# Mark13's Picture and Video Thread



## Mark13

I'm going to try and remember to take a few pics now and then while I'm out. 
Here's a few I took last night, may have a chance for a few more tonight.

Went from light flurries after a clipper system to large flakes for about 10 minutes, you could watch the snow cover your tracks. 









Another company in town owned by 2 brothers. Used to do 99% of the towing in the area, had a couple 1 ton wheel lifts, a roll back, and a couple semi tow trucks. Their both in their 70's now and have really slowed down on work but still do a little bit of stuff to keep active. Went over and talked to them after I was done with my route, I've been watching them plow snow since I was a kid.
1986 F350 6.9 idi/ auto. Has a Boss V also from 1986. Said the plow has had the motor replaced once and rebuilt once. Otherwise no major problems or breakdowns. 
















Up until recently they had a 1985 F350 that was a twin to the 1986 with a straight blade on it. Their roll back also had a blade on it.


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## Mark13

More pictures I found on my phone.

Small display we did at a funeral for a local company's son.

























Cleaned up.


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## Mark13

Poor thing's about worn out.


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## exmark

Nice pic's. Does that ford have a lift on it?


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## Mark13

exmark;1432768 said:


> Nice pic's. Does that ford have a lift on it?


Leveling kit in the front (2" I think), bags in the rear.


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## deere615

Nice I hope your rolled over the mileage pushing a huge pile of snow!! what made you mount the lights on top of the bumper do they get annoying there?


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## Mark13

deere615;1432796 said:


> Nice I hope your rolled over the mileage pushing a huge pile of snow!! what made you mount the lights on top of the bumper do they get annoying there?


I rolled 100k pulling my gooseneck.

The lights do suck at times not being able to step there. The pattern from them makes them worth the frustration, really lights up behind my truck.

Another pic I found. I don't fit to well at school.


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## Mark13

Another I found. My dad rigged up some wing return spring safety cables. An idea I had after reading posts on here about them taking off in random directions when they break.


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## SnowMatt13

Well I hope we get an oppertunity for you to get some pics plowing more than an inch.....


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## Mark13

SnowMatt13;1432901 said:


> Well I hope we get an opportunity for you to get some pics plowing more than an inch.....


You mean our equipment can handle more then an inch at once?


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## randomb0b123

we had a slush/slop/snow/rain/sleet/ice nasty storm yesterday the place we were working at there was a guy plowing with a 07-09 dmax with a wideout idk what he did to the exhaust but it sounded so good working


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## GMCHD plower

Nice pic's Mark can't wait for more.. How fo you like your spreader?


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## lude1990

Do you have any more info on that ford towtruck with the boss v blade??? How did they get the mount to fit around the radiator cause I have a boss rt3 mount and it wont fit cause of the radiator being so big. Is that a rt1 mount???


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## Mark13

randomb0b123;1433126 said:


> we had a slush/slop/snow/rain/sleet/ice nasty storm yesterday the place we were working at there was a guy plowing with a 07-09 dmax with a wideout idk what he did to the exhaust but it sounded so good working


Probably had just a 4" straight pipe, same thing I have. Probably the most common aftermarket exhaust size for them.



GMCHD plower;1433145 said:


> Nice pic's Mark can't wait for more.. How fo you like your spreader?


The spreader is pretty good, I wish when it turned on it wouldn't go wide open for a second and then slow down to whatever you have the dial set at.



lude1990;1433184 said:


> Do you have any more info on that ford towtruck with the boss v blade??? How did they get the mount to fit around the radiator cause I have a boss rt3 mount and it wont fit cause of the radiator being so big. Is that a rt1 mount???


It's an Rt1 plow (from 1986), chain lift, etc.


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## deere615

Man I feel you on that picture at school I am the same way with a plow and spreader!


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## dieseld

Wow. A picture of your truck and it was clean.


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## Mark13

dieseld;1433916 said:


> Wow. A picture of your truck and it was clean.


It being dirty just makes your stuff look better then!


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## FSUPERDUTY

Yes I did see ya last second! I was just coming back from a washing the salt off the plow and the truck,and here is a couple of pics from out on the tollway last night rebuilding the shoulder.


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## squeaky3

pics look good mark, if only we got more of it


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## V_Scapes

I would definatly not have my plow hanging out in the lane like that. are you in college? i remember watching some of the princesses drive around in their beamers at school...scary.


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## Mark13

FSUPERDUTY;1435816 said:


> Yes I did see ya last second! I was just coming back from a washing the salt off the plow and the truck,and here is a couple of pics from out on the tollway last night rebuilding the shoulder.


I saw the truck coming and was thinking "that guy knows he can take his plow off right?" then realized it was you. I should have told you to look for a brown semi, white doesn't exactly describe it. The farm is a complete mess, the elevator in Ridgefield isn't much better. No sense doing anymore then just spraying it off now and then.



squeaky3;1435997 said:


> pics look good mark, if only we got more of it


No kidding, my snow plow is more like a no plow.



V_Scapes;1436000 said:


> I would definatly not have my plow hanging out in the lane like that. are you in college? i remember watching some of the princesses drive around in their beamers at school...scary.


Yeah I'm in college. I should be done if I wasn't a f'ing ****** when it comes to math. 
I don't really have anywhere else to park besides in a lot that's 1/2 mile away from my class room. I'd take my plow and stuff off but the college is between my accounts and my house and I have class in the morning. I try to have my plow and salter off as much as possible while I'm there but it doesn't always work.


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## squeaky3

i like your location mark....snowless il


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## Mark13

squeaky3;1436381 said:


> i like your location mark....snowless il


I change it up now and then. I don't remember what my last location was, for a while it just said "Here"


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## WilliamOak

dieseld;1433916 said:


> Wow. A picture of your truck and it was clean.


:salute:Thank you for making my day. lol


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## Willman940

Mark13;1436410 said:


> I change it up now and then. I don't remember what my last location was, for a while it just said "Here"


I think it was "smalltown USA" cause it always made me think of the song.


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## Mark13

Willman940;1440264 said:


> I think it was "smalltown USA" cause it always made me think of the song.


I'm pretty sure your right. I had that one for a while.


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## Mark13

Couple more:


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## Deerewashed

lol....looks so weird with 235's on it...... makes the lift look so much bigger.


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## Mark13

Deerewashed;1450018 said:


> lol....looks so weird with 235's on it...... makes the lift look so much bigger.


Looks like the obs ford's did with the tall stance and skinny tires. It looks much better with my summer wheels on it. I got the 235's before I lifted the truck, they looked much more proportional at the time.


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## Deerewashed

what tires you gonna run this summer?


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## Mark13

Deerewashed;1450037 said:


> what tires you gonna run this summer?


I have 17x9 Polished Eagle Alloys with 285's on them.


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## Deerewashed

you gonna buy the same tires? if i remember correctly are those tires gone?


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## randomb0b123

do you have the typical gm clearance lights on your roof? the 3 piece ones? i cant tell but it kinda looks like 5 lenses?


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## Mark13

Deerewashed;1450051 said:


> you gonna buy the same tires? if i remember correctly are those tires gone?


The tires are pretty much shot, but I drive 8 miles a day unless I have class then it's about 20 miles a day so I'm going to run them as long as I can. They've got enough tread for a few months at that rate.



randomb0b123;1450057 said:


> do you have the typical gm clearance lights on your roof? the 3 piece ones? i cant tell but it kinda looks like 5 lenses?


I've got the obs (88-98) style on my truck so it's 5 individual lights instead of 2 with the bar in the middle.


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## randomb0b123

i see. i think that looks nice better than the newer style


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## Showmestaterida

What the biggest benefit you think when using the 235's when plowing?


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## Willman940

Mark13;1450059 said:


> I've got the obs (88-98) style on my truck so it's 5 individual lights instead of 2 with the bar in the middle.


They look really good but if I remember right you had problems with them when you first installed them right?


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## plowingkid35

you into farming to?? How many acres you guys run down there?? I saw your planters hooked up, looks to be 48r22s??


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## wolfmobile8

Looks good mark and holy salt haha.


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## Mark13

randomb0b123;1450072 said:


> i see. i think that looks nice better than the newer style


Same thoughts I had, not really a fan of the 2 lights with the bar in the middle.



Showmestaterida;1450154 said:


> What the biggest benefit you think when using the 235's when plowing?


Skinny so they get better traction. During our blizzard last year some of my friends were running 285s, 305s, 315s, etc on their pickups and stuff they were having trouble getting traction in (floating) I was able to drive wherever I wanted. Less surface area to spread the weight out.



Willman940;1450177 said:


> They look really good but if I remember right you had problems with them when you first installed them right?


I had/still have a problem with the lenses cracking. We thought it was from the heat of the bulbs, I have led bulbs in them now and they are still cracking some. The lenses are pretty much solely held down by silicone and the screws are barely tight. Not sure what's making them crack.



plowingkid35;1450240 said:


> you into farming to?? How many acres you guys run down there?? I saw your planters hooked up, looks to be 48r22s??


They are both 36 row on 30" spacing. That farm was about 9,000 acres or a touch over. The farm I work at now is just over 6k and growing steadily.



wolfmobile8;1450320 said:


> Looks good mark and holy salt haha.


The salt was from about 3hrs on the road total. It's ridiculous around here.


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## Mark13

What goes on the rest of the year since we haven't had much of a winter to post pictures of.
None of these are in any order.

Tree Care made easy.


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## Mark13

Getting my shine on.

























Plowing mud


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## Mark13




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## Mark13




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## Mark13

Train Car Bridge









Halloween Hayride.


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## Mark13




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## Mark13

Videos



Good sunset after a long day of baling hay, 4455 in the corner.








4020 and TMR


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## Mark13

Wedding cleanup.


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## Mark13

Grain cart


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## Mark13

Broken.


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## Mark13

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.


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## FSUPERDUTY

Love all that Green! How about a tour of the Farm someday?


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## SnowMatt13

Mark-

That white crew cab Ford in the wedding clean-up wouldn't happen to be a Kearn's Family truck would it??


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## Mark13

FSUPERDUTY;1450498 said:


> Love all that Green! How about a tour of the Farm someday?


It's 5 minutes from my house, probably 10 from you. Right now it's pretty boring around there, just semi's in and out hauling corn and whatever is in the shop being prepared for spring.



SnowMatt13;1450505 said:


> Mark-
> 
> That white crew cab Ford in the wedding clean-up wouldn't happen to be a Kearn's Family truck would it??


Yeah it's Franks' truck. All the bales in the pictures were his. He made 1 load like that, I made 2 smaller ones around the corner to his place.


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## plowingkid35

Ahh okay, ya we run two 48r 22's were just a titch over 17k now. Growing like crazy not that great of a fall though.. compared to last year at least


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## S-205

Really awesome shots. I love farming pictures! Do you have more per chance?


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## Mark13

plowingkid35;1450551 said:


> Ahh okay, ya we run two 48r 22's were just a titch over 17k now. Growing like crazy not that great of a fall though.. compared to last year at least


Our fall was pretty decent. I'm happy with 6k acres, there's some larger farms around here and they can have all the high acreage stuff. To much drama in it for me.



SmokeyBacon;1450648 said:


> Really awesome shots. I love farming pictures! Do you have more per chance?


I've got hundreds. I take pictures of everything.


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## njsnowremoval

Subscribed, Great thred. I like how you guys did the percession. was that set up via the family.


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## chevyman51

More pictures please!! I would love to work on a farm like that.


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## Mark13

njsnowremoval;1450778 said:


> Subscribed, Great thred. I like how you guys did the percession. was that set up via the family.


