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Redtail Woods Off-Grid
United States
Registrace 12. 08. 2022
Welcome to Redtail Woods! We're Andrew and Bri, and we own 260 acres in the mountains of Southwest Idaho. Join us as we go through the excitement and struggles of turning this remote, off-grid land into our home.
I SANK my tractor! Stuck for good?
I was working on our ditches and smoothing our road with my back blade at our off-grid Idaho home. I was almost done - last thing I needed to do was clear the ditch just above our house, where a new seep had shown up and carried some mud down into the ditch. A foot of mud? No problem for a chained up tractor!
Instead, I parked my tractor in some bottomless, sludgy, quicksand. Everything I tried made the tractor sink deeper and roll closer to tipping over. Luckily, Ryan (who does all our excavation work) was able to send Aric out with his 50,000 lb loader. One quick pull and I was free.
Instead, I parked my tractor in some bottomless, sludgy, quicksand. Everything I tried made the tractor sink deeper and roll closer to tipping over. Luckily, Ryan (who does all our excavation work) was able to send Aric out with his 50,000 lb loader. One quick pull and I was free.
zhlédnutí: 281
Video
ROAD CLOSED - An April Snowstorm Means We're Stuck!
zhlédnutí 169Před 4 měsíci
A surprise ten inches of snowfall and heavy winds gave us a HUGE problem - multiple trees down and blocking the only road out from our off-grid Idaho home. A fun discovery at 6 in the morning as I tried to get to work. Once the trees are cleared, a convoy of Broncos headed up the road and discovered another obstacle. I guess winter isn't over yet! Thanks to Julie (Bronco driver) for the recover...
Off-grid Build: We have a big hole in the ground!
zhlédnutí 220Před 6 měsíci
Recorded May 18, 2023. Ryan was back up today with his Cat D6 to finish excavating our foundation and improve our road. I cut down some trees. One of them just doesn't want to fall - takes all my wedges and a well-timed gust of wind to get it falling in the right direction! Our new road runs into a soggy problem, but we have a plan.
We Thought Winter Was Over. We Were Wrong!
zhlédnutí 21Před 6 měsíci
The winter has been so mild, a lot of us had thought we were done with snow. The weather took an abrupt shift to colder weather - bringing wind, lightning, hail, and four inches of fresh snow!
My Tractor Can't Do THIS Job. Cat D6 Dozer carves a pad in the mountain for our Off Grid home
zhlédnutí 279Před 6 měsíci
May 17, 2023 - we're moving forward with our off-grid build! But this is a job my tractor can't do. We hired Ryan with Ryno Engineering to come in and move the side of this mountain out of the way so we have room for our off-grid home. We didn't realize just how big a job it would be! Now the real question - can I convince my wife that we should buy our own dozer?
Things got sketchy! Dropping trees at our off-grid building site
zhlédnutí 67Před 6 měsíci
Time to get the pad and road in for our off-grid house, and the dozer is coming today! I have a lot of trees to cut down and get moved, and things don't always go according to plan. Recorded May 16, 2023
Our road is horrible! Too much for the truck?
zhlédnutí 144Před 7 měsíci
We've had a really warm winter, and our dirt road just won't freeze! 6 inches of snow on top of inches of mud makes for a slick situation driving up the 17% grade to our house. Gotta get the truck out of the way so I can actually work on the road. But I'm not the only one having problems today!
Welcome to Redtail Woods! Off-grid in the mountains of Southwest Idaho
zhlédnutí 78Před 7 měsíci
My wife and I spent the last year working hard to get moved to our dream property - 260 acres in the mountains of Southwest Idaho. We hope you'll join us on our adventures as we work toward a more self-sufficient lifestyle on our off-grid property!
Still can't start to build - too much snow. Will it ever melt?!
zhlédnutí 143Před rokem
Just an update on where we are with the property - still buried in snow! I can make it in the Jeep, but no way we're getting anyone else up there this week. Hoping for some sunny days later this week - but it'll probably snow again instead!
A BIG upgrade for my tractor!
zhlédnutí 504Před rokem
I've been waiting for this upgrade for a while! Just got my Everything Attachments Wicked Root Rake Grapple. Planning on using it for logging up at the property, but the property is still buried in snow. So instead, I got to use it to tear apart a mini-garden (that only grows cheatgrass) and move some other debris around at our current home. Keep your fingers crossed for spring thaw - we're rea...
Rain, Repairs, and a Roadtrip
zhlédnutí 398Před rokem
The storm got here! Our chickens' canopy went for a flight, then I got my snowblower up and running again. We decided to take a day off, so Bri and I went for a drive to the mountain town of Stanley. The road was closed due to avalanche risk, but it still made for a beautiful drive. All the equipment was staged to clear the road again once the storm blew through, and I was suffering from seriou...
I BROKE my $8000 snowblower
zhlédnutí 24KPřed rokem
I was in a race to get our road clear before the next storm rolled in. But I was only halfway done when the drive chain for my snowblower snapped. A big storm is coming tomorrow, so I hope I can get up and running again fast!
