John,
I bought a 960-5 in Feb from a guy down the street. It's a rusted old ugly beast but it runs like a top and I have done a lot of work with it.
This week I had to pull the hood and the radiator to solder up a leak in the bottom. While I had it apart I pulled the fuel tank and valve cover to replace the leaking gasket and adjust the valves. I needed the tractor before I could find the gasket and used the red hi-temp form-a-gasket which failed after a couple of hours even though I let is set up half a day before reinstalling the cover. I ordered the correct gasket Friday afternoon and will be doing it again Monday. Now I wish that I had ordered a set of valve stem seals as I get a little bue smoked going down a hill or increasing the rpm from idle. I thought that I was going to have to rebuild the engine but realized the blow-by was of my stupidity. I somehow picked up a gallon of 20W20 oil when I changed it a couple of months ago. I checked the compression and had 130, 122, 130, and 125 so changed the oil to 20W50 and all the blow-by has ceased for the last 5 hours I have a 5' box blade, 5' Bush Hog, and a boom pole. Of late I've been clearing RV lots in the resort that I live and have decided to run the Bush Hog to destruction. Cleared 10 lots this week and have 5 more due with more coming up. Takes less than an hour and a half to clear a 60'X 100' lot of brush and sapplings. Some of the sapplings are in the 2"-3" range and I can take them out with ease. I've found that I can raise the Hog to lighten the front end and jump right over the sapplings and bend them to the ground and then engage the Hog and cut the limbs and defoliate the trunk. Sometimes the trunk gets cut off and stands back up about 4-5' tall. Other times they will uproot and lay flat which is OK too. I only have to have to clear enough to make it easy for a customer to see and walk on the lot. I built a towbar and tow the tractor to the lots since all are within 8 miles and the speed is low, usually less than 25mph. This Bush Hog is an older Squealer model and has the usual cracks and rusted though areas on the deck. Right now it's blocked up to a comfortable height in the driveway with soapstone marks on it like a side of beef. I found a 4 X 8' sheet of 11ga steel on my trailer that I forgot about and will repair the Hog while I look for a heavier duty model. Early on I had to straighten the rear wheel fork and reinforce it, every once in a while I will back into a stump and bend the shroud till the blades hit but I have some 2" angle that will be welded around the back to strengthen it. In the tool box is a bag of shear pins of which I've only had to replace 2 so far. As far as the 960 goes I've wailed on that poor tractor and it still runs and operates fine, has good power, brakes, and tires (new). The only thing that doesn't work is the power steering but I have found that I really don't need it without a loader. I removed the pump and lines since the cylinder is bad and the pump was just dead weight in the way. I paid $3,250 for the tractor and above implements and have sure gotten my money's worth with more to come. And I drove it home which saved me some $$$. CaptRon
| 