Dennis (DIRISHMAN) and Russ (R&R Yard Design) set it all up.



chevyman51;1450836 said:


> More pictures please!! I would love to work on a farm like that.


I'll see what I can come up with that isn't a repeat of the same picture just in a different field.


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## Mark13

What we do in the summer since we can't plow snow to beat the crap out of our trucks.


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## Mark13

Not my doing, I had the recovery tractor.









Getting ready to head out to the Black and White show.









Blizzard last year.


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## Mark13




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## Mark13




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## Mark13

Why the gray dodge was on the trailer. Snapped D70 axle shaft. Found an 80 for it and got it swapped in for the next pull 6 days later.

















Sprayer driver has trouble staying on solid ground.


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## Mark13

It rained some.

























This almost went quite poorly.


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## Mark13

Truck's enjoy pulling wagons all day when it's 100+ outside.


























1845C isn't rated for the head off a Case 660 apparently.


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## randomb0b123

i love how your truck is never sagging and the aluminum rims look cool. i dont like those fancy black candian type rims. why is your rf headlight out in that sled pic?


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## Mark13

randomb0b123;1450969 said:


> i love how your truck is never sagging and the aluminum rims look cool. i dont like those fancy black candian type rims. why is your rf headlight out in that sled pic?


Airbags are the secret. They get a lot of use, the on board compressor is awesome. 
The white ford crew cab has airbags on it also. Even with 100+psi in them I guess the 3k+ of tongue weight was a little excessive.

The black wheels were a friends, just wanted to see what they looked like on my truck.

My headlight was out for air flow. My intake is all opened up so it's almost straight in to the filter with the head light out.


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## Deerewashed

you do the airbox mod? i have heard not goo for a plower....snow in filter no es bueno.


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## WilliamOak

I didn't know canadian's had a type of wheels lol


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## Mark13

Deerewashed;1450991 said:


> you do the airbox mod? i have heard not goo for a plower....snow in filter no es bueno.


Yeah, airbox mod. I've never had a problem but also never looked. Never noticed a light, filter damage, or a loss of power. It has to snow here first though in order to have problems. My truck ran for 40+ hours during the blizzard and never had air problems and I think if it was going to, that would have been the time.



WilliamOak;1450996 said:


> I didn't know canadian's had a type of wheels lol


I was wondering that also. They just have ice skates and hockey pucks. And mounted Calvary.


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## WilliamOak

Syrup too lol


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## Mark13

WilliamOak;1451013 said:


> Syrup too lol


No the maple leaf is their logo. Vermont has syrup.


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## Mark13

Different side of Ag, little bit of livestock trucking.
Some of my friends trucks, these 3 are all brothers.
Before:








After: Stretched, motor, trans, and rear ends swapped in from a wrecked 03 KW.
860hp C-15, built 18spd, and 3.55 rear ends from 3.73's before.


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## Mark13

And some demo combines.


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## njsnowremoval

Why would you strech the truck like that


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## nicksplowing

njsnowremoval;1451054 said:


> Why would you strech the truck like that


for a better turning radius:whistling:


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## randomb0b123

those tractors look sick!! theres one that drives by my work sometimes that has the shifter at eye level. canadians is a code word like baptist or mondays, get it?


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## randomb0b123

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mondays
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=canadians


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## Mark13

njsnowremoval;1451054 said:


> Why would you strech the truck like that


Why do we like to lift or lower our trucks, put on different wheels, etc? For as much time as they spend in those trucks it's not just a hobby anymore.



nicksplowing;1451075 said:


> for a better turning radius:whistling:





randomb0b123;1451112 said:


> those tractors look sick!! theres one that drives by my work sometimes that has the shifter at eye level. canadians is a code word like baptist or mondays, get it?


All of those trucks are setup to run low. The maroon kw usually looks like it has no driver if you look in the windows from ground level. It's shifter will almost touch the ceiling.


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## randomb0b123

all your tractor pics are what I'd consider truck porn please keep posting


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## SnowMatt13

The barn with the cows looks so familiar....


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## randomb0b123

Theres a big really laid out pete that comes to work sometimes, big letters on back of cab "I'd rather be homeless than chromeless" ill try to find a pic of it really good looking truck


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## SullivanSeptic

Mark13;1450392 said:


> Wedding cleanup.


Those rims and tires on your truck look familiar? Might I have seen them before???


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## S-205

I love your pictures! The combine derby is new to me! I have never seen that before LOL


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## FSUPERDUTY

You always have great pics!!!


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## Mark13

SnowMatt13;1451175 said:


> The barn with the cows looks so familiar....


Yeah, I think I've been there before too.



SullivanSeptic;1451234 said:


> Those rims and tires on your truck look familiar? Might I have seen them before???


Last I heard some crazy guy with an newer style crew cab chevy hd bought them. Something about he drives a honey wagon as a cover up business for being a pimp or so I was told. 



SmokeyBacon;1451447 said:


> I love your pictures! The combine derby is new to me! I have never seen that before LOL


A few fairs around here have the combine demos, never been to any others besides ours though.



FSUPERDUTY;1451579 said:


> You always have great pics!!!


Thanks, a couple photography classes and a lot of practice hopefully leads to decent results in pictures that others enjoy. Most everything in here was taken with my iphone, I need to start using my camera more.


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## SullivanSeptic

Haha. Nice


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## randomb0b123

not tryin to threadjack just sharing the pics


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## Drew2010

Great pictures there Mark,

Its nice to see some more local people on here.

I like the cab cam in the tractor with the cart. The farmer I work for runs them in their two auger carts, one on the auger, and one on the back, just like how yours are set up. They are handy as heck.


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## Mark13

Some pics from last night. Was hoping to get some action shots but the battery in my remote trigger was dead.


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## BlueRam2500

Mark your pics are awesome, especially of the big rigs. A dream of mine is to own one someday just for the hell of it. Keep them coming!


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## randomb0b123

did you put a visor on it?


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## Deerewashed

day shots of the visor? I have always sort of liked them....but the only way i would put one on is if i could pick one up in the right color for cheap.


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## Mark13

Couple daytime pics from when the visor was put on.
Visor, paint, and fasteners I have about $7 invested.


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## randomb0b123

looks great ! big improvement now your sig pic needs updated


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## Mark13

randomb0b123;1464317 said:


> looks great ! big improvement now your sig pic needs updated


Sig pic is definitely way out of date.


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## Deerewashed

Thats the kind of deal i would have one for....... trucks looks great even with the 31 or 32 inch tires.


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## deere615

Mark i know you have pulled a sled before with that truck. What all else did you do to it besides beef up the front end?


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## Mark13

deere615;1465306 said:


> Mark i know you have pulled a sled before with that truck. What all else did you do to it besides beef up the front end?


Front end has Cognito pitman and idler arm brace kit, rare parts tie rods. In the back I clamp the leaf springs and then inflate my airbags to make the rear as rigid as possible. Crank down the tbars until there is no pressure on the bolts. And adjust air pressure in the tires. Put it on my big tune, select manual then 3rd gear in the trans with Tow/Haul and hope for the best.


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## deere615

Mark13;1465549 said:


> Front end has Cognito pitman and idler arm brace kit, rare parts tie rods. In the back I clamp the leaf springs and then inflate my airbags to make the rear as rigid as possible. Crank down the tbars until there is no pressure on the bolts. And adjust air pressure in the tires. Put it on my big tune, select manual then 3rd gear in the trans with Tow/Haul and hope for the best.


Thanks for the tips, Yeah I have the whole cognito kit just have to do it. I got ppe tierod sleeves but I think next year I will get kyrponite tie rods. what do you clamp the springs with? I am debating what to do on my rear I might do airbags or might do timbrens like I did on my other trucks


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## William B.

I have a set of spring clamps and suspension stops I'd be willing to sell if your interested.


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## Mark13

deere615;1465839 said:


> Thanks for the tips, Yeah I have the whole cognito kit just have to do it. I got ppe tierod sleeves but I think next year I will get kyrponite tie rods. what do you clamp the springs with? I am debating what to do on my rear I might do airbags or might do timbrens like I did on my other trucks


I made my spring clamps out of C channel and some grade 5 bolts. Pretty simple to make. Dewalt 18v impact makes them easy to install and remove.


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## deere615

William B.;1465982 said:


> I have a set of spring clamps and suspension stops I'd be willing to sell if your interested.


I am good for now I just spent over 2k on parts for my truck!


Mark13;1466077 said:


> I made my spring clamps out of C channel and some grade 5 bolts. Pretty simple to make. Dewalt 18v impact makes them easy to install and remove.


Ok thanks!


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## ffej27

Mark13;1450394 said:


> Broken.


Nice toolbox. Looks like one I used to have, same clock in the right cabinet too. Hope he enjoys it , I miss it everyday


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## Mark13

ffej27;1467229 said:


> Nice toolbox. Looks like one I used to have, same clock in the right cabinet too. Hope he enjoys it , I miss it everyday


It's well valued, it's 100% full and the black tool cart in the left of the picture is also full. And there's another smaller toolbox not pictured that has some stuff in it also.


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## Mark13

Something a bit different.


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## Mark13

Had to turn the shed around before putting it in place.


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## 4wydnr

I like how the power stroke does the real work, while the chevy takes the light load. Thumbs Up


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## S-205

The Case skid and the forklift, what do you figure the weight of those are?


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## Mark13

4wydnr;1471233 said:


> I like how the power stroke does the real work, while the chevy takes the light load. Thumbs Up


His is a very unhappy powerstroke currently.



SmokeyBacon;1471254 said:


> The Case skid and the forklift, what do you figure the weight of those are?


Enough to make 99% of the members on here poop a little bit realizing it's behind a 3/4ton and its probably going take out a bus load of nuns or children.

We figure the forklift at 12-13k and the skid should be about 6500.


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## 4wydnr

Mark13;1471285 said:


> His is a very unhappy powerstroke currently.


Can you blame it? It is owned by JJ!

What were the sheds for?


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## Mark13

4wydnr;1471291 said:


> Can you blame it? It is owned by JJ!
> 
> What were the sheds for?


The injector o rings are messed up again and it's using oil like it's going out of style. We're talking worse then fuel consumption.

The little shed to the right had been there for a while, the shed we moved was his younger brothers Eagle Scout project. It's for track equipment.


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## mossman381

Nice pics Mark


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## Mark13

Time for a change of season and different office for a while.


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## Mark13

Boss man.









The not so fun side of farm work.


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## Mark13

My solution to the problem.
































(don't mind my sweet photoshop attempt, covering company colors for another business who was letting me use the machine)


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## Mark13

And a random change of pace, had to go get 2 14' truck beds.
(these pictures show maybe 1/2 the place)


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## mossman381

I see you are just as dry as we are.


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## Mark13

mossman381;1473860 said:


> I see you are just as dry as we are.


We got 2.5-3.5" of rain over the last couple days. Before that was terrible though. There was a few times I had to stop when the auto steer told me I was getting close to the end of the field because I couldn't see where I was going.


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## WilliamOak

Nice "Paint" job on the skid lol


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## Mark13

WilliamOak;1473873 said:


> Nice "Paint" job on the skid lol


I'm pro.

123456789er10


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## Deerewashed

very jealous....salvage yards like that are hard to come by around me.


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## FSUPERDUTY

Mark13;1473859 said:


> And a random change of pace, had to go get 2 14' truck beds.
> (these pictures show maybe 1/2 the place)


Were is the truck boneyard at? That would be awesome to walk around in


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## Mark13

FSUPERDUTY;1473954 said:


> Were is the truck boneyard at? That would be awesome to walk around in


Mt. Horeb Truck Parts. Mt. Horeb, Wi.

