Dumbest Thing you have done with your tractor

[patrick_g]

I removed the wrong drain plug under the engine and promptly drained back out 1 gal of $ 16.78/gal. brand new hydro fluid of the 3 I had just put in the rear of the tractor.

So, I'm in the 9th grade and dad says to change oil on his recently acquired work car (used Pontiac 4 door sedan with straight 8 and 4spd auto tranny. I get some tools, crawl under and pull the drain plug to drain into a pan, remove the filter, prefill the new filter and install and pour in the new oil. I fire it up and drive it out from under the carport to the alley and around the half block back to the carport but behind mom's car not in front of it. The tranny acted really weird grabbing then slipping. I told dad and he told me to change oil again but not the filter and use the drain plug for the crankcase not the tranny this time. Used mom's car to go to parts store for more tranny fluid. My first time under a car with auto tranny and the drain plug looked a lot like the one for engine oil...

Pat

 

[Iplayfarmer]

So, I'm in the 9th grade and dad says to change oil on his recently acquired work car (used Pontiac 4 door sedan with straight 8 and 4spd auto tranny. I get some tools, crawl under and pull the drain plug to drain into a pan, remove the filter, prefill the new filter and install and pour in the new oil. I fire it up and drive it out from under the carport to the alley and around the half block back to the carport but behind mom's car not in front of it. The tranny acted really weird grabbing then slipping. I told dad and he told me to change oil again but not the filter and use the drain plug for the crankcase not the tranny this time. Used mom's car to go to parts store for more tranny fluid. My first time under a car with auto tranny and the drain plug looked a lot like the one for engine oil...

Pat

You must be the reason.

When I went to change the tranny fluid in my '91 Lumina sedan there was no drain plug. I had to pull the pan to change the fluid. I guess that's the process for that vehicle. I thought it was very odd that there was no drain plug for the tranny fluid. After reading your story, I guess there is one reason to not have a tranny fluid drain plug.

 

[dcyrilc]

You must be the reason.

When I went to change the tranny fluid in my '91 Lumina sedan there was no drain plug. I had to pull the pan to change the fluid. I guess that's the process for that vehicle. I thought it was very odd that there was no drain plug for the tranny fluid. After reading your story, I guess there is one reason to not have a tranny fluid drain plug.

Typically, if your changing tranny fluid in a car you will change the tranny filter also which requires pulling the pan. I've never seen one with a drain plug, but never thought much about it as I had to pull the pan to change the filter anyway.

 

[BigE_]

Typically, if your changing tranny fluid in a car you will change the tranny filter also which requires pulling the pan. I've never seen one with a drain plug, but never thought much about it as I had to pull the pan to change the filter anyway.

I think they're just trying to save a buck on the cost of building the car. I have not yet found a clean way to change the tranny fluid on a vehicle that doesn't have a tranny drain plug. Something *always* gets spilled. It sure would help a lot if I could drain the fluid first, then pull off the pan.

Hmmm, maybe I'll make that mod on my vehicle.

 

[dex3361]

My oldest broth had turned 20 years old and Dad told him "Son its about time you changed the oil in your own car" he had always talked Dad into doing it for him. I have four brothers and this is my oldest brother and he is mechanically challenged to put it politely. So about 1 hour later he comes back and he is oily from head to toe and he said my car sound funny after changing the oil. Yep you guessed it he had pulled the drain plug on a 72 Camaro and Dad said maybe it was to soon to turn him loose on his car, I about died and I was only 10 years old. I laughed when I read patrick_g's post. Thanks Patrick I hadn't thought about that for a while.

 

[Vtnewbie]

Wow, you have one heck of a clear-minded, smart, and decisive 13 year old!

________________________original message_________________
I've posted this to the Kioti form once, but thought it would have a happy home on this thread as well.

When I brought my kioti DK40SE home for the first time I parked the pickup and trailer on a slight incline, towards the house.. but about 30 feet away from the house. While backing off of the trailer (borrowed from my good friend/neighbor) when I got to the back of the trailer the weight of the tractor/FEL/Rear blade was enough to pull the rear wheels of my F250 off the ground... so as you can guess.. the whole shabang.. Pickup, Trailer, Tractor start sliding down the incline towards the house.. I wish I could describe the noise that it made... Needless to say my "cat like reflexes" had failed me and it was "deer in the headlights" time for me.. FROZEN!! My 13yo son was standing nearby and had the presence of mind to jump in the pickup and step on the brakes.. saved my bacon!

