Tractor's sure can pull

[hayden]

I got my truck stuck in the mud yesterday - it's that season up here in VT. The truck is a Nissan Armada with full 4WD, limited-slip differential, traction control, high ground clearance - the whole deal - so it's no slouch. But it still sank right up to the running boards on all 4 wheels - all 6000lbs of it. I hate mud season.

I hiked into my house thinking about whether to bring the tractor (Kubota L5740) or dozer to pull out the truck. I decided to try the tractor first since I wanted to user the loader to haul the truck's contents the rest of the way into my house, and figured I'd give it a try pulling out the truck.

As I got back to the truck with the tractor I thought "no way this will work". The truck was sunken right in, and I'd have to pull it through more of the same slop to get it free. Plus, the truck was climbing a pretty good grade when it got stuck, and I'd have to pull it the rest of the way up hill because there was no way to get around the other side of the truck on the narrow road. Besides, if I pulled down hill and the truck freed up and started rolling it would roll right into me since I was doing this alone.

Regardless, I decided to give it a try and hooked up the tow strap, shifted to M range and low on the HST-plus, and started pulling.

Amazing! The tractor pulled the truck right out and up the rest of the hill. No fussing, no spinning or even slipping tires. I didn't think it had a chance and would be a job for the dozer. The tractor did have two things helping it out - a 1500lb backhoe hanging off the back (along with loaded tires), and some knarly studded ice chains.

I love my tractor, but did I mention that I hate mud season?

 

[Ductape]

^^^^ What he said !

 

[hayden]

All right, it's time to dig out an old pocket camera.

By the way, is there a tutorial on how to embed pictures in a post? Not as attachments, but with the actual pictures in the posting? I've done it before but the only way I could find to make it work involved posting and then going back and editing the post. There must be a better way.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've found that for pulling people out of the mud, my 35hp little tractor does a fantastic job. I know the dozer will do it too, but it will also tear up my roads and it's kind of big for getting around in tight spaces. The first time I used it was when we were building our house and a thunderstorm showed up out of nowhere. We didn't have any gravel down yet and my wifes Explorer is only 2wd. The tires just spun without anything happening. I hooked up a pull strap and draged her to the highway. Sometimes it followed along nicely, other times it just plowed through the mud. I was very impressed!!!

Of course, when you get the tractor stuck, it's even more challenging to get it unstuck. Every time you go up the scale in tractors, the stuck factor increases tremendously!!!

Never get your dozer stuck. hahaha

Eddie

 

[mswlogo]

You'll have to put it all back in the mud hole so we can all enjoy the pics

 

[john_bud]

All right, it's time to dig out an old pocket camera.

By the way, is there a tutorial on how to embed pictures in a post? Not as attachments, but with the actual pictures in the posting? I've done it before but the only way I could find to make it work involved posting and then going back and editing the post. There must be a better way.

I'm no expert,but this is what I do. I use "photobucket" to store the pictures online. Then under each picture is about 3-4 choices of ways to link. One of them is just the address, one is a thumbnail, one is the picture. If you want to do more than one at a time, you can select the pictures by check marking them in the corner and at the bottom of the page is a "HTML Code" deal where you then have those choices, but it does it for each one selected.


It actually is easier to do than type. Photobucket has a free service that is good enough.

jb

 

[hazmat]

I'm no expert,but this is what I do. I use "photobucket" to store the pictures online. Then under each picture is about 3-4 choices of ways to link. One of them is just the address, one is a thumbnail, one is the picture. If you want to do more than one at a time, you can select the pictures by check marking them in the corner and at the bottom of the page is a "HTML Code" deal where you then have those choices, but it does it for each one selected.


It actually is easier to do than type. Photobucket has a free service that is good enough.

jb

tbn has updated the software which will now show thumbnails that are clickable for full size pix. You simply "attach" the file as before - no editiing necessary.

If you want to show the image fullsize in the post (and host it on tbn) you have to go thru the edit process. Note - Those with dialup will appreciate the thumbnails vs. inline pix. Those of us with high speed access are awaiting the option to show all attachments as inline pix. (maybe someday).

 

[hayden]

You'll have to put it all back in the mud hole so we can all enjoy the pics

I have to drive out through the same mud, so we may have another opportunity yet.... This time I'll have a camera.

 

[Bob_Young]

I'll second that, Hayden. A couple weeks ago I did the same thing with my older F150 off-road special with a full load (actually an overload) of firewood in the bed. Backend was down in a hole and resting on the axle housing, spare tire and frame rails. Front end wasn't as bad, but the fronts had dug themselves in pretty good and the xfr case shield was in the mud.

Came back with the nice shiny new MX5000 and pulled it right out and up a muddy hill. There definitely was some wheelspin at the tractor end, but forward motion never slowed. Took a full afternoon to get all the mud off the tractor and the truck. I've had that old Ford 13 years and it's still almost like new. It's practically family....first time it ever needed help getting unstuck.

Goin' back there for 'nother load tomorrow.
Bob

 

[hayden]

OK, here's some forensic evidence of my mishap. First is the truck after pulling it out of the mud. The next two are of the tractor in the offending section of road. It's been 4 days and it's still no better, but the snow is almost all gone so the source of the water will subside soon.