I got some new mowers last week on Sunday, amoungst them was a Westwood tractor.
When I get a new tractor, or anything big that wont easily fit in the shed I stick it on a trailer and tow it to the bottom of the garden to store until I can fit it in the shed to work on.
Today I found that slot, the Wheelhorse 212 which had the knackered axle is back and running, so there was a space for the new Westwood.
Now you say, a simple task of driving the 212 to the bottom of the garden, sticking the Westwood on the trailer and towing it to the top, dropping off the Westwood and returning the 212 to the bottom of the garden with the trailer. Easy.
Nope. The 212 got to the bottom fine, hooked up to the trailer. Ah, the Westwood doesnt run and the brake is rusted on. I'll just push it up these near verticle ramps (the hitch on the 212 is low, and its on a hill and the ramps are short). Well either my strength is fading or Ive never been able to push a tractor up a cliff in mud.
OK, get the WH 312 to push the Westwood up the ramps. I run up the garden, grab the 312 and drive it down, push the Westwood up the ramps. Job done, the Westwood is on the trailer, and both the 212 and the 312 are at the bottom of the garden in the mud.
I jump on the 212 and head up the garden with the trailer in tow. Just as I reach the real steep section it dawns on me that the 212 has no brakes, I havent made them yet. Ok, I begin to think, this may be getting interesting. I dont really want to be going backwards down a steep hill, on a tractor with no brakes, towing a load heavier than itself.
Right at about that time I hear a miss on the engine, probably nothing to worry about. The miss develops as I climb the hill, its surging now, its almost stalling now. The hill is levelling out, nearly there.......stalled
Bugger.
Fortunately the engine held the weight with the tractor in gear. I knew what the problem was almost immedeately, out of fuel. I had only put enough in to move the tractor around, but that was a while ago, and the slope had drained all the fuel away from the pipe.:idiot:
I refil the tank, but I cant start the engine, as that requires the clutch to be pushed in, and doing that would send the unit down the hill, trailer and all. So down I go and get the good old 312, drive it up, and hitch the trailer with the Westwood on it to the tractor. The 312 pulls the trailer to the top, and I unload the Westwood.
Now I can roll the 212 so it is on the level, it starts up immediately, and I try and drive it onto the trailer to take to the bottom of the garden. I miss the ramps, the mud makes it hard to get the wheels where you what them, a 'WAY HAY' moment as the wheels slide and fall of the ramps.
So I go for the runup to get the speed to get up the ramps onto the trailer. Just as I peak over the top of the ramps onto the trailer it dawns on me again, no brakes.
I sail, along the bed of the trailer, and off the front into the back of the 312 which the trailer is hitched to. The 212 rests precariously on the trailer tongue.
A bit of tow rope action later and its all back together.
So I drive the 312 and trailer with the 212 on it to the bottom, easy right? Nope, the trailer is a handful, the mud means the rear wheels of the 312 slip. I make it down OK in the end. The 212 comes off OK. The 312 goes up the garden OK. Job done. Easy peasy, yea...right!
When I get a new tractor, or anything big that wont easily fit in the shed I stick it on a trailer and tow it to the bottom of the garden to store until I can fit it in the shed to work on.
Today I found that slot, the Wheelhorse 212 which had the knackered axle is back and running, so there was a space for the new Westwood.
Now you say, a simple task of driving the 212 to the bottom of the garden, sticking the Westwood on the trailer and towing it to the top, dropping off the Westwood and returning the 212 to the bottom of the garden with the trailer. Easy.
Nope. The 212 got to the bottom fine, hooked up to the trailer. Ah, the Westwood doesnt run and the brake is rusted on. I'll just push it up these near verticle ramps (the hitch on the 212 is low, and its on a hill and the ramps are short). Well either my strength is fading or Ive never been able to push a tractor up a cliff in mud.
OK, get the WH 312 to push the Westwood up the ramps. I run up the garden, grab the 312 and drive it down, push the Westwood up the ramps. Job done, the Westwood is on the trailer, and both the 212 and the 312 are at the bottom of the garden in the mud.
I jump on the 212 and head up the garden with the trailer in tow. Just as I reach the real steep section it dawns on me that the 212 has no brakes, I havent made them yet. Ok, I begin to think, this may be getting interesting. I dont really want to be going backwards down a steep hill, on a tractor with no brakes, towing a load heavier than itself.
Right at about that time I hear a miss on the engine, probably nothing to worry about. The miss develops as I climb the hill, its surging now, its almost stalling now. The hill is levelling out, nearly there.......stalled
Bugger.
Fortunately the engine held the weight with the tractor in gear. I knew what the problem was almost immedeately, out of fuel. I had only put enough in to move the tractor around, but that was a while ago, and the slope had drained all the fuel away from the pipe.:idiot:
I refil the tank, but I cant start the engine, as that requires the clutch to be pushed in, and doing that would send the unit down the hill, trailer and all. So down I go and get the good old 312, drive it up, and hitch the trailer with the Westwood on it to the tractor. The 312 pulls the trailer to the top, and I unload the Westwood.
Now I can roll the 212 so it is on the level, it starts up immediately, and I try and drive it onto the trailer to take to the bottom of the garden. I miss the ramps, the mud makes it hard to get the wheels where you what them, a 'WAY HAY' moment as the wheels slide and fall of the ramps.
So I go for the runup to get the speed to get up the ramps onto the trailer. Just as I peak over the top of the ramps onto the trailer it dawns on me again, no brakes.
I sail, along the bed of the trailer, and off the front into the back of the 312 which the trailer is hitched to. The 212 rests precariously on the trailer tongue.
A bit of tow rope action later and its all back together.
So I drive the 312 and trailer with the 212 on it to the bottom, easy right? Nope, the trailer is a handful, the mud means the rear wheels of the 312 slip.
I make it down OK in the end. The 212 comes off OK. The 312 goes up the garden OK. Job done. Easy peasy, yea...right!