Took all the back roads up once I got to Janesville, was a pretty nice cruise. Came the highway on the way home, 9.19mpg average.


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## GMCHD plower

Hey Mark, can't remember if you said already, but what do you use for a camera?


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## Mark13

GMCHD plower;1474118 said:


> Hey Mark, can't remember if you said already, but what do you use for a camera?


I either use my 3gs iphone or a Canon Rebel XT with a Sigma 17-70mm lense.

I used my nice SLR for the pictures in:
Post 61,62(last 2 pics only), 63,64, (first 2 pics) 65, 76 (last pic only), 92, 108, and 109. The rest were all taken with my iphone.


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## DareDog

Any New Pics??


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## Mark13

DareDog;1478464 said:


> Any New Pics??


I'll see what I have. I've had 3 different phones since my last post so I'm kinda thin on pictures.


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## Mark13

Nothing in order of time.

Need rain! Windy and dry enough to cause a little dust storm. No one was working up ground to cause it. 

















From atop one of the bins.


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## Mark13

From inside the bin. Working on emptying it.









Interruption to my day in the tractor. 









What happens when a Ford Fusion isn't paying attention in traffic.

Ramps are supposed to lean back slightly more then the one closer to the camera.


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## Mark13

Just doing a little hauling.









Headed home from a sled pull.








Video of the dodge on the far trailer.

Video of the Ford behind my truck.


----------



## Mark13

Wish it was my toy.









Tree fell into the field and I didn't have a saw but I did have a chain.


----------



## Mark13

Diesel Drag Day.















\


----------



## Mark13




----------



## Deerewashed

nice choice in new tires......what size?


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1478530 said:


> nice choice in new tires......what size?


295/70/17 Load Range E.


----------



## BlueRam2500

Got a few pics huh Mark? Looks good man, nice to see those 6.4's running down the track. Where's the pics of your Dmax running the 1/4?


----------



## Mark13

BlueRam2500;1478549 said:


> Got a few pics huh Mark? Looks good man, nice to see those 6.4's running down the track. Where's the pics of your Dmax running the 1/4?


My dmax was the recovery truck if things went south. I had my gooseneck backed up to the fence about 1/2 way down the track for a spot to sit. 
I was going to run it (hoping for high 13's) but we had 2 fords, a Dodge, and 2 dmax's there and figured I better not break the hauler. Ended up hauling an 01 dmax home for a friend of a friend that had a pretty rough day and wasn't able to move under it's own power.


----------



## Deerewashed

just out of curiosity how much does that volvo loader and trailer weigh together? i am currently looking at purchasing a 5 to 6 ton excavator and am trying to figure out if my 2500hd dozer-max could pull it.


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1480961 said:


> just out of curiosity how much does that volvo loader and trailer weigh together? i am currently looking at purchasing a 5 to 6 ton excavator and am trying to figure out if my 2500hd dozer-max could pull it.


The loader was around 11k and my trailer is 7800lb. Pulled at 60-70mph for about 80 miles no problem.


----------



## Deerewashed

gracias.


uno,dos,tres


----------



## Mark13

BlueRam2500;1478549 said:


> Where's the pics of your Dmax running the 1/4?


Ran my truck at the fall diesel drags. 14.320 at (I think) 93mph. Truck weighed 8400lbs.

Figured out of boredom I'd update this thread. Nothing is in order, just whatever pictures I find.

Had to go pick up a new bucket the other day.









One of about 35 loads









Diesel Drag Day.


----------



## Mark13

Putting my plow back in storage a couple months ago after dragging it out to prep it for this season. 3hrs of welding and straightening and it's good to go again.










More stalk bales. 









Making a hay delivery for a friend.


----------



## GMCHD plower

Nice pics Mark! Whats the bucket for?


----------



## Mark13

GMCHD plower;1525036 said:


> Nice pics Mark! Whats the bucket for?


Snow bucket for the Bobcat 1600 on my trailer in the last pic!

It's actually a 9yd bucket for a Komatsu WA-600 wheel loader.


----------



## FSUPERDUTY

Don't seem to matter you always have something good to look at!


----------



## mossman381

Truck is looking good mark. Working and playing just like a truck should be


----------



## Mark13

FSUPERDUTY;1525126 said:


> Don't seem to matter you always have something good to look at!


Thanks. I seem to get my fair share of random loads, keeps it fun and having something different to do all the time is nice.


----------



## 4wydnr

I've been waiting for more pics of your new toy!


----------



## Mark13

4wydnr;1535113 said:


> I've been waiting for more pics of your new toy!


I havn't even gotten to use it yet, changed the oil in it last night (what a pita) and now it's sitting. If we get it out one of these days I'll grab a couple pics.


----------



## CashinH&P

Looks like you have a lot of fun with that pick up! Love all the pics of the farming stuff. I milk at a dairy my buddy owns, farming is always an adventure.


----------



## Mark13

CashinH&P;1535244 said:


> Looks like you have a lot of fun with that pick up! Love all the pics of the farming stuff. I milk at a dairy my buddy owns, farming is always an adventure.


The pickup sure gets used for just about anything I can get it to do. A lot of the times I'm pretty sure it hates its life but so far it's doing pretty well.

Farming is definitely always an adventure, once day that goes according to plan and everything works out well should give you a pretty good clue that things won't go that smoothly again for a while.


----------



## Morrissey snow removal

real nice pics! keep them coming


----------



## Mark13

No pics of the truck or the plow, we've had a whopping 3/4" of accumulation so far and that was split between 2 "events"

I picked this up a few weeks ago, bucket and forks just got here this week. Waiting on my cutting edge now along with building a few more attachments.


----------



## Deerewashed

how much higher did your truck get from being fully cranked. Some of my family is telling me not put on the lift because they cant get into a almost fully cranked truck on 33's. How much on a scale of 1-10 did your ride quality increase.


Also I like the black stockers.


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1552163 said:


> how much higher did your truck get from being fully cranked. Some of my family is telling me not put on the lift because they cant get into a almost fully cranked truck on 33's. How much on a scale of 1-10 did your ride quality increase.
> 
> Also I like the black stockers.


I think I gained around 2" over what it was fully cranked. When I put the lift on I turned the tbars all the way back down and pretty much left them there.

On a scale of 1-10 I'd rate the ride quality and handling characteristics increase about a 15 over when the truck was cranked up. I do notice myself climbing into the bed of the truck more to get stuff out of my toolbox or out of the bed then I did before the lift. I used to be able to reach more. However I'm not overly tall either, about 5'8"

Edit. I liked the stock wheels before but the lamination coating was coming off and they were trashed so I didn't have much of a choice other then to clean them up the best I could and paint them. Their growing on me but I can't say I like them more then before.


----------



## Deerewashed

ok thanks. Looks like i might just have to get one of those go rhino style steps to help my 5'1" sister, my 5'3 sister, and my 5'3 mother get into it. My 5'7 dad would probably struggle, but me being the oddball at 5'11 i think i could get into it either way.

Thanks for the input.


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1552191 said:


> ok thanks. Looks like i might just have to get one of those go rhino style steps to help my 5'1" sister, my 5'3 sister, and my 5'3 mother get into it. My 5'7 dad would probably struggle, but me being the oddball at 5'11 i think i could get into it either way.
> 
> Thanks for the input.


A bunch of my friends have Ford Superduty's that sit around the same height as my truck. About half them don't have steps on their trucks, what a pita for me to get in. Definitely wouldn't want to be climbing in and out of one all the time with no steps.


----------



## mossman381

Am I the only one that can't see the pics?


----------



## Mark13

mossman381;1552224 said:


> Am I the only one that can't see the pics?


I'd venture to say yes. I see them on my computer and my phone, deerewashed can obviously. Atleast he can see one of them where my truck is in the background.


----------



## erkoehler

I cam see them all.


----------



## BlueRam2500

Me too. Pics look great as always Mark.


----------



## mossman381

I still can't see any pics in this thread. I can see pics in every other thread I look at.


----------



## Mark13

mossman381;1552467 said:


> I still can't see any pics in this thread. I can see pics in every other thread I look at.


Weird. Not sure what to tell ya.


----------



## mossman381

I can see them now. Cool machine.


----------



## Mark13

mossman381;1552622 said:


> I can see them now. Cool machine.


Thanks!

What did you have to do to make the pictures show up?


----------



## mossman381

Mark13;1552627 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> What did you have to do to make the pictures show up?


Nothing, I just kept checking back when someone would respond.


----------



## JohnnyU

Are you planning on replacing the tracks, Mark? 

I rented one of those a few years ago and was absolutely UNIMPRESSED with the machine and its complete lack of traction in snow on concrete. I chalked it up to the tracks, but I never tried another one like it since.


----------



## Mark13

JohnnyU;1552851 said:


> Are you planning on replacing the tracks, Mark?
> 
> I rented one of those a few years ago and was absolutely UNIMPRESSED with the machine and its complete lack of traction in snow on concrete. I chalked it up to the tracks, but I never tried another one like it since.


I plan to replace the tracks with a different pattern once the machine is due. It's still on the original tracks with about 75% remaining so I hope it will be a while. I messed around with it yesterday on some packed snow and traction is definitely a problem. However I didn't buy it to be a snow machine so I can't say I'm disappointed.


----------



## snocrete

Mark,
Here are the pics of the attach plate I have, that works for the adjustable jib, splitter, plow, and of course trailer mover.

Not sure if you'll notice, but the small bolts on the upper right hand side of the plate are to mount the CORV for the plow...the ears on bottom are for the plow to hook on to, and I made a small "arm" that slides into the receiver hitch to hook the chain to(it also allows for DP to be applied when desired). Sorry, didnt get ant pics of the plow....but there are some of it in the skid steer gallery.


----------



## Mark13

Thanks for the pictures. Pretty neat setup. Have to use some similar ideas in my build.


----------



## dheavychevy38

Nice little machine mark.


----------



## Mark13

dheavychevy38;1554835 said:


> Nice little machine mark.


Thanks. My first step to becoming king like Chuck lol.


----------



## ULM2013

Nice new machine mark. Ill have to come take a cruise out since were so busy


----------



## Mark13

ULM2013;1555038 said:


> Nice new machine mark. Ill have to come take a cruise out since were so busy


We're so busy I'm praying for a day off just to sit around and do nothing.


----------



## dheavychevy38

well when you get as big as chuck you can hire me for a mechanic lol.


----------



## Mark13

dheavychevy38;1556111 said:


> well when you get as big as chuck you can hire me for a mechanic lol.


Haha! I'll be sure to remember that.


----------



## Mark13

Couple more from the last week or so.

Moving some bales. Hard to see my truck in the back.
17 behind each pickup and 34 behind the Kenworth.









Going to clean up a mess another "contractor" left by not showing up at all to the 1/2" of ice/slush/sleet/snow that fell. Started as sleet, then went to snow, then rain, then sleet again, finally finished with snow and it made a mess of everything along with dropping the temp down to near single digits after it was all done.


----------



## Hambrick & Co.

Thats looks like a blast. you need a bigger salter


----------



## scott3430

Mark, are those bales about 1k pounds each? That's some serious pulling there!


----------



## Mark13

Hambrick & Co.;1567892 said:


> Thats looks like a blast. you need a bigger salter


My SnowEx 575 is working for now. I didn't burn through the whole pallet, just went through a few of the top layers. I just had to go get a new pallet beforehand as I was down to 3 bags.



scott3430;1567935 said:


> Mark, are those bales about 1k pounds each? That's some serious pulling there!


