Farm Boy Toys

David Brown 1390 4WD tractor

The hilly nature of the farm land requires a tractor with 4WD, we managed to buy the 1390 from a local dealer who explained that it had been used most of it's life on a farm in Wales before being bought and cosmetically restored by a "hobby farmer" like ourselves! Owning it has not been without incident (and cost) - more details in due course.

Replacing the guttering

Pointing the stonework

  Chain harrow

  Pretty unique - bought new!  

 Major grass topper

Basically a 9 ft wide lawnmower powered from the tractor. used for keeping the fields under control.

View from the drivers seat one winter on the way back from collecting the papers

In my best "trust me I'm a doctor" style, I explained to Mags that you couldn't possibly run a farm the size of the Curney without all the associated toys, sorry equipment, that was needed to undertake the multitude of farming tasks needed to keep the farm neat and tidy, and her horses supplied with the quality of hay they deserved. Armed with her approval and the joint cheque book I embarked on a spending spree involving numerous visits to local agricultural dealers, farm sales and equipment auctions. The latter two activities (?) are a popular social occasion in the area and no matter how small the auction you can always be amazed at how many people will turn up to view and buy anything from a rusty milk pale with holes in it to a virtually new tractor.

So far we've accumulated the following. I hadn't realised how much we'd accumulated until I compiled this webpage, looks like the sale field will be put to use again should we ever move.

Marshall tipping trailer

Bought from another local dealer. We spotted this one day while driving around and went in to look it over; the dealer informed us he'd bought it from a local farm who were selling up - a place called Curney Farm! Apparently the previous owners had had a farm sale the year before we bought the farm - one of our fields is now known as "the sale field" in recognition of this fact.

It's also been involved in one or two "incidents"...

PZ Hay bob

Hay bobs are used turn over ("ted") grass once its cut to assist it's drying out in the sun. While we don't (yet) have all the other kit required to make hay ( a different type of topper, small bale baler, bale sledge, bale grab!), and all our hay is cut by two neighbouring farmers, the haybob is a very useful because it allows me to help and ted the hay at the right time rather than wait and hope that they will turn up.

Post hole borer

Bought from a neighbour, proved it's worth when digging all the post holes for the menage and elsewhere - some of the ground at the Curney is very rocky.

Post "thumper"

Used for driving fence posts into the ground. The part to the right fastens to the rear of the tractor and the tractor 3 point hitch is used to lift and lower the "thumper" part - yellow arrow. Just like driving a nail in, only with a lot more force!

Roller

You don't want this running over your toes. For added weight it can be filled with water. Very useful for tidying up the fields after the horses hooves have done their damage. Also keeps the menage tidy.

Bale spike

Fastens to the front end loader in place of the bucket and used to move round bales of hay. Bought this on Ebay and managed to fit it in the car, but had a very nervous drive home hoping I wouldn't have to brake sharply and risk being speared.

"Wacker" Plate

Petrol driven vibrating plate, used for compacting. I use this for repairing the potholes.

Ride on Mower (s)

A source of amazement to our neighbours that I like to have part of the field in front of the house and the "green" approaching the house cut to lawn - a waste of good hay is what they probably think.

The ride on makes short work of cutting the grass and Mags has been known to have a spin around.

Serves an equally useful purpose dragging a leveller gate around the menage.

Update (Jun 23).

Pictured mower is still running but reduced to harrowing the menage, Have acquired another two Countax models (always good to have a spare!)

Series 2a Land Rover

Our "insurance" against getting snowed in, which does happen once or twice a year. It's 1966 vintage and therefore tax exempt. Had only done just over 50,000 miles when we bought it, and not much more since then - if you've ever driven one you'll know why. The suspension is a little solid and the steering is a bit like navigating a super tanker!

Update …sold late 2022, was getting no use.

Front-end loader

Bought at a local machinery collectives sale. It's proved very useful for an assortment of tasks ranging from the obvious use of loading the trailer with a range of materials, to acting as a convenient low level platform for sundry activities - see below.