Tipping butt pucker!!

[QBH]

I had a pucker of my own the other day. Using the new bush hog on my little tractor, the rear wheel of the tractor hit a tall stump that I hadn't seen in the brush. It lifted the right wheels up in the air. Surprised, I said to myself "what just happened?" So I backed up...over the same stump. Oddly enough, the same two wheels went up in the air again. I didn't try it a third time.

Larry

e

 

[DJ54]

Is the seat made that way, or is that a big "hickey"..?? Never tipped one, but there were more than several times I thought I was going to.

I think the worst was a little IH 12 yard scraper. Made a short turn over a 1-1/2:1 slope, and she took a nose dive. My boss told me if it ever did that, keep full throttle so as to keep full hydraulic power, and drop the bowl, and keep it stretched out. I did, and naturally he was there... Pulled up beside him, and told him it's tough to keep your foot in the throttle, when you know you're going to wreck...!!! At least he got a kick out of it....

 

[ovrszd]

Years and years ago I saw a scraper laying on it's side on an Interstate hiway build project. I was running a dump truck. All day as I passed it the mechanics were scurrying around the machine. They rigged up some sort of oil pickup system for the engines so it would run laying on it's side without losing oil pressure. Then they squirmed it around and got it back on it's feet with it's own power. I didn't get to see the actual flop back on it's wheels, but I was very impressed!!!!

 

[bandaidmd]

I was at Daytona speedway when they were repaving it a few years ago, they had a loader barrell roll from the top of turn four all the way to the apron. I have a crappy cellphone pic of it laying at the bottom. The operator was not injured, not sure his underwear survived.

 

[oosik]

Very lucky, very cautious because for 32 years I've always been alone when operating my tractor. Nearest neighbor is 4.5 miles away, no land line phone, cell phone only works on the good days. You darn well know I'm cautious. I've come close a couple times but saw it coming and stopped right in my tracks. I've seen how stupid shortens the life span and I have no wish to go there.

 

[DutchHenryBrown]

I'm glad it worked out well.
I understand your pucker.

AaronS you win! :shocked:

 

[DKCDKC]

Years ago I watched some Native American Cat operators working on an impossible slope a half mile wide. (Bath County Pump Storage Project) The Cats had cables and winches to catch them - because they would flip end over end on this massive slope. The Cats had more than a ROPS, they had full steel cages. Drivers wore harnesses. I saw a cable break and understand why. The Cat flipped end over end at least 15 times coming down and ended upside down in the dirt at the bottom. The operator climbed out a minute later and joined a crew to flip it and get it back on the mountain.

That was a massive project... Biggest earthmoving project in the US in the 1980s. It has two giant earthen dams - the biggest is 465 feet high and a half mile wide at the base. That's a lot of dirt. The loaders they used were so big I could - and did - drive my car under them.

 

[TomSeller]

I had a pucker incident a few weeks ago when clearing brush. My front right wheel dropped into a sudden hole I did not see under the brush. My rear wheels were already on a slope in the same direction. By chance the brush I had been clearing earlier hooked my backhoe boom swing lever and swung the backhoe to the right (downhill) side. I was able to stop and after a brief moment of teetering, I got my wits about me and reached back and swung the backhoe to the left side and extended the dipper (did not dare lower the boom). Then backed out of the hole swinging to square away with the slope.

I did had my ROPS and seat belt on, but it still goes to show you how quickly things can change.

 

[crazyal]

My pucker incident happened one morning when I started thinking too much about what I was going to do and not so much about what I was doing. When I start up my 580k I usually advance the hand throttle some while it's warming up. It was pretty warm out so I didn't wait very long before setting off. I was working on removing fill from a trench at the top of a hill. I would drive up, get a bucket load, and then slowly back down. This morning as I was driving up the front end felt very light. Normally I would just let off the throttle some to keep the front end down. As I said I forgot to return the hand throttle to the idle position so as I let off the front still went up. Luckily it was wide open so I got use to leaving the outriggers down near the ground. Before I could find the hand throttle it tipped to the point where the center pivot for the backhoe was planted in the dirt and it started to lean onto one of the outriggers. After about 10 seconds of panic I turned around so I could operate the outriggers and lowered them and pushed the front end back to the ground. As I was doing this I had a great view of the ground out the back window. After that I decided I would back up the hill and use the backhoe to drag the dirt down the hill to where it was flat before using the loader to remove it.

I know the normal rule at TBN, no picture then it didn't happen but there was no way I was going to get a picture. After that I make a simple check list before setting off.

 

[TomSeller]

I know the normal rule at TBN, no picture then it didn't happen but there was no way I was going to get a picture..

