IF You are a Tractor Operator in your ROOKIE Season.

[paulfun9]

So I am not wise because the center of balance and the movement of weight wont change to support the outcome you need to have for safe operation. There are so many factors involved in what I have said that you haven't even considered but have been tested and proven time and again. Just one thing alone is worth its weight in gold and that is the operators intuitive instinct to pull on the lever rather than to push. Simply by backing the machine down most people even new drivers would be more prone to push the lever even in a panic and that alone shows more wisdom in my advice than anything you have said thus far on any of your posts!

Anyone who claims to Know everything is nuts so don't read more into words than is actually written and understand that there is a time and a place for accepting new Ideas but there is also a time and a place when the new Idea is not so new and has been tried time and again with undesired results. Just ask all those folks who have rolled their machines because they thought they could do things safely in spite of sidestepping the first step which is proper ballast from the start and not exceeding the recommended lifting capacity. Even many of those who understand their loader lift abilities and how much stronger it is at lower lifts have found themselves in bad situations because they made an other mistake while traveling with the extra weight and misjudged a grade. Once they get into a habit of doing one thing and the other happens and their mind might be on some other aspect of the project just a little more than it should be or they had a fight with the wife or girlfriend the night before and presto we have a bad situation where one mistake now will compound everything else and you have an injury/accident

Sometimes Wisdom is knowing that the person your talking to isn't trying to understand what you are saying but rather using your time to try to make his/her next argument against the knowledge that you are trying to teach them and my experience with this type of person has proven time and time again to be, just walk away and let them learn the hard way! Which is what I am doing right now.

 

[pathunt]

Axe-

Make sure brakes are off before going off.

Avoid puncturing your rear tire - do not attempt to mow the end of the culvert if you have spatial awareness problems.

With care, your tractor will take more abuse for longer than you can; work harder than you care to for longer then you care; and provide a way to see your land up close and personal when the people you want to see close and personal are few.

Starkiller Hollow, OK

 

[Sprinklerman]

If it can go wrong , it will , especially when you think it wont . Be aware of your surroundings . Dont push the tractor to its limits , why , when you find the limit you probably already broke something

 

[AxleHub]

Pathunt and sprinklerman,

Some nice points. I'm both ecited and uncertain as the next hotizon of the rokie season presents itself . . I'll call it "winter on the ridges". I love much of what Wisconsin winters offer . . Snow to clear by snowblower or now also by tractor . . the peaceful sense after a snowfall has just finished in a valley ir hollow etc..

But living in a beautiful area with hills and inclined roads and wind drift situations all presents challenges too . . like getting up a slippery driveway that is inclined or shovelling on "said driveway".

Call it a respect for the challenges of the season. And now as a rookie tractor owner . . . its an oportunity for further learning and respect. How will th unit handle on a concrete incline in 10 degree weather? Or traction issues or cold start timeframes etc..

I assume threads like this one will show many new issues and topics for us rookie tractor operators as we pass from one season's challenges into yet another new set of experiences

 

[Ed of all trades]

AxleHub I have a steep drive way as well and have a front blade for my GC2400. I can push down the hill even in a 12" snow but I could not bet back up the hill. I now have chains front and rear, it helps a huge amount. I tried just rear chains and the front would slide sideways and put me in the ditch. Tirechains.com was way cheaper than anywhere else and they have good stuff. Ed

I would not need chains if I did not have the hill.

 

[AxleHub]

AxleHub I have a steep drive way as well and have a front blade for my GC2400. I can push down the hill even in a 12" snow but I could not bet back up the hill. I now have chains front and rear, it helps a huge amount. I tried just rear chains and the front would slide sideways and put me in the ditch. Tirechains.com was way cheaper than anywhere else and they have good stuff. Ed

I would not need chains if I did not have the hill.

Thanks a bunch Ed. By the time we see snow in a couple weeks . . the unique rear weight ballast and trailer mover I've designed should be completed. And I've considered rubber chains but boy the price was a bunch.

I will certainly check out your link.

Its a good sized concrete driveway but in addition it will also include about 125 feet of concrete sidewalk plus a small and a large concrete patios. Originally I planned to modify a plow blade to work with my fel but I changed to a different product that will allow me to backdrag as well as forward plow using the bucket and an addon item.

"Why backdrag?" Is a frequent question of my friends . . and the reasoning is it allows me to get closer to tight areas but also . . . A couple of steeper spots (one drive way spot and one sidewalk spot) I may back drag to create better traction potential in those specific spots. That way I cn progress up the steep spots much safer.

Very interesting that you used chains on front wheels as well. I'll definitely look at your chain site. Thanks so much for your input on the front wheels . . I defintely don't wanr to get up clise abd personal with our culvert ditch area when not grass cutting season

 

[hillsandtrees]

Things I learned:

- if the front wheels of your tractor lift off when you drive into the garage, it is probably time to fold down the ROPS
- while removing limbs from a tree by yanking them off with the ROPS does work, it is only the third best way of doing it.

 

[tonyoz]

My pet hate on wheel tractors is people who have the brake pedals connected. You are taking away a second way of steering your tractor when needed. If your foot can't press both pedals at once get a smaller tractor or a bigger boot.

 

[hillsandtrees]

My pet hate on wheel tractors is people who have the brake pedals connected. You are taking away a second way of steering your tractor when needed. If your foot can't press both pedals at once get a smaller tractor or a bigger boot.

I wish my little tractor toy had a split pedal.

 

[vanguard]

This is my rookie season. I've done a few things right and a few things wrong. I'll share:

Right:

• Hearing protection is great. Saves your ears and makes things more pleasant.
• Quick hitches are great. Safer and easier is a hard combo to beat.
• Sunglasses double as eye protection.
• Keeping an old hammer near the implements helps get pins in and out.
• I keep a 30 gallon diesel tank on my land. So much better than 5 gallon cans.

Wrong:

My big wrong was trying to pull a tree stump out with a snatch strap. This particular stump was rotting and weak. Rather than sort of "tip out" like I had seen so many times on youtube it broke in half and came flying toward me. It hit my tractor's taillight and wasn't a bad repair. However, 2' up and to the left and I would have died. Honestly actually died. I still think pulling a stump out isn't a crazy idea but I'll be a lot more selective about which stumps I hook up to.