Hey bud… you’re a man after my heart! At 14, my first paid tractor driving job was aboard my neighbor’s 8N. He had a 22 acre field of soybeans that needed cultivation. While I was sitting on the fender, he showed me how to aim the tractor and operate the brakes to keep the cultivator shoes between the rows. He was using second gear. He made it look easy as he timed brake pressure perfectly to turn the corners. Despite the stoney soil, he maneuvered each swale and curve like the tractor knew exactly where it needed to be. When I took the drivers seat, he had me put it into second gear and rode around with me. More than just a few beans succumbed to cultivators shoes. The sloppy steering and worn out brakes combined with my lack of skill, to do a pretty ugly job of keeping the tractor on track. Before we went around the second rotation, he instructed me to anticipate the corners a little earlier. Then he had me drop it into first gear and we creeped our way around the field again. I did much better this time so, he dismounted and watched as I cut another round. When I got back to him he told me that he’d put the water jug under a shade tree and come to get me at noon. His parting words were, “Keep it in first gear until you have it down. Then you can try it in second. Just keep the shoes out of the beans.” Well Lee, I made a couple of more rounds in granny gear. Then, the impatience of youth told me to try second gear. I found it easy to keep it pretty well on course along the straightaways. But, the first corner was a disaster. It was a downhill rocky 90 degree turn. As I went into it, the 8N engine was racing. The cultivator was skipping from stone to stone… as I stomped the left brake to turn, the slop in the 3 point linkage and steering combined with the bumpy ride to whip the tractor around too fast. It headed straight down three rows of beans. By the time I gained my senses and mashed the clutch, I’d wiped out 20 yards of beans! As I looked behind me and saw the devastation that I’d wrought, dread spread over my heart. I turned off the tractor and walked over to the shade tree. While taking a drink, I surveyed the field. The freshly turned soil stood out like stripes on a prison suit. The 20 yard long stripes behind the tractor clearly showed they were out of place… kind of like a breast pocket sewed on with the stripes mismatched. I knew there was no way the farmer wouldn’t see it. With a cloud of dread over me, I went back to the tractor and started cultivating in granny gear. I paid extra attention to what I was doing and counted down the hours until noon. When he arrived, I saw him get out and survey the field with his thumbs stuck under his overall straps. At the corner he made the signal of a finger slash across his throat… so, I shut it down. The sense of doom I felt as I dismounted grew with every step toward the shade tree. I averted my eyes when I arrived. The tension was unbearable. Then the farmer said, “I see you found the rock garden. It gets me every time. Let’s go grab some lunch.” Lee, watching you deal with that rear facing scoop as you neared the corner of the garage reminded me of downhill rock garden corner. The moment you hit the brakes and brought it safely to a halt was that second where the farmer pulled the darkness from my heart…. No harm. No foul! Thanks bud, I needed that!
Great story Dave. I do my best with what I've got. The 8n is such a great little tractor. I wish I had the high/low range is all. Thanks for watching as always buddy!
This is a good video showing how to use a scoop on an 8N Tractor. You did a good job leveling that area out. Good luck with your driveway expansion. I have a scoop for my 8N. It sure beats using a shovel and wheel Barrel. I have moved a lot of dirt and gravel with mine.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one struggling with that. I did find the more times I went over it the more it broke up. You learn by doing, right?! Thanks for commenting.
Driving forward to scoop is my favorite way. If you happen to have an 8n with the high/low range, going backwards might not be too bad. I do have another video of moving stone with it if you're looking for more footage of it in use.
Hey bud… you’re a man after my heart!
At 14, my first paid tractor driving job was aboard my neighbor’s 8N. He had a 22 acre field of soybeans that needed cultivation.
While I was sitting on the fender, he showed me how to aim the tractor and operate the brakes to keep the cultivator shoes between the rows. He was using second gear.
He made it look easy as he timed brake pressure perfectly to turn the corners. Despite the stoney soil, he maneuvered each swale and curve like the tractor knew exactly where it needed to be.
