Between a rock and soft dirt

[avorancher]

Cutting a new road near a stream this weekend and the FEL hit a large boulder. When I tried to push it out, the tires spun and the Kubota slipped sideways putting both front and rear left tires into soft dirt that lined the edge of the new road. Maneuvering made things worse as one side continued to sink.

The good news was that the stream was only 6 feet below the road at this point, one of the lowest points. Bad news is that 6 feet sure looked like a long ways from where I was sitting.

Picture describes better than I can.

 

[avorancher]

Back view.

 

[F350Lawman]

When I find myself in similar predicaments it's time for a 70' tow starp and a one ton truck!. Just make sure to pull from the ROP and not the bottom, someone else on this board tried that and the tractor flipped.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Have you tried using your backhoe and loader to crawl yourself out? Extend your BH and use it to lift and pull while you lift the front with your loader with the bucket edge down and curl your bucket to push. It's a slow, laborious process, but it works. Obviously, a big winch would work, too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Good luck. I hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

Avorancher, I got some pucker power just looking at your pictures. Sure wouldn't have taken much to go over from the looks of things. I agree with the suggestion of using the loader and/or BH in this situation. At least you can put out the stabilizers to the side, but not all the way down and then push out with the curl of the bucket. Glad to know you weren't hurt. John

 

[Egon]

Nice looking picture.

That attachment on the back should have you up and running in no time.

Egon

 

[Mrwurm]

Maybe I've misunderstood you, but pulling from a high point on the tractor, such as the ROPS, is the surest way to flip the tractor. A local man was killed in my area just last year doing that. Any time you pull with the tractor (or are pulled) you must attach at the center line of rear axle or lower to avoid flipping.

 

[JerryG]

Been there, done that. Didn't like it at all either. The pucker factor is screaming. Be very, very careful. Building roads on slopes can defiantly be very adrenalin charged at times. Did you try swinging the BH to the high side to transfer weight?

 

[Henro]

Wow, I guess I can get more comfortable on the slopes on my back hill!

I assume the tree on the left side of your (rear view) picture is actually vertical standing...good reference if so...that is a pretty steep angle!

How did you end up getting out?

mrwrum, I think what F350LM was saying, was if you pull from the rops it would tend to keep the tractor from tipping on its side. If you pulled from the drawbar it might cause the tractor to roll on its own...sort of just the opposite of pulling something with the tractor from the rops...

 

[hillslider]

And the pucker fact-o-meter says, 10 10 10 10 10......

I know if I was on that tractor I probably would have to do a change of clothing after that. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif