Gonna buy and fix an old Ranger V-6

[MaineRangerV-6]

update to my homestead plans

I had a 4 cyl 5-spd manual, open axle B2300, a '95 I think. Had it four winters, never got stuck. I'd put 500 pounds of bagged sand along the back of the bed, put on the winter tires - studded snows on all four wheels, and I'd go anywhere with it. Eventually had an 800 pound camper on it. When I moved from NY to WA, it was full of my stuff - probably another thousand pounds or more of stuff. I had to add a big leaf in the rear to level the truck out. Drove 80mph across the country, 3,000 miles. No problems at all. Maybe another 4cyl 5-speed would work for me. A winch is a good idea, but I'm not at all phased by snow and ice. I grew up around Boston. Snow and ice is donuts in the parking lot play time. The 2 wd is way simpler than a 4wd, and the 4cyl is very fuel efficient. Maybe I can try to find one of those 23NS Duratec Rangers, they sound stout. Well, I'm 7-8 months out from buying something. I'll need to drive quite a bit to find land that suits me, so yeah, 2wd might be better. With a Duratec, it will still be able to tow something. Not 6,000 pounds, but probably a modest lumber/cargo trailer, or a pop-up camper for sure. I'm thinking I might camp on my land while I build the house.

I'm back working, after over ten years disabled. A veterans' agency helped me to save money, and I invested it in tools, equipment and a truck to go back to handyman type work. I had been in Texas, but a health problem prevented me from working in the heat. I relocated to Maine by way of a lengthy ten year process that included lots of homelessness, and am now working again. I bought a F250 Super Duty 4 wd, $15,000, and put a $3,000 cap n rack on it, including a slide-out bed, and will save my earnings for a couple more years, continue building my credit, and then buy something to build a little passive solar house, greenhouse, root cellar, barn, etc.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

That's very good news!
Being somewhat disabled I can relate. I'm still working but can only do half days. It sucks cause I can't save enough to get ahead, but it's better than sitting on the couch.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I don't know what you're talking about with this subcompact tractor, etc. Do you mean the tractor is 4x4? And I have no idea what a fore/aft ginpole setup is. Then there's the winch and snow/grader blades... are these attachments?

Subcompact is a little bugger. We call them utility tractors around here. Most are front wheel assist. It will be painful to buy, I recommend staying with established brands. John Deere, CaseIH, New Holland, Kubota, Massey Ferguson/Agco... ones that are established with a good dealer network and are not going anywhere. Avoid the LS's, Montanas and fly by night brands.

They are not going to move much for logs though. Drag sure, lift... you need something with more lead it its shorts.

I had thought of buying a tractor with a snow blade, a bucket loader, and a backhoe, but everything I looked at was $20-30K. My whole budget is $17,500 for truck ($7K), camper ($1.5K), downpayment on land note ($5K), and the rest for equipment/tools. I had thought maybe an old sawmill (2K) , a good $300 chainsaw (Echo), a used trailer ($500). I don't know how to get logs onto the sawmill. I'm 69, about 180 lbs, not strong in the back any more, like i used to be. I thought a little tractor would help. I'll watch some youtube videos to see how guys do the homestead sawmill thing. Making the sawmill is over my head - I'll have to buy one that is ugly but works.

As an Echo dealer the CS-370 with a 16" bar is our best seller at $279.99. Metal handle, easy to service, perfect size/weight and handles nice. Can handle an 18" bar if so desired. CS-400 is the next step up, same chassis with more power.

My grandfather made his own sawmill when he sold out of farming. It was crazy. Had a trolley to move the log back and forth against the blade, a big chainsaw type thing (that wasn't a saw) to roll the log for different cuts. All hydraulically operated and powered by a 354 Perkins out of a combine. After several years of sitting dormant (he will be 80 this year) he just sold it. I wish I had a video of it running in its heyday, it was amazing what a farmer built for a sawmill. Even made his own kiln.

 

[Andy D]

As a Maine-er you should know this, Ranger frames are prone to frame rot. A lot are junked for frame rot. I'm dealing with it on my '94. Ain't skeered , I was a shipwright in my early yrs.