The ones on the semi and the Ford were 725-750 each. Mine were a little heavier, more towards 800 probably. The picture on a different page of the corn stalk bales was more weight. We figured the corn stalk bales to be 1500ish each and I could do 11 at a time. They also had a lot more wind resistance.


----------



## Deerewashed

where did your wheel well liner go?


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1568036 said:


> where did your wheel well liner go?


My summer tires decided they didn't like it when I tried moving my snowplow. I just haven't ordered another one yet. Makes replacing glow plugs easy.


----------



## FSUPERDUTY

Pretty sure you waved at me the other day,I wasn't snubbing ya just wasn't paying attention until it was to late!


----------



## Mark13

FSUPERDUTY;1568383 said:


> Pretty sure you waved at me the other day,I wasn't snubbing ya just wasn't paying attention until it was to late!


Ya I saw you were at Culvers when I went passed and then I got home and remembered I wanted to check one of my driveways and that's when I passed you by the bridge.


----------



## FSUPERDUTY

Starting to wonder if it's ever gonna snow?


----------



## Mark13

FSUPERDUTY;1568434 said:


> Starting to wonder if it's ever gonna snow?


Kinda now that you mentioned it.


----------



## IA Farmer

Do you have cattle or what do you do with all your bales?


----------



## Mark13

RAM_ON97;1568454 said:


> Do you have cattle or what do you do with all your bales?


Most of my hauling is for friends farms. I'm one of the few with a CDL and my truck and trailer properly plated, inspected, etc so I get a majority of the work when it comes to moving stuff.


----------



## scott3430

I have a class B with air brakes CDL. Mark - is that what you have for hauling? A class A would be nice to have, then a guy can drive pretty much anything.


----------



## Mark13

scott3430;1568678 said:


> I have a class B with air brakes CDL. Mark - is that what you have for hauling? A class A would be nice to have, then a guy can drive pretty much anything.


I've got a Class A with airbrakes. During harvest I'm usually in a semi.


----------



## scott3430

Mark13;1568841 said:


> I've got a Class A with airbrakes. During harvest I'm usually in a semi.


Thumbs Up - So Mark are you still thinking of upgrading to a newer truck? Or building up your current truck?


----------



## Deerewashed

if your gonna buy a new truck, a regular cab 3500 dually would be sweet with the duramax and a zf6....but you may want something bigger.


----------



## Drew2010

I see you went with black on your stock rims... I have been trying very hard to keep my buddy from painting the rims on his d-max... so far so good. If the clear coat was coming off you should have aircraft stripper'd them down and polished them out.... I guess its still not to late to do so. Black rims have a place on some rigs, but in 99% of the cases if someone "made" their rims black it doesn't look good. If they are bought and made that way then maybe. Sorry for the black rim rant, just not a fan of them. I believe a nice polished rim looks more professional then the blacked out look.

How about this winter.... :laughing:


----------



## Mark13

scott3430;1568854 said:


> Thumbs Up - So Mark are you still thinking of upgrading to a newer truck? Or building up your current truck?





Deerewashed;1568860 said:


> if your gonna buy a new truck, a regular cab 3500 dually would be sweet with the duramax and a zf6....but you may want something bigger.


I'll probably end up switching trucks. A Reg cab/zf6 truck would be cool but I spend way to much time in my pickup to have a regular cab. I also don't want to plow with a manual. 
I need to go visit some dealers and consider my options. Don't want to sell the skid steer I just got but it may come down to it if I can make more money with the truck then the machine and that would open up quite a bit of money to spend on a truck.



Drew2010;1569329 said:


> I see you went with black on your stock rims... I have been trying very hard to keep my buddy from painting the rims on his d-max... so far so good. If the clear coat was coming off you should have aircraft stripper'd them down and polished them out.... I guess its still not to late to do so. Black rims have a place on some rigs, but in 99% of the cases if someone "made" their rims black it doesn't look good. If they are bought and made that way then maybe. Sorry for the black rim rant, just not a fan of them. I believe a nice polished rim looks more professional then the blacked out look.
> 
> How about this winter.... :laughing:


I tried stripping them down with a couple different products designed just for that. The products worked ok, the problem was that once the coating was off it looked like someone had taken an engraving tool and just let it run while on the wheels. Lots of damage to them from I'd guess corrosion.


----------



## Deerewashed

so your gonna sell the one you got?? how many miles on it?


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1569359 said:


> so your gonna sell the one you got?? how many miles on it?


Yeah I'd sell my current truck. Somewhere between 117 and 118k on it currently.


----------



## Mark13

What to do in January?

Have a beach party of course.


----------



## chevyman51

Looks like a good time to me


----------



## Mark13

Few more pictures from the last week. Nothing to exciting has been going on here.










Two from the other night dealing with our snow/sleet/rain/ice/slush mess.


----------



## dheavychevy38

You passed me in crystal lake. I was in a stub nose 6 wheeler gmc with a boss v blade on the front.


----------



## scott3430

It looks like your running your truck lights instead of your plow lights? - I like the HID's!


----------



## Mark13

dheavychevy38;1580089 said:


> You passed me in crystal lake. I was in a stub nose 6 wheeler gmc with a boss v blade on the front.


I try and keep an eye out for their trucks to see if I can notice which one might be you.



scott3430;1580337 said:


> It looks like your running your truck lights instead of your plow lights? - I like the HID's!


Yeah I run my truck lights all the time, can't see crap with the plow lights.


----------



## R&R Yard Design

Time for hids in the plow lights


----------



## White Gardens

Anybody seen any weather models for next weekend?

inAccuweather has a 3"-6" snow storm predicted for us. No one else is saying anything.


.........


----------



## Mark13

R&R Yard Design;1580362 said:


> Time for hids in the plow lights


The plow light adjustments are all rusted up otherwise I'd consider it. Right now their pointed about 20' in front of the plow and I prefer to have a little more time to see what I'm going to hit.



White Gardens;1580372 said:


> Anybody seen any weather models for next weekend?
> 
> inAccuweather has a 3"-6" snow storm predicted for us. No one else is saying anything.
> 
> .........


I doubt we will get anything, maybe a salt run at best.


----------



## scott3430

HID bulbs in the plow lights is a good idea. Mine are also pointed to see 20' in front - which is good for plowing, but awful for driving down a road any faster then 3 mph!


----------



## Mark13

scott3430;1580435 said:


> HID bulbs in the plow lights is a good idea. Mine are also pointed to see 20' in front - which is good for plowing, but awful for driving down a road any faster then 3 mph!


I figure my truck lights shine over the plow pretty easily so no need to spend the money on the HID's for the plow. If I ever switch to a different brand where the plow lights come on automatically and I can't select to run my truck lights or I end up with one of the newer flared wing V plows then I'll end up with HID's in the plow lights. For now though my system works and I can see pretty good.


----------



## campkd6

I ordered my hids for my pickup and plow last night after putting them in my Yukon everything will have them. have to pull the housings apart on the Pete to see what bulb it takes then it too will be Hid.


----------



## Mark13

campkd6;1583299 said:


> I ordered my hids for my pickup and plow last night after putting them in my Yukon everything will have them. have to pull the housings apart on the Pete to see what bulb it takes then it too will be Hid.


If I spent much time in the same semi I'd be buying HID's for it. Keeps things interesting when the head lights produce about 1 candle power and your trying to hurry.


----------



## campkd6

No doubt. I have the round headlights on my Pete with the clear glass len's running silverstars can't wait to see the Hid's in them


----------



## scott3430

Did you guys get any snow out of the big rainstorm that rolled thru Chicago area?


----------



## Mark13

scott3430;1583679 said:


> Did you guys get any snow out of the big rainstorm that rolled thru Chicago area?


We got about 1/8" of ice on everything. It's snowing right now, 4am or so start is the last I heard.


----------



## Mark13

Haven't updated this in a while. Went through and found some pictures from the last few months.

From one farm looking to the other, you can just barely see it in the middle of the picture.


Spreading some manure


----------



## Mark13

How to properly move cars.




Start of field work.


----------



## Mark13

Making trailer parking at the house.


----------



## Mark13

Memorial Day Weekend. Ended up with 5 campers, 11 atvs, and about 25 people.



Most of the atvs, couple were left back at camp along with most of the adults


----------



## Mark13

Various others of the truck. 
All cleaned up for summer.



Hauling block.


----------



## Holland

Saw the riding pics on fb the other day. where did you guys go riding? We were planning on hitting the trails but it never stopped raining over here.


----------



## Mark13

Holland;1636855 said:


> Saw the riding pics on fb the other day. where did you guys go riding? We were planning on hitting the trails but it never stopped raining over here.


We were directly north of you. About 10 miles north of Blue River, Wi.


----------



## Holland

really. I'll be in that area running a pull on the 15th of June in Highland wi. We've done alot of pulls in Boscobel too. 

Our riding trip is planned for the second weekend in July. Just a short trip to darlington for us! Still have to register the fourwheeler and get a plate made tho. It was bad enough only having to get a sticker before....


----------



## Mark13

Holland;1636858 said:


> really. I'll be in that area running a pull on the 15th of June in Highland wi. We've done alot of pulls in Boscobel too.
> 
> Our riding trip is planned for the second weekend in July. Just a short trip to darlington for us! Still have to register the fourwheeler and get a plate made tho. It was bad enough only having to get a sticker before....


I'm hoping to get a few more trips in this summer. I'd like to do one up to the U.P. where friends have a vacation house and then another to the same place we went for memorial day weekend. It's pretty easy to go places now with the trailer, logistics of getting 5-8 atvs somewhere used to be the killer for my friends and I. Rounding up 3 or 4 trucks and a few trailers and then the problems that come with that much stuff moving down the road at once.


----------



## Deerewashed

what size are your new winter wheels??? they look wide. 295's?


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1636867 said:


> what size are your new winter wheels??? they look wide. 295's?


285/75/16's. The wheels are the factory aluminum wheels painted black because they started to delaminate.


----------



## Deerewashed

yeah i got the same problem.....would buy some new ones, but they will be beater winter wheels as well once i can afford 2800 for new summer wheels and tires......god damn bmf has to charge an arm and a leg.


----------



## Deerewashed

you gonna keep this rig, or you still keeping an eye out for a 3500?


----------



## Mark13

Deerewashed;1636947 said:


> you gonna keep this rig, or you still keeping an eye out for a 3500?


A 3500 Dually isn't enough of an upgrade to justify changing everything. I'd rather wait for a medium duty to take over tow duty and keep this truck as my daily driver and work truck.


----------



## Mark13

Some more pictures from the last couple weeks.


----------



## Mark13

Can just barely see me on the right side loading bales.

Following the IH 1466 and the Discbine. 29mph in road gear.

1486 and round baler.

766 and rake


----------



## Mark13

Making haylage



Storm that missed us the other day.

Storm that didn't miss us today.


----------



## Mark13

Morning chores all done.


----------



## CAT 245ME

I like the square look of the old International Harvester tractors.

At one time the old IH tractors out numbered JD's by a large margin around here, I see one farm that switched to all JD a few years ago but they still have an old 1086 that they use for all the mowing.


----------



## Mark13

CAT 245ME;1638047 said:


> I like the square look of the old International Harvester tractors.
> 
> At one time the old IH tractors out numbered JD's by a large margin around here, I see one farm that switched to all JD a few years ago but they still have an old 1086 that they use for all the mowing.


They've got quite a few of the old IH tractors.
From what I know off the top of my head and I'm probably missing some.
766, 806, 856, 1026, 1066 Hydro, 1066 Turbo, 1466, 1486, and a 1566. 
There's also a Super M, 5288, and a 7240 Magnum. 
All those tractors are used for hay production, spreading manure, feeding, and other duty's around the farm. They also have a couple CAT tractors that are for crop production.


