[Utah Smitty]

At the risk of boring everyone, I thought I'd post an update as to what I've been up to the last couple years.

I think most people are aware that i was able to leave my job at the Army Depot (a 65 mile drive each way) and go to work for the Air Force base which was 5 miles north of me.

In April of 2018, my oldest son Jay and I went in together and bought a home on 3/4 acres in Roy, Utah--just south of Ogden. Jay and his family moved in on the main floor, while Marilyn and I finished off the rest of the basement and moved downstairs.

The property had several outbuildings, but nothing that could be considered a shop, so we built one. It's 36' x 48 ; with 15 feet to the bottom of the trusses. It will eventually have an auto shop, weld shop, machine shop, and wood working shop.

I used some of the money from the sale of my old house to buy a CNC mill, hybrid CNC lathe, manual lathe, and manual mill. I sold my South Bend Heavy 10 to a friend, and my mill to a guy from out of state. Most of my project GTs got sold, including the Ariens GT19, the Broyhill 3 wheeled golf course truck, etc.

I kept my Mahindra Max25 CUT with FEL, my Dayton 16Z (MTD 995) my Sears GT18, and the Kubota G1800. Since then I've bought a Case 444 with hydraulic PTO, 3 pt hitch, tiller, mower, and snow plow, but with a bad engine.

We bought a running Grasshopper Zeroturn mower with a vacuum, intending to flip it for some cash. However, we've found the thing to be very maneuverable, even with the 8 or so trees in our backyard, and has made quick work of vacuuming up all the leaves from the 3 huge cottonwoods that took us a full day last year. So, we may keep it... time will tell.

I also just bought a JD425 fixer upper that I mentioned in a post earlier this week.

In addition, we acquired a Case 380C (David Brown 885) with a snow plow, and a Grashopper Zero Turn mower--plenty of projects to keep me out of the pool halls as I tell the wife... However, the Kubota, Mahindra, Case 380C, and Grasshopper all run, and the Dayton just needs some fresh fuel and a new battery.

Anyway, I thought I'd post some pictures of the house, the shop, and some of my machines and attachments, if anyone's interested..

Smitty

 

[Doug E.]

You shop looks like mine did until I finally made some progress organizing it. Everything just got stuffed through the door as it got unloaded.

Looks like you picked up a Tree 315 mill with the Dynapath control. I spend a number of hours working on one. I liked the control, very straight forward.

Regards,

Doug

 

[olcowhand]

I foresee a shop expansion in 5 years, maybe sooner! You have a lot of stuff there. Love to have me a CNC anything!

 

[kjmweld]

Nice shop you built there. Glad the move went well, sorry to hear about the trailer theft (mentioned in another post) tho. I went back to see if I missed it, but I didn't see any mention of the Bolens with the Brantly loader, is that a current project, one for sale, something you just acquired? IMO that's the best loader (of the day) that you could get for the large frames, nice set up there. Glad to see you posting again, welcome back.

 

[KennyP]

Always fun after a move to get organized! Glad to see your posts again!

 

[Utah Smitty]

You shop looks like mine did until I finally made some progress organizing it. Everything just got stuffed through the door as it got unloaded.

Looks like you picked up a Tree 315 mill with the Dynapath control. I spend a number of hours working on one. I liked the control, very straight forward.

Regards,

Doug

Thanks, Doug. I'm looking forward to using it... I may have to pick your brain about it, though as it's been years since I did any CNC programming.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

Nice shop you built there. Glad the move went well, sorry to hear about the trailer theft (mentioned in another post) tho. I went back to see if I missed it, but I didn't see any mention of the Bolens with the Brantly loader, is that a current project, one for sale, something you just acquired? IMO that's the best loader (of the day) that you could get for the large frames, nice set up there. Glad to see you posting again, welcome back.

The Bolens is the HT23 that I bought several years ago, used it for a while, then sold it because it didn't have a 3 point hitch and I didn't have the means to build one for it at the time.

After a couple years I got to wishing I still had the ol' Bolens so I started looking for one. I found one listed in the local classifieds. When I called the guy, he asked me my name--when I told him, he said,

"I bought this tractor from you!!"

It was a little worse for the wear, actually a lot worse for the wear as the big Kohler 582 had thrown a rod... it still ran good enough for me to get it up on a trailer though.

I've had a Ruggerini RD200 diesel for several years, and plan to put it in the Bolens as it is similar to the engine used on a later Bolens... can't remember the model number.

Anyway, this will probably be one of my first projects when the garage gets done.

Smiitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

Always fun after a move to get organized! Glad to see your posts again!

