New Harvester Update and Operations

On Monday, July 1st, we took possession of our new Harvester. Bruce Wood and I
unloaded it with the delivery driver and moved it to the cul-de-sac near Jeff Ranous’s
house. With help from Scott Streich, Dan Lesniak, Tim, and Chris, we assembled it,
topped off the fluids, and launched it. Thanks to everyone who helped!

I cut the first two loads on the west end on July 2nd and 3rd to prepare for boat traffic
and the 4th of July parade. Since then, we've cut for 11 days and removed 8 trailer
loads of weeds. Bruce and I were the primary operators, with Bruce handling most of
the work—special thanks to Paul Kuester and Scott Pobjecky for unloading and
disposing of the weeds.

We're still learning harvesting techniques and prioritizing areas. Harvesting is taking
longer this year due to early ice melt, a warmer winter, and a delayed Harvester
delivery. We may need to cut almost every week until fall. Our smaller Harvester means
it takes 2-3 times longer than before. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let's hope for
heavy snowfall and colder weather this coming winter to help reduce weed growth.

Thanks to BJ and Dave for providing a location to unload weeds. The size of our truck
and trailer made it difficult to offload on their property, so we've identified a new disposal
site near Jordan Lake.

Maintenance: Most Harvester bearings are sealed and don't need greasing; the rest
require greasing every 1-3 months. Bruce greases the cutting head daily, and we
changed the engine oil at the 50-hour mark per the manufacturer's specifications. The
next oil change is in 200 hours.

Harvesting Schedule: We'll try to provide a weekly schedule based on our experience
and volunteer availability. The schedule will be fluid due to weather and other factors,
and we'll respect lake users while cutting.

Sincerely,

 

Randy Lenz

Harvesting Manager

 

August 10, 2024 at 9am is the next PLMD meeting at 9am at the Peppermill Garage Bar (325 Fish Ct)

August 31,2024 at 9am is the PLMD Annual Membership meeting at the Jackson Town Hall