----------



## GMCHD plower

Nice pictures Mark! Do you do any small square bales? Or is all the hay you do rounds and large squares?


----------



## Mark13

GMCHD plower;1638057 said:


> Nice pictures Mark! Do you do any small square bales? Or is all the hay you do rounds and large squares?


We do small squares as well. I'm not really as involved with that as I am round bales and big squares.


----------



## GMCHD plower

Ohh gotcha... It would be impressive to see how many small squares would fit on your goosneck lol


----------



## Mark13

GMCHD plower;1638116 said:


> Ohh gotcha... It would be impressive to see how many small squares would fit on your goosneck lol


We can easily do 300 without stacking to tall.

Did a little boat moving today.


----------



## BlueRam2500

Nice pics as always Mark.


----------



## GMCHD plower

Mark13;1638128 said:


> We can easily do 300 without stacking to tall.
> 
> Did a little boat moving today.


Think I figured 288 if it was stacked 8 tiers high, tapering like a ti-pi, can I move out there!? Seems like you always have something fun to do lol


----------



## Mark13

GMCHD plower;1638144 said:


> Think I figured 288 if it was stacked 8 tiers high, tapering like a ti-pi, can I move out there!? Seems like you always have something fun to do lol


We stack it square, straight on all sides so more fit.

Go for it, I manage to find quite a bit of random stuff that keeps me entertained and improves my knowledge of what does and doesn't work.


----------



## GMCHD plower

Makes sense, we make the ti-pi shape so that we can put a chain in front making a V and a chain in back making a V, then hook a ratchet strap between the two chains over the top, for short distances anyways.


----------



## Mark13

GMCHD plower;1638151 said:


> Makes sense, we make the ti-pi shape so that we can put a chain in front making a V and a chain in back making a V, then hook a ratchet strap between the two chains over the top, for short distances anyways.


We'll throw straps over side to side and hammer down. If we keep it under 100 it usually works out in our favor.


----------



## Drew2010

Mark13;1638153 said:


> We'll throw straps over side to side and hammer down. If we keep it under 100 it usually works out in our favor.


We do as well. About 5 straps over the top on the sides and away we go. We don't stack making it taper up. just stack the top row one flat, three on edge, and one flat. (xXXXx) On a 30'er we do either 350 or 400 bales depending on if we go 7 or 8 layers high. On our semi drop decks we put about 800 or more on. The key to these big loads is alternating every other stack direction and "tying each layer and stack together.

I love the looks on new customers faces when they see the trailers and say "will that be okay?"

We do about 575-600 acres of rye. Run accumulators behind our small square balers with grapples on loader tractors. Makes loading trailers much easier and faster. Typically make about 45-47,000 small squares each year. As well as 300-350 rounds, and about the same number of big squares. Well pry be starting here around the 4th of July.

Great pics Mark! I always enjoy seeing updates in this thread. Nice to see someone local who's in the same field of work as me.


----------



## Mark13

Drew2010;1638163 said:


> We do as well. About 5 straps over the top on the sides and away we go. We don't stack making it taper up. just stack the top row one flat, three on edge, and one flat. (xXXXx) On a 30'er we do either 350 or 400 bales depending on if we go 7 or 8 layers high. On our semi drop decks we put about 800 or more on. The key to these big loads is alternating every other stack direction and "tying each layer and stack together.
> 
> I love the looks on new customers faces when they see the trailers and say "will that be okay?"
> 
> We do about 575-600 acres of rye. Run accumulators behind our small square balers with grapples on loader tractors. Makes loading trailers much easier and faster. Typically make about 45-47,000 small squares each year. As well as 300-350 rounds, and about the same number of big squares. Well pry be starting here around the 4th of July.
> 
> Great pics Mark! I always enjoy seeing updates in this thread. Nice to see someone local who's in the same field of work as me.


We usually go 5 layers high with small squares when dealing with horse farms. We've run into situations before where it's low clearance between building overhangs, trees, building doors, etc if we go to much higher then the truck and trailer neck sit.

We make a few thousand small squares but round bales and big squares are the main thing. A few thousand of each get made each summer. We've made probably 400 round bales and about the same number of big squares so far.

Small squares get thrown in basket racks straight from the baler. Big squares and round bales are handled by track skid steers in the field and hauled with either goosenecks or semi's with drop decks. At the farm we unload with another skid steer, a wheel loader, or it's usually a tractor with a loader at a customers house.

I remember asking but I don't remember your answer, where are you located?


----------



## DieselSlug

Very cool pictures, good to see people staying active in the off months. Im stuck in an office all summer..


----------



## Drew2010

Mark13;1638174 said:


> We usually go 5 layers high with small squares when dealing with horse farms. We've run into situations before where it's low clearance between building overhangs, trees, building doors, etc if we go to much higher then the truck and trailer neck sit.
> 
> We make a few thousand small squares but round bales and big squares are the main thing. A few thousand of each get made each summer. We've made probably 400 round bales and about the same number of big squares so far.
> 
> Small squares get thrown in basket racks straight from the baler. Big squares and round bales are handled by track skid steers in the field and hauled with either goosenecks or semi's with drop decks. At the farm we unload with another skid steer, a wheel loader, or it's usually a tractor with a loader at a customers house.
> 
> I remember asking but I don't remember your answer, where are you located?


I hear ya, theres some shady places we go to and clearance and room to move is slim alot of times.

We run dump baskets (not kicker racks) behind the balers when we are filling the barn and doing pallets, but otherwise its accumulators all the way.

Our main item for our straw operation is small squares. I wish we could get away from them more, but we have a lot of dairy guys by Dubuque and north that only want small squares. Plus we supply a bunch of surrounding Lowes, Menards, and other Garden Centers. We also do 5,000-7,000 bales on pallets and wrapped for Chicago area Jewel stores for their fall displays.

Im located over in Fulton


----------



## Mark13

DieselSlug;1638181 said:


> Very cool pictures, good to see people staying active in the off months. Im stuck in an office all summer..


I'd go crazy in a building all day. My office is my pickup and it sees a lot of me.



Drew2010;1638185 said:


> I hear ya, theres some shady places we go to and clearance and room to move is slim alot of times.
> 
> We run dump baskets (not kicker racks) behind the balers when we are filling the barn and doing pallets, but otherwise its accumulators all the way.
> 
> Our main item for our straw operation is small squares. I wish we could get away from them more, but we have a lot of dairy guys by Dubuque and north that only want small squares. Plus we supply a bunch of surrounding Lowes, Menards, and other Garden Centers. We also do 5,000-7,000 bales on pallets and wrapped for Chicago area Jewel stores for their fall displays.
> 
> Im located over in Fulton


I was watching a farmer use a dump basket the other day, very rare around here. 99.9% of guys around here either use basket racks or hand stack flat racks if they deal in small squares.

Sounds like your guys have found a niche in the business with supplying the box stores.

Your a few hours from me then, I'm in Woodstock.


----------



## Drew2010

Mark13;1638205 said:


> I'd go crazy in a building all day. My office is my pickup and it sees a lot of me.
> 
> I was watching a farmer use a dump basket the other day, very rare around here. 99.9% of guys around here either use basket racks or hand stack flat racks if they deal in small squares.
> 
> Sounds like your guys have found a niche in the business with supplying the box stores.
> 
> Your a few hours from me then, I'm in Woodstock.


The dump baskets are great for what we do. Sure beats unloading just to load into the barn again.

There has been many years of contacts and connections to get the customer base we have. Each year we find more and more sandy ground to put in rye. Last few years weve been growing by 25 acres or so each year.

Yeah Fulton isnt that close, but compared to where some guys on here are from, I consider you local. haha


----------



## Mark13

Drew2010;1638215 said:


> The dump baskets are great for what we do. Sure beats unloading just to load into the barn again.
> 
> There has been many years of contacts and connections to get the customer base we have. Each year we find more and more sandy ground to put in rye. Last few years weve been growing by 25 acres or so each year.
> 
> Yeah Fulton isnt that close, but compared to where some guys on here are from, I consider you local. haha


We don't do any rye, just hay. A decent portion of the hay is all custom work and it seems each year it gets a little bit bigger but still has plenty of steady jobs from the previous years.

There's a few guys on here that are within 20 minutes of my house and I've never met them. A few of the local guys I know. 
If I ever end up down your way with some time to kill I'll see if I can make contact and meet up. Hopefully it involves my flatbed because then it pays for the trip lol.


----------



## Mark13

More pictures. Not a single thing is in order.

Little bit of harvest. I mostly stay in a semi.




Bedding Pens.


----------



## Mark13

Fixing a broken post.

Cleaning pens while the post is getting replaced.

Hauling corn.

88 Mack R-Model with an 87 Ti-Brook dump. 79 KW W900A with a Wilson Hopper. Tractor is a Cat MT765C and a Brent cart


----------



## Mark13

Headed home from a shrub removal job. 


Beans.


Filling silo with high moisture corn.


32' forklift ramp/loading dock


----------



## Mark13

Doing a little property clearing for a friend.
Loaded up and ready to go. 



More hay. Last load out of the field for the year.


Picking up straw bales and dodging airplanes.


----------



## Mark13

Some pictures of one of the farms I help at, owned by a friends grandparents. Milking 160ish, total of about 350 head total. Mil-R-Mor Dairy in Orangeville, IL
https://www.facebook.com/MilRMorFarm

Sunrise

A few at night.


----------



## Mark13

One more.


My ctl washed and waxed. 


Hauling straw bales.


----------



## Mark13

A little snow stuff getting ready for this winter.


----------



## REAPER

Living the true American life Mark. Thumbs Up
Great pics. I can smell the crop dust in the air here in town the last couple of weeks.


----------



## erkoehler

Nice pics mark! Should be a great year up here! Bring on the snow.


----------



## plow3232

very nice pics, that's your farm or you work for them? love farm life too bad there ant none around here or ill work for free, lol


----------



## GMCHD plower

Gain some good accounts Mark? Or just better money subbing with a vbox?


----------



## FF/P215

Great pics, Mark! Hope everyone made it out okay out there, you had some crazy weather!


----------



## Mark13

REAPER;1665947 said:


> Living the true American life Mark. Thumbs Up
> Great pics. I can smell the crop dust in the air here in town the last couple of weeks.


I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't farming or snow/ice control. I've never had a job that works a normal schedule and is predictable.



erkoehler;1666009 said:


> Nice pics mark! Should be a great year up here! Bring on the snow.


I hope we all have a more balanced season this year and everyone makes some good money with minimal damages and downtime and no personal injuries.



plow3232;1666117 said:


> very nice pics, that's your farm or you work for them? love farm life too bad there ant none around here or ill work for free, lol


I just work at the farms I post pictures of. Both set of my grandparents had their own dairy farms but the farms were sold in the 80's and 90's.



GMCHD plower;1666164 said:


> Gain some good accounts Mark? Or just better money subbing with a vbox?


More hours with the vbox and some contracts were changed around which meant my tailgate salter would just be sitting and the vbox I currently have would just be sitting in the spare truck. Figured why not pull the vbox out of the spare truck and throw it in mine, if my truck goes down just move the vbox back to the spare truck. The wiring, controller, etc was all left in the spare truck and I got new stuff for my pickup.



FF/P215;1666393 said:


> Great pics, Mark! Hope everyone made it out okay out there, you had some crazy weather!