When I took the drivers seat, he had me put it into second gear and rode around with me. More than just a few beans succumbed to cultivators shoes. The sloppy steering and worn out brakes combined with my lack of skill, to do a pretty ugly job of keeping the tractor on track.
Before we went around the second rotation, he instructed me to anticipate the corners a little earlier. Then he had me drop it into first gear and we creeped our way around the field again.
I did much better this time so, he dismounted and watched as I cut another round.
When I got back to him he told me that he’d put the water jug under a shade tree and come to get me at noon. His parting words were, “Keep it in first gear until you have it down. Then you can try it in second. Just keep the shoes out of the beans.”
Well Lee, I made a couple of more rounds in granny gear. Then, the impatience of youth told me to try second gear. I found it easy to keep it pretty well on course along the straightaways. But, the first corner was a disaster. It was a downhill rocky 90 degree turn. As I went into it, the 8N engine was racing. The cultivator was skipping from stone to stone… as I stomped the left brake to turn, the slop in the 3 point linkage and steering combined with the bumpy ride to whip the tractor around too fast. It headed straight down three rows of beans.
By the time I gained my senses and mashed the clutch, I’d wiped out 20 yards of beans! As I looked behind me and saw the devastation that I’d wrought, dread spread over my heart.
I turned off the tractor and walked over to the shade tree. While taking a drink, I surveyed the field. The freshly turned soil stood out like stripes on a prison suit. The 20 yard long stripes behind the tractor clearly showed they were out of place… kind of like a breast pocket sewed on with the stripes mismatched. I knew there was no way the farmer wouldn’t see it.
With a cloud of dread over me, I went back to the tractor and started cultivating in granny gear. I paid extra attention to what I was doing and counted down the hours until noon.
When he arrived, I saw him get out and survey the field with his thumbs stuck under his overall straps. At the corner he made the signal of a finger slash across his throat… so, I shut it down.
The sense of doom I felt as I dismounted grew with every step toward the shade tree. I averted my eyes when I arrived. The tension was unbearable.
Then the farmer said, “I see you found the rock garden. It gets me every time. Let’s go grab some lunch.”
Lee, watching you deal with that rear facing scoop as you neared the corner of the garage reminded me of downhill rock garden corner. The moment you hit the brakes and brought it safely to a halt was that second where the farmer pulled the darkness from my heart…. No harm. No foul!
Thanks bud, I needed that!
Great story Dave. I do my best with what I've got. The 8n is such a great little tractor. I wish I had the high/low range is all.
Thanks for watching as always buddy!
This is a good video showing how to use a scoop on an 8N Tractor. You did a good job leveling that area out. Good luck with your driveway expansion.
I have a scoop for my 8N. It sure beats using a shovel and wheel Barrel. I have moved a lot of dirt and gravel with mine.
Thanks Jack. I was lucky to run into that stone underneath and it made it a bit easier. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.
Keep making videos. I'm doing something similar with the scoop. Moving woodchips to a garden area
Thanks! It sure beats a shovel and wheel barrow. Lol
@@LeeintheWoods that's no joke
Thanks Lee, I'm planning on getting one of those buckets. Greetings from north carolina
It's pretty handy. Like most things, it just takes a little time to figure out how to use it. Thanks for watching!
@@johndowe7003 another good point. I'll give it a try next time.
it is hard to grade grass clumps. I was discussing that with my buddy just the other day as we dtried to flatten his new drain field.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one struggling with that. I did find the more times I went over it the more it broke up. You learn by doing, right?! Thanks for commenting.
Which way do you like the bucket? I just purchased an 8n that came with one. Its hard to find videos on people using a scoop on their 8n.
Driving forward to scoop is my favorite way. If you happen to have an 8n with the high/low range, going backwards might not be too bad. I do have another video of moving stone with it if you're looking for more footage of it in use.
@@johndowe7003 that's a good point!