#what slope should the ramp be to avoid it being dangerous for me to go up and down it?

[tulpafcker]

i am gonna b real yall dunk on twitter for the "i say i love pancakes and someone goes 'so you hate waffles then?' no bitch thats an entirely new sentence" thing but you guys also do it too. tumblr also does that.

[ff15trashgoldenslumbers]

*Prompto's voice* I really love your headcanons, gurl! So, considering the new Regalia type D, what if the chocobros s/o are not so thrilled by Noctis' irresponsable driving or the behaviour of their boyfriends? Maybe if the guys start to make fun of them for their worrying they decide to take revenge and drive like maniacs and shut their men up.

That upgrade is going to be the death of them! OH MAI GAWD! But I personally wanna drive it. Or be in the back between Ignis and Gladiolus.

~~~~~

Noctis

“Let me drive!” You bark to your boyfriend, after fueling up, sick of his lack of care for anyone safety in the backseat. There were multiple times where you were certain that you were going to be thrown from the car all together.

“You sure you can handle it?” Noctis asked playfully, handing you over the keys.

“You just try to hang on.” You stated, jumping into the driver’s seat as Noctis jumped in the passenger seat, poor Prompto being forced in the back between Gladiolus and Ignis.

No sooner had to jumped behind the wheel, did you suddenly realize why your boyfriend became such a maniac behind the wheel! The power, the thrust, the adrenaline! You needed to destroy everything in your path! The second those wheels left the road, it was goodbye self control, hello destruction!

“I don’t know,  which one of them is worse.” Prompto yelled, as you drove through what everyone thought to be a river, but the way you took it, it was a simple little puddle.

“Take that jump!” Noctis called, clearly with the same amount of glee that you both were feeling.

“Fuck yeah!” You yelled, clearly at odd with your typical docile demeanor, as you quickly drove up a nature made ramp, much to the displeasure of everyone in the back seat. Pedal meet floor, as you gave the car everything you had, before launching the car in the air.

Screams from the backseat, and loud cheering laughter from the front as the car stayed airborne for about 10 seconds before plummeting back to the ground. The shocks absorbing the shock, as you skid performing a half circle before pulling to a stop. Gasping as Noctis grabbed the back of your head before pulling you into a heated kiss.

“That was the hottest thing you have ever done!” Noctis muttered into your lips. “I am going to fuck you so hard tonight!”

~~~~~

Prompto

“Hey, I’m still a better driver than Prompto.”

“Hey!” Prompto gasped, “Nah, I can’t be offended, it’s true.”

“The only thing I could hurt out here is a few trees and rocks and believe me they’ve had it comfortable for too long.”

No one could really argue with that logic, not for a lack of trying, so you sat behind the steering wheel, hands at ten and two. Hardly going more than the speed limit, out of fear of Ignis’s special brand of drivers ed. Yet as you glanced in the back seat, noticing everyone seems rather calm and peaceful in the backseat of the car, did you take a sharp right off the road into the forest below, moving towards the nature that you seemed so hell bent on destroying earlier today much to the screaming and horror of your passengers.

Loud whoops and cheers left your lips as you rolled over every stone, performing still less dangerous leaps that Noctis, but with your driving history, it made it seem much worse. Than any of the damage that you were actually doing, surprisingly you had managed not to leave a single dent or ding on the car itself, despite your personal vendetta against every rock and boulder you came across.

What felt like hours later, you pull the car to a shrieking halt as you stood in your seat pointing forward, “Prompto look a nest of wild Chocobos!” You cheered, only to turn to see your boyfriend leaning over the end of the door. “Prompto?”

“I’m going to hurl.”

