Getting Unstuck from the Mud

   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud #11  
Off the side of my driveway - - one of my major concerns. Two places on my mile long gravel driveway where it drops off about 10 to 12 feet. Not so much worried about stuck as roll over. When I plow snow - leave a good foot and a half, rock hard, frozen snow berm at both places. Never in the 36 years here had any problems - but always on my mind.

Stuck in the mud - once in my M6040 - had to have the neighbor come and give me a tug. Backed the tractor into a pond to do some ditching - draining the pond. Started out just fine - angle got a tad steeper - could not raise single bottom plow out of pond mud - R1 rear tires got loaded with mud - could not pull myself out with bucket on FEL. Only resulting action - extended "garden hose time" - washing off mud.

In retrospect - could have dropped the single bottom plow - drove out - pulled plow out with long chain. Live and learn.
 
   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud #12  
newbury said:
I wouldn't pull myself out by strapping on to the backhoe bucket. To dangerous for the cylinders.
/edit using the bucket to claw my way out would make sense, but i'd be concerned with yanking on it.
Click to expand...

While I wouldn't encourage yanking on a strap or chain with anything I certainly would have no problem using the hydraulics to pull with.
You will not apply any more stress to them then you do while digging and taking to big a bite and stalling out the hydraulics or catching a rock that requires digging out,
if to much load your hydraulic relief will do its job.
I have used bucket curl many times when pulling stuck equipment out as I can actually pull more at times with hydraulics then the available traction.

Not getting stuck is the best solution, sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Using the lumber is an effective method, it is also one way to flip a tractor over, use with caution.
 
   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud #13  
Fun video. I think you did a good job for your area and what you have to deal with. In my world, red clay builds up and sticks to everything like glue. It is also bottomless, so when your tires start to spin, you quickly dig down to the point that the frame is floating on the mud. This creates suction and makes it a lot harder to get out. In order to get my backhoe out of the mud in the middle of a field, I have to use my front bucket as a float, or skid. Then reach out with the hoe to get something semi solid to pull it backwards. I've spent over four hours doing this until I was able to get my tires onto something solid. Sometimes I have to rotate the tractor to another direction, and then drag it that way.

I try very very hard to never get my backhoe stuck.

I don't worry about it too much with my little tractor or zero turn. I just use the hoe stick to pull it out with a chain. Worse case scenario is when I have to use three chains to make sure the backhoe remains on solid ground.
 
   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud
  • Thread Starter
#14  
LouNY said:
While I wouldn't encourage yanking on a strap or chain with anything I certainly would have no problem using the hydraulics to pull with.
You will not apply any more stress to them then you do while digging and taking to big a bite and stalling out the hydraulics or catching a rock that requires digging out,
if to much load your hydraulic relief will do its job.
I have used bucket curl many times when pulling stuck equipment out as I can actually pull more at times with hydraulics then the available traction.

Not getting stuck is the best solution, sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Using the lumber is an effective method, it is also one way to flip a tractor over, use with caution.
Click to expand...

I agree with Both points, I know I don't know a ton about hydraulics, but it seems to be the same motions and force loads that I would encounter while digging.

But you really got to evaluate your situation, I hope with lumber just a little larger than the wheels the flip-over risk should be minimal, I have seen some people use some very large logs that really looks scary!
 
   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud
  • Thread Starter
#15  
EddieWalker said:
Fun video. I think you did a good job for your area and what you have to deal with. In my world, red clay builds up and sticks to everything like glue. It is also bottomless, so when your tires start to spin, you quickly dig down to the point that the frame is floating on the mud. This creates suction and makes it a lot harder to get out. In order to get my backhoe out of the mud in the middle of a field, I have to use my front bucket as a float, or skid. Then reach out with the hoe to get something semi solid to pull it backwards. I've spent over four hours doing this until I was able to get my tires onto something solid. Sometimes I have to rotate the tractor to another direction, and then drag it that way.

I try very very hard to never get my backhoe stuck.

I don't worry about it too much with my little tractor or zero turn. I just use the hoe stick to pull it out with a chain. Worse case scenario is when I have to use three chains to make sure the backhoe remains on solid ground.
Click to expand...

That's a really good Tip for deep mud to use the front bucket like a skid! I will have to remember that one!
 
   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud
  • Thread Starter
#17  
oosik said:
Off the side of my driveway - - one of my major concerns. Two places on my mile long gravel driveway where it drops off about 10 to 12 feet. Not so much worried about stuck as roll over. When I plow snow - leave a good foot and a half, rock hard, frozen snow berm at both places. Never in the 36 years here had any problems - but always on my mind.

Stuck in the mud - once in my M6040 - had to have the neighbor come and give me a tug. Backed the tractor into a pond to do some ditching - draining the pond. Started out just fine - angle got a tad steeper - could not raise single bottom plow out of pond mud - R1 rear tires got loaded with mud - could not pull myself out with bucket on FEL. Only resulting action - extended "garden hose time" - washing off mud.

In retrospect - could have dropped the single bottom plow - drove out - pulled plow out with long chain. Live and learn.
Click to expand...

My driveway is barely 10 feet wide, and the drop-off is only 1-2 feet, so its not enough for the snowbanks not to build up. When I try to push them back after a long winter, I some times get just a little to close to the edge and drop a wheel. My plow isn't much wider than my tractor, so pushing back the banks can turn into a long day!
 
   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud #18  
If I'm doing bucket or fork work someplace muddy, I make sure I have the logging winch on the 3pth as my "plan B" if things get deep.

Once when I got stuck and there was no tree to anchor the winch to, so I parked my truck at the top of the bank on the other side of a hedge row for an anchor. I told my 12 year old daughter at the time to (engage) pull the winch cord (standing off to the side) while I got distracted working the bucket and differential lock, etc.. I was a bit surprised to see that truck getting pulled through the hedge row and start coming over the bank. Stop stop stop!!!!

(Newton's 3rd Law! : For every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction.)
 
   / Getting Unstuck from the Mud #19  
Kaje36 said:
That's a really good Tip for deep mud to use the front bucket like a skid! I will have to remember that one!
Click to expand...

Let me add to it. You have to get your front axle up and out of the mud with the front bucket. Then you have to use the hoe to lift your rear tires up and out of the mud, and then pull the tractor backwards. I keep my outriggers out when doing this out of fear that I might flip over. There is nothing fun about it, and more then once, I just wanted to get off of the backhoe and go hide in my house instead of dealing with it. Especially when it turns into hours of doing this!!!
 
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