User manuals...
... are not cheap. :P
I don't mind shelling out a few bucks for shop/service manuals, but I really don't like having to shell out any amount of $$ for an owner's manual. In this day and age when pretty much everything can be scanned and archived into computers, there's no reason that companies can't keep PDF versions of their manuals online. Today I coughed up about $35 in each of Canadian and American funds to purchase a shop manual, and an owner's manual for my old Massey-Ferguson 65 Tractor. I need these books, these purchases really were not optional, and no amount of searching on the 'net revealed any cheaper (or free) source.
On the other hand, Woods Equipment has all of their manuals available for free on their website. This is a great and valuable service to me, as I bought one of their Model M5-4 mowers at an auction a few weeks ago. Not having an owner's manual meant that adjusting or maintaining it was a lot of guesswork, and I'd hate to have the machine bugger up because I missed oiling/greasing some critical part. Woods also has a lot of manuals online for their really old stuff, not just the most current equipment like so many companies (particularly high-tech companies like HP/Compaq.)
Quick question for those who may know: Is there any reason I can't put gasoline in a slip-tank that was previously used for diesel? I picked up a slip-tank at the same forementioned auction for $2, but they were using it for diesel. The only diesel-powered thing I have on the farm is my truck, and the tractor runs on plain old gasoline. The tank is empty, and I'd like to use it for gasoline for the tractor, but I heard somewhere that you're not supposed to do that. Any comments/suggestions?