My disaster

[relaqbr]

Toro Dingo 420TX I am pretty happy with it so far. OK so I am really happy with it so far. I wanted an HSD and looked at a Kubota b7800 and a Montana something 38 HP or so. And this little Dingo at only 20HP is SO much more functional, and maneuverable it is amazing. You can push down on a PHD and it is in front of you you don't have to visit a chiropractor after using it all day. With our "soil" Pushing it a little is a requirement. It has tracks and has 10X better traction than the others. I do not have to even think about filling the tires with gunk. I do not have to buy/find/make a weight for the rear. OK, OK, so I am happy.

I don't usually take it up "the driveway" which goes up higher and then around to the house. Probably 500ft long. Instead I use the dirt road that comes up and ends under the house. Maybe 350ft and just about as steep. However, I was working on the top part of the yard and had driven the tractor up the driveway several days before. I had gotten a delivery of some driveway patch to the top and decided to put three bags in the FEL along with some other equipment and patch a hole about halfway down. I headed down the driveway and as I got to the hole that I wanted to patch -- right at the steepest section of the drive, I decreased speed. I had it in high throttle (as is recommended) and I had the tract control forward all the way and as I got to the hole I eased back on the tract control. It started to decrease in speed but then lurched forward and started traveling faster and faster down the driveway and actually accelerated down the driveway and I couldn't steer it, and it was going off to the left which, since I was going down hill, was into the rocks instead of the 20ft ravine to the right, and there was a great big rock in front of me.

I was afraid that this thing would hit the rock and throw me forward onto the hood (and maybe on over) so I jumped/stepped/scrambled off the back. The tractor kept going and ran up onto a smaller rock just before (really about 3 inches) the bucket hit the big rock and ... WHAMMMMMMMMM, CRASSHHHHHHH, BOOOOMMMMMMMM, Went over on its side. Motor still running, starts coughing and blowing white smoke up in the air, and I run over and turn it off.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Knees shaking like crazy. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. OMG, OMG, OMG .

Deep breaths. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Knees shaking like crazy. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG .

Deep breaths.

How am I going to get this back up. It is actually laying downhill from its tracks. Gas is dripping out AGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Went up and got ratchet strap, come-along, cable, and pulled on it. It just started sliding on the driveway as it is laying downhill. So went back up and got the floor jack and put it under the loader arm and thought more and went back up and got jack stands and put them in place to brace as I got it up a little higher with the floor jack. Put the parking brake on. Finally got it tipped up enough with the combination jack, stands, straps, and come-along to push it onto its tracks.

Pant, pant, pant. 2hours and knees still shaking.
Starts up and is smoking a lot but I figure that is just oil from the PCV system -- GAS engine! I know, I know, I thought about a diesel. I don't want to foul up the plugs so I turn it back off for half an hour. In half an hour it fires up and not much smoke at all. Take the brake off but it will not move. It tries but something sounds like it is holding it back just like the parking brake. Finally figure it out. When it crashed on its side it shifted the adjustment plate for the brake so that it wouldn't actually disengage.

Wheewwww. Got the brake off -- it moves! Loaded up the stuff that flew/slid down the road when it crashed and drove it CAREFULLY down the drive and kept slowing it down and it would make a funny gurgling/rattling noise. Got to the bottom about three hours after I stated and just then Carol got home and she never knew a thing .



So my belief is the hydraulic fluid cavitated in the drive pumps and it was just sucking vacuum and I had no steering because steering is one drive moving faster and they were both in free fall! The fact that when I jumped off it continued for 3-4 feet (and would have gone further if not for the rock) after I had released the drive handle I believe supports this. It is not supposed to move at all without pushing or pulling on the drive handle.
The driveway at this point is over 35deg. So I have several questions:
1 What should I now be worried about having turned it over?
2 What does everyone think of my hypothesis?
3 Has anyone else had anything similar happen?
4 Anyone have a solution, either for the tractor's hydraulics or operationally for going down in the future. I have thought about trying to go real slow and activating the parking brake if it starts to get away or down backward, but backward is generally not the way one would do it.
5 What else should I be doing/asking?