Glancing around the car, you noticed the others in a very similar situation. Shrugging you grabbed Prompto’s camera, before pulling the lense to your face, snapping a quick picture of the wild family of Chocobos before they scattered off.

~~~~~

Gladiolus

“You sure about this, Babe?” Gladiolus inquired, granted you had driven his truck around back home when you both went camping, but that you still needed a running start to get in. Yet with the upgrades with that Regalia, the man had to often lift you into the backseat, and stand underneath you so you could climb out.

“Yes, I’m sure.” You stated, holding the keys, standing underneath the door, before turning over your shoulder to your large boyfriend. “Help me get in the car, Gladio.”

After spending 5 minutes adjusting the seats and mirror, you finally managed to pull away from the campsite. A rather smooth ride, despite your co-pilot constantly nagging you, and asking if you could see over the steer wheel. You loved Gladiolus to death but you really just wanted him to shut up. You had finally went off roading, when you saw it, the thing that would finally get your boyfriend to stop nagging you.

Slamming on the horn and revving the engine loudly, you managed to startle the Catoblepas herd that immediately started stampeding towards you. The rest of the car began to scream loudly, as they animals bellowed angrily at being disturbed, while you revved your engine before quickly going in reverse. Never once paying attention to the creatures currently trying to flip the car, as you looked over your shoulder in the front seat, before suddenly turning forward switching the car into drive, before shooting forward.

Narrowly avoid, huge hooves and long neck coming down to crush the car. The entire time you backseat screaming, while you laughed loudly, and your boyfriend staring in horror, as he held onto the front seat for dear life.

Nearly 20 minutes later the chase from the creatures finally stopped, as you managed to jump a gorge, crawling the car back on the highway, as you would need to pull over for gas soon, since you started the journey with less than half a tank.

Glancing into the rearview mirror, your backseat looked as if they had seen a ghost, while your passenger seat was still clinging tightly to the door and seat. You were certain that you saw indents in the leather that would never come out.

“So…think there’s any good food at the next rest stop?”

The entire car groaned loudly.

~~~~~

Ignis

“I would not mind.”

Everyone stared at you, Noctis had simply asked if anyone else would like to take the new upgraded car for a ride. Yet now all of them were staring at you as if you had grown feathers and tail.

“Is something wrong?” You inquired.

Everyone turned to Ignis, figuring that your boyfriend would be the best one to break the news to you without sounding too harsh. Ignis cleared his throat, as he turned to you sitting beside him in the restaurant booth.

“It just seemed that, this is not something that you would regularly enjoy doing, My Dear.” Ignis stated handing the waitress her tip and money.

“Well of course not, we don’t have these types of things back home.” You stated as you all shuffled from the booth.

Gladiolus chuckled softly, “No offense, but you’re really kind of the prim and proper type. You’re more the type to make sure that none of us die.”

“Well that would be my job description, yes, yet I do not see any harm as to driving. I do it all the time, I don’t see as to why this should be any different.” You reasoned. “Life is about learning new experiences.”

“Well, if you’re game for it.” Noctis stated handing you the keys, as everyone climbed back into the newly lifted car. Yet Prompto and Ignis had exchanged seats, so that the man could sit your shotgun. “It handles a little differently.”

“No problem.” You smiled, replacing your normal glasses with your prescription sunglasses. “We are heading towards Centry, about 4 hours from here. Should be no problem, we’ll make it just before sundown.” You replied backing out of the parking spot.

The first hour was of course nothing special, just the way you wanted it, luring the others in a false sense of security. When you suddenly got stuck behind a car deciding to go well under the speed limit, time to see how well the boys enjoyed your off roading style.

Finding a break in the steel work that avoided cars skidding off the road, you quickly launched off the road with a surprised gasp from your passenger seat and yells of joy from the backseat, going through the forest at break neck speed. Your kitten pumps applying more and more pressure against the pedal, until you felt it hit floor. Narrowly avoiding trees and boulders, swerving  at the last second, taking care to avoid any animals you might come across.

Ignis peeked over to the dash, only to notice that you were going well over the typical speed limit and steadily raising, “My love, perhaps we should slow down.”

“Sorry, Iggy Dear, I can’t hear you over the music.”

“What music?”

You quickly flipped on the stereo, as violins and piano moved from the speakers. Seems Cindy gave that a tune up as well, as you continued your reckless chase through the forest, now soundtracked by the beautiful waltz  music you were so fond of.

“There’s a gap up ahead!” Noctis yelled.

“It’s a river, Noct.” Prompto stated.

“Y/N you’re not planning to try and drive across it.” Gladiolus called.

“What, of course not Gladiolus, that would be absolutely foolish.” You stated, releasing your foot from the gas, before quickly slamming it back down, leaning back. “We’re going to jump it!”

“What!” The car screamed, as you quickly moved right, toward the cliff overlooking the river.

“My love, please think about what you’re doing.” Ignis called.

“Oh I am, we’re saving ourselves an hour on the trip, now do hold on everyone.”  You called, only to be answered by terrifying screams as you launched over the river, landing on the other side, not even bothering to slow down as you continued your merry little jaunt through the woods at your breakneck speed.

“You have 10 minutes until you reach your destination.” The GPS called.

You glanced around, before noticing the highway to your left up a deep slope.

“Y/N, I don’t think we’re going to make that.” Noctis whimpered in the backseat, where he and Prompto had clung to each other since you made the jump.

