Well that was pretty dumb!

[FTG-05]

As some of you may know, I live at the top of a hill. Well, this morning I decided to make a short trip down to the bottom of my hill in my tractor. Did my business down there and came back up, pretty much where went I down.

Got to the really steep part of the hill (there are stairsteps) and the tractor died right at the steepest part! I've been here before, it's a pretty scary scenarios since you don't have any hydraulics and not a whole lot of braking power. In other words, you could be traveling backwards at a pretty good clip with little or no control. Scary indeed. I call these my "2 inch rides". That's 'cause I suck up two inches of seat cushion before I get it back under control!

So I dropped the FEL and the box blade, get me some resistance to sliding down backwards. Once I got it stabilized, I tried starting the tractor. Started the first time, then stumbled, then quit. Tried again, barely stumbled before dying.

Oh crap, what could it be????

Fuel gauge. Yep, someone forgot the concept that quarter-full tractor fuel tanks and steep hills don't get along with each other. :mur:

Walk back, get fuel can, drive back in another vehicle, refuel and then try to start it again. No dice the first time, dies immediately. Try once again and stumbling here we go. Fortunately, this time, it smooths out and the first thing I do is slowly lift the BB and FEL and gingerly back my way down the hill to the next down stairstep. Let it idle a minute or so and then make another run at the hill. Success. Another walk back to get the other vehicle (anyone noticing a trend here????).

*Apparently* no long term damage (I guess that's a question), the tractor is back in my shop safe and sound and life is good again. Except that I feel like a dumbbum.

Anyone else have any good "dumb" stories to make me feel better?

 

[ovrszd]

My Brother was working on the back side of a pond dam 2 years ago with his L3240. I was hauling dirt with my 9540. He called me on the cell phone and said his tractor had died. I said it's probably out of fuel. He said no, it's got 3 bars. Long story short, it ran out of fuel when on pointed up the steep pond dam. In his case it was a nightmare getting it to crank again. Bled it as dictated by the manual. No go. Bled it again as dictated by the manual. No go. Get out the starting fluid. Ran it several seconds on starting fluid before it finally smoothed out. My Brother said "there must be something wrong with the fuel gauge". I just went back to my tractor and my project with no comment. If my fuel gauge is anywhere below half, I'm looking for fuel. Running out of fuel has got to be in the "top 10" list of stupid human tricks.

 

[s219]

If it makes you feel better, I have more dumb stories than this website has server space to store them all. Glad to hear there was no harm done!

 

[GManBart]

Anyone else have any good "dumb" stories to make me feel better?

I have lots! A few weeks ago I was putting fuel in my Massey and got it really, really full...like just enough room to get the cap on without spilling anything. It was pretty cold out, but I never thought about it. A week or so later I was pulling the steering cylinders off to take them to the hydraulic shop (both were leaking) and I found fuel running down the side of the engine, and drips all over the ground under the machine....everything was wet! I immediately started checking fuel lines, and trying to figure out where the fuel was coming from. I was thinking that there should be no way the tank had rusted through, but that I was going to have to take the hood, and side sheet metal off, etc, etc. Then I remembered fueling it and thought that maybe I had spilled some. Nope, I realized it was 25* warmer than when I had fueled it, and the fuel surged over the top of the neck, and poured all over the top of the tank, which is why it was leaking everywhere.

I know better, but wasn't thinking....luckily it was just some mess to clean up, and the machine is actually cleaner now after wiping up all that fuel! I felt really dumb, but at least nothing was damaged

 

[Thomas]

I have to admit done it only once bush hogging slope,amazing how quick the pucker factor kicks in.

 

[gnawbone]

As I was 'building' my ballast I caused myself some heartburn. The ballast is a 55 gal barrel with about 825 lbs of concrete plus some angle iron, draw bar, and, of course, the barrel - so maybe around 875 lbs. I was working about 6' out from the wall of the barn quietly going about my business - pouring in water and bags of concrete, stirring the mix ...... When I got it filled up I smoothed out the concrete and let it set for about a week.

When I was getting ready to put it on the tractor I realized I had put the draw bar and top link facing the wall (they are mounted only about 25% of the way towards the middle of the barrel from the edge) - in other words the side of the barrel I needed to back up to was facing the wall and my stabilizer arms aren't long enough to reach from the other side of the barrel . So, I hooked a chain on one side of the draw bar pins, then up over my front end loader, and finally down to the draw bar pin on the opposite side of the barrel. Lifted the barrel up about 10" and put a dolly underneath the barrel, lowered the barrel down, and 'spun' it around (it didn't really spin around that easily - small castor wheels on the dolly). I felt like an idiot ..... but it was easier to get the concrete bags out of my front end loader bucket and into the barrel!

 

[FTG-05]

I have lots! A few weeks ago I was putting fuel in my Massey and got it really, really full...like just enough room to get the cap on without spilling anything. It was pretty cold out, but I never thought about it. A week or so later I was pulling the steering cylinders off to take them to the hydraulic shop (both were leaking) and I found fuel running down the side of the engine, and drips all over the ground under the machine....everything was wet! I immediately started checking fuel lines, and trying to figure out where the fuel was coming from. I was thinking that there should be no way the tank had rusted through, but that I was going to have to take the hood, and side sheet metal off, etc, etc. Then I remembered fueling it and thought that maybe I had spilled some. Nope, I realized it was 25* warmer than when I had fueled it, and the fuel surged over the top of the neck, and poured all over the top of the tank, which is why it was leaking everywhere.

I know better, but wasn't thinking....luckily it was just some mess to clean up, and the machine is actually cleaner now after wiping up all that fuel! I felt really dumb, but at least nothing was damaged

Is this with diesel or gas as the fuel. I didn't think that would happen with diesel. I'll have to remember that in the future because when I refuel my tractor, I usually take it all the way to the top - and I also *usually* do it when I'm done so it's ready the next time (something I didn't do this time)

 

[Egon]

Back when the Model T backed up steep hills.

 

[puckgrinder85]

Is this with diesel or gas as the fuel. I didn't think that would happen with diesel. I'll have to remember that in the future because when I refuel my tractor, I usually take it all the way to the top - and I also *usually* do it when I'm done so it's ready the next time (something I didn't do this time)

Thermal expansion, all liquids, solids and gases. Fuel tanks are not meant to be filled 100%, you always leave a little bit of dead space for this very reason.

 

[Zebrafive]

The fuel gauge on my Kawasaki Mule is under the seat. I never remember to check it. I ALWAYS seem to run out of fuel at the far end of the farm. Several times I had chain saw mixed gas with me that saved the day. Other times I only had diesel at the barn and had to go buy fuel to retrieve the Mule.