Trouts,
It is, it's a 6 or 7 yr old Yard Man 10/28. The trigger steer is awesome, I would
not own a tracked machine without it. It will gradually turn and dig right in, but I could not do something like make a 90 degree turn into snow because then you're pushing the side of the bucket into the snow. We know that won't work with any machine unless it says CAT on the side
It's easy to do one-handed 180's where the machine goes around you while you stand still and wait for it.
I don't have a problem riding up unless I hit old frozen stuff (ice that only looks like snow) with new blown on top of it, but that usually means I've just gone off the edge of the driveway. Normally it will just spin the tracks if I do that, same if I go too close to the stone wall and run into it. Sometimes the wall gets buried and its location is only a guess.
There's a lever on the side to adjust bucket height and weight balance that is very useful. I can lean that thing forward and just scrape the ground.
6 speeds forward is almost overkill. I very rarely use first, most of the work is done in 2nd or 3rd. I never use 4th, and 5th is for going back up to the garage when I'm all done and the bucket is in transport mode - about 1 1/2 or 2" off the ground. I wouldn't mind a 3rd in reverse. Transport mode is also excellent for clearing paths across the lawn, there have been times I've had to make a little doggie area or the propane man had to to get to the tank behind the garage.
If you had asked me this two days ago I would have mentioned it's for sale, but last night I lost a bolt on the plow so the tractor hydraulics couldn't raise it. I got stuck nose-in to a snowbank and the plow buried. Walked up to the garage and fired this thing up - first time in a year and it started right up! - and cleared out the plow. A big loud thunk when it found the bolt too
but no damage. That bolt is now out in the woods somewhere. So maybe I'll keep it as a backup.
Al - I was born in Newark, grew up in Middlesex county. It's not the same place it used to be. I got the hell out and avoid going back whenever possible. Four out of five of my siblings also left the state, the fifth is planning to. The only thing I miss - besides not pumping gas - is
real Italian food. Especially pizza.
AA - it might be!
there in 2010. However Newark was a beautiful place back in the day.They had the best of everthing.
I hope to get out of here one day.We are taxed to death here in Jersey.
The one thing we do have is a lot of good old style Italian food.