By me there wasn't much damage compared to central, IL that got cleaned off the map yesterday. Some branches down at my house was all. Around the area I see more damage, small buildings/lean to's damaged, fences/trees/power poles knocked down, roofs damaged, etc.


----------



## CAT 245ME

Mark who owns the old 90's GMC with the HD tow mirrors on the previous page.


----------



## Mark13

CAT 245ME;1669910 said:


> Mark who owns the old 90's GMC with the HD tow mirrors on the previous page.


My boss had it for a little while and now the guy who drives the 1 ton dump has it for his personal truck. 97 GMC 2500, 170k or so on it I think. 7.4/auto. It's a pretty clean truck.


----------



## Mark13

25th of November.


----------



## MatthewG

So how do you tow the goose neck with the spreader in the bed?

Id like a goose neck, but I have the spreader problem


----------



## Mark13

MatthewG;1671019 said:


> So how do you tow the goose neck with the spreader in the bed?
> 
> Id like a goose neck, but I have the spreader problem


I just put a ball on the top of the screen in the spreader. Thumbs Up

Currently I don't. Most of what I need to move I can do with a tag trailer. However if I need to use my gooseneck I'll just use one of the skid steers or a fork lift and lift the spreader out, use the trailer then put the spreader back in.

2 bolts, 4 straps, and an electrical connection and the spreader is out. Shouldn't take more then a couple minutes.

Multiple close friends also have pickups with gooseneck hitches and if it comes down to it I can always swap pickups with them for the day and not worry about taking my spreader in and out.


----------



## Mark13

So far this winter has been crazy. Events every couple days if not every day. Lots of salt, lots of ice and plenty of snow to push along the way as well.




This almost got really interesting


----------



## Mark13




----------



## snopushin ford

the truck is looking good! Are you still looking to get a bigger truck for your farm use? A VXT or DXT would look bad azz on your truck. have a good Christmas. Matt


----------



## Pushin 2 Please

I love your truck Mark. Nice set up and great pics!


----------



## Mark13

snopushin ford;1694802 said:


> the truck is looking good! Are you still looking to get a bigger truck for your farm use? A VXT or DXT would look bad azz on your truck. have a good Christmas. Matt





Pushin 2 Please;1695075 said:


> I love your truck Mark. Nice set up and great pics!


Thanks Guys. If winter keeps up like it has been an DXT maybe seen on the front of my truck. I also am looking for a 550 to add to the fleet at some point. I'll know more towards spring how things are looking and if I still have the need for one. If nothing else maybe just a gas 3/4 or 1 ton for next season to put my straight blade on and still allow me to pull my gooseneck in the winter if needed. Who knows, it may get a spreader as well.


----------



## S-205

Love the look of your rig, glad you're busy this winter!


----------



## TPCLandscaping

mark, are you a member over on fullsizechevy.com too?
how do you like your Boss Plow?


----------



## Mark13

TPCLandscaping;1703785 said:


> mark, are you a member over on fullsizechevy.com too?
> how do you like your Boss Plow?


I am also on FSC along with numerous other forums.

I'd only switch from Boss to run an expandable plow from either Western or Blizzard. I'm pretty happy with it.


----------



## TPCLandscaping

I used to be on full-size all the time.. Slinky05crew..i think you posted on there a lot.. i have a boss dealer close..but I'm not sure about the mount that stays on the truck all the time


----------



## Mark13

TPCLandscaping;1704076 said:


> I used to be on full-size all the time.. Slinky05crew..i think you posted on there a lot.. i have a boss dealer close..but I'm not sure about the mount that stays on the truck all the time


I can't say I like the look of the mount but I don't even notice it anymore. My mount hangs down lower then most do because of the lift.


----------



## xgiovannix12

Ouch at the man hole cover. Did a tire go in ??


----------



## Mark13

xgiovannix12;1704185 said:


> Ouch at the man hole cover. Did a tire go in ??


Luckily I was just idling along, I didn't realize I hit the man hole cover until I heard the sound of the cover sliding on the pavement. Almost dropped a tire in, you can see the track from my drivers front tire over the right side of the man hole.


----------



## xgiovannix12

at least it didn't go in and you heard it  I bet someone we admire with his wonderful posts I dont wanna mention any names would have a tire in it.


----------



## Mark13

xgiovannix12;1704191 said:


> at least it didn't go in and you heard it  I bet someone we admire with his wonderful posts I dont wanna mention any names would have a tire in it.


I'm sure, with 2wd he'd be sitting there waiting too


----------



## xgiovannix12

Mark13;1704192 said:


> I'm sure, with 2wd he'd be sitting there waiting too


yup :laughing:


----------



## Deerewashed

no more side steps? i just got 35's on my rig and had to go order an n-fab step because im the only one in my family taller than 5'7"


----------



## Mark13

xgiovannix12;1704197 said:


> yup :laughing:


I've been running 2wd 90% of the time the last couple of days even while pushing a foot or more of snow. Gotta love ballast and good tires.



Deerewashed;1704283 said:


> no more side steps? i just got 35's on my rig and had to go order an n-fab step because im the only one in my family taller than 5'7"


I took the steps off for a different look and they were annoying in the winter. The slush from the road would build up on them, freeze, then make it so you had to force the door open and knock the frozen slush off the step. 
I have to hop to get in and out now though


----------



## scott3430

I like the look of no side steps better. I agree that they would be a pain in winter, and especially with plowing.


----------



## Mark13

This last week was crazy busy. I got to go to bed this morning (Friday) for the first time since Sunday night. I squeezed in a couple short naps but was still averaging 30-48hrs between naps. It's currently blowing like crazy and everything is drifting.




We had some ice last weekend, an inch or so of snow, and then our 4-6" storm turned into a foot.


----------



## Mark13

I've bought almost every day for the last week and a half or two weeks. I think I'm paying someone's salary at the gas station.


My neighbor can't figure out how to stay on the driveway. Was backing up and fell off the driveway, also managed to back up on to a 14-16" diameter log. Got him pulled out but not after he took off his passengers side mirror on the tree. 


Snuck in some fun. Semi-pro hockey


My competition. Notice the over flowing dumpster in his driveway. The place is a mess. Cars and mowing trailer in the front yard. Garage full of cheap mowers and leaves. Plow truck half in/out of the garage so it's not sticking into the street, etc.


----------



## Mark13

Couple Chevy's and red plows. Early morning meeting


Bossman with his nifty DXT


More salt!


----------



## Brains

I understand that it's been almost 2 years since you last updated this, but got any new pictures? really enjoyed reading through this thread


----------



## Mark13

Brains;2034356 said:


> I understand that it's been almost 2 years since you last updated this, but got any new pictures? really enjoyed reading through this thread


I was thinking about this thread the other day, I've got hundreds of more pictures. I'll see how this week pans out and maybe I'll have a chance to post some of them.


----------



## Banksy

Mark13;2034364 said:


> I was thinking about this thread the other day, I've got hundreds of more pictures. I'll see how this week pans out and maybe I'll have a chance to post some of them.


Such a slacker!


----------



## dheavychevy38

Big question is did you sell the pickup lol saw it on craigslist.


----------



## Mark13

dheavychevy38;2037795 said:


> Big question is did you sell the pickup lol saw it on craigslist.


Yes sir, it's gone. It lives somewhere by Oconomowoc, Wi now. The only vehicle I have is my 550.


----------



## 4wydnr

Mark13;2037859 said:


> Yes sir, it's gone. It lives somewhere by Oconomowoc, Wi now. The only vehicle I have is my 550.


Good deal!


----------



## NHCraigT

Mark13;2037859 said:


> Yes sir, it's gone. It lives somewhere by Oconomowoc, Wi now. The only vehicle I have is my 550.


:salute:

I really liked the look of that truck. I hope the new owner enjoys it, and takes good care of it.

That same truck = honestly inspired me a bit (looks-wise), when I set-up my truck earlier this year (a low mileage 1-ton duramax that I purchased in March).

Not trying to hijack the thread, just posting the pics in honor of Mark's previously owned vehicle:


----------



## Brains

NHCraigT;2038866 said:


> :salute:
> 
> I really liked the look of that truck. I hope the new owner enjoys it, and takes good care of it.
> 
> That same truck = honestly inspired me a bit (looks-wise), when I set-up my truck earlier this year (a low mileage 1-ton duramax that I purchased in March).
> 
> Not trying to hijack the thread, just posting the pics in honor of Mark's previously owned vehicle:


Great, clean looking rig. Im on the hunt for a nice clean one like yours


----------



## Mark13

Finally had a chance to upload some new pictures. I'll try to get them in a decent order but no promises.

Few friends trucks from a show out in Iowa I've gone to the last couple years. 





Cool old A model, still a working truck.


----------



## Mark13

Doing a little farming, picking corn and chopping.


----------



## Mark13

Doing a little hay. The skid steer attachment picks up the round bales and wraps them in plastic to protect them from the weather. 


Being stuck. 


Big Square baler


----------



## Mark13

Putting in a new field entrance.


----------



## Mark13

Wrapping bales.


Straw bales.


A friend of mine got their antique 1941 John Deere A out to play with it a little bit. Skid loader went with to touch up some field spots and level a riding arena out.


----------



## Mark13

Last summer a local business's pickup went down for over a month so I ended up hauling a lot of grain bin parts and equipment all over. 
Truck that broke on their trailer in western Iowa. 


Broke again, this time on my trailer.


Making some deliveries.


----------



## Mark13

Moving a crane counter weight and some rigging.


A few other random loads.


----------



## Mark13

Every year a few friends and I try and fly in to AirVenture at Oshkosh. It's quite an experience.


----------



## Mark13

Spreading some sludge. Rather unsuccessful day, spent more time stuck then most anything else. Normally it's done before snow in good weather but they'd been given a special permit to spread this on snow.


----------



## Mark13

Picked up a new Boss 9.2 SS DXT a couple years back. 



Sloped driveway on a curve + Ice = Sliding off the driveway into the marsh.


Friends setup for when the pickup and v plow or skid loader just isn't going to do the job.


----------



## Mark13

Other Misc photos.

Barn cleaning.


1,000hr service on my skid steer.


Winching a friends truck on to my trailer to take it over to his shop.


----------



## Mark13

More chopping pictures.


----------



## Mark13

Last picture I took of my Chevy before it went to a new home in Wisconsin about a month ago. 


Replaced it with a truck I bought from an acquaintance in August 2014.



For about a year I had them both at the same time.


----------



## 512high

awesome pictures! Beautiful country and equipment!


----------



## FSUPERDUTY

Great pics as usual!


----------



## IA Farmer

Any of the show trucks Steve, Pete, or Marks?


----------



## Mark13

IA Farmer;2042835 said:


> Any of the show trucks Steve, Pete, or Marks?


The purple and white 379 on the end used to be Steve's, now Pete owns it. The red W9 in the middle is their brother Dave's. The green chop top W9 is Mark's. He also has a Maroon 379 Pete as well.

Mark's maroon 379 and his new wagon this year at the Midwest Pride in Your Ride show in Earlville. 


Few more pictures from the last year and a half.

Moving some bulk feed bins out of central Iowa. 





How to haul a dually bed 4hrs without a trailer.


----------



## Plow_king

How do like the powerstoke compared to the duramax?


----------



## Mark13

My 550 and the farm's 550. Almost identical trucks but 3 model years apart. 


Doing a little hauling with the ol' 1206 IH. Sauced up a little bit and it sounds pretty darn good with a straight pipe. 



Doing a little mowing.


----------



## Mark13

Plow_king;2042844 said:


> How do like the powerstoke compared to the duramax?