Now of corse the boy is under threat of death if this event ever makes it's way to the Wife... When I finally got the tractor off of the trailer I made sure to park it over the scrape markes the ramp's made on the asphalt driveway... about 8feet long I'd say... Hide the evidence.

Carry on,
Phill

 

[fgross335_2210]

Before I bought my own CUT I rented a JD4200 with loader, bb and landscape rake to do some work around my place. It came on a 7K trailer all ready to go. I asked the guy at the rental place what size hitch ball and he said 2". So I put that one in the reciever and hooked up and left.

All was fine until I got home. Started backing tractor off the trailer. As soon as the CG shifted to the back the front of the trailer started climbing until it was stopped by the safety chains (which held fortunately). Turned out the trailer hitch required a 2 & 5/16 ball and I even have one of these but listened to the rental guy. Bad decision.

I was afraid to back up any further as the trailer would shift forward towards my truck's tailgate and I was afraid of putting more stress on the safety chains. I was parked up hill so if the trailer came loose we were going for a ride! I slowly eased it forward until the front of the trailer came down. Of course the trailer missed the hitch so now the safety chains are the only thing keeping us from rolling.

After sloooowly getting off the tractor I secured the trailer with wheel chocks and jackstands at all four corners and then unloaded the tractor safely.

Next day I take it back and the manager is there. He asked me if everything went OK and I casually explain that the other person that waited on me needs a lesson in hitch ball sizes. Once he 'got' what happened I think he was more upset than I was the day before. I have a few hills between the rental place and my property. Fortunately they had loaded the 4200 far forward on the trailer so there was enough weight to keep the hitch on the ball while on the road. If it had come loose on the road.......

Since then I check the ball size every time my truck meets a new trailer! Once was enough! I also now always 'block' the rear of every trailer when I unload so it can't tip.........

 

[Soundguy]

blocking the rear of the trailer is just good parcitce no matter what. keeps it from unloading the back of the truck where the brakes usually are!

soundguy

 

[WillysWoodPile]

---Back around 1978, 79, and 80 I had to work 100 hours [in the fields] and Grandpa would pay for my trip to Canada fishing. At this time most of my hours were spent picking rocks; either with the 720 and FEL, or the 730 and the rock-picker. Now at this junction I must point out that for some reason people tend to let the brakes on tractors of this size go until...well, until something happens to remind them to fix them.
--- Anyway, I was running wide open down a road on the 730 with the rock-picker in tow and eased into a field when I noticed my uncle Lee motioning me over to where he was standing. So I popped it out of gear and coasted over towards him and it was at this [hair goes up on the back of your neck] certain point that I realized something was not right, I was not slowing down fast enough, and I was heading towards my uncle with the rock-picker tines right on target, so I reared back on the clutch-lever, stomped on the brakes and put everything my 13 year-old skinny frame had into them.... I came to a stop with the rock-picker-tines not 2 inches away from my uncle's kneecaps. There is no way that that tractor could have stopped without divine intervention.
--- Needless to say the 730 stopped on a dime the next time I used it.

--- I was somewhat at fault also because I misjudged how far out the rock-picker was. But because of that incident I learned a valuable lesson and have never in my 44 years ever taken out a mailbox or road-sign with a tractor or any implement.

 

[Car Doc]

Tried to mow my ditch out in front of the house its dang near too steep for my push mower and it ticks me off the county dug it so deep.

So one Sunday after sipping several cans of liquid dumbazz I get the bright idea to mow it with the tractor well it was too steep for the tractor too.

The bad thing was the bottom of the ditch was mud under the dirt almost went over sideways and I tore the ditch up something terrible getting back out now its even worse for my wife to push mow. j/k its my job now after that stunt.


fwtw since its county right of way I did dump some dirt in to fill my tracks and smoothed the sides with the bucket but its a long way from fixed or easily mowable with my equipment anyway. Next year I may dump an extra qt of oil in my walk behind tiller so it will hopefully survive operating on the incline and smooth the whole thing out I dunno time will tell.