powerrabbit

I see by the model pages in the Tractor & Machinery that UH are imminently releasing a David Brown Implematic 990 in 1:43 and later will be releasing one in 1:16. A real bonus for the David Brown enthusiasts. I do notice, by the example pictured, that the grille panels don't look correct but will not know for sure untill I have one in my hands to inspect. There's one listed on eBay for 'pre order'. Date of release said to be in March.

When my Father and I were milking cows, which we did for nearly 40 years, we used to till a field of kale each year. Variety was either Marrowstem or Thousandhead. The former is a very bulky variety with lots of big leaf and thick stem, can grow up to the thickness of a big mans fore-arm, the latter being a more slender stem of about an inch or so thickness with smaller fairly dense leaves in a 'crown' at the top of the plant and grows taller. We favoured the Marrowstem as there was more feed value in both the stem and leaf but you had to till it earlier, by the end of March, for it to mature to start feeding it in August and you really had to finish it by the second week in the following April otherwise the stem would become 'woody' and it would start to run up to flower, no good feeding kale in flower as it makes cattle abort, the flower contains aestrogens which causes this. We broadcast the seed mixed with the fertaliser in the spinner, this way you could deliver the correct seeding rate together with the fertaliser at a rate of 4lb of seed per acre in 3cwt per acre of fertaliser and then just cover the seed with the small spiked side of the chain harrows into the seedbed the same as you would grass seed. Later when the plants were in their third true leaf stage we would spray with 'Semeron' which prevented weed growth but would not kill Shepheards Purse as this weed is the same family as the kale, a brassica. When preparing the ground we used to spread all the dung from witer housing and plough it down. Regarding feeding, we would start by cutting by hand until there was enough cleared for the cows to to stand and feed with the electric fence up to the 'face' and when they had cleared the strip, which was only a matter of an hour or so, we would bring them back into the yard on silage. You should not allow cattle to gorge themselves on kale, restrict them as it creates a lot of gas in their gut and causes bloat. Kale has high nutrition value and despite what people used to say about it, cows will milk well on it.

It's been a very quiet day here with a bit of weak sunshine after yesterday being heavy rain all day with very strong winds. My weather station recorded 19.8mm of rain yesterday.

Vapormatic have developed an immobilisation unit that locks up the engine and gearbox, it's a double system and key activated similar to other systems on the market but each vehicle it's fitted to has its own pin number that you put in before you can start the engine. I'm not too sure of its specific workings but can be fitted to any vehicle and if the vehicle is stolen it has an automatically activated tracker system built in as well I believe. My Nephew was on the development team and did all the electronics for it and went around the Country doing the presentation to various tractor Companies, when doing this presentation to MF they tried to buy the patent but Vap would not hear of it.

This was my first conversion. Corgi D.B. 1412 to a D.B. 1200 with a Britains Twose rear digger converted to a D.B. digger.

You'll have to look out for the white 990 now Derrick to have the pair.

No, no, no Derrick, don't say what your Sister paid for the 990 otherwise everyone will be as sick as pigs and want to commit suicide! Now I've seen it I can confirm, as per our PM's, that it was an absolute steal and probably the best bargain you'll ever get!

Looks like a 1004 Bill, pre-Force. I had the same flyer in the post from the Post on Friday.

I only use a mobile occsaionaly, basically carry it with me when I'm out and about just in case and that's about it. I don't use it for anything else other than as a telephone, a Nokia 6303 'Classic'. Nokia phones have always been my choise as they are easy to use, rugged and have adequate features should you wish to use them. I don't think that the make of phone is that important in choosing one, it's the package that comes with it and what type of tarrif you are paying. If you sign up for a contract, which now is normally for a period of 18 months, the phone is free and you can upgrade at the end of the term every time with another free phone and after your first upgrade you keep your old phone, get a free pay as you go sim card and let someone else use it that you contact the most or use yourself as a backup phone. Choose a package/tarrif that suits your requirements, there's loads of different ones and if you're like me and use it infrequently the monthly tarrif over the period of the contract is far far less than it would be to buy a new phone every 18 months, I have 200 minutes a month free calls to any network on mine and I never use them all. Avoid these sliding and flip phones, they don't last very long. Oh, and don't bother with their insurance 'policy', it's covered on your house insurance anyway so why pay twice, just remember, contact your provider at the end of the first month you have a new phone to cancel the initial free first months insurance otherwise it's automatically carried on.

