Backhoe Bad day: flipped backhoe, then almost flipped tractor...

Coyote machine · Oct 19, 2015

Today I set out to remove my subframe mounted Kioti KB-2485 back hoe and then install my BrushBull hog. The removal of the hoe went OK. Got it on the wheeled platform I built a few years back, that I had spent a few hours reworking yesterday to make it hold the hoe more stable.
The new design was not working as well as hoped for and the wheels were binding when trying to move the dolly with the hoe sitting on the dolly. I went to move the subframe with my grapple, but the dolly fixed wheels were not cooperating, then things went from bad to worse. Once the hoe began to tip sideways I was not able to regain control and it toppled over onto the barn floor. Fortunately there appears to be no damage, and the good thing is I needed to replace a zerk on one of the stabilizer bottom areas, which is WAY easier with the hoe on it's side!
So I figured out a way to use a couple of 3" ratchet straps and my pallet forks to lift the entire hoe and subframe to remove it to outside. When I got it outside, I went to do something off the tractor and as I started walking away I caught in the corner of my eye the tractor trying to lay down with the hoe! I jumped back on and lowered the forks to bring the COG lower.
What a nightmare!
All things being equal- I got off easy. Can't complain. Dolly needs more design time. No one hurt. Wasted a day, ( part of it anyway) screwing around. Lesson reinforced- one can't be too carefull. Need to restore ballast to the rear end before doing any 'recovery work' with the tractor. Man 1000+# of hoe really keeps the back end down nicely.:confused3:

Rustyiron · Oct 19, 2015

Glad everything is fairly OK. We've all had these situations, er learning lessons.

zombie · Oct 19, 2015

Glad everything worked out ok. I remember moving/trying to move the box scraper with the fel and no ballast, definitely uncomfortable. Glad you're ok.

CanuckPT · Oct 19, 2015

Phew! I got a knot In my stomach just reading that! I'm glad you & your equipment are unscathed.

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Billrog · Oct 19, 2015

Happy everything worked out for you no damage to the hoe and your still in good health.

Threepoint · Oct 19, 2015

Holey Smokes, CM!

Glad you weren't hurt. You'll probably be replaying that in your mind in Technicolor for the next few days!

dragoneggs · Oct 19, 2015

Glad to hear you and machines okay! The older I get the slower I go, the smarter I am, but I still do dumb things. A couple weeks ago, I was jacking up my deck that is 10ft in the air that supports a hot tub. The outside edge of the deck had sagged about 2+ inches over the years due to ground settling. I was using a bottle jack and temporary post to jack it up so I could shim the existing two posts. Well, the bottlejack/temp post buckled and **** near took out the corner post that it was next to... luckily the existing post fell back onto its pad and its bracket kept it from kicking out completely or I would have lost the deck and the tub! :shocked: Wondering also I would have moved far enough away in time not to get myself seriously killed? Remember the first part of the story about getting slower.

Coyote machine · Oct 19, 2015

Thanks to all who've expressed support, it means a lot. A plus 1000 pound hoe falling over in my shop is no minor thing. And I had my wife helping me earlier when we were trying to move it across the floor. It kept tipping toward the dipper stick but we were able to right it. I told her where not to stand in case it were to go over and kept telling her it could not fall backward toward her due to the subframe. She was still in the shop but in another bay when the hoe took it's dive for the mat. Fortunately it cleared the end of the workbench and landed on my Swisstrax floor, buckling a number of tiles. The Swisstrax broke the impact for the most part, and as I said earlier fortunately no one was anywhere near when it went over.
I'm a safety oriented guy when it comes to situational awareness and potential accident. I'm at least half an hour at best case from any type of help/town, etc. so most everything has to be well thought out and contingencies too.

I know the slowing down thing too. I had help for a while but it didn't work out. having a hired hand would have helped today, but the outcome might have been the same.

I just received a newspaper clipping from a friend about a local guy from the area where my CT home is located that stated the death of a tree guy we both knew of, who was found in his chipper - dead. He was 72, and working alone. Those commercial chippers are deadly to the max. I nearly got pulled into them on occasion when I was doing pro tree work in my youth. That was before there was even a bar to try to stop the rollers from pulling you into the chipper. Can't imagine anything worse happening to someone....really sad.

zombie · Oct 19, 2015

Just because people say "preventable" accidents, it doesn't do any good when something unimaginable happens that wasn't accounted for. Good you're around to tell about it, and I bet it will never happen again.

