Hi all,
I had my 12 hp 2135 Cub out out two weeks ago trying to pull out some small Red Bud tree volunteers that had sprouted in my driveway's drainage ditch. I use them to re-plant the 30 year old Red Bud trees on a 20-30 degree inclined bank next to my driveway as drive circles up around house to prevent earth movement & slippage.
It had been a particularly wet a few days before and I thought I could get a slip-knot hitch on them and pull them out - roots and all since it had been so wet and the drainage ditch is mostly #2/#3 gravel.
Anyway, if you know Red Bud trees they have an exceptionally long primary tap-root and a lot of secondary feeder-roots; making them almost impossible to pull out without breaking the trunk stem. But, I thought this was the best time to try this given how muddy the ditch was.
That turned out to be the case and I was successful getting 3 pulled out with roots in-tact. I was not successful with several others; either the slip-knot would not catch, the trunk would break from the pulling-force or the tree being pulled was too big and wouldn't budge.
All the trees were something less than 1" diameter and on one that wouldn't budge - after I released the slip knot I noticed several spots of what I thought was transmission fluid spray on the asphalt driveway below the tractor; maybe 12-20 spots. And it only did it once more on a tree that I was able to pull-out but it was a hard-pull. Wasn't a continuous spray of droplets but just where I may have started to pull the tree.
You have to pull with a steady, increasing force and not just 'gun-it', otherwise you'll just break the tree at the slip-knot. As far as I can see, it didn't spray any more droplets on the asphalt on any of the other trees or attempts; and, it's not leaking Tranny fluid on the floor where I store it.
But I got to wondering if this means that I'm going to need to have the transmission worked on in the near future to replace the front shaft seal, minimally?
Also would this be a do-it-yourself job or would it best be done by a Cub repair shop?
I've replaced the Trans fluid & filter more than the Maintenance Schedule specs indicate but following the recommended 50 hours run-time between changes since I use the tractor for mowing in the Summer and snow plowing in the Winter.
Appreciate your feedback and advice,
greynold99