First Run With the 214

We got a bit of snow in northern Illinois yesterday, so it was time to put the 214 back together and have some fun. My wife and I bought the tractor last month, and I promptly stripped it down and repainted all the tin. It came with a plow blade, but we bought a snow blower for it last week.

I started out with the plow, and it worked great. Traction was a bit of an issue though. I have cast iron wheel weights and a tiller on the back, but some chains would have been nice. I got a little too ambitious at the end of my neighbor's driveway and had to rock it back and forth to get out (I was too stubborn to grab a shovel and dig. Some chains would solve that problem, but I don't want to tear up my driveway. I'll have to be more careful next time.

So getting stuck gave me a great excuse to drop the blade, hook up the snow blower, and play with that toy too. I was impressed how well it worked for being a single stage blower. My wife had to laugh since I did our driveway and sidewalks as well as three neighbors' driveways and sidewalks too. I also ran it down the street and cleaned off to the curb so the mailman can get to our mailbox (otherwise, they don't deliver mail around here).

I had one minor mishap with the hydraulic lift. My wife spotted hydo fluid dripping on the garage floor this morning. The plastic fitting that connects the hose from the tank to the pump cracked...and then snapped in half when I tried to loosen the clamp. While I was in there I noticed the pressure hose from the valve to the pump was a little cracked, so I made a quick trip to the Deere dealer for a new one (they made it on the spot...great service).

After installing the new hoses and filling the hydraulic fluid tank, I noticed there was another sidewalk down the street that hadn't been cleared. Needless to say, that problem's been corrected. Hey, I needed to test things out...right?

I have to say all in all I'm impressed with the tractor and attachments. The 14 hp Kohler had plenty of power, and as long as I can maintain traction, it will eat or push whatever I want. The only bad thing is there's no snow on the short tern forecast, so it'll be a while before I get to play again.