TomSeller · Oct 20, 2015

Well there go my plans for some hoe dollies. I now figure I better continue to sit them on the concrete.

MossRoad · Oct 20, 2015

The horrible thing about things falling is people have a tendency to try and stop them from falling, rushing towards them with arms extended.... only to get squished. And the toys we TBN members play with can tend to be on the heavier side. Not much center of gravity on tall, heavy implements. Doesn't take much to get them going past the point of no return.

PhysAssist · Oct 20, 2015

MossRoad said:
The horrible thing about things falling is people have a tendency to try and stop them from falling, rushing towards them with arms extended.... only to get squished. And the toys we TBN members play with can tend to be on the heavier side. Not much center of gravity on tall, heavy implements. Doesn't take much to get them going past the point of no return.

2X for that!

Sometimes when things tip and start to fall they can almost look like they are slow enough to catch too, but they never are, even if you were strong enough to catch it in the first place.

Coyote Machine, glad you and the boss are OK, and your tractor too!

God bless,
Thomas

comancheflight · Oct 20, 2015

Yes, glad all is well..from the title of the post I was expecting to read much much worse..

coobie · Oct 20, 2015

Glad everything turned out well CM.Tractors and Backhoes can be replaced or fixed,human life cannot.Gald you and your wife are OK..

square1 · Oct 20, 2015

Coyote machine said:
I started walking away I caught in the corner of my eye the tractor trying to lay down with the ho!

Pun intended? Glad you're okay, messin' with ho's has been the ruin of many a good man

Garycw · Oct 20, 2015

Really glad it wasn't worse and NOONE hurt. Things happen fast. I've learned anytime I'm using fel ROPS up, belt on. Luckily it was just a lesson learned this time.it could have been much worse in many ways. Glad you're all ok. I was ran over while working in a tractor last October. (Hip replaced) Hard lesson and tipped over another one last month.

Egon · Oct 20, 2015

The time was not wasted but rather well spent. Flaws and the need to correct them were found before any injury occurred.

TJP89 · Oct 20, 2015

That's scary for sure. The most interesting moment for me was when I was mowing with the H. I needed to run into the house, and parked the H in Neutral, engine on, with the brake on, on what I thought was level ground ( knew it really wasn't, but was in a hurry, and the tractor wasn't moving). I looked out the kitchen window a minute later to see the H rolling down toward the edge of the woods with a little gully, some HUGE rocks, and what used to be a pond. As I tore out of the house I had visions of the H on its side in the ditch, engine still on, and how the heck was I going to get it out of there? Luckily it didn't have to much momentum (it really wasn't that much of a slope), so when it hit the first rock it just stopped without tipping, and I was able to just back it out. But my wife really thought something was wrong when I tore past her at top speed with a look of sheer panic on my face. Now I make sure to stop on level ground.

Also, I was filling in a hole on a slope, coming in from the top, straight down. I had nothing on the back, as I was in the midst of a million things, and needed to tow the log splitter next. Anyhow, I came up with a full bucket of dirt, start heading downhill with a light rear end. Things got exciting quick, as you can imagine. I wasn't skidding too bad, so I dropped the bucket, dumped the dirt, then engaged the 4WD and slowly backed out. Then I put my rear blade on. Both times I could have avoided the near disaster, but was in too much of a hurry to bother. Luckily I learned my lessons with no damage to self or others or tractor. Just a warning to always be aware.

IslandTractor · Oct 20, 2015

TomSeller said:
Well there go my plans for some hoe dollies. I now figure I better continue to sit them on the concrete.

x2. I'm glad Coyote Machine didn't get hurt and that all equipment survived but now I recognize the "benefit" of simply storing the BH outside on a 6x6 with outriggers extended. I've always been a bit jealous of those with a nice concrete floored barn but I think I'll just count my blessings and keep doing things the same way. A bit of a pain to put a big canvas tarp over it but I'll live with it.