Vegitating in front of the tv and chewing on the remains of the turkey.

I have bought only eight models but these were 'higher end' limited models but probably cost as much as 25 or more run of the mill stuff which I can pick up at any time. I'm being very selective in the models I purchase now as I'm running out of space to house them all.

Exeter toy fair tomorrow cancelled. http://www.westpointarena.com/events/

Ed rang me on Christmas morning saying that he will be there but haven't heard that it's been cancelled, no doubt Ed will give me a ring by later tonight if it is off, if he doesn't ring I'll give him a call to find out and let you all know. Watch this space.

I think Steve Flowers does chain, would be roughly 1:50 scale I reckon but would suit. Other than that, and what's already been suggested, cheap chain from a jewelry shop would be worth investigating. Something like this perhaps? http://shop.ebay.co.uk/aml-wholesale/m.html?_nkw=small+link+chain&_sacat=0&_odkw=&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3911.c0.m270.l1313

The next toy fair at Westpoint Exeter is this coming Thursday 30th December for those interested. Just hope the little roads here are ok to travel on otherwise I'll be staying home.

You can get carpet shears which look like an over-sized pair of sisccors that have handles higher than the blades, like a smaller version of garden shears. Or you could use a small pair of just that, garden shears.

Your 990 is the later one with the bored block, AD4/49 engine which is from 1968 to 1972. It has the engine oil filler on the timing gear casing and the assisted power steering unit which was an optional extra. It may be late enough to have been fitted with an alternator from new but still should have the three dash panel warning lamps, red ignition, green oil lamp and the amber hydraulic filter warning lamp, guages fitted were fuel, temperature and the rev/hour counter, should have a push horn button as well. Post up a picture looking straight at the dash panel, I can tell you if it's original then. Your handbook might be for the earlier 990 with the AD4/47 engine, the engine oil filler was on the other side of the engine in the top of the chassis under the lift pump on this model. Look under the dash panel and see if there is a voltage regulator there, an aluminium box, if it's still there it was converted from dynamo to alternator as alternators were'nt fitted as standard until 1972. The serial number stamped on the top of the front casting just behind the radiator just rearward of the bonnet side panel on the right hand side would tell me which year it was manufactured, I can tell you near enough to the month.

The green light on the dash panel is the oil pressure warning lamp which wires into the pressure switch on the engine block on the left-hand side. The red one is the ignition light and if you have a yellow one as well, this is the gearbox oil filter warning lamp, the switch for this is situated under the belly of the tractor just forward of the PTO housing, there is usually a plate covering it for protection. If you can get your hands on an operators handbook for it there's a wealth of information in it which includes a wiring diagram, you find several on eBay and the main Club supply an as original copy of the book, look on their website, www.dbtc.co.uk and click on 'shop', you'll see a lot of other stuff there as well but be warned, they are quite expensive but will give you an idea of what's available. Another good site for parts is www.vapormatic.co.uk I have a trade account with them, my eldest Nephew works for them and their World-wide headquarters is in nearby Exeter, I'm very often in there picking up tractor parts for people.

I would think also that the next one at Westpoint Exeter could be cancelled as well if this weather persists. It is or should be on THURSDAY 30th December.

Looking good! I think that Ken Jarvis is about the only chap that has bonnet panels, find his ad in 'Classic Tractor' and give him a call. Looking at the seat pan, it's still the original but the bottom has rusted out and a plate put in the bottom. If it's too far gone to repair, replace just the pan with a new one, the black painted pans that they sell for the Fergie 35 is the best but you'll have to cut off the hinge bracket on the back of it. You will se that you can get a complete assembly that includes the mounting bracket for Selectamatic tractors but avoid these as they are far from 'as original' and don't work like the proper one should. Under the seat pan at the rear of the swuare bracket that the pan welds on to, you will see a rectangular cut-out with a 'depression' each end that holds a bar with a rubber roller on it, there should be sort of tab washers that go on each end of the bar of the rollerof which the tabs top and bottom, bend over to hold it all in place. This is for the forward and rearward ajustment of the seat when you lift the square flat 'handle' with the slots in the bottom each side that locate on one of the cross-bars to 'lock' it in place. There's lots of little quirky bits and bobs on David Brown tractors but unfortunateley, those that are re-manufacturing parts for these tractors can only find worn out parts and these little but important bits are often missing so they dont know what should be there and all the new stuff has these missing as well. Just something to look out for and be aware of when buying re-manufacured new parts.