Bob

 

[Treemonkey1000]

There might have been some stains in my britches after that little ride. I am glad that you are ok. Maybe put some guard rails in that road.

 

[Just Bob]

Toro Dingo 420TX

So my belief is the hydraulic fluid cavitated in the drive pumps and it was just sucking vacuum

What else should I be doing/asking?

Bob

I'd call my dealer and ask them the name of the company's legal department and how much liability insurance they carry. And I wouldn't use the machine again, ever.

Glad you're not in the hospital.

 

[Thomas]

Dang..glad your okay Bob.

Let machine set for day or two drain fluilds back,than change fuilds and filters etc...also check linkages for damage.

 

[radioman]

glad you are ok. I am surprised how clear the picture were considering how shaky you were saying your knees was. glad no body wass hurt and the jack didnt slip while you were trying to put it up. Must be a very tiring day for you.

 

[DJ54]

Glad to hear you didn't get hurt..!!

I am curious though... Is that the height you were carrying the load..?? Not to sound like the safety police, but believe I'd carry the bucket a bit closer to the ground.

There have been more than several times I've used the bucket, blade, what ever, to control a sliding, or run away machine. But mostly due to slick or unstable surface...

You did the right thing in dismounting that particular machine... They stamp those things out everyday...

 

[relaqbr]

Glad to hear you didn't get hurt..!!

Thank you and everyone else who sent good wishes.

I am curious though... Is that the height you were carrying the load..?? Not to sound like the safety police, but believe I'd carry the bucket a bit closer to the ground.

Yes that is the height the bucket was at and thanks for the safety info! I do carry the bucket low which is another reason I really do like this machine. With the other tractors I tried out you had to have the bucket almost 5 feet off the ground to have the top level. Why do they do that ? Anyways because of the road slant the bucket looks higher than it was. It was only about 1.5 ft off the ground. The loader arms pretty much go straight out and were about chest high. But again thanks for the safety info! And actually this is why I worry about going down backwards.

There have been more than several times I've used the bucket, blade, what ever, to control a sliding, or run away machine. But mostly due to slick or unstable surface...

You did the right thing in dismounting that particular machine... They stamp those things out everyday...

You know if I had not been so surprised and had maybe another five feet I probably would have thought to do that. Or the parking brake which has a pin. Wonder if it would have sheared. But it's good practice to think about doing that periodically. (Defensive driving at home )

I read with interest the "floppy bucket" thread and regen valves. Would something like that prevent this? (If it really was a cavitation issue). The machine seems to run fine now. I have checked all the fluids and all the linkages look fine. It actually landed on the bucket and tow bar there is very little paint damage.

Thanks again to everyone for the replies and best wishes.

Bob

 

[Kubota 2350]

This is going to sound like a smart *** reply, and it's not ment that way.
Does this machine have any brakes?

 

[beenthere]

Consider yourself very lucky.
Yes,the bucket was too high.
You should have control going downhill with either brakes or being held back by hydraulics or transmission. The coasting that you described with no control means something is wrong (and I think it is spelled TORO).

Consider yourself very lucky with the cobbled up way you put this machine upright. Working 'under' that side with a floor jack and jack stands was obviously risky at best.

Don't mean to put you down in the least, but I am concerned that you may not make it so lucky on your next endeavor.

 

[DJ54]

"You know if I had not been so surprised and had maybe another five feet I probably would have thought to do that. Or the parking brake which has a pin. Wonder if it would have sheared. But it's good practice to think about doing that periodically. (Defensive driving at home )"

I don't know if the pin would have sheared or not. I'm thinking if it didn't, and that speed, even with the bucket 1.5' off the ground, it maybe have launched you off the back like a catapault.

Or..., launched you, then broke... Don't even want to think about that..., but you have too.

I'm as guilty as maybe being in a hurry at times to get things done. But past experience has taught me to look and think, and see what "may" happen if done a certain way. It's not worth getting hurt, or worse. Let alone damaging a machine...