Gav836

Good luck with that Rhys, even if you're doing mainly yard work its still a start its how I started when I was 16, I was 21 before I actually got a tractor on a farm that I could call my own. All these things come with time once you have gained experience and the respect of an employer, someone who is willing to do yard work as much as backside on seat work will go a long way in the farming industry

We have a pump running in an artesian well which feeds an underground pipe network with hydrants on most fields across the farm Sean, just have to lay out 9m aluminium pipes with valves in near every third tramline in each field of potatoes to connect the irrigator to

Feel free to come and have a go with the irrigators, I won't mind, honest.......please :D Thats one of the things I like about this job, alot of variety to it due to the crops we grow

Thats basically it Tris, each time we run the irrigator across the field its termed as a pull, so that 40 acre field has 6 irrigation tramlines so therefore 6 pulls on the field, the irrigator covers a 60-70m width each time. It runs at a pressure of 7.5 bar when they are both going, with only the newer one going this afternoon though its up to 10 bar, 12 bar would be the absolute maximum on our pumping system. If it all goes to plan I can move one and have it going in 30 minutes.........it took 60 minutes this afternoon, it decided to be a pain in the wotsit No alarm anywhere, just make a note of the time it should be in and get up to it at that time

The newer machine Computer on the machine showing the retraction speed, the current time and the time that the gun should be in, irrigator is pulled right out to its 450m length on that field Computer on the older machine, bit less information, just gives you how many hours the pull will take and retraction speed

Time for an update I think, for the past week we have been laying out irrigation pipes and have set the irrigators going on the first two fields we planted. We have two Bauer irrigators that are computer controlled, each has a solar panel to keep the battery charged. The older of the two machines No hydrant on this field so we had to lay an old irrigator pipe out to a hydrant 300m away, connection valve and flexi hose also in picture Pulling the gun out across the field, always keep the back window shut when doing this as the gun can and will spray the cab with water Turn the tap on and it should start up........hopefully

Try 9am till 2:30pm, wasn't too bad in fact had a good laugh on it

Or if you mean the abrasive wheels course, you have to have done it to comply with HSE regulations in order to change a grinding disc, load of rubbish I know but thats the rules :

Set the two irritators going then been on an abrasive wheels course for the rest of the day

You won't once the water hits you, it comes from an underground well so is very cold.........I can vouch for that

Come and stand under our irrigator Blake, that'll soon cool you down ;D

Been to Mum's for a bbq as it was her Birthday today, now sitting watching tv, been far too hot to do much at all today

I had similar with two cyclists on a track where I used to work, there was a big puddle at the end of the track i was going down so i waited for them to come past it, one was sensible and got off his bike and pushed it through the mud at the edge of it, the other tried to bike through it resulting in the bike getting stuck in the mud and him sailing over the handlebars and landing in a big lump of stinging nettles, his mate wasn't much help to him as he was doubled up with laughter as was I :D :D

We're now implementing a daily/weekly check system on our tractors and machinery to try and ease the amount of time I spend in the workshop putting things right due to lack of maintainence, more around one member of staff than anything The sheets in the link below may be helpful to anyone else wishing to do it. Helps with proving machines are checked regularly as well in the case of problems arising http://www.bagma.com/vehicle_health_check_scheme.htm I think its only a matter of time before an MOT system for tractors and ata's comes in, can't come soon enough with some of the relics getting towed around these parts!

I'd hate to see the size of the bump you'd need to hit to bounce a roll of wrap off that Sean :D Tidy work though Luke, not too high to lift the wrap on and off either

Finding blight spots on the leaves of my early spuds then finding the lance has cracked on my knapsack sprayer, off to get a new one in a minute

Thats quite an intelligent question for you Tris :D

Oh do tell Tris, what did you ask?

Thats right Marky, well at least in this area and from mine and other peoples experience (I was asked by an officer to produce the MOT certificate and the HGV licence I needed to drive the tractor after someone tried to overtake me as I was turning right with obvious results, Pug 206 was a mess) Even by the authorities own admission the laws need clarifying which I was told is why Andy McMahon's second book is so long coming. I was told that Andy was an officer in this area when he was serving and the farmers dreaded coming onto his patch as what he doesn't know on the subject isn't worth knowing The weights inparticular need looking at as with the average sized tractor being bigger now and weighing in at 7-8t and a 14t trailer weighing 4-5t it means that loaded you are over the limit before you even start. Case to point out that the Renault 836 and 14t Western silage trailer I had tipped the scales at 15t empty and 32t loaded on maize, no way round it

I've been using Humbrol Emerald green, think it might be No.2 but not 100% sure on that \

Actually Marky they're your old nose warmers, Mrs F said you'd outgrown them so I could have them :D They've kept the pigeons off though as the beggars strripped the plants within a week of them going out You've got more chance of seeing a flying pig than me in shorts Jo :D

Two words spring to mind........... You Pillock!!!!! :D :D

Snap! although looking out the back of my house I think that may soon come to a head

A few updated pictures now, stuff is growing like mad. One row of early spuds have gone now, got enough for about another 10 days by which time the next lot will be ready Not veg i know but I have also planted up an old cottage garden bed with Lupins, Delphiniums, Hollyhocks, Foxgloves and Astilbes...... ....along with a "Rambling Rector" rose to plug the gap up where this damaged fence panel is, panel will be replaced with trellis this week

Buster taking to chewing my boots night times