It's not really a fair comparion between a 2500HD and a 6yr newer F550 but they're both great trucks. The new 6.7 is awesome and the truck itself is pretty sick as well. Towing and hauling are on another level, I've owned it a year and haven't overloaded it yet (those who know me will understand how huge of an accomplishment that is).

Little bit of Northwoods riding and boating at a friends house in the WI/UP border. 






Saw I picked up for a friend. Got it from SNOWLORD, pretty cool guy up in MN.


----------



## Mark13

Some Northwoods deck demo and rebuilding for their weekly/monthly rental house up there.






Winter picture from their island house up there. Pretty sure I could live up there without to many complaints.


----------



## Mark13

Ran down to NC twice in the last year. Stopped by the TS Diesel Show in Bowling Green on my way down to watch the drag races and the sled pull event.



Down in NC on the first trip. 2500HD and 18' Pace enclosed


Second trip a year later, slightly different setup. F550 and 28' Millennium enclosed


Did some hiking.




Stopped by the BMW plant in SC while I was there as well. Pretty cool place, the museum is neat.


----------



## Mark13

My girlfriend treated me to seeing Garth Brooks while he was in Milwaukee a month or so ago. Grew up listening to him, pretty neat to get to see him in concert.




He did 2 shows the night we went, this is the line of people waiting to get in for the second show. It went all the way around the block and then behind the building. 


Doing a little trailer repair, the pins that act as the hinge for the lift up center gave out. New pins, new bushings, back in action.


----------



## Mark13

Few other random loads.

60" bucket for a Deere 350. 


Bringing my 2500HD back from the detailer.




Stopped in Dubuque, IA on my way home this this spring for a look around and grabbed some pictures while I was there. 





Salt anyone?


----------



## Pushin 2 Please

Bad a$$ pics Mark. Bad a$$.


----------



## Mark13

My girlfriends dad and his friends have a hobby of cars and trucks.

One of his friend's son's S10. Started as a base model, orange ex municipal truck with a little 4 cylinder in it. Lowered stuff like this isn't really my thing, I respect their interest in it though but this thing is sick. Very well done, I don't think he even knows what the term "cutting corners" is.




My girlfriends dad has a couple camaro's. 
His 2002 turbo car.




Dragweek 2015. His first time ever doing the event, did it solo. Placed 4th if I remember right in the small block, power adder class. 


His 1967 Camaro SS. Under his ownership for 35 years. Big Block with spray.


The roadkill crew hanging out at the Car Craft Summer National Midnight Drags trying to get slicks put on one of their project cars.


----------



## Mark13

My main gig is usually driving semi although I seem to do a variety of different things.



A few weeks ago I was loading out of Highwood, IL right on Lake Michigan, couldn't resist the photo opportunity. 


Out for a cruise in a little R22 with a long time friend who's a pilot. 



New Fastrac being delivered to the company I work for. They've been though over a dozen of them I believe and have 2-3 at a time.


----------



## Mark13

More chopping pictures. This job was for a 5200 head dairy farm.

6 pack tractors, 4 choppers, 16ish semi's, and 8 tractors pulling carts. 





New Holland T9. 700. 682hp, 18' blade, I'd figure it weighed 70,000lb+ with that 15,000lb roller on the back and all the wheel weights. It was unstopable. 


Some of the semi's


----------



## Mark13

The 550 all cleaned up 




Bed before and you can see the corner piece where I hit it with some steel wool to see what would happen. 


Bed after. Sanded, cut, polished, wiped down. Did the cab guard, tail board, top/sides all the way around, and the fuel tank and toolbox.


The farm's F550 loaded up to go pick up rocks. 



My next plow truck, found it at a local trucking outfit.


----------



## Mark13

Some equipment pictures. 



My ride for a day this past summer, never had run a dozer before.


----------



## Mark13

And a few last winter pictures.




Watch for curbs while plowing.


After a 6hr ride back home from the UP while it was snowing a majority of the way. 







Few more of my old truck I found. If my 550 treats me 1/2 as well as my 2500HD did, I'll be a happy man. 






Hiding from the hail.


----------



## scott3430

Wow great pics, how do you like your 550 vs your chevy?


----------



## IA Farmer

Awesome pics. It seems you stay pretty busy.


----------



## Mark13

scott3430;2043048 said:


> Wow great pics, how do you like your 550 vs your chevy?


Aside from the unloaded ride quality (bad, but not as bad as you'd think) the 550 is awesome. It's my daily driver now. I miss the Chevy for road trips when not towing or hauling but other then that I honestly don't miss it much. The newer superduty's are pretty nice driving trucks, the Lariat interior sure doesn't hurt either. It's also very quiet inside for a diesel, running down the road with the windows up and the radio off the only noise you hear is the whine of the 19.5's on the pavement. I bet if it had 16 or 17" light truck tires instead it would be nearly silent inside. 
For quite a while I was looking at older XL or XLT 450/550 trucks that were pretty cheap and needed some work or a different bed put on them to make it useful to me (I don't need a service bed, crane body, welding bed, etc) and I got work this truck was kinda sorta for sale to a select few people and called him about it. The only thing I would change about it would be to make it a crew cab, other then that the thing is great. Also after having a flatbed I really don't miss a normal truck bed. I've got a fellow in Iowa making some some underbody toolboxes right now to go along with fuel tank/tool chest that I take on and off the bed. I'll have 5x the storage of a pickup truck and a cross box and with removing 6 bolts and unplugging the pump I will still have 4 underbed boxes and a 9'x8.5' flatbed to put things on. I'll still end up with more storage space then a pickup toolbox and I'll still have much more bed space at the same time. When all said and done the truck will still be the same size as a 1 ton dually and turn 2x sharper.



IA Farmer;2043349 said:


> Awesome pics. It seems you stay pretty busy.


I stay as busy as I want to be and then some. I mostly work just a variety of part time or seasonal stuff for various friends of mine and at any given time I usually have 2-5 other people/companies inquiring if I'm looking for work or when I can come do things for them. I mostly pick and choose what I want to do and if I need work I could find plenty of options with only a couple phone calls.


----------



## PHS79

I may not be a Chevy fan, but I can appreciate a nice looking truck that is put together nicely no matter the make, your Duramax fits the bill. If your F550 was a crewcab it would pretty much my dream truck! The best thing is that not only do your trucks look good but you aren't afraid to work them!


----------



## Rick547

What is with everyone wanting a crew cab to plow with? I personnel prefer a regular cab.


----------



## Mark13

PHS79;2043940 said:


> I may not be a Chevy fan, but I can appreciate a nice looking truck that is put together nicely no matter the make, your Duramax fits the bill. If your F550 was a crewcab it would pretty much my dream truck! The best thing is that not only do your trucks look good but you aren't afraid to work them!


Thanks, It's a never ending battle to keep them shined up and looking good while working them in dusty, dirty, salty conditions. I wish for a nice indoor wash area in a shop some day but for now the driveway will have to do as my detailing area.



Rick547;2044049 said:


> What is with everyone wanting a crew cab to plow with? I personnel prefer a regular cab.


I want the crew cab for most everything else besides plowing, work, trucking, traveling, etc. For plowing though it still wouldn't be to terrible, the 450/550 trucks turn very sharp for their size and it helps a lot with maneuverability compared to the normal pickup. My 550 would run circles around my 2500HD. The 550 is about the same length, same height, but a little wider but I find it much easier to maneuver around. Turns or direction changes that used to be a 2-3 point turn in my Chevy are one smooth turn in my Ford. The length of the truck also does not bother me to much due to running construction equipment, farm equipment, and semi's day in and day out for work or helping friends. For those with a different back ground then a crew cab F550 with a 9' flatbed and a blade hanging off the front might be the biggest thing they could ever drive, but compared to a 4wd farm tractor that's 13' tall, 17' wide, and 30' long with a ladder going to the cab door a pickup isn't a big deal to wheel around.


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## Rick547

Mark13;2044435 said:


> Thanks, It's a never ending battle to keep them shined up and looking good while working them in dusty, dirty, salty conditions. I wish for a nice indoor wash area in a shop some day but for now the driveway will have to do as my detailing area.
> 
> I want the crew cab for most everything else besides plowing, work, trucking, traveling, etc. For plowing though it still wouldn't be to terrible, the 450/550 trucks turn very sharp for their size and it helps a lot with maneuverability compared to the normal pickup. My 550 would run circles around my 2500HD. The 550 is about the same length, same height, but a little wider but I find it much easier to maneuver around. Turns or direction changes that used to be a 2-3 point turn in my Chevy are one smooth turn in my Ford. The length of the truck also does not bother me to much due to running construction equipment, farm equipment, and semi's day in and day out for work or helping friends. For those with a different back ground then a crew cab F550 with a 9' flatbed and a blade hanging off the front might be the biggest thing they could ever drive, but compared to a 4wd farm tractor that's 13' tall, 17' wide, and 30' long with a ladder going to the cab door a pickup isn't a big deal to wheel around.


Thanks for the reply Mark! I was just curious why so many choose a crew cab to plow with. I have a Chevy 1500 crew cab that I pull a trailer with. They are great vehicles and have many uses. Thanks again.


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## Drew2010

Looking good Mark, have always enjoyed your pictures!

Great Looking Ford! Are you tired of paying for H plates yet? haha


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## Mark13

Drew2010;2047508 said:


> Looking good Mark, have always enjoyed your pictures!
> 
> Great Looking Ford! Are you tired of paying for H plates yet? haha


Thanks! Just paying tax on the truck was enough, the H plates and my trailer being due the same time each year seem to lightened the wallet quite a bit!

I considered putting F plates on it but I figured one time getting stopped while over weight on those plates and I wouldn't really be saving any money compared to paying extra for the H plates each year.


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## ServiceOnSite

Any reason you went with a Ford over a Dodge? Noting else really in the med duty market other than those 2.


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## Showmestaterida

Great pictures and equipment . U plasti dip spray those stock chevy wheels or use just regular black paint? Like the look and thinking about doing that to my wheels.


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## DieselSlug

Awesome pictures!


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## Mark13

ServiceOnSite;2067687 said:


> Any reason you went with a Ford over a Dodge? Noting else really in the med duty market other than those 2.


I went with Ford for a few reasons. One being that this truck came from an acquintance who ordered it new and set it up pretty well prior to me getting it. 
Another reason is friends of mine, a close friend of mine owns his own shop specializing in Powerstroke Diesels and the Superduty trucks. Having his knowledge available 24/7 is priceless when there is a problem and you need the truck. 2 other friends of mine also work for Ford dealers, one as an extremely knowledgeable parts guy and the other an experienced diesel tech. Between the 3 of them I know that no matter what problem I have it will be solved quickly.

I like the styling of the new Dodges, but I don't have even 1/10th of the support/repair/tech for a Dodge through my group of friends as I do the Ford trucks so that was an easy decision for me.



Showmestaterida;2067697 said:


> Great pictures and equipment . U plasti dip spray those stock chevy wheels or use just regular black paint? Like the look and thinking about doing that to my wheels.


The chevy wheels are painted with normal paint. I stripped as much of the pealing clear coat as possible, scuffed them, then a few layers of paint and some clear.



DieselSlug;2067908 said:


> Awesome pictures!


Thanks, I've got a few more to add since the last time I updated this.


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## Mark13

My ride at work, 05 Pete. The other is a 1990, both are 378's. Be cooler if they were 379's. 



Had to move a little telehandler for a friend to another friends house where his shed is being finished out inside. 


Took a vacation a few weeks ago, went out to Arizona to see some family and friends for 5 days. I'd never been out there before, pretty cool state. I'll definitely be going back sometime to see more. 



Canyon Lake.


