Critter isn't a very happy camper this evening.
A couple of years ago, he bought a plow blade that can be mounted on the front of our big mower/garden tractor. He got a welder to add a piece to make it as wide as the tractor, and put on a couple of hydraulic cylinders so he could adjust the angle. Ever since then, it has been sitting in the workshop, gathering dust. Well, we finally got enough snow that one of his customers wanted him to come plow their parking lot.
He thought the rig was ready to go, but when he tried to hook it up, the bolts to attach it were nowhere to be found. He ransacked the workshop, and after much searching found some bolts that would work. Got it all put together, went to load it on his box truck, and the lift on the back of the truck wouldn't budge. After much poking and peering, he decided the freezing rain of last night must have gotten into the controls, and locked them up. So, he decides he's going to have to use the trailer, and goes to put the tow bar on the truck. Wouldn't go on - apparently, there was ice in the connections. Critter comes in the house, fills a couple of jugs with hot water, and after a couple of trips back and forth finally gets the bar attached and hooks the trailer to the truck. Puts the tailgate of the trailer down and tries to drive the tractor onto the trailer. No go - the tractor went up the steel tailgate/ramp just fine, but when the drive wheels got to the 3/4" step up onto the trailer bed, they simply wouldn't go - he said it was almost like hitting a wall. After spending at least 2 1/2 hours just trying to get the rig out of the yard, Critter decided this was something he just wasn't meant to do, and told the customer he couldn't make it. Of course, he had to try his plow out, though, so he plowed a block or so of the road at the end of our driveway instead.