“Nonsense Noctis, we just need a little speed.” You cooed, before slamming your heel into the pedal rocketing up the side of the slope. Allowing the shock to take effect as you placed your arm out before Ignis, to avoid him from slamming into the dash board. “My goodness, next we take this to Cindy, remind me to have her put seatbelts in this thing.”

Pulling into town, you found the nearest Motel, jumping out as you stretched your arms and legs, switching your sunglasses out for your normal glasses, “We’ve got here with more than enough time to spare, are you boys hungry or should…”

You watched as your companions all fell from the car, looking as if they had survived a cyclone.

“Oh…oh goodness, you all look as if you should lay down. Let me get us a room.” You called moving to the front desk.

“Ignis.”

“Yes, Noct.”

“Your girlfriend is horrifying.”

“I would have to agree.”

[josephkitchen0]

How to Build a Compact Tractor Implement Counterweight

Compact tractor implements are designed to add utility, ability and function to your small farm tractor. Many implements can get expensive when you opt to buy them from your local dealership or farm store, but simple tractor implements are sometimes just as easy to build than to buy, and much cheaper. A simple counterweight is an excellent example.

Why You Want a Counterweight

Both compact and full-size farm tractors can struggle with physics, especially leverage and gravity. If your tractor has a hard time gaining traction in the rear end, especially while picking up a load with your front end loader, then a counterweight tractor implement for your three-point hitch will prove to be infinitely useful to you.

When you pick up an object that is close to your maximum working load limit with your front loader, your front axle becomes the fulcrum point of your tractor. Since your rear axle is on the opposite side of the fulcrum, down force is transferred away from it, which causes you to loose traction in the rear end of your tractor. Driving your tractor can be dangerous when this happens, especially with a 4×4 tractor, since one wrong move can lead to a catastrophic rollover or tipping. The simplest way to eliminate this issue is to add weight to the rear end of your tractor, which will change the balance on that side of the fulcrum.

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Even older two-wheel drive tractors without loaders, such as the ones in our compact tractor comparison article can benefit from the added traction a counterweight can provide.

Counterweight Alternatives

In lieu of a dedicated compact tractor implement counterweight, there are other ways of achieving added weight on your rear axle. Tire loading or tire ballasting can be done to add weight directly to your tires, or most tractors can add wheel weights to achieve ballast in the rear end. In addition, you may have another implement that can serve double duty, such as a backhoe. When I need to move heavy (possibly too heavy) objects, I hook up my three-point backhoe tractor implement to give me some serious counterweight. This can be considered one of the best small tractor hacks you can do to save some cash.

Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to having a compact tractor implement backhoe attachment on your tractor while moving something with your bucket loader. Approach and departure angles become a big deal when you need to negotiate sloped terrain. You may find that, as you drive over uneven terrain, you wind up catching your backhoe on things or hanging it up on the ground as you try to negotiate a ramp or slope. Many times I’m forced to elevate the hoe itself, or lock it to one side to stop it from bottoming out on the terrain, but then I need to be conscious of the fact that I have a hoe bucket sticking out somewhere. Especially when operating near vehicles, barns, houses and trees, the added stress of having to remember where your backhoe is can be unnerving. Remember; auto body work is expensive, and a backhoe can modify your spouses’ car in a hurry.

Counterweight Styles

There are many ways to build a compact tractor implement counterweight, but the most popular methods include a box, barrel or suitcase arrangement. Suitcase arrangements usually employ a bar that fits your three-point hitch and allows you to attach what is known as “suitcase weights” which are solid cast iron flat weights. As nice, flexible and clean as this arrangement may look, cast iron suitcase weights can be expensive to purchase, which is why most people won’t build a suitcase bar counterweight.

Steel boxes are a simple way to build a compact tractor implement counterweight, and they allow you to toss in anything to add weight such as sand, rock, steel scraps and random weights you may have around. It’s not a bad arrangement, but unless you design it well, it will catch and hold water. A frozen box full of water may break your welds, stagnate water will make for some disgusting mosquito breeding grounds and a rusted-out box with no bottom doesn’t really help anyone, so unless you wany to take the challenge, I suggest the third option; the barrel.

My personal favorite is using an open top 30-gallon or 55-gallon plastic drum. Used plastic drums can be found for free or cheap locally, the plastic will never rust, you won’t need to paint the drum, and the plastic is soft, which may save you from damaging other objects in the event of an accidental rub or scrape.

Depending on the size of your tractor, you may be able to use a 30-gallon drum in the horizontal position, but a 55-gallon drum is best used upright. Regardless of the orientation, the plan is to fill your drum of choice with concrete. Concrete is cost effective, easy to use, fills every square inch of space and above all else; it’s heavy!