Redtail Reviews: MK Martin Meteor 78 Pull-Type Snowblower
zhlédnutí 2,6KPřed rokem
Redtail Reviews: MK Martin Meteor 78 Pull-Type Snowblower
Too much snow for my tractor - we need a dozer!
zhlédnutí 4,7KPřed rokem
Too much snow for my tractor - we need a dozer!
Can my tractor and snowblower handle three miles of snowy mountain road?
zhlédnutí 1,6KPřed rokem
Can my tractor and snowblower handle three miles of snowy mountain road?
Not quicksand, its quickmud
How exciting!! I’m a new follower!! Thank you for sharing so I can follow your journey!!!! Your friend Angela from Arizona!
Eric saves the day 👍
That’s some bad mud fr😮
Yeah, it was super sticky. I've gotten temporarily stuck before, but never so bad I couldn't get unstuck under my own power. Can usually work my way out with the bucket. Not this time!
Gonna need a bigger tractor
Been there
What part of Idaho are you in?
We're in Southwest Idaho, about an hour north of Boise
I’m on the other side of the State. North of Idaho Falls. Seems like a typical Idaho problem.
Lord have mercy! Raise the rake and use the bucket to push yourself out! 🤦🏼♂️
Hah, you think I didn't try that? My right wheel is four feet deep - 3 point hitch doesn't go up four feet. Box scraper is at full lift in this video. Pushing with the bucket moved mud, but didn't move the tractor. Pushing against soup doesn't work too well.
Ahhh, low end torque saves the day.
Its always seems to
Good morning, wow ! Lots of mud. Nice that Eric got you back on the road. Glad there was no damage. Have a great weekend, Ben. New subscriber 👋😎👍
Morning! It's been a very wet spring here in Idaho, so we're finding all sorts of new seeps after we moved dirt around last year. Just how deep the mud was in this one definitely caught me off-guard. Just subscribed to your channel too, @OldIronAcres recommended you. Looking forward to watching your videos!
How much did that cost... I gotta ask what made you think a yeep would pull 10x its weight. Lucky you still got a tranny lol. Glad ya got out
My tractor isn't THAT heavy! It's about 7k lbs. I was hoping the pull from the jeep would add just enough that I could get back on the tractor once the winch was tensioned and start driving out. Instead it just pulled me in deeper. I'd say that's the biggest downside to living this far out - when your nearest neighbor is miles away, sometimes you end up trying dumb shit to get it done yourself when what you really need is another person.
OOOooooooh...... Ouch!!!!!! I hate when I get hit by the stupid stick! (Not that you did....?? But that's what happens to me when I mess up on the tractor, doing something for the first time and it goes wrong!) Seemed like a Great thing at the time.... right?!?!? Glad to see the tractor took no dammage!! That was looking rough for a little bit! Glad you could share even when it goes wrong!! Ahhhh... live.... Learn... and carry on!! Thought your tractor might get swallowed up for a moment and get sent to China!! I love Happy endings! -- Best, J.Andre. / Old Iron Acres
Yes, it was a very sticky situation! Never been so stuck I couldn't work my way out with the bucket before, but in this case I didn't have anything for the bucket to push against. Even winching just pulled the right side of the tractor deeper into the mud - I was starting to get worried I'd flip it right into the spring!
Always a fun day when you find out Mother Nature has blocked your driveway! She wants you to play on the tractor more! Best, --J.Andre. / Old Iron Acres
All in a days work...
Awesome. That Dozer sure does a lot!
Nice job! You're goonna love that grapple and use it all the time. I've got a similar one. -- You're lucky you got that before they (EA) had their lawsuits!! You can hit the nipple on the hose on the arm of the FEL (or with a wrench/hammer) to let some of the pressure out.... then you can use it when you want to rather than wait 12-hours.... Kepp making the great videos! -- J.Andre. / Old Iron Acres
Gorgeous Property..... I'm jealous!! Cheers! --J.Andre. / Old Iron Acres
Thanks! We feel so fortunate to be able to live here.
How long did it take in total for the dozer to complete its work?
Ended up being a total of 26 hours of dozer time, between pad, excavation for the foundation, working on the lower road, and putting in a road through the middle of our property too.
I love how suddenly theirs a bunch of exsperts in the comments 🙄
Yep! Some comments with helpful advice. The rest... well, I kinda doubt they actually own a tractor.
Thanks for this video. I've been considering one of these for a while but every video I seen has shows the blower being used in a couple of inches of snow. In your opinion, how much snow do you think is too much for this setup? Thanks again!
I've run it through a foot of heavy snow without problems - just gotta drive slower so the auger can keep up. I'd say up to a foot and a half would be doable. Once it got deeper than that, I don't know if my tractor could make it through the snow very well. Way nicer than looking over your shoulder the whole time to run a normal rear-mount, and I like having the bucket available on the front instead of having a front-mount.
