Skinny guy problems

Being fat is why we're here, and getting rid of the extra weight is our focus. But it comes with problems of a different sort sometimes. I've written a few times in various places about problems with my tractor since I've gotten skinny(er).

Today was my semi annual tractor reconfiguration day, where I put on the chains, remove the deck, and install the snow blower in anticipation of winter storms. I reverse the process come spring. This year I added wheel weights to the process. I am not sure they will be enough.

Last winter I was down essentially 100 lbs. That meant 100 lbs less ballast over the wheels of my machine. There was lots of slipping and sliding, and more than a few times, I got stuck. That didn't happen when I was fat. This winter I'm down just over 200 lbs. These wheel weights add 100 lbs back, which means I am back where I was last year.

I am glad to be skinny, but there are times I miss my ballast. I'm still working on ideas for another 100 lbs. If anyone has any thoughts, I would be interested to read them.

As long as I've been on OH this is a first! Being too light to hold down a lawn mower! Great FART moment!

(Fantastic, Awesome, Remarkable, Terrific)

The struggle is real. If I recall correctly, you live on flat ground, right? In the south. Thin**** snow, and hills. But it is worth it, that's for sure!

Upfront if you felt slighted at my finding humor at your situation I apologize profoundly and profusely because that was not my intentions. I just had never heard that situation being mentioned! So please forgive me if I did.

Yes, I am in Texas and on fairly flat ground but we do have some ups and downs in the topography. Remember too when it comes to snow and ice 1/16" of "frozen precipitation" shuts us down! Everything. Business, schools, churches etc. TxDOT, our state highway agency, and a lot of the counties and municipalities start spreading salt and grit on the bridges etc. We don't have snow tires - we have mud grips and four wheel drives and still get stuck! Both on the snow and ice and in the mud!

After seeing your reply I got to thinking about your issues with the lesser weight. Check the local metal scrap yards, and it may take going to a business that sells iron and steel to check theirs too, and ideally find a 3' piece of rail road iron, 35lbs/ft, or some 2.5-3" cold roll the same legenth and some way or another attached it to the mower.

Thinking out load again do you have a freeze proof solution in your tires? I keep water and antifreeze in back tires on our "big" tractor. At 8 lbs to the gallon might be able to add another 40-50 pounds depending on size of the tires.

Hope it helps.

Don, no worries at al! I understood and appreciated your humor completely! I laughed out loud, to tell you the truth.

I talked to my wife about putting "calcium" in the tires. Calcium is shorthand for calcium chloride solution, which many farmers used back in the day. My old '63 Super Dexta had calcium filled tires. They must have weighed close to 500 lbs each. It is a possibility, but would make them very hard to handle, as I remove them to install or remove the chains. I also have to flip a couple of tabs on the mower to prevent the all wheel steer from hitting its max with the chains on or it will damage the body.

As for scrap metal, I have lots of lead lying around in the form of wheel weights or ingots. I cast my own bullets for my reloading hobby. I've been working on a couple of ideas to use that, sort of like your idea with the railroad rail. The trick there is to keep it as close to the wheels as possible. The further out back it gets, the more it raises the blower on the front, and I don't want that. I like the idea of a railroad rail though. I could weld a pin on it that would fit into the hitch hole on the back and that would keep the weight close.

I went and found a picture of my big machine, the ?63 Super Dexta. We had to put new rims and tires on this year. The original rims finally rusted through after 54 years of sal****er inside. Whoever put it in got his money's worth. The "new" tires and rims, salvaged off an old Ford 8N don?t have calcium in them. But it may be an option for the little John Deere, which is sitting right next to it, and the one which has the snowblower.

Good problems to have... My family had about 8-10 8N and 9N Ford Tractors. We harvested grapes and peaches with them. We were a cheap family...All the batteries were dead in the tractors. We would jump start one tractor...Then have someone on one of the tractors pulling another tractor to (pop the clutch) to start the others. Fun days!! Bill, wanted to share with you my best FART (WOW on other forums) moment. After dropping over 100 pounds I got into the tub...The same tub I had used for over 15 years. So the water is running...And it's taking longer and longer for the bath to full up. I'm wondering "what's going on here...It never took this long for the tub to fill up before"?? I think you know the answer...

Does the answer contain "Eureka!?!" We got rid of our tub years ago in favor of a large shower stall. We're some of those underprivileged types who only have one bathroom in the house. We have an outhouse, but my wife won't let me count that as a half bath. But anyway, I've been thinking about putting a tub back in. I can fit now.

Get a big(er) wife (?)

Seriously, the only thing I can think of here might be a weight belt like SCUBA divers use? I don't know how much weight is on them, though, since I'm not one ...