Basic Horizontal 30-Gallon Drum

Especially for compact tractors, a simple 30-gallon drum setup is usually enough to equalize the leverage equation. Although you can set a 30-gallon drum vertically, building it horizontally will let it roll over obstructions instead of hanging up on rocks or stumps. Since it’s situated horizontally, we can eliminate the three-point top link since it’s not necessary, but since we won’t have a way of stabilizing it, the lower arm pins must be centered in the barrel to avoid swinging of the counterweight tractor implement. A swinging compact tractor implement counterweight could swing at the wrong time, causing unsafe lurching or even impact the tractor, causing damage and dangerous situations. Because of these variables, be sure to center your draw bar pins in a horizontal drum compact tractor implement counterweight.

Building a Vertical Drum Counterweight

The easiest way I’ve found to build a counterweight drum includes using an off-the-shelf draw bar. A draw bar is literally a bar of steel that has several holes to accommodate trailer ball hitches or chain shackles, and includes a pin on either side which fits your lower three-point arms. These bars are commonly sold in farm stores, tractor dealerships and online, so hunt for the best price and order a bar that fits your class of hitch. In my case, I’ll be using a category two hitch, but most tractors use a category one hitch and many compact tractor implements require a category zero, so verify which size you need before buying.

Once you have the drum you want to use, be it 30 gallon, 55 gallon, plastic or steel, you need to make it an open top drum if it isn’t already. If you have a closed head drum, be sure not to cut the barrel head’s strengthening rib while cutting the top out, otherwise the top will deform and be out of round when you’re finished. I usually use a reciprocating saw by starting a cut from a bung hole and cutting the inside of the barrel head out, being sure not to cut the outside lip. A reciprocating saw usually does the trick, but a cutting torch may be easier if you have a steel drum. Be absolutely certain the contents of the barrel were non-flammable since cutting steel drums causes sparks, and having a drum go boom in your face is non-habit forming. When in doubt, use a different drum, or fill it with water before cutting.

Once you have an open drum, you will need to add slots for your draw bar to fit. I don’t suggest sticking the draw bar through the center line of your upright drum but instead, plan on slipping it through the barrel somewhere between the outer edge (closest to the tractor) and the center line (when looking at a side profile). When placing your draw bar this way you gain more leverage, keeping the counterweight further away from the tractor’s axle, and avoiding pinching your top link. I suggest placing the barrel between your hitch arms, marking their lowest point on the barrel, and then placing your bar several inches above that level to avoid having a hard time when trying to hook up your counterweight on uneven ground.

In order to stabilize the barrel, you will need a top link attachment point. This is something that you will need to fabricate or have fabricated for you. This vertical bar will protrude from the top of your drum and attach to your draw bar. You can weld it to the draw bar, but I suggest bolting it to the center hole on your draw bar, since you may accidentally weld it before placing it in your drum, or weld it crooked while reaching into your drum. Bolting your vertical bar to a single point will offer some wiggle room when you’re trying to square things up, and a bolt of that size should hold just fine.

A simple C-channel vertical bar is easy to fabricate, but if you’re up for a challenge, consider adding bar or tube structures that tie into the concrete for added strength. The sky’s the limit if you’re handy with a torch and welder, but if you’re not, you may want to contact a local welder or fabrication shop and have them build you an upright support bar. Be certain of your measurements before contracting someone to build you a bar. When designing your vertical bar, consider the angle change of your top link when raising and lowering the implement. Setting the distance of your top link attachment point too close to the barrel may result in you impacting and bending your top link when you raise the weight up. Measure twice, cut once and be sure to dry fit everything before you go to the next step.

Concrete

Do you have a project coming up that requires a concrete truck? Does your neighbor? Having a truck pour your concrete is an easy way to fill your barrel, but unless you have a project coming up, you may be stuck with mixing bags of concrete. This is a compact tractor implement counterweight, not a foundation, so don’t get stressed about which concrete is best for filling a 55-gallon drum. Bags of ready-to-mix concrete are readily available at your local home improvement store or hardware store for a reasonable cost and they take the guesswork out of this part of the project. This may be a good time to borrow a friend since concrete is heavy and you don’t have an awful lot of time to work with it. An extra pair of hands can make things easier.

Finished

Now that you’ve added this to your arsenal of farm tools and equipment, you have a handy compact tractor implement counterweight that you built yourself. You’ll find it easier to lift things without tipping as easily, and you’ll have more traction when moving around in mud or snow. Did you come up with a different or more innovative way to build your counterweight? Let me know in the comments below!

