In your worst dreams.....

[Farmwithjunk]

From my youngest days, I recall being addicted to tractorin'. It never took much of an excuse to get me on one. I really enjoy the time I spend in the seat to this day, even after literally THOUSANDS of hours.

But then you have days like my yesterday

8-1/2 hours (fortunately in a cab) of mowing dense weeds (not mowed for 3 years) that were taller than eye level sitting down. A mix-match of every noxious weed commonly found around these parts. Some areas had Kudsu vining all over the weeds. (You southerners know what Kudsu is all about) 23 acres worth. In places, it was so thick, I was cutting only with half the width of the batwing, just so I could keep the tractor in clear ground to be able to see ANYTHING.

I found, (A) 2 car tires, (B) a pile of old wooden fence post's, (C) a couple box traps, (D) 3 deer, (E) 2 of the fattest racoons I've ever seen, (F) and most important, I found that not EVERY minute spent in the operators seat is fun.

The property owners ain't gonna like the bill either

SO, what's the WORST time you've ever spent in the seat?

 

[LoneCowboy]

2 years ago, we got 3 feet of snow. Yes, that's right. three feet in about 24 hours.

I live on a private road, so i got out the open platform, shuttle shift (clutch) MF 1433 and started working.
still snowing, windy, 10 degrees or so.

8 hours later we were done, I could barely move my legs, they were simply frozen (big chunks of ice on the pants)

I decided right then I needed a cab tractor.

On the plus side, our street was lots better than city streets for months.

 

[flusher]

From my youngest days, I recall being addicted to tractorin'. It never took much of an excuse to get me on one. I really enjoy the time I spend in the seat to this day, even after literally THOUSANDS of hours.

But then you have days like my yesterday

8-1/2 hours (fortunately in a cab) of mowing dense weeds (not mowed for 3 years) that were taller than eye level sitting down. A mix-match of every noxious weed commonly found around these parts. Some areas had Kudsu vining all over the weeds. (You southerners know what Kudsu is all about) 23 acres worth. In places, it was so thick, I was cutting only with half the width of the batwing, just so I could keep the tractor in clear ground to be able to see ANYTHING.

I found, (A) 2 car tires, (B) a pile of old wooden fence post's, (C) a couple box traps, (D) 3 deer, (E) 2 of the fattest racoons I've ever seen, (F) and most important, I found that not EVERY minute spent in the operators seat is fun.

The property owners ain't gonna like the bill either

SO, what's the WORST time you've ever spent in the seat?

Mowing my neighbors 8 acres with my new Mahindra 5525 and 6ft Hawkline brush hog. First time for this field. Didn't walk the property because of high weeds. Hit several old olive tree stumps pretty hard, dropped the front end into an irrigation ditch and hit a half buried cinderblock pretty good.

Don't see how you commercial mowers can stand the anxiety involved in mowing unfamaliar fields knowing that you could break the tractor or mower with one wrong or unlucky move. On my 10 acres, I mow when the weeds are 2-3 feet high so at least I can see the new foxholes that seem to appear each year. Even then I've dropped a front wheel into one of these on several occasions.

 

[teg]

SO, what's the WORST time you've ever spent in the seat?

I have not had one yet...

 

[groundcover]

I would have to agree with Lonecowboy,Last winter snow then rain,turned into over a foot of icey lead. Broke the plow frame on one truck, plowed the other one till dark when the plow lights quit, then went out on the open tractor till four thirty in the morning, it did fine ,even the rear blower was able to move the stuff. Got soaked from the snow and ice falling from the trees ,that was the night I decided I needed a cab !

 

[deere755]

Several years back I was cultivating a field of beans that was full of morning glories. I spent more time off of the tractor cleaning the vines out of the cultivator. It was a miserable day to say the least.

 

[EddieWalker]

My worse days are when I get stuck. I mean really stuck, to the point it takes hours and hours to get out. The only thing worse then getting stuck is breaking down in the middle of an area that I'm clearing and I have to crawl around under the tractor or dozer in the heat of summer with piles of debri under it. One time while clearing the land for my lake, I had to use a chainsaw to cut the trees and branches away just to create a tunnel under the dozer to get to a hydralic hose that had snaped off. A five dollar item took two days just to get it off!!!!!

Eddie

 

[Willl]

My worst times were bailing hay during my hay fever attacks.

Self inflicted torture.

 

[billbill1]

Bumble bees raking prairie hay, about 4 or 5 nests of them. They were trouble in the barn too.

 

[chh]

Bumble bees raking prairie hay, about 4 or 5 nests of them. They were trouble in the barn too.

We got into the biggest hive of them I have ever seen a couple of weeks ago. We were mowing in cab tractors and they where literally bouncing off of the glass. I had to take the rake off of the open tractor and put it on a cab one for my wife. That and the fact that it was 102 or 103. I took a couple of extra days off from work one year to finish haying, I had 2 tractors go down on the next to last field. I ended up doing the last 30 acres with one 4020 JD mowing, raking and baling. The baler broke on the last bale about 9 or 9:30 that night. I was back at work the next day and hay was as done as it was going to get. I was so aggravated that I didn't fix the baler until spring. The Ford 4600 that went down I ended up fixing myself(I don't remember what it was, but it was an easy fix) The International industrial we where using to rake with ended up being sold for salvage. In the shape it was in it just wasn't worth rebuilding.