It's hard to believe that, with the exception of the new machine tools, that I had all that stuff in a 24 x 26 shop!!! You can't see it very well, but the smaller stuff is actually on pallets that I built 18 inch sides for, then covered in shrink wrap so stuff wouldn't blow out while I moved them to the new shop. I covered most of it with billboard tarps as my roof wasn't finished at the time.

It's been a heck of a lot of work... I'm just looking forward to being able to have a shop available again.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

I foresee a shop expansion in 5 years, maybe sooner! You have a lot of stuff there. Love to have me a CNC anything!

Well, we are somewhat restricted due to High Voltage power lines running through the back part of the property. We actually had to get the zoning changed from Residential to Residential Estate, which allows us to have livestock (in addition to the goats we have a dozen chickens), and to have more than 1,500 sf of outbuildings--the two lean-tos and white shed total about 1,200 by themselves.

We also had to get a variance from the power company to build the shop, as it's shoe-horned between two sets of High Voltage lines.

We probably will finish off the lean to for storage of tractors, etc., plus we're going to put a mezzanine over the east half of the shop (the weld machiine and woor-working shops will be underneath) so we can put items up there. The west side of the shop--where the 2 overhead doors are, will remain open so we can use the auto lift, etc.

Smitty

 

[tractorskipper]

Looks like you could install some big "coils" on that shop roof & have free electricity!!

 

[Utah Smitty]

Looks like you could install some big "coils" on that shop roof & have free electricity!!

LOL!!

I hear an anecdotal story years ago of a farmer down south of me that was forced to let the power company install high voltage towers and lines across his property. He apparently knew a little something about electrical inductance as he built two parallel fences the same length and a set distance apart, and milked electricity from the EM field created by the Hi Voltage lines.

I don't know if it's true or not, but it makes for a good story.

smitty

 

[Dayton_King]

Having moved back to salt lake after being away for 7 years I am surprised how many garden tractor there are now. I ran some wanted ads and have been keeping busy.

 

[Utah Smitty]

Having moved back to salt lake after being away for 7 years I am surprised how many garden tractor there are now. I ran some wanted ads and have been keeping busy.

There were always GTs to be found, but you had to drive a ways to get them. I've bought from as far south as Las Vegas and as far north as Arco, Idaho.

What part of Salt Lake do you live in?

Smitty

 

[Dayton_King]

I am in Murray. Slowly getting all my garden tractors shipped out west. Just bought a wheelhorse out of afton Wyoming

 

[Utah Smitty]

I am in Murray. Slowly getting all my garden tractors shipped out west. Just bought a wheelhorse out of afton Wyoming

I'm in Roy just off I-15 and 5600 South.

There's a couple other Utahns on GTT--Nelson Bent (nbent) is up in Cache Valley, and Ryan Page (Pager450) in Bountiful.

Smitty

 

[rgrinder]

And me, rgrinder. I'm in west Kearns. Good to know that there are a few who also live around here.

 

[Utah Smitty]

And me, rgrinder. I'm in west Kearns. Good to know that there are a few who also live around here.

Welcome!

Well have to get together some time. There's also a guy up in Willard--Shawn, that has several GTs in various stages of repair. I've given him the link to the site here, but I don't think he's signed up.

So, what machines do you have?

Smitty

 

[esbbent]

I'm in Roy just off I-15 and 5600 South.

There's a couple other Utahns on GTT--Nelson Bent (nbent) is up in Cache Valley, and Ryan Page (Pager450) in Bountiful.

Smitty

Smitty, fyi nbent is my son and he lives in Boise now. Did he get the Case 195 from you?

 

[Utah Smitty]

Smitty, fyi nbent is my son and he lives in Boise now. Did he get the Case 195 from you?

Yes, he did. I hope he was able to put it to good use. It is a classic machine.

I bought a 444 Case a year or so after I sold that one to him. I put a 3 point hitch on it and used it to plow a large garden area on some friend's property, and on my new property in Roy. I liked the high ground clearance those big wheels give, but it was a little hard for me to get on since it's the older short frame model.

I sold it this last year, after having bought another 444 a few months previous. It has the hydraulic PTO, a tiller, mower, and 3 point hitch as well, but the engine is in pieces. Soon as I get my shop finished I'm going to repower it, and my Bolens HT23.

Anyway... sorry for rambling. Good to hear from you. Say hi to Nelson for me.

Smitty

 

[esbbent]

Smitty, The 195 I have at my house now. Due to Nelson going to school he didn't have room for the tractor. I redid the tractor last year. I will get picture posted later today. I will tell him you said hi. Ted