Redneck Hack No. 2: Separating the Chaff

I shred, therefore I am.

The Fat Rancher derives huge sense of self-worth shredding the back pasture.

Nothing satisfies like hours bumping along obliterating the brown stuff, leaving fresh green nubs with an even pattern in your wake.

Often the challenge is the repeated tractor maintenance which interrupts the shredding session. In particular, my rickety old Kubota L35 is prone to overheating. This is primarily due to air restriction due to contamination from grass chaff.

The Solution

I think I’ve found a solution to the time-consuming disassembly by using an inexpensive “bug screen” available from Amazon for ~$13.

Using the included bungee cords and “S” hooks, I covered the cowling inlet with this fine screen to catch the dried grass and chaff before it reached the grill.

The result is that I can dismount and “snap” the screen a few times to rid that pesky chaff then remount and get on with it! No disassembly is required.

The L35 has two layers of protection from debris. First, in front of the radiator, a grill which, while protecting from rocks and hard debris, does little more than clog with seed pods and dried grass.

Next, there is a radiator screen which is conveniently removable via a flip-open hatch at the front of the bonnet.

The grill is problematic as the crash grill has to be unbolted to detach the debris grill. This involves two wrenches.

While the radiator screen is easy enough to remove, it covers only the radiator, but not the oil cooler which is located in front of it.

So there is your $15 solution to crud in your radiator!

The latest hack brought to you by The Fat Rancher!