How to Build a Compact Tractor Implement Counterweight was originally posted by All About Chickens

[firecakes-art]

Marker Man Misadventures 9

It's time for world 8! I mean.. wait. Yeah, it's world 8. This isn't a mario game, is it? That could mean that this is the last world. Nah, we're definitely hitting level 100. Strap in, my dudes.

12 seconds. 7 and a half measures. You can maybe get away with 8 and a half measures if you know what you're doing. I guess just interpret the song as a 2/4 time signature and you will have 15 full measures and it makes more sense. I don't even know anymore.

There are three main pathways. The lower path can be avoided by taking the middle or high path and then going down from the other side to get the coin. Going down the lower route is scary because the last bouncy platform on the way down doesn't actually show you what you can land on due to the poor camera view. Good old lava returned to its resident world, and will now be an additional hazard to avoid. On the bright side, you can build over the lava.

Fire Turret

Pretty much the same as the spear thrower, as far as I can tell. A fireball is shot out instead, and accelerates as it flies through the air, imparting its momentum on drawn objects. 8 damage.

Markers are sparse in the last level and even less so in this one. This game is demanding you to be at your most resourceful if you want to survive. Resort to pushing tactics where you build a shape and push against it to knock an enemy out of the way or into the lava. In the spike part, push that first zombie to the right with a shape and push the second one off that ledge to where the third zombie is. Then, build and jump over them, ensuring you put a rectangle down in the lava pool. Thinking about how to get the most use out of your markers is what's going to allow you to live here; attempting to jump over the zombies will result in death.

Getting the coin is fun. You can build to the marker despite the walls getting in the way, because they cannot push through your line if it's stuck to the ground. Once you're above the coin, there is enough space to drop down onto the platform underneath to grab it. There is just enough leeway to draw directly from that platform to the platform away from the lava area. This level loves chaining dangerous elements together, hardly giving a break for the player.

Angry Wall

Take a guess.

Do not touch the toxic sneezes. Do not compromise touching the toxic sneezes. If you game over'd and started on this world you won't have the ability or want to even be able to use your powers. Markers are still scare, so build over them or push them out of them way. There's one part in particular that's really nasty and I had to fail the jump just so I could give you the best advice here. Don't even bother getting on the rotating platforms. Drop down to the ledge under the marker. If you were to drop down right there you would land on a nice, flat surface. This is a perfect opportunity to draw a line shape and use it to prevent fall damage. As a bonus, you skip a lot of the level in the process.

Notice how far you have to go without getting any markers, assuming you don't take the bottom path. You will almost definitely have used up a marker by the time you get to the area with the coin. Obviously you want to avoid the golem fire to take as little damage as possible, so draw that barrier to the left of them to disable them temporarily. Getting to the area with the coin is the easy part, unfortunately. You will be greeted with a top path and a lower path, and both will almost definitely kill you if you attempt to pass through them, with death either by spikes or by rocks. The best strategy is to go build on the spike layer and avoid the barrage of rocks by the golem. When you're going back up, build a line long enough to get out of the spike pit and block the golem's shots at the same time. You'll have to take that whole right path because you WILL die if you try and go straight up to the coin.

How to get past the angry walls? It may sound weird, but the best way is to build on top of the angry walls. Placing a line between the ceiling and the walls will force them not to go above the ceiling, and once they go low enough, you can jump on top of that platform. The spikes cannot go through the platform you built, and so you'll get squished under the ceiling for a bit before the walls give up and move back down. No damage taken! However, once you reach the coin the golem from the left will start firing rocks at you. As if taking 8 damage per hit isn't bad enough, the rocks actually push you back slightly! It only takes a couple rocks before you get pushed into the angry walls and die instantly.

This is the most difficult challenge in the game so far. Hours were spent on figuring out how to take the least amount of damage through this segment. Here's the strategy. First, draw a line above the angry walls to get over them. Then, draw a right triangle on the far left side from your position, using the camera panning. Make sure the slope faces to the left. What happens is the boulder hits the triangle, but it's momentum is split into vertical and horizontal components, because the boulder hits the shape at an angle instead of a completely vertical edge. A significant amount of the momentum is transferred to the ground and helps keep the triangle at its current position with the help of friction. You need to act fast because the triangle will disappear in about 10 seconds. You should have enough time to go in, grab the coin, make another platform if you need to, and go back. Success!

The reason why the platform above the wall is drawn first is because the game resets the despawn timer for a shape if marker man touches the shape. So, it makes more sense to draw the platform first so that the triangle shape has more time being useful.