Same as me, and as it turned out I had left my iPhone charging up in my pickup anyway. A lot of help it would have been.

 

[AaronS]

AaronS you win! :shocked:

DutchHenryBrown, I apologize for hijacking your thread. it was not my intent.

 

[DutchHenryBrown]

DutchHenryBrown, I apologize for hijacking your thread. it was not my intent.

AaronS no I did not think that at all no problem. :thumbsup: Just after seeing your tip I felt funny my tip was nothing compared to that.

 

[crazyal]

Three types of tractor owners, those who never felt the tip, those who have, and those who couldn't stop it.

 

[vidio1]

Thought I might revive an old thread. This was one of those wife told me not to so I had to things. I was cutting down a bank beside the driveway so it could be landscaped instead of using blocks or RR ties when my box blade snagged and ......

 

[Xfaxman]

Well since this thread has been revived, I will add my tip over to it.

This happened 8-9-2006. Was using the forks to knock the dirt off of the root ball on a willow tree that the dozer dozed at the edge of the pond. Backed up, but it didn't turn uphill, because the right front tire was almost flat (slow leak). The right front dropped into a hole, and the Toro went over, I fell off of the seat onto the side panel. The engine was still running, I had to raise up and reach under my butt to turn off the key. I was right at the edge of the water, the loader tower was in the water.

Front view

Bottom view

Back view

I got my tractor, put a chain on the left loader arm, backed up and pulled it upright.

This is the root ball that I was knocking dirt off with the tips of the forks

Notice the 100 pound block of steel at the lower right, that fell off of the brush guard.

I left it chained to the tractor, got on, crossed my fingers, it started and I backed up the hill.
The loader wasn't up very high and the hole wasn't very deep, but it sure went over fast.

 

[MX Dad]

Woza Faxman, I'm glad you are OK. That event had to be terrifying but you add the water into the equation and it makes it even worse. I couldnt imagine being pinned under a machine under water. AHHHH!

I did a stupid UH-OH this weekend. It wasnt a roll over but while adjusting the top link for my box blade, I wasnt paying attention and unscrewed it to the point where it ran out of threads and BAM, loud noise and the BB came down real quick. The tooth ended up stabbing me behind the knee and it left a good mark and some minor bleeding. But, it couldve been a lot worse. I bet I will be watching that top link closer from now on. At least for now until my hydraulic top link comes in next week.

 

[Everhard]

Woza Faxman, I'm glad you are OK. That event had to be terrifying but you add the water into the equation and it makes it even worse. I couldnt imagine being pinned under a machine under water. AHHHH!

I did a stupid UH-OH this weekend. It wasnt a roll over but while adjusting the top link for my box blade, I wasnt paying attention and unscrewed it to the point where it ran out of threads and BAM, loud noise and the BB came down real quick. The tooth ended up stabbing me behind the knee and it left a good mark and some minor bleeding. But, it couldve been a lot worse. I bet I will be watching that top link closer from now on. At least for now until my hydraulic top link comes in next week.

Good to hear it wasn't any worse! Reminds me of when I'm using the counterweight on my tractor - I'm very careful to make sure my feet are no where near being potentially underneath it! Last thing I want is 800lb's sitting on my foot and me not able to reach the lever to get it off!!!

E.

 

[oosik]

Never gone over but a couple times I teetered right on the knife edge. Once I acted and the situation became safe - another time I was simply frozen with fear and the good Lord is all that saved me. I hope I've learned safer operating techniques. Never have come close on the new Kubota - all my "learning experiences" were with my previous unit - Ford 1700.

 

[MX Dad]

Good to hear it wasn't any worse! Reminds me of when I'm using the counterweight on my tractor - I'm very careful to make sure my feet are no where near being potentially underneath it! Last thing I want is 800lb's sitting on my foot and me not able to reach the lever to get it off!!!

E.

Thanks Everhard. I hear ya and that was a big wake-up call for me. I'd kinda like to keep my feet for at least a few more years! I thought the same thing after my encounter with the box blade. I will be standing differently any time I'm adjusting the blade. This incident makes me feel much better about spending the money for my soon-to-be hydraulic top link. But I will be paying more attention any time I'm adjusting anything on the tractor. Chit can happen real quick.

 

[meos1]

Good to hear it wasn't any worse! Reminds me of when I'm using the counterweight on my tractor - I'm very careful to make sure my feet are no where near being potentially underneath it! Last thing I want is 800lb's sitting on my foot and me not able to reach the lever to get it off!!!

E.

Fully unloaded - Take the top link off. Unscrew the ends. Paint the last three or four threads with dyechem marking fluid or blue the ends or have the last four threads anodized. Now you have a safety marker.