Valley Axe Man

Another couple of hours doing a few more bits and bobs, mostly messing with the lengths of the connection linkages between the quadrant and the main lift and auxiliary selectors to get them operating correctly... and then tried to stage a photo in similar position to 12 months ago for comparison.......then and now as it were. Then couldn't resist a quick run up the lane with a couple of photos of her against a better background👍. Think brakes want taking up another flat on adjusters now they getting bedded in, so will happen do that next job before she sees any more road

Couple of hours spent playing with the cab cladding kit that we bought off Tractor cab specialist Logan McMaster.... wasn't cheap to buy but doesn't look too bad now it's in place... A little bubble in the left hand door side where the finishing strip rivits on but I'll pop the strip off and see if I can fettle it.

Cheers Smithy, aye was talking to landlord earlier and he said he didn't think that we'd make anything of it when we landed it back up at the yard, but he's surprised at how far we come with it now, he's even more surprised at how Gemma got stuck in with needle gun and grinder and even learning to weld... To be fair she surprise me a bit too but fair play to her for getting stuck in.... She's now got her sights on helping Sandra and Mick with this year's lambing campaign

Cheers John, aye she does look a bit different now, don't quite know how many hours we've got in her so far but there be a few..... And wouldn't want to be paying the labour bill... Parts bill been bad enough although the Nuffield club discount at Charnleys has been a good help

12 months to the day since we picked her up.... Come a long way since then.... Still remember the little fellas Fastrac needing low first to climb out of Roeburndale bottoms..... Later after a few weekends worth of investigation, lack of power turned out to be an underfuelling issue....

Another couple of additions off Gemma and her mum for me as part of my Christmas gifts, first off a export 282/482 brochure, which a cabless 482 would be high on my list of tractor investment as shod with the right wheels and lacking a set of wafers is 99.99% on the money weight wise legally on an ifor behind my Landy.... Secondly an ST72 forestry forwarder brochure.... Which utilizes a 472 skid unit and engine as it's heart to be reincarnated as a forestry machine.... I've never seen one in the flesh but by the brochure they were only built 10 miles down the road from us in Blackburn......

Cheers Justin, aye outside it's now just the little cosmetic stuff and also the decals but next big chunk of labour that will hopefully get done in next couple of days will be getting the cladding kit inside the cab fitted and tunnel mat back in.... Apart from sorting the plough lamps all the electrical work is done, picked up the hitch latch spring and lock the other day so that will finish the back end off apart from a pair of stabilizer brackets for the sway bars and to make new hydraulic hoses at work for the spools, I had hoped to have had her finished by the year end hence why I called her project 22 but with recent engagement ring to pay for and our week away up at Edinburgh job seemed to have slowed abit.... I know once she sees a bit of road to warm her up properly there could be a few oil seals that weep but hopefully there be nothing major mechanical to do before show season next year

Cheers Paul, aye she's getting there.... Still a bit to do but she's fit enough to be on the road now...

Managed a quick couple of hours up at the shed this afternoon between errands and last minute bits, got front grille fitted, new original spec light grey enamel exhaust, new temp sender unit fitted, and mirror arms cleaned off and given a couple or three coats of satin black hammerite..... Not much but made a start at getting going on her again after almost 2 months of not making any serious progress.... To be fair the 465 started first turn after not being run since start of November, 472 wound over a bit but then went without too much bother... Couple of laps of the yard before grabbing a photo of them but should hopefully get a bit more progress during the Christmas break 👍 VID_20221224_134929.mp4

Just want to wish all the forum members on here a Merry Christmas with hopefully good health to enjoy the festive season, some of you on here know us but from me and Gemma aka MarshallGem here in Lancashire we hope you all have a good one 👍

Looks like you getting on though John 👍

Bit of last minute Christmas Shopping 🤣🤣bits for the 472 at Charnleys, good to catch up with JMDs son Matt and a couple of free cups

Yep your spot on Nigel.. hence the QF in the name, although the brochure shows fitted to a 245, which being a nimble little tractor was ideal for loader work especially with the synchro gear box, 1st and reverse being a straight through shift but the downfall to the 245 and latter 502 were the weak bellhousing when used in heavy loader work, as unlike the 4 cylinder Leylands they didn't have the cast chassis and quite a few tractors literally broke in two at the bellhousing... Think there was a service update stating that those wanting to use a 245 on heavy loader work were advised on secondary brackets to take the loader stressed through to the rear axle trumpets

Even my future mother in law to be has started feeding my habit for Leyland literature 🤣 a birthday present off Gemma's mum... Qf loader brochure

Looks an impressive face shovel does that Joe..... Aye would have been good to have got a catch up, to be fair we couldn't get in visitors centre at the wheel, bad bit was £3.50 for parking and everywhere closed up including the toilets... Did see something written somewhere about the mention of a kettle Vs power in the wheel on revolution. Certainly a credit to the engineers and the folk that built it.

Whilst we still in Scotland yesterday we decided to go up to Falkirk and visit the Kelpies and then follow the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Falkirk wheel, which to be fair is a fair old bit of engineering when you get up close to it

Cheers Justin was a good day out, great city, some of them builders knew what they were doing back in the day, few thousand ton of nice stonework in some of them buildings

Having a few days away so Gemma treating me to a day out around Edinburgh

I'm thinking logical step be the D series Marshalls out of the Steyr base Stan 👌

Cheers Justin, aye need to get a few quid saved up now.... But like Smithy says 472 needs finished before we get too far engrossed in wedding plans 😉

Cheers Smithy, yep I think I've got myself a good one 👍 and yes the Waffles were spot on, I had hot cherry and Gemma had hot apple 👍

The happiest man in the world right now, thanks to my Gemma aka "MarshallGem" after a little deviation to a Christmas shopping trip we had planned, with the excuse of me wanting to go and get some waffles I managed to convince Gemma that we had to go back to Llandudno on Friday..... Anyhow long story short, I managed to get Gemma back to the place where our relationship became public. It was wild and windy up on top of the Great Orme but I got down on one knee and asked Gemma to be my wife... She said yes and has made me a very happy Valley Axeman..... And for those wanting to know the waffles weren't bad either 😉

Nice selection of 6s there Stan... Regarding your search for an opu cabbed 30 series, I'm sure Paul Capon of PDC farm models did a run of 3130 and 3140 2wd opu cabbed models, based on the old ertl 3140 opu cabbed model, 4020 front axle, rear hitch and a few detailed finishings.... I had one a few years back and sold it on to Mr Softie aka Brian... From what I remember I don't think they were silly money at the time

Had thought that route Stan, the synchro being easier to handle in the road over the 10 speed, had also thought with keeping the old 384 on chopping duty but seeing as she still has the old 3.8td engine in her, the new 272 having the later improved 4/98 in I was thinking a season on the chopper would get her warmed up nicely before the arrival of a fresh ordered 472.... undecided on if the 472 should be replacement for the harvester or away on to the buckrake.. that torque and grip be a weapon on a clamp but What really need though is a 2100 in 16th.... Reet on top of it's job on the chopper 👍

Thought it be rude not see what she's looking like as next season's chopping tractor 😉 think she'll fit the job just grand on the old double chop