Almost killed by trencher

[chambers1517]

I rented a large ride on trencher (about 7000lbs) to dig a trench for my water line. The line was hooked up and laying on the ground and I was diggng beside it. There is a steep hill I was about to go down. I stopped at the top to move the water line out of the way. I was wearing noise supression headphones because this thing is so loud. I was walking down the hill moving this line out of the way with my dog with me. I noticed the dog looking alarmed and looked bock to see the trencher flying down the hill right at me. I ran into the woods behind a tree. The trencher hit the tree threw me in the air with a branch and flipped upside down. I never heard this thing coming at me since I had the headphones on. Another split second and I would have died. The brake didn't work. Scary day for sure.

 

[davygp38]

What was the outcome with the rental company? I'm not being critical, but could you have lowered the trenching boom to the ground when you stopped? It might not have stopped the machine, but with the trencher boom dragging, it would have slowed it down some. I just want to know if this was preventable even with the bad brakes.

 

[BXpanded]

What was the outcome with the rental company? I'm not being critical, but could you have lowered the trenching boom to the ground when you stopped? It might not have stopped the machine, but with the trencher boom dragging, it would have slowed it down some. I just want to know if this was preventable even with the bad brakes.

Experience taught me to turn the front wheels into the hill when dis-mounting from a machine. If the brakes fail, the machine will only roll until it is sideways across the hill.

 

[roamerr]

I don't even trust the brakes on my Kubota BX and they seem to work fine. I always lower the FEL or rear attachment and turn the wheel sideways. On a trencher lowering the trencher would have worked. Glad you are OK. Those things are crazy heavy...

 

[CurlyDave]

I was wearing noise supression headphones because this thing is so loud.

This is one of the primary reasons I don't use noise suppression headphones -- near complete loss of situational awareness.

I have a pretty good pair, but only use them on airplane trips. I don't want anything sneaking up behind me unnoticed.

Also, long ago I decided that I would shut off the engine every time I dismounted. Sure it is inconvenient, a little harder on the battery, and takes a little longer to get going. But the extra safety is well worth it.

 

[gasbag]

I'm with Curley Dave on this one, I like to hear whats goin on around me and whatever tool I'm using. Being able to hear the engine is like an early warning of something wrong. Furthermore it sounds like you have an outstanding dog, may have saved your life, give em a bone! Mark

 

[20 20]

I say there is nothing wrong with ear protection, years from now you'll be glad you wore it. I do agree with Curly Dave, shut the machine off move your line etc around{out of way} then start back up again. Another thing I have not seen anyone mention is chock blocks especially on steep hills.

 

[TripleR]

Sure glad you are OK; no safety lectures.

 

[Yankee]

The only thing I'll add is ... Take care of that dog!

 

[crashz]

Also glad you are OK. Pretty amazing how that happened.

I've always made it a habit to lower all equipment to the ground, because most machines have sub-par parking brakes. Especially the old iron that my father owns. In fact I've never have one hold on a hill.

Forget the bone, the dog deserves a steak!

 

[LBrown59]

I rented a large ride on trencher (about 7000lbs) to dig a trench for my water line. The line was hooked up and laying on the ground and I was diggng beside it. There is a steep hill I was about to go down. I stopped at the top to move the water line out of the way. I was wearing noise supression headphones because this thing is so loud. I was walking down the hill moving this line out of the way with my dog with me. I noticed the dog looking alarmed and looked bock to see the trencher flying down the hill right at me. I ran into the woods behind a tree. The trencher hit the tree threw me in the air with a branch and flipped upside down. I never heard this thing coming at me since I had the headphones on. Another split second and I would have died. The brake didn't work. Scary day for sure.

That's one thing I always try to avoid.
Getting in front of my tractor on a slope.
Another is getting between tractor and a fixed solid object.

