An expensive crazy accident with my Kubota

[Zebrafive]

Have you considered takiing the tractor to a Body shop with a frame straighting rack? They are able to chain it down and then push or pull in almost any direction. It's surprising the amount of straighting they can do.

 

[HCJtractor]

We spent about six hours banging and hammering, and used ratchet straps and long levers to pull the bent pieces down. The floorboard was removed and I worked on it for about an hour on my shop press, so it was decent. We finally got the holes to line back up fairly close and bolted it back together. The factory rubber dampeners are now gone, and some of the welded nuts stripped, so I drilled them and used nuts. I did not have to cut any metal away as I first feared. Of course it looks like crap, but at least the floor board is back in and everything works. I replaced two hydro hoses and both filters, and 42 quarts of new fluid (which was just done last month).

It would have been easier if I had removed the wheel and gas tank, but I really did not want to do that in the field, and we need to plant soon, so could not afford so much down time.

I can't blame my buddy, as the place he was working was relatively clear. We have been in way worse places. But it was the "perfect storm" of accidents. The stump was really not that big. You could pick it up with one hand. But it was cedar and hard as steel and shaped just perfectly to kick up and impale the floorboard.

I remember reading how someone was killed by a similar accident on the interstate, when a jack in the road penetrated the floorboard of a car and killed the driver. As you said, s#@t happens! At least we are now up and running with only a day lost.
I agree that woods use is hard on a tractor, but its all we have to use. We often cleanup clearcuts to create plots and lanes, and the grapple is awesome, but the cutoffs and stumps are lurking to impale something. Its amazing how a stick can find that one vulnerable openning and do damage.

 

[Bob77064]

These things happen, I am glad no one was hurt.

 

[madmax12]

We spent about six hours banging and hammering, and used ratchet straps and long levers to pull the bent pieces down. The floorboard was removed and I worked on it for about an hour on my shop press, so it was decent. We finally got the holes to line back up fairly close and bolted it back together. The factory rubber dampeners are now gone, and some of the welded nuts stripped, so I drilled them and used nuts. I did not have to cut any metal away as I first feared. Of course it looks like crap, but at least the floor board is back in and everything works. I replaced two hydro hoses and both filters, and 42 quarts of new fluid (which was just done last month).

It would have been easier if I had removed the wheel and gas tank, but I really did not want to do that in the field, and we need to plant soon, so could not afford so much down time.

I can't blame my buddy, as the place he was working was relatively clear. We have been in way worse places. But it was the "perfect storm" of accidents. The stump was really not that big. You could pick it up with one hand. But it was cedar and hard as steel and shaped just perfectly to kick up and impale the floorboard.

I remember reading how someone was killed by a similar accident on the interstate, when a jack in the road penetrated the floorboard of a car and killed the driver. As you said, s#@t happens! At least we are now up and running with only a day lost.
I agree that woods use is hard on a tractor, but its all we have to use. We often cleanup clearcuts to create plots and lanes, and the grapple is awesome, but the cutoffs and stumps are lurking to impale something. Its amazing how a stick can find that one vulnerable openning and do damage.

I could learn alot from your attitude and reaction. Very mature.

I could learn alot. Time will tell if I do learn.

Time always tells on me... Time is a tattletale!

I really hope I do learn... cause sometimes my attitude is in the dumper.

Thanks for your great example.

:thumbsup::drink:

 

[Code54]

Good way to handle it - sometimes we all have a little bad luck.... Glad to hear it back up and running. At least you know they Hydro fluid/system is GOOD and CLEAN...

 

[jejeosborne]

I have a smaller 30 hp kubota I purchased new 6 years ago. It looks like it has been through a war because it spends 75% of its life in the woods. Just cosmetic dents, bent sheet metal, paint etc. so no parades for this tractor either. I have considered making some armor for the vulnerable areas and think you may also when you get some down time.

The scariest issue I had was when I ran over a sapling that found its way along the floorboard and locked my hydro petal in forward motion. As usual, I was pushing towards a big hill and wanted to go as far a possible before stopping. I didn't realize the sapling and almost lost it over the hill.

 

[newbury]

We really need to be careful to not run over things unless we have a protected undercarriage. Little sticks can puncture gas tanks.
Tis better to learn from the mistakes of others, you can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

Maybe we need a sticky in every forum pointing to a thread in the safety forum of "dumb things not to do and watchout"

 

[jejeosborne]

We really need to be careful to not run over things unless we have a protected undercarriage. Little sticks can puncture gas tanks.
Tis better to learn from the mistakes of others, you can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

Maybe we need a sticky in every forum pointing to a thread in the safety forum of "dumb things not to do and watchout"

For me, being careful in the woods while clearing land such as the OP is not easy. It is near impossible for one operator to see what is going on underneath, in front, in back, and each side while also operating the front loader, and implement on the back. I spend a lot of time watching the radiator area and what my rear tires are about to run over and have to scan everything else. Even operating a a crawl, these limbs and saplings are springing every which direction sometimes at my head . I don't see how the OP's friends could have stopped in time to prevent damage in this instance and don't consider it the operators fault. This machine as mentioned isn't designed for this task as mine isn't either but who can afford to purchase several machines to use a couple of times a year. Just have to either modify or expect damage as it happens.

 

[jmc]

Sorry for your loss.

My two worst "drive over" incidents involved a branch and a pipe, both shaped like hockey sticks. No coincidence, in my opinion.

John

 

[newbury]

For me, being careful in the woods while clearing land such as the OP is not easy. It is near impossible for one operator to see what is going on underneath, in front, in back, and each side while also operating the front loader, and implement on the back. I spend a lot of time watching the radiator area and what my rear tires are about to run over and have to scan everything else. Even operating a a crawl, these limbs and saplings are springing every which direction sometimes at my head . I don't see how the OP's friends could have stopped in time to prevent damage in this instance and don't consider it the operators fault. This machine as mentioned isn't designed for this task as mine isn't either but who can afford to purchase several machines to use a couple of times a year. Just have to either modify or expect damage as it happens.

I'm especially careful when I have to go over something I only partially span. When going at a crawl I usually have the capability to think "Oh S*!#" and back up. Or at least not continue forward and make it worse.

I've a former boss - he was going down I95 to Ft. Bragg in a rental car, went over a short piece of 2x4 at speed. It flipped up and tore open his fuel tank. Gas all over the place and he was a smoker, luckily he didn't catch on fire.