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## Mark13

Cruised through the windy roads to Tortilla Flat (Population 6) in Apache Junction to get some lunch and have a look around. 




Stopped at Goldfield to see a recreated mining town.



Cotton. 



Stayed in Scottsdale with a long time friend for 2 nights. Took my girlfriend and I around to some local places, restaurants, and took a hike up Lookout Mountain. I realized pretty quickly Scottsdale has some money in it and in return there is nice cars everywhere. 
One of the many exotic cars valeted at various restaurants or other businesses in the area.


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## Mark13

While atop the mountain another local had his DJI drone up there and was taking some pictures, he was kind enough to snap a couple photos of my friend, my girlfriend, and I. Really nice guy and it gave us a different perspective compared to using a go pro on a pole.



And here is what the midwest welcomed us back with. :realmad:




I had some underbody boxes made for my truck and finally had a chance to meet up with the fabricator and have them put on. It should look pretty slick next spring when I get the bed polished up again and get the toolboxes polished to a mirror finish as well.
Front boxes are 18x18x36 and Rear boxes are 18x15x22. 


Cruised down to Kentucky to pick up a 1951 Ford F-6. 






You have to love traffic, when 3 highways are trying to merge together and it's all under construction. Atleast the sunset over Louisville was nice to look at.


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## WilliamOak

Funny you hit traffic in Louisville when we were there roads were wide open 24/7


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## Mark13

WilliamOak;2068395 said:


> Funny you hit traffic in Louisville when we were there roads were wide open 24/7


I've been through Louisville 4x this year and hit various amounts of traffic each time. One time was worse then when I was there the other day, I bet I sat in traffic there in June for well over an hour and got no where.


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## WilliamOak

Mark13;2068396 said:


> I've been through Louisville 4x this year and hit various amounts of traffic each time. One time was worse then when I was there the other day, I bet I sat in traffic there in June for well over an hour and got no where.


We were there thurs AM through sat pm, never sat in a minute of Traffic coming in and out of the city. Almost to the point where we were wondering where all the people were.


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## JLsDmax

Awesome pictures. The Scottsdale area has a lot of money. I go out there every January for the Barrett Jackson car auction. Basically a week full of dream cars I will never be able to afford.


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## Brains

I was just in Scottsdale this Christmas. You aren't kidding about the money there. At Fashion sqaure mall there must have been at least four Lambos and a Ferrari parked in the parking lot, among tons of other super nice cars


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## Mark13

Figured it's about time for my once a year picture update lol.

I'll try and go in order starting up where I left off but there is no guarantees.

________________

Picked up a chop saw for another member on here and gave it a ride to his place. Went from 40's and rain where I picked it up to -14* when I got to his place.






Dad's put up a new shed for himself, it's all done now just waiting until next spring to do some landscaping.






There's more done outside of the building since these pics were taken but it's the most current pictures I have.




Pushed snow with the 550 last winter but there wasn't much to push all winter long.





Finally got the fire lit underneath me this past spring and went and setup an LLC business. I'd been doing side work off and on for years while I worked for various farms and drove semi for different people. Every morning I'd walk past all my own equipment to go work for someone else and use their equipment while mine all sat at home. Figured before I'm to old I might as well use it to make some money or sell it all and find a nice piece of land with a decent house on it, so I decided to start using the equipment I had.

First big job I did 100% on my own was fill in this area that was excavated for a garage but plans fell through and the homeowner wanted to return it to grass with a small gravel parking area.


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## Mark13

Bought a mower for the front of my ctl and it really opened some doors for me. 



Field and some trails I mow at a friends truck repair shop


Widened out this little lane, no more branches dragging down the side of vehicles. 


Helped a friend take down some barns that formed an "L" 
Each barn was 30ft wide and 90ft long if I remember right. He rented a telehandler to do most of the work with, had their 1845c to do the sorting and small work with and then had my Tak at the unload site. They hauled with their F350 and 16ft dump trailer and I ran my 550 and gooseneck. I made somewhere around a dozen loads and they made double that with their truck.





My machine ended up at the barn site as well for the final clean up day, hauled everything home after their truck blew a brake line on the way there that morning. Had just enough deck space for the 2 machines and 5 attachments without putting anything up on the neck.




Some pictures from a friends vacation house up by the U.P. over the 4th of July. The Northwoods is a unique place. 





Bent's Camp Friday Night menu. You can only get fish fry or pizza on friday nights. 


Had a roofing seminar while we were up there, had to put a new roof on their garage. Took us 3 days, mostly because we couldn't keep everyone on task and working. We'd work for a while then go have fun on the lake, then work more the next day then go back out on the lake. 
(edited out my friends faces just because, didn't ask their permission to put the pics on here)


Of course I didn't get any pictures once we were done.

The town does their 4th of July fireworks at the airport. They close the airport for the day, thousands of people show up to socialize, tailgate and cook out, shoot off their own fireworks, and have a good time. Most of the people who have hangers on the airport have gatherings for family and friends and cook out while sitting in the doorway of their hanger. It's a pretty cool way of doing it compared to how it's done here in Northern, IL. 


My dad is a retired firefighter who now volunteers on a small down department near us. He also teaches for several different academy's and does everything from basic skills to live fire training. This is a picture I took of a propane fire simulation. The tank on fire is customized for training, it's fed through a long hose off of another tank that is fed off a propane delivery truck. There is multiple safety's along the way and is a good way to practice what to do in the event of a propane tank on fire, it also makes for some cool pictures.


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## Mark13

Few pictures from the farm, moving some bales, high moisture corn going up a silo, and a few of combining beans.







Hauling some corn. The hopper load will go in the grain leg, through the grain dryer, and into a grain bin to be stored. The dump trailer load will be run through a grinder blower then blown up to the top of a silo through a pipe and be used for animal feed.


Last load of beans for the year.


Peterbilt is a 93 379 with a Cat 3406B and a 15spd.

1979 Kenworth W900A. Big Cam Cummins backed by a 13spd.



Picture from the door of my dad's shop just after the sun came up.


Some more pictures from my own business. I do some dirt work here and there but my main focus is brush mowing and clearing.

These pictures are after mowing all the underbrush, cutting the bigger trees with a chainsaw and then stacking the cut logs and cut up tree tops to later be burned. The pictures with the gravel driveway don't look like much without any before pictures. The underbrush used to touch vehicles on the driveway, it was like driving through a tunnel.


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## Mark13

More of mowing and clearing.





Couple pictures of a 9 acre site I mowed. It was mostly overgrown grass and small bushes with a small portion of woods and underbrush. Found a few stumps, a few rocks, and only tried to feed one 3ft diameter rock into the mower.




I was wishing I had a mini excavator with a mower on it for this one. Mowed 2 passes parallel to the rail cars then turned 90* to the rail cars and the fence and would lift the mower up and set it down on the brush over the ditch then back up and move over 5ft and do it again. Lots of back and forth wiggling to mow 200ft sideways 5ft at a time.


Moved the barn wood a second time the other day. Only had about a mile between places, 2 days of making trips back and forth and unloading down in the woods.






Grabbed a few pictures while I had the truck all cleaned up a couple weeks ago for a friends wedding. It's far from perfect but it cleans up alright for a work truck.


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## 90plow

Looking good!


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## S-205

Everything looks really good. Awesome to see you doing more for yourself. What's the plan for the barn board?
And what mower did you get end up with for the 230? Any complaints?


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## Mark13

S-205 said:


> Everything looks really good. Awesome to see you doing more for yourself. What's the plan for the barn board?
> And what mower did you get end up with for the 230? Any complaints?


The barn board is going to be used inside of a home. The house will be built and mostly finished then the barn board will be used inside of it for looks. It won't be structural but may appear to be so.

The mower is a CID low flow mower. Complaints are few, I wish it would run both ways (I have the piston motor and it won't run backwards) and the front corner of the skids is a little sharp and digs in. If the front angle of the skids wasn't quite as vertical I think it would eliminate most of that problem. Otherwise it has treated me well and done anything I've asked of it, I do not recommend trying to mow a 3ft diameter rock however.


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## Drew2010

Mark, Saw your old duramax is for sale at Autoland in Roscoe, made me think of this thread, I think it's about time for an update here... lol I know it's been awhile but I think everyone enjoyed this thread


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## 1olddogtwo

I can tell you he's a very very busy young man, it's hard to post Snapchat on PS.


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## BossPlow2010

1olddogtwo said:


> I can tell you he's a very very busy young man, it's hard to post Snapchat on PS.


You're on Snapchat? That's cute


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## Mark13

Drew2010 said:


> Mark, Saw your old duramax is for sale at Autoland in Roscoe, made me think of this thread, I think it's about time for an update here... lol I know it's been awhile but I think everyone enjoyed this thread


I just checked their website, I can't believe they still have it. A friend was there the day after they took it in on trade, that had to have been back in May or June. The things that pickup has seen.

I've got thousands of pics since the last update and as you can see photobucket isn't the popular thing anymore. If you do instagram you can see about 1/4 of that I'm up to each week that I get posted on there. 
MarkM_13 is my account and Triple M Equipment Services is my business account that doesn't get updated as often.

I've been doing a lot of skid steer work, brush mowing, land clearing, grading, small excavating projects, property cleanup, stump grinding, some hauling, etc. I haven't been to the farm in about 9-10 months and really haven't worked for anyone else out of necessity in a year or more. I'll go run machines for people I know when I've got some free time over the winter but that is about it.

The book of faces. I try to keep it somewhat updated. 
https://www.facebook.com/TripleMEquipmentServicesLLC/
Basic Website.
https://www.triplemequipmentservices.com/



1olddogtwo said:


> I can tell you he's a very very busy young man, it's hard to post Snapchat on PS.


I've got quite the one person traveling circus going on.


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## 1olddogtwo

BossPlow2010 said:


> You're on Snapchat? That's cute


I am rather fancy and all


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## BUFF

Mark13 said:


> I just checked their website, I can't believe they still have it. A friend was there the day after they took it in on trade, that had to have been back in May or June. The things that pickup has seen.
> 
> I've got thousands of pics since the last update and as you can see photobucket isn't the popular thing anymore. If you do instagram you can see about 1/4 of that I'm up to each week that I get posted on there.
> MarkM_13 is my account and Triple M Equipment Services is my business account that doesn't get updated as often.
> 
> I've been doing a lot of skid steer work, brush mowing, land clearing, grading, small excavating projects, property cleanup, stump grinding, some hauling, etc. I haven't been to the farm in about 9-10 months and really haven't worked for anyone else out of necessity in a year or more. I'll go run machines for people I know when I've got some free time over the winter but that is about it.
> 
> The book of faces. I try to keep it somewhat updated.
> https://www.facebook.com/TripleMEquipmentServicesLLC/
> Basic Website.
> https://www.triplemequipmentservices.com/
> 
> I've got quite the one person traveling circus going on.


Good to see you're doing well..


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## Mark13

BUFF said:


> Good to see you're doing well..


How's things going for you? Still in Colorado or get moved up to western Wyoming?


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## BUFF

Mark13 said:


> How's things going for you? Still in Colorado or get moved up to western Wyoming?


Still in No Co fulltime, I have stocks in the company and I'll get full payout if I stay till 60yo or 1082 days...... It's a sizable chuck of money, if I leave before then I'll lose oot on a about 60% of it.
Have been spending aboot 60days a year in Wyo, house is done and just need to build a shop when time in closer to eject. Go up to help oot with round ups, branding, calving, putting up hay, checking pipeline/wells for tanks, so basically everything done on a ranch. Plus doing a fair amount of shooting too.


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