Tollster
Veteran Member
Was doing some mowing close to pond edge this morning. There’s a grade there and I had just completed the dreaded weed whacking around the pond. Well dontchaknow when I weed whacked the original guide (HIGH WEEDS) I used for mowing, the guide (HIGH WEEDS) was now more in the marsh area of the pond.
Anyway, I engaged the rear diff lock in 2 wheel and everything seemed fine, except the nose was over the crest towards the pond edge, just a wee bit too much than I like. So I backed up with my foot OFF the diff lock, figuring I was out of harms way. I then started to turn away from the pond and after about 15 feet heard a very loud pop. I figured it was the rear diff, and the lock had not disengaged when I was backing up. Of course I was in the grass, but I was still concerned over this pop.
It stayed on my mind for the next 15 minutes, and there where various times I tried to lock the rear differential, but there was no wheel spin to initiate the lock. Then and ONLY then I had this bright, gleaming idea. I will slowly back into the marshy area, then verify the rear lock is either functional or non functional, and finish up mowing. Well I back down that incline I previously mentioned, got those turf tires in the quagmire, locked that rear diff, and all she did was spin both tires removing about 6 inches of sod at the same time. Meanwhile she's going down. I tried 4 wheel low with rear diff lock, but still the same...allot of spin. Problem was, well besides that...most of my weight was over the rear tires, and the front was up on the incline. After I dismounted and saw the rear hitch bottomed on the ground along with a 2 foot rut that both wheels where in. I filled the ruts partially with some additional mud, threw in a large boulder. Dropped it into high range 4 wheel with diff lock engaged, and backed up just a bit closer than previously to the pond, then with a blessing and a prayer, hammered the hydrostatic pedal forward and performed the self extrication with out anymore ado. All that with the 60" MMM on too.
Afterward I made sure nobody was looking and satisfied that the rear diff worked fine. Kind of happy it did!
Anyway, I engaged the rear diff lock in 2 wheel and everything seemed fine, except the nose was over the crest towards the pond edge, just a wee bit too much than I like. So I backed up with my foot OFF the diff lock, figuring I was out of harms way. I then started to turn away from the pond and after about 15 feet heard a very loud pop. I figured it was the rear diff, and the lock had not disengaged when I was backing up. Of course I was in the grass, but I was still concerned over this pop.
It stayed on my mind for the next 15 minutes, and there where various times I tried to lock the rear differential, but there was no wheel spin to initiate the lock. Then and ONLY then I had this bright, gleaming idea. I will slowly back into the marshy area, then verify the rear lock is either functional or non functional, and finish up mowing. Well I back down that incline I previously mentioned, got those turf tires in the quagmire, locked that rear diff, and all she did was spin both tires removing about 6 inches of sod at the same time. Meanwhile she's going down. I tried 4 wheel low with rear diff lock, but still the same...allot of spin. Problem was, well besides that...most of my weight was over the rear tires, and the front was up on the incline. After I dismounted and saw the rear hitch bottomed on the ground along with a 2 foot rut that both wheels where in. I filled the ruts partially with some additional mud, threw in a large boulder. Dropped it into high range 4 wheel with diff lock engaged, and backed up just a bit closer than previously to the pond, then with a blessing and a prayer, hammered the hydrostatic pedal forward and performed the self extrication with out anymore ado. All that with the 60" MMM on too.
Afterward I made sure nobody was looking and satisfied that the rear diff worked fine. Kind of happy it did!