How many retired
English teachers does it take to place a tank on a trailer?
Answer: One, if he has 8 or 9 hours to do it.
The move was
necessitated by an accident that may have far-reaching and tragic consequences. It was last Fall, maybe late October or early
November, soon after we returned from our Italy trip.
It hadn’t rained
for months. I had watered the trees just before we left, but they were getting
dry. I loaded up the 150-gallon tank at
the windmill and was headed back to water the trees. I hit a badger hole in the
trail. The tank ruptured and dumped all 150 gallons before I could stop.
I had to use
the golf cart, a 5-gallon bucket, and a couple of 2-gallon jugs to water the
trees. It may not have been enough.
Without too
many detractions (no barbershop, no eating out, no family gatherings) I had
time to look for a new tank online. I
found the kind I wanted for about $250—shipping $280! The local stores had tanks, but not what I
wanted because I would have to alter the trailer.
Given enough
time, my brain once in a while comes up with a good idea. The problem is sorting out the good one or
two from all the bad ones that spring eternal.
Granny had her
own personal gas tank by the northwest corner of the garage she used to fuel
her little GMC pickups and the white Oldsmobile once in a while. It was mounted on a stand and had 300-gallon
capacity.
When the tank
emptied for the last time, I took the stand to use for a farm tank. Her tank stood on end tucked under the tree
by the garage for a lot of years. I could
never add it to the two farm tanks, unless I built a berm, earth or cement,
around the tank stands to contain a possible spill, EPA rules.
I’m not sure
what the cutoff point is, but with 800 gallons of capacity (300-gallon and 500-gallon
tanks) I am exempt. Add any more
capacity and I have to build a berm. So,
the tank stood on end in the shade of a tree.
Small lengths of 2” lumber kept the tank off the ground and out of rust
territory.
Why not convert
that tank to water hauling? asked my brain.
The trees are dry. With the loss
of three bigger trees already, I needed to water. I did water twice using golf cart and jugs. Not enough.
Necessity is the
mother of invention. I rolled the tank out
of its shelter and began trying to get it up on the trailer. The tank probably weighs 100—to150 pounds,
not heavy but exceedingly bulky.
The first
attempt resulted in a mini disaster. With
jack, 55-gallon barrels, blocks and 2 X 4’s I attempted to elevate the tank
enough to slide it onto the trailer. At
a critical point, the tank decided to roll off the makeshift platform.
The drain spout
suffered, not once but twice. After the
first accident, I hooked it up out of the way.
A second attempt to roll the tank up a couple of 2 X 4’s failed and the
tank rolled again. It rolled up to the
garage and lodged against the drain spout, again. There was little if any additional damage.
The addition of saw
horses created a little more elevation and a lot more stability. At this point, I was tired and it was time to
quit for the day.
It took another
two hours on the next day to finish the job.
All this time,
the thought that if the Farmhand was in service, this whole job might take 45
minutes to an hour. However, the G has a
ruptured rear tire. The Farmhand rests on blocks. The G sits idle.
Brain functions
again. Good idea? Maybe, maybe not. But it happened.
Too much time on
the internet led us eventually to Deertrail, which led to a pickup and trailer
sitting in the farmyard. And a 1965 4010
sitting in the farmyard. Pickup and
trailer left. So did $9000. 4010 stayed.
The tractor has
been around the block a time or two. The
tach shows 85 hours, with three zeros in front of it, so who knows the actual
hours? It has been repainted, but a few
dents testify to its experience.
Even the
Goodwife says it sounds good when it starts and runs.
I was prepared
to road the tractor home, but Jim insisted that he could deliver it. His son and family have the pickup and the
trailer. The move was a family project.
Well, there the
4010 sits, looking as if alive. Next on
the docket is finding a place to get it out of the weather.