@@redtailwoods Thanks for your reply. I initially had a front mount blower but it was a PIA to install and remove, plus like you, I wanted to be able to use my bucket. I switched to a rear mounted blower to the convenience but a pull blower would be a nice improvement.
Hi from r/birding! Really enjoyed your series, and subscribed. Beautiful land and beautiful birds!
I got the same blower broke my chain 3rd storm.i think the chains suck it takes the 60h links
Better you plow this little snow.
Thanks ! I prefer front Blower on a John Deere.
Agreed, but this is the next best. Keeps you looking in the right direction. As long as it's not too deep to drive through, obviously.
Yep. Front mount blower would be nice, but I don't have enough hydraulic flow to run one on my FEL, and use my loader enough during the winter I don't want to deal with a PTO driven one and have to repeatedly attach/detach it. This winter we've gotten so little snow I only got to use the snowblower three times anyway!
What size grapple is this? 60” or 66”?
That ain't good man.
I don't understand these people throwing the snow above the road and throwing snow over what they have already cleared. Going to fast for one thing. Not smart
Really ingenious thought about the wait for the cold temperature to affect the hydraulic fluid.
Thanks! Wish I could take credit for the thought, but I saw it as a recommendation in another CZcams video.
Dear Sir: Good video. But about that sound track... when you return, may we just have mechanical & nature sounds if any, plus your narration please? Reference cacophony.
Sad to see….houses going up everywhere….this place is ruined!
Might be easier put a plow on it be faster
Stupidest design for a snow blower ever. Painful to watch . So I didnt.
wtf why are you blowing snow on high side of hill ? it will just all melt and freeze the road
Going to fast
The locking clip on your master link is backwards, the closed end should point towards direction of rotation to avoid something catching it and knocking it off.
That's good to know, thanks! I'll go flip it around tomorrow.
Great footage, music is unbearable.
I have ears of experience using them and you are running it way too fast. That's why you broke the chain. They're not built to go fast. If you want to go fast, put a plow on it. Snow blowers are meant to throw snow off a pile or a drift. And I knew as soon as you said you were putting it in fourth gear to get this done faster that you were breaking something on that machine slower, steady or speed. Way less damage
Hello! New to your channel! 👋🏽 Fellow Idahoan here. There definitely is a lot of wind here in idaho. Just subbed!
Thanks for subscribing! I've watched a few of your videos so far, and am looking forward to watching more!
@@redtailwoods thanks. I appreciate the sub as well. I’m all about supporting other content creators; especially ones in my state. Looking forward to watching your journey as well!
Yep most definitely slip clutch for the PTO 👍
Been there and done that a few times on a dozer. Have been a heavy equipment operator for 40 years. Good times 🥴
Main thing with any road or driveway... You need to keep it frozen down... So with that being said you would have to remove every time it Snow's no matter the amount.. the snow always works as insulation you know.. once it's frozen tight skid shoes will work good
Moore i think about it a slip clutch would be a good investment for you👍
Proper fall clean up of the driveway of loose rocks and branches goes a long way to minimize shear bolts breaking on a snowblower.
Yeah, I think that was the biggest problem for sure. I wasn't planning on keeping the road open this winter, then we had a change of plans that meant we needed access in March. So I had done zero prep on the road, and most if hasn't even seen a grader for 5+ years. Lots of rocks and branches to break shear bolts. Figure I'll see how things go next winter, then decide if it's worth installing a clutch instead of shear bolts. At least they're cheap!
The main issue with your shear pins as I can see your snow looks awful wet and heavy... My brother went with a slip clutch on the PTO shaft never had to bother with shear pins after that... He ran a 8 ft rear mount blower... Only downfall a slip clutch is probably about $300... But sheer pens add up after a while and the time down adds up
The blower does do a nice job under the right conditions...
Don't mind me asking how many acres do you own up in the mountain? Just curious
We have 260 acres. It's been in my wife's family for decades - her parents invested in land instead of the stock market.
@@redtailwoods wow.. and what a great idea
Nice that you have enough chain left over for a spare 👍
I had a stick my chain back on this year solid chunk of ice possibly a rock.. found all the pieces except for the little snap ring for the master link.. QuikTrip to tractor supply got a few extras
LOL yeah don't think you would have too many snow issues with that 😂
One more comment I'll leave you alone LOL... I would have just tried to back up and cleared it with the loader
Just subscribe to your channel... Think you might want to either get a reverse type of snow blower for the back or some kind of front mount.. if you're going to live way up there.. you're going to have issues with traction all the time
This is what I really want for clearing snow - my wife says we can't afford it though. czcams.com/video/vMbZZV0aN34/video.html Thanks for subscribing!
@@redtailwoods yeah that would take care of it LOL... And you're welcome and thank you for subscribing to my channel... We need to support underdogs in the CZcams world you know... I'm thinking your channel will grow pretty quick though... Not like me you're not afraid to talk in front of the camera... You have really good footage 👍
LOL I would have drove the tractor back to the shear pins.. that walking in snow is overrated,. But I'm getting older