I would like something that is small, thin and not take up hardly any room in the sack at all, no, not a little Polish girl!, an open cheque made out to myself signed by the Chancellor of The Exchequer to reimburse me for all I've paid to him over my working tax paying life. And to leave out? Everything else. I have enough socks and hankeys to last me a lifetime thank you.

Steering not centralised could be many things. Condition of the ball joints, track setting, wheel hub bearing wear one side, tire size and tread, buckled wheel, bent stub axle and wear in the axle beam pivot (trunnion) pin. Get the tractor going in a straight line and see how everything I mention is in line or where appropriate, parralel or at right angles. Jack up the axle (front) with both wheels just off the ground and 'wobble' each wheel top and bottom to test bearing movement, rock the steering wheel to see how much play there is in each of the steering joints and go from there. The power steering unit in itself should not affect the alignment.

Been Christmas shopping today and a bit of food shopping to stock up a bit as they give considerable snowfalls from tomorrow night and bitter cold icy conditions. Everyone else must have had the same idea as the town was heaving with people all dithering along getting in the way and shops all packed with ditherers. I knew what I wanted to get so could speedily go from shop to shop and try and avoid the ditherers but they were still getting in the way and the stupid checkout persons were so slow you'd think they were half asleep. And the car parking, well, full of impatiant abusive people who were in a hurry to park their cars and could not wait for an available place and try and get in in front of the next car, tooting, effin and blinding with faces like a bulldog chewing a wasp. It's official, I HATE CHRISTMAS.

OK, so the locking latch is in the right position, give it a good spray of WD40 on regular occasions to try and free it but don't try to force the handle as the 2 pins in the casting may shear off. The 3-way-valve, yes, there are four positions but it really only gives you 3 services and the 4th is a double service, far left is for a front loader when the feed pipe to the rams is plumbed into the lower port on the front of the body of the unit, you will see that there are 2 blanked ports. Next position to the right is for the tipping trailer/external exactor service, next right is the double, when a loader is fitted without a separate spool it will feed the oil to both the loader and hydraulic arms and this is used by locking the hydraulic lever right back in the rearmost (Select) position on the quadrant, to lock the lever there should be a pin in the lever shaft below the knob and a latch that hooks over it on the quadrant outer band rear screw stud, this holds the lever in position which gives you constant pump, if there was the decal on the top face of where the handle goes into the 3-way-valve it would be marked L1. The nearest to seat position is the position to operate just the lift arms. You say that the lift arms won't lower without weight, well, they always are very slow without weight, what you have to do is pull up the dump-valve, the tall knob behind the hydraulic quadrant, you should turn it and pull to open it and when not using it, push it down and turn to lock it down. This is connected to the bypass valve and allows the oil to 'escape' through the valve chest quicker, usefull when lowering an empty tipping trailer. Another point about the hydraulics is that on the front of the casting where the handbrake goes through, you will find a knob, this is your 'lowering rate' device, if you turn it one way it slows down the speed that the lift arms lower, designed when using heavy 3-point mounted machinery and implements to let them down slowly and not just dropping 'bang', the more you turn the knob the slower it will lower, basically restricts the rate of oil flow on the return side of the system from the piston. The increase in rate of drop I would say is the opposite and self explanatory. Anything else?

This little girl from Poland might be bigger than you think! The lever on the D shaped housing, the dial pointer, should be in the middle position, 'height'. The lever on the left, 3-way-valve, front of axle should be also in the middle position, 'L' which is 'linkage', your lift arms should then lift and lower as they should. If not, look on the left rear of the rear axle and on the back of the rounded casting in which the end of the ramshaft is housed, there should be a curved handle with 'Pull out and lift' stamped on the top of it, this is the hydraulic lift locking device that locks the arms up when you engage it. It should be at 9 O'clock in the lock position and 12 O'clock and come out a little in the unlocked position, when you lift it and lower it you must, with the engine running, raise the hydraulic lever right to the back of the quadrant as far as it will go against the spring and you should hear the pump working which takes the weight off, you can lock and unlock the arms without the engine running, obviously with nothing on the linkage, by lifting the arms with one hand and operate the locking latch with the other. I'm saying this because you may have the arms locked. Dont unlock this way without supporting one lift arm with your free hand otherwise the arms will drop and you could loose a leg bone. If the locking latch is not the problem then you will have to get into the valve chest, that would be another lesson.