Started Corn Silage at Cousin Bob’s the last week of September. That’s a good 2 weeks later than usual. Of course we couldn’t start till the middle of the week ’cause it was raining. We got 2 good days in, and then worked through the drizzle all Friday afternoon to finish the first field. And we thought that would be the hardest part.
Saturday had a little hiccup in that one wagon got a flat tire. No problem Bob has a couple spares.
Then Monday Morning saw the same wagon get a split rim. (the wheel came right off) Jacking up full wagons from right on the ground is a bit of a trick, but we were going again by early afternoon. At this point, I’m thinking “at least it isn’t my wagon that broke down!” But a few loads later, and I actually saw the wagon tire blow on my wagon. It was a nice little poof cloud to go with a rather earth shattering bang. At this point we are out of spares, and I had to go track down a new tire. (it only took two different dealers to find one). This time it was in the field, where the jack sunk in to the ground instead of lifting the wagon. By the time I got back with the new tire, Bob and Ted had dug out the wheel. After a few wacked knuckles we had a new tire on the rim, but again, trying to jack the wagon up a little more to get the fully inflated tire on succeded only in shoving several more blocks further into the ground. After digging half way to china, we got the wheel on, and suprisingly, the tractor was able to pull the wagon out of the hole without too much trouble. (it was still on the block ’cause we couldn’t jack it to get it off, so maybe that helped!?) And by then the day was over!
So the next day started out with a gathering chain coming off of the forage harvester. It is a secondary one, that isn’t that necessary, so we just kept going without it. We made it to the middle of the afternoon, before the forage harvester blower pan blew a hole. Attempts to weld a patch on it only succeded in burning new holes through the worn thin metal. It being to late in the day to order a new one for the next day, we had to wait till Thursday morning for parts. Luckily it was raining Wed. anyway, so we didn’t feel as bad. Thursday was beautiful and sunny, and we spent till 2:00 in the shade of the forage harvester trying to get the friggin’ tight-fitting-so-it-doesn’t-leak pan up and then down and then up into place.
But alas, we weren’t out of the woods yet. Turns out that secondary gathering chain, actually doubled as the drive chain for one of the knives. So now that things were wetter, the harvester wasn’t working without it.
That put us to Saturday of Thanksgiving, when we were able to get the new chain and get it on by noon, and then I had to go to the Ptbo. family due, leaving Dad, Bob and Ted to finish the silo, a full 10 days after we started. (it usually takes 4-5)
These are the sort of things that make you appreciate it when things go well!