At my place there are a few necessary items that we cannot be without.
1. We changed our ranch name to the "dead battery, flat tire ranch", so two necessary items are jumper cables and an air compressor. We have never loaded up a trailer to go to a show/pasture without having to kick tires to make sure they are up. Every time my wife feeds with the old tractor, it has no power to the battery, so we always have to jump it, even if it has started every time for the last 10 months. Last night, I had to pull the baling tractor out of the barn, it has new batteries, but they won't last when you leave the bale monitor on for 4 days. Had to jump it.....
2. Blower. We use it to dry calves, clean out radiators, clean out the interior of the ranch wagon (believe me, it works great), blowing off the round baler, filling up the kid's pool,( you know, the kind you get a wal-mart that has the inflatable tube around the top). It also doubles as a garden hose water exterminator... when it is cold, just un-hook the hose from the spigot, put the end of the blower on the garden hose, and wa-la, instant hose drainer. I have been known to use it as a peanut launcher at certain shows, but probably best not to go into detail, since there are innocent kids on this board. Hook it to a fogger for getting rid of flies in the barn as well.
3. Baling wire. I have yet to go to a show and set up without it. I cannot do any muffler work on any....ANY piece of equipment at the place without it. Tried the #9 wire, but my wrists aren't what they used to be.
4. 9/16 inch wrench. Is everything in the world made of 3/8 inch bolts??????????????
5. Pliers. They work for straightening out skip tooth combs, fencing, and fixing the calf jack at the most un-opportune time. They serve well as a jumper when your solenoid goes bad on your truck during a freak rain storm when you are 15 miles from home in the pasture. I have used them for hitch pins when we can't find the one we pulled from the bale wagon, and it's 100+ degrees, the kids are whining to go home, and I'm on my last cold one in the field. They also work well as a cheater bar on a 9/16" wrench when you need that "added Power", not to mention that they go with baling wire hand in hand. These are the tools that M Bar must have to lead a prosperous and healthy life. A Men.
