Starcraft Puller

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

glad yer still with us Jas!

Thanks dood! Yah, still here causing problems, muckin stuff up, havin fun

I've got about that much white stuff here yet too.

Mine is melting fast now, I am seeing about 20% of the forest floor now, few more warm days and it'll be gone. I'll take it!

The last big snow storm we had Jen got the Honda stuck in the drive, she was really mad. She said, "with where we live Jason, you have to have a tractor!"

GREEN LIGHT!

I love those older tractors. great machines and built to last, unlike some of the newer stuff built today.

Agreed, so much of today's stuff is disposable, real bummer.

Check this out, pretty rare...

(serial # tells me it's a 1959 vintage)

American made, cool! Actually, the Continental engine was made right here in Muskegean, MI and the tractor was built in Detroit. In talking with Lee (my neighbor down the road I bought it from) I believe a farmer a stones throw from me bought it new, sold it to another farmer even closer to me, sold it to Lee when he recently bought a brand new machine (Lee did all the maintenance on this tractor). So I believe I am (basically) only the third owner and it has lived it's whole live within about a 2 mile radius of my place. Kinda cool anyway.

 

[timfives]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Yeah, back in my EMT days i responded to a gent that flipped his tractor over and he landed in the running brushhog. Needless to say there wasn't much left for us to do when we got there. The reason was, something bogged or stopped the brushhog, and the tractor flipped, there was no clutching mechanism there. I still find the memory disturbing. If you install a roll bar be sure to install the seatbelt!

And watch those kids of yours..

Guess i'm a nervous nelly around tractors... Love them but respect them.

T

OK, so I have put her through her paces and I am a very happy man! She is running great! Took the boys on a couple of rides, they love it too

Yah Tim, this one actually has a two stage clutch, cool

Speaking of flipping....

I had a JD 770 a few years ago - pulling a trailer load of wood that hung up on a stump, trailer stopped and the tractor tires kept right on turning. That tractor flipped in the blink of an eye. I was on my back and the tractor was standing straight up in the air before I even realized what had happened. Thank the good Lord in Heaven there was a roll bar on it. It was a small tractor at just a hair over 2000 lbs. but it still could have busted me up bad or killed me.

So, in short, uber important I fab up a roll bar for this Ferguson!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Guess i'm a nervous nelly around tractors...

Well I don't know why that would be??

he landed in the running brushhog. Needless to say there wasn't much left for us to do when we got there.

Well, ok, that might explain it.

Yah, I hear ya about being cautious around machines. I get my big boy voice going when I am running chainsaw. Really bad stuff can happen in a flash.

 

[KellyC]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Yah, I hear ya about being cautious around machines. I get my big boy voice going when I am running chainsaw. Really bad stuff can happen in a flash.

Chainsaws are wicked, had one run up the side of my right leg all the way from ankle to belt. It cut my boot, sock, levis, long johns, and even my underwear:facepalm: and did not put a scratch on me. Now how is that for having a guardian angle sitting on shoulder.

This is what I used to pull things with Jason, I think that it might be able to do all that work around your place. Am pretty sure that it would haul your trailer full of wood, probably anything else you wanted to pull around including your house.

 

[KellyC]

Re: Starcraft Puller

I also used one of these loaders for a while, it was a freaking blast to run man. Fill this bucket up with wood and it would last you all winter buddy

This will kind of give you an idea how big this thing really is.

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Can't read the size on the Cat loader, eyes are going bad. I run a Cat 988 at work sometimes usually they just let me play in a Cat 163 Road Grader. I'll be in trouble if I have to run a new one tho, they're just putting joy sticks in them, I need a steering wheel, not much into video games. Getting a ways off boats aren't we? Course I guess these are just bigger toys.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Chainsaws are wicked, had one run up the side of my right leg all the way from ankle to belt. It cut my boot, sock, levis, long johns, and even my underwear:facepalm: and did not put a scratch on me. Now how is that for having a guardian angle sitting on shoulder.

Yikes! Yah, saw chaps for me, 100% of the time. If I am too tired/lazy to put them on, I don't pick up the saw.

Man, you guys run some serious equipment! Pretty sure any of that machinery could pull a Starcraft around the drive, eh!

 

[KellyC]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Heyyou, that is a 998 loader and I agree that I will stick with a steering wheel myself. But I did also run a D9 on occasion, just not a lot. I do know that the 998 will push a D9 backwards on a hard packed dirt road. Jason, you could put both of our Islanders in the bucket and still have room for the jetstar and something else.