Sorry for the short novel about this level, but there is one last thing I learned here. When you create a shape, no part of it can touch a solid entity or else no shape will end up being drawn. The game also has some sort of algorithm to determine whether the curve of your drawn line is valid enough to become a certain shape. Since the collision detection only checks for the drawn line you have created instead of the shape that would be created as a result of the draw, you can trick the game into spawning a shape with a solid entity inside of it! I will have to experiment to see how useful this is, but below is a photo of me drawing a line through spikes: the black dotted line is approximately what I drew, and as you can see it does not pass through any solid entities, yet it is close enough to be considered a line. Neat!

Golem

Almost the same enemy as the spear thrower and fire turret. It appears to have less sight range, meaning you won't get shot from far away by the golem, but its attack speed is a lot faster and more consistent. This makes them dangerous up close. Place a ramp on the left side of the golem (the rock it throws spawns on the top left corner of its sprite) to disable it, since a spawned rock has no momentum to push the ramp.

What??? Sad dynamite is back from world 1?! Wow, it's been a while. Let me hug you! Oh... my HP went from 86 to 14, a total of 72 damage. Okay, so sad dynamite's damage also scales over worlds. A lot of the enemies are placed in inconvenient locations, meaning you'll have to make some judgments as to whether you really should be jumping over that dynamite stick. Fortunately there are plenty of markers in the level to fix your mistakes.

It's pretty hard to die in this level, which is good. It's also pretty hard not to lose your markers, which is bad. I guess if you had no markers to begin with then this level is just a free pass through. Good for you? This level aside, I'm actually impressed on how well thought out these levels are. They are by far the best levels I've played. There is actual need for resource management and clever thinking on how to pass certain obstacles. It's as if a different level designer that knew what they were doing came in and worked on this world.

This level is fairly mild, despite the fire turrets everywhere. You already know how to pacify them.

This one starts off pretty weird. The golem refuses to throw the rocks despite you being very close to it. Only when you move to the right of it does it start firing. What an honorable golem! Using your camera controls will be helpful here so that you can be prepared for a golem ambush.

They're just making really sure that you don't have any markers left by the end of this world.

In unrelated news, I finally found a good use for that drawing glitch where you can draw shapes through solid entities. Let's say you have an enemy and it is in an annoying spot, and it's near an edge. If you had the ability to draw under it, you could draw a long line so that most of the line hangs off of the ledge and the enemy sits on top of that line. The line flips off the edge due to the lack of balance and throws the enemy along with it. You can use the draw glitch by drawing next to the enemy, then angle the line upward, then angle back downward some distance away, and congrats, you draw a line under an enemy!

In order to get to the top path in the lava area you cannot simply build a line from the platform underneath the fan to the top platform because the fan will knock the line (and you) away. The problem with going to the previous non-bouncy platform is that it's too far away to build straight to the higher platform because you have to stand on the very edge to see it. However, you can build a line from the higher platform to above your head, then move out of the way and the shape will drop to the edge of the platform you were standing on. Build the line high enough so you have enough time to move left when you build it, otherwise you'll just get stuck under the weight of the line.

It may not seem like it, but you can build from the beginning of the spike pit to the far non-moving platform to the right. Build over the moving platform, and the line will actually be so heavy the platform cannot push it up and will stay down. This is going to be some scary advice, and you're going to have to trust me on this, but jump on the fans when you get there. If you land right on top of them it will either push you upwards or towards the direction they're spinning. If you keep this mind, it's possible to stay bouncing on the fans. It will take some practice, but it is worth the trouble.

The only painful part of the level is the double spiked wall area. Drawing a line over the whole thing can work, but keep in mind that the two wall columns that are there are out of sync, meaning that the line you draw will be tilted around. What happened to the challenge of this world? Did the person who made the first few quit after realizing what they were in for? I guess I wouldn't blame them.

There is nothing to say about this level that I haven't already said in previous levels.

Look, it's a bonus level haha

A golem blocks your path! What's hilarious is because of my insane determination to find a solution to level 87, this gives us another solution to getting around the golems in general. Place a right triangle with the slope facing the golem, then push it. The boulders will have a very tough time moving the shape and you'll be protected by hiding behind it. You could draw a line over the first golem, but then the second golem farther out will knock that line out of the way and you'll start getting pelted. Use the triangle to get very near the first golem, then pacify the second golem using the line trick, then pacify the first golem using the line trick.

To get to the coin, you have to use the rotating platforms. I recommend starting further right and building to the rotating platforms to avoid the golem above, both going there and going back. You know, that's my advice for the whole level: when in doubt, build over the lava.

Wait what? This doesn't lead to 99? I was so sure we were going to hit level 100 by the end of this world but I guess not.