 

[chambers1517]

I actually did shut down the engine. I also applied the parking brake. The boom would definately have stopped it from moving. I just thought being hydroststic drive and the brake being on would have stopped it from moving. I told the rental company about what happened and how this thing about killed me. They brought another on out to me. We used my 3130 to turn it back over. It had 2 blown out tires but was otherwise ok. Thes things are extremely dangerous. Any hill at all caused the front wheels to rair up and would not steer at all. I had to go everywhere backwards.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Machines are very dangerous. Strange manchines are very, very dangerous. I shut off the 265 MF the other day in high (direct drive unlike when in low MultiPower) and it rolled before I got out of the seat so I just put on the brakes but a person's father had this happen and it pinned him. I may need to adjust the shifter linkage.

Glad it all worked out OK. Dogs can be life savers for sure. At age 4 a cow with a new born calf was going to take me out until my dog charged her.

 

[LBrown59]

I was wearing noise supression headphones because this thing is so loud.

1*This is one of the primary reasons I don't use noise suppression headphones -- near complete loss of situational awareness.

1*He could have removed the head phones when he got off the trencher.

The only thing I'll add is ... Take care of that dog!

Give tha dog a steak.

Forget the bone the dog deserves a steak!

I'll second that.

 

[crossczek]

Sure glad you are OK; no safety lectures.

Ditto

 

[BigE_]

I actually did shut down the engine. I also applied the parking brake. The boom would definitely have stopped it from moving. I just thought being hydrostatic drive and the brake being on would have stopped it from moving.

I have hydrostatic drive on my tractor. If it is on a slight slope, engine on, it won't move. If I shut off the engine and don't apply the parking brake, it'll creep forward.

If I'm on the steepest part of my driveway, just the parking brake alone won't hold the tractor: I have to use 4WD and hydrostatic. I try to avoid parking in that section.

 

[RoyJackson]

I don't trust any machine on a slope...and if I'm going to be in front of it, it'll be the parking brake on, engine off and in gear (remember, I'm a gear tranny guy).
With that trencher, I would have dropped the boom.

BTW, I also think you pup deserves a steak!

 

[Taylortractornut]

On most trenchers the boome wouldnt have helped either. Most chains run off the transmission. Without the transmission in gear it would have probably rolled a just as well. The man tha bought my brothers little Vermeer had that happen. I think the samething is possible on the big one to. On it we lower theblade and dig it in the ground and some times set the plowdown to. I worked with a young guy for a company in Alabama and he was bad about when wirking up hill If he got off any machine he would walk behind it. He was bad about leaving the attachment up to. Not long after I changed jobs a friend of mine that still workedthere called me telling about his death. He had gotten off a TD15 dozer and was walking down the hill behind it on a small down grade. It had spring applied park brakes that come on wthen the motor stops but it was left running withthe blade barely offthe ground. My friend was walking to him and saw the dozer run over him. He was badly shaken up by the experience. hew said he never hear it either.

I had a close call with a wheel loader on another job We hada WA250 Komatsu wheel loader and a laborer took it down tothe other end of the job to take a bundle of lumber down to some carpenters. I was clearing witha track loader and had shut it off to look at a purdy rock I was about to take home. I heard the dangdest noise ever crashingin the pine sapplingslikea big animal. Then this big yello loader counter weight comes out right next to my loaders bucket. I walked up its traile it had wallowed out and saw what happened. There was a huge hill we had to go over on the haul road to avaoid the artic trucks.

The laborer hadnt checkedthe fuel in the loade rbefore taking off. when He left the end of the job he had gotten all the way to the top of the hill and it shut off. He left the boom up and didnt set the brakes. It had some speed built up after rolling down the 600 foot slope and went throught the little pines. I was in a section of pines head high up to 12 feet and thick I couldnt see a thing. It was an erie feeling notknowing what this was and could only hear a fast crunching. They had a serious safety meeting on machinery that day. In all it rolled about 700 feet because I was atthe toeof the grade 120 feet in the pines.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Give your dog a steak. My dog follows me(at a distance) when im on my tractor. She always has to be sure im safe and that im wearing my seat belt.I try never to park on hills but when i do, i engage the park break, put my implement on the ground, and since my yannie doesnt have a FEL yet, I try to turn my wheels left or right. Gotta be careful on those hills.

 

[lawn_king]

Is the dog ok