As for the chaps, it was before they were to popular to use or even get it seemed like. At least that is what I remember, it was many many moons ago.

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starcraft Puller

I keep gettin in trouble for forgetting the chaps. Been working in the woods on and off since the 60's, cut myself more times than I like to admit. Just stubborn I guess. I still enjoy going out and putting a good days work in with a saw, but boy I feel it. And Kelly the bigger the crawler is the easier it is to work with them I was taught. Pile rock with an old 7 at work, nobody else wants to run it, it's old, the type with steering clutches and brakes, instead of joysticks. Came from back when you had to know how to run equipment.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Well guys I am glad you still have your legs, so that is good. Trying to rebuild old Starcraft boats with stumps for legs is just hard work. Starcraft usually recommends against it.

Well, the first thing I'd like to do is fab up a hitch for this 35 so I can pull trailers and Starcrafts around. Here is sorta what I am after...

http://www.redlandhill.com/Handi_Hitch.html

...but with a couple of slight mods.

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Not sure what adaptations you want, but doesn't look that hard to build. 2 pieces of 2"X whatever width your arms are coming back from the 3 point. + enough to weld them together on top with. Have to measure for the length you need. Getting the proper angles while bending can be tough. The bottom piece should be probably 2 1/2 X 2 1/2 X 3/16 or 1/4 whatever width up to max on your 3 point. Some drilling, and welding and whatever adaptations you want. But with the price of metal and time involved, the $140 seems like a good deal. I've seen those beefed up carry-alls, but a lot bigger, seems like they would take a lot of weight off the front end. Tend to make it hard to steer, or easy to flip. If you put too much weight there. A lot of old tractors had that problem. I don't mind backing, and drilled a hole so I can put a ball on my loader I can see to hook up, and shove it into tight places. I've seen 1000 lbs of hay on those carry-alls, and the front tires barely touching going down the county road. And no rops.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Starcraft Puller

I like the look of that hitch, sure beats switching from 1 7/8" to 2" every time you need a boat moved

My dad has gone overboard with attachments for his Kubota. He had to build a loft in his pole barn to store all of them.

One nice one is the box grater, to level off the 2-track that leads to the property after the gravel is dumped every few years.

I'm sure you will find tons of good uses for that thing

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Yah, I bought one of those Handi Hitches for my other tractors and made a couple of changes. Worth it's weight in gold for my purposes. The shop students at the school need projects and I am happy to give them some

Yah Mike, usually the first thing I do is switch anything I have over to 2", the 1 7/8" drives me bonkers! I went overboard on implements with my last tractor, I think I had like 6 or 7, silly. A 5' landscape rake is nice, so is a 3 pt. scoop, but not necessary for me. I'll grab em if I see a great deal.

Rock on fellas!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

So here is my new three point hitch...

It's awesome, love it! I gave my specs to one of the students at the school and he fabbed it up for me, did a great job too! Brought it home, painted it up, bolted on the hardware and put it to work.

I wish I could say that I used it right off to pull a Starcraft boat into working position, but not so. My honey do list is way long now that spring is here and mothers day is Sunday. So, first up, landscaping. A big, heavy rope hooked up to yank a row of Holley shrubs out. Worked great

 

[boatnut74]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Looks like a job well done. That will be worth its weight in gold.

 

[jbing81]

Re: Starcraft Puller

I haven't seen one of those in a long time....

I havent seen one of those ever! lol

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Looks good. They are quite practical on the mid size tractors. I had one 20 to 30 years ago looked quite abit like that. Wonder where I put it.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Couple of "Starcraft Puller" videos

I took this one about a month ago...

After using the hitch a bit I decided to add a hunk of steel coming down to the receiver to beef it up.

This weekend I pulled the Starcraft out of the garage to get a little work done in there.

I know, dorky tractor boy. I am good with it

 

[heyyou325]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Works good for that. It usually takes me a few more tries to hook up. I've been using a Honda 4 wheeler on my 16 footer, but when I tried it with my 21 footer, it just tipped on it's nose. My starcraft puller is out of commission at least til fall. I found a tube sticking thru one of the back tires. Lowest estimate for new, mounted with tubes and reusing fluid is $3750. It'll have to wait. Bottom of the boat looks good too.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft Puller

Thanks HY!

Yah, with the weight of that Islander and my gravel driveway there is no pushing that boat around. Hooking it up to the Burb is always a get in and out of the truck a half dozen times ordeal. The tractor and 3 point makes it waaaaaayyyyy easy


$4K for tires^^^^^^? AAAAAkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!! That hurts the cause