattered light flurries.

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Not a chance. Bright and sunny. This is all lake effect for you.

Slight chance tomorrow for an inch.

I heard on the news last night that 17 states from Ohio to Montana had the warmest January ever on record!

Chicago has had 47 straight days above average temp.

Hey Dave, its an cool overcast day, too warm for snow and too cummy to mess about unless you have to.

So I pulled out the PTO shaft for my snowblower only to find the end of it crushed. Off to Don Bales to pick up a repair kit for the locking collar and to spend my hard earned money. Only cost $12.00 so after my earlier nasty shock when I came in contact with the 20amp current, I figured I'd end up spending a lot more than $12.00 so it looks like the day is getting better.

So sitting in front of the new HDTV in the playroom watching an episode of Firefly and in only a few minutes I fix the coupler!

Maybe this day will end up being a good day after all!

B_Skurka said:

Hey Dave, its an cool overcast day, too warm for snow and too cummy to mess about unless you have to.

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Messing about usually does lead to cummy.

I spent all day working on the new building. We got six of the eighteen trusses put up. Will finish the rest tomorrow.

B_Skurka said:

So I pulled out the PTO shaft for my snowblower only to find the end of it crushed.

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I hoked up my snowblower this afternoon in anticipation of TEOTWAWKI tonight.

I can't figure out how the hell you managed to damage the end of your PTO shaft. That must have taken some creative placement of that shaft.

DaveNay said:

I hoked up my snowblower this afternoon in anticipation of TEOTWAWKI tonight.

I can't figure out how the hell you managed to damage the end of your PTO shaft. That must have taken some creative placement of that shaft.

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Well Dave, with everything the weatherman has been saying about the snow coming our way I got up at 4:30 this morning figuring I would have to go out on the tractor and snowblow a path out to the road. Guess what? We got nothing. It rained like hell, never turned to ice, never turned to snow. DAMN.



Oh, and as for the end of hte PTO shaft, I think it got run over????

We have 6" so far, plus it is blowing and drifting. It doesn't look like it is slowing down yet either.

I guess my weather is several hours after your weather. We are now getting it. Its coming down hard and the roads are slush & ice. I hope it keeps up!!!