If it isn't obvious from looking at the map, the goal is to jump over the fading block obstacles so you don't get knocked off the moving platforms. Although building to the end using the fading blocks isn't a bad idea, it actually isn't that tough to do what the level designers want you to do. Jump over the first one, duck under the second, jump over the third. Or you could do it the cool way and just... stand there. Turns out if you run into the fading block the moving platform just stops, probably from under the friction of your character, until the fading block disappears. No need to jump over anything! World 8 is done!

This was by far the best world. The first half at least. Everything else was the standard marker man type of level I've come to expect. Due to the necessity of survival I learned a bunch of new tricks along the way. Here's hoping I can use them in this next world.

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How to Build a Compact Tractor Implement Counterweight

Compact tractor implements are designed to add utility, ability and function to your small farm tractor. Many implements can get expensive when you opt to buy them from your local dealership or farm store, but simple tractor implements are sometimes just as easy to build than to buy, and much cheaper. A simple counterweight is an excellent example.

Why You Want a Counterweight

Both compact and full-size farm tractors can struggle with physics, especially leverage and gravity. If your tractor has a hard time gaining traction in the rear end, especially while picking up a load with your front end loader, then a counterweight tractor implement for your three-point hitch will prove to be infinitely useful to you.

When you pick up an object that is close to your maximum working load limit with your front loader, your front axle becomes the fulcrum point of your tractor. Since your rear axle is on the opposite side of the fulcrum, down force is transferred away from it, which causes you to loose traction in the rear end of your tractor. Driving your tractor can be dangerous when this happens, especially with a 4×4 tractor, since one wrong move can lead to a catastrophic rollover or tipping. The simplest way to eliminate this issue is to add weight to the rear end of your tractor, which will change the balance on that side of the fulcrum.

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Even older two-wheel drive tractors without loaders, such as the ones in our compact tractor comparison article can benefit from the added traction a counterweight can provide.

Counterweight Alternatives

In lieu of a dedicated compact tractor implement counterweight, there are other ways of achieving added weight on your rear axle. Tire loading or tire ballasting can be done to add weight directly to your tires, or most tractors can add wheel weights to achieve ballast in the rear end. In addition, you may have another implement that can serve double duty, such as a backhoe. When I need to move heavy (possibly too heavy) objects, I hook up my three-point backhoe tractor implement to give me some serious counterweight. This can be considered one of the best small tractor hacks you can do to save some cash.

Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to having a compact tractor implement backhoe attachment on your tractor while moving something with your bucket loader. Approach and departure angles become a big deal when you need to negotiate sloped terrain. You may find that, as you drive over uneven terrain, you wind up catching your backhoe on things or hanging it up on the ground as you try to negotiate a ramp or slope. Many times I’m forced to elevate the hoe itself, or lock it to one side to stop it from bottoming out on the terrain, but then I need to be conscious of the fact that I have a hoe bucket sticking out somewhere. Especially when operating near vehicles, barns, houses and trees, the added stress of having to remember where your backhoe is can be unnerving. Remember; auto body work is expensive, and a backhoe can modify your spouses’ car in a hurry.

Counterweight Styles

There are many ways to build a compact tractor implement counterweight, but the most popular methods include a box, barrel or suitcase arrangement. Suitcase arrangements usually employ a bar that fits your three-point hitch and allows you to attach what is known as “suitcase weights” which are solid cast iron flat weights. As nice, flexible and clean as this arrangement may look, cast iron suitcase weights can be expensive to purchase, which is why most people won’t build a suitcase bar counterweight.

Steel boxes are a simple way to build a compact tractor implement counterweight, and they allow you to toss in anything to add weight such as sand, rock, steel scraps and random weights you may have around. It’s not a bad arrangement, but unless you design it well, it will catch and hold water. A frozen box full of water may break your welds, stagnate water will make for some disgusting mosquito breeding grounds and a rusted-out box with no bottom doesn’t really help anyone, so unless you wany to take the challenge, I suggest the third option; the barrel.

My personal favorite is using an open top 30-gallon or 55-gallon plastic drum. Used plastic drums can be found for free or cheap locally, the plastic will never rust, you won’t need to paint the drum, and the plastic is soft, which may save you from damaging other objects in the event of an accidental rub or scrape.

Depending on the size of your tractor, you may be able to use a 30-gallon drum in the horizontal position, but a 55-gallon drum is best used upright. Regardless of the orientation, the plan is to fill your drum of choice with concrete. Concrete is cost effective, easy to use, fills every square inch of space and above all else; it’s heavy!

Basic Horizontal 30-Gallon Drum

Especially for compact tractors, a simple 30-gallon drum setup is usually enough to equalize the leverage equation. Although you can set a 30-gallon drum vertically, building it horizontally will let it roll over obstructions instead of hanging up on rocks or stumps. Since it’s situated horizontally, we can eliminate the three-point top link since it’s not necessary, but since we won’t have a way of stabilizing it, the lower arm pins must be centered in the barrel to avoid swinging of the counterweight tractor implement. A swinging compact tractor implement counterweight could swing at the wrong time, causing unsafe lurching or even impact the tractor, causing damage and dangerous situations. Because of these variables, be sure to center your draw bar pins in a horizontal drum compact tractor implement counterweight.

Building a Vertical Drum Counterweight

The easiest way I’ve found to build a counterweight drum includes using an off-the-shelf draw bar. A draw bar is literally a bar of steel that has several holes to accommodate trailer ball hitches or chain shackles, and includes a pin on either side which fits your lower three-point arms. These bars are commonly sold in farm stores, tractor dealerships and online, so hunt for the best price and order a bar that fits your class of hitch. In my case, I’ll be using a category two hitch, but most tractors use a category one hitch and many compact tractor implements require a category zero, so verify which size you need before buying.

Once you have the drum you want to use, be it 30 gallon, 55 gallon, plastic or steel, you need to make it an open top drum if it isn’t already. If you have a closed head drum, be sure not to cut the barrel head’s strengthening rib while cutting the top out, otherwise the top will deform and be out of round when you’re finished. I usually use a reciprocating saw by starting a cut from a bung hole and cutting the inside of the barrel head out, being sure not to cut the outside lip. A reciprocating saw usually does the trick, but a cutting torch may be easier if you have a steel drum. Be absolutely certain the contents of the barrel were non-flammable since cutting steel drums causes sparks, and having a drum go boom in your face is non-habit forming. When in doubt, use a different drum, or fill it with water before cutting.

Once you have an open drum, you will need to add slots for your draw bar to fit. I don’t suggest sticking the draw bar through the center line of your upright drum but instead, plan on slipping it through the barrel somewhere between the outer edge (closest to the tractor) and the center line (when looking at a side profile). When placing your draw bar this way you gain more leverage, keeping the counterweight further away from the tractor’s axle, and avoiding pinching your top link. I suggest placing the barrel between your hitch arms, marking their lowest point on the barrel, and then placing your bar several inches above that level to avoid having a hard time when trying to hook up your counterweight on uneven ground.

In order to stabilize the barrel, you will need a top link attachment point. This is something that you will need to fabricate or have fabricated for you. This vertical bar will protrude from the top of your drum and attach to your draw bar. You can weld it to the draw bar, but I suggest bolting it to the center hole on your draw bar, since you may accidentally weld it before placing it in your drum, or weld it crooked while reaching into your drum. Bolting your vertical bar to a single point will offer some wiggle room when you’re trying to square things up, and a bolt of that size should hold just fine.

A simple C-channel vertical bar is easy to fabricate, but if you’re up for a challenge, consider adding bar or tube structures that tie into the concrete for added strength. The sky’s the limit if you’re handy with a torch and welder, but if you’re not, you may want to contact a local welder or fabrication shop and have them build you an upright support bar. Be certain of your measurements before contracting someone to build you a bar. When designing your vertical bar, consider the angle change of your top link when raising and lowering the implement. Setting the distance of your top link attachment point too close to the barrel may result in you impacting and bending your top link when you raise the weight up. Measure twice, cut once and be sure to dry fit everything before you go to the next step.

Concrete

Do you have a project coming up that requires a concrete truck? Does your neighbor? Having a truck pour your concrete is an easy way to fill your barrel, but unless you have a project coming up, you may be stuck with mixing bags of concrete. This is a compact tractor implement counterweight, not a foundation, so don’t get stressed about which concrete is best for filling a 55-gallon drum. Bags of ready-to-mix concrete are readily available at your local home improvement store or hardware store for a reasonable cost and they take the guesswork out of this part of the project. This may be a good time to borrow a friend since concrete is heavy and you don’t have an awful lot of time to work with it. An extra pair of hands can make things easier.

Finished

Now that you’ve added this to your arsenal of farm tools and equipment, you have a handy compact tractor implement counterweight that you built yourself. You’ll find it easier to lift things without tipping as easily, and you’ll have more traction when moving around in mud or snow. Did you come up with a different or more innovative way to build your counterweight? Let me know in the comments below!

How to Build a Compact Tractor Implement Counterweight was originally posted by All About Chickens