Always Set Parking Brake!

[duffer]

I did a similar stupid thing. House is up on a hill, and a pretty good slope downward. While I was building the house I was doing some light back dragging with the bucket and one of the utility guys was up at the house and motioned for me to come up to meet him.

So I drove up to the side of the house, shut down the tractor, did NOT use the parking brake, and got off to talk to him. Well, in about 15 seconds the thing started to roll backwards down the hill, slipped into neutral, and then really took off. It was headed right for a 60' pine tree. I thought...well, this will be about $4-5 grand when it hits the tree. Tractor had all of about 30 hours on it then.

Luckily it hit a bump and turned the tractor just enough to miss the tree. Total distance traveled was about 100+ yds. Came to rest next to my elevated driveway which stopped it. I use the parking brake, lower the bucket, and lower any implement now whenever I stop, shutting it down or not.

 

[Avenger]

Lucky it didn't roll. Got into the habit of setting the brake on mine.

Yeah, it was very close. The nephew asked me if he should use the seat belt or not. I suggested that he should, just keep his arms and legs in if it tips! Trust in the ROPS! Talk about nervous!

 

[Thomas]

No damage...he should went out bought Powerball ticket with that kind of luck.

 

[Root Cause]

I am on a pretty steep slope. Along with the brake and bucket, I turn my front wheels hard to keep it from rolling downhill. That too, helps it stay in position.

 

[hube2]

Not only do I set the parking brake but I also turn my wheels tight i a direction that will also limit rolling. Comes from a life of driving a stick.

 

[Root Cause]

Not only do I set the parking brake but I also turn my wheels tight i a direction that will also limit rolling. Comes from a life of driving a stick.

We were taught that in driver's ed. When on a hill, always turn the wheels so it bumps the curb when the vehicle moves. Makes sense on a tractor too so it just rolls in a safe direction if it does move. I worry more about it moving when starting it up. I am not always in the seat but I am at least on the step.

 

[hube2]

I am on a pretty steep slope. Along with the brake and bucket, I turn my front wheels hard to keep it from rolling downhill. That too, helps it stay in position.

We were taught that in driver's ed. When on a hill, always turn the wheels so it bumps the curb when the vehicle moves. Makes sense on a tractor too so it just rolls in a safe direction if it does move. I worry more about it moving when starting it up. I am not always in the seat but I am at least on the step.

We must have posted at about the same time. I was also taught this is driver ed, might say something about how old we are that they had sticks in driver ed. I also had an automatic when I was 18 that would slip out of park and roll so I had to do the same things. There was a recall on that car, they sent me a sticker to put on the dash to tell me to set the parking break and turn the wheels.... did not use the sticker but I already new about the issue from experiencing it.

My driveway is a hill and across the road at the bottom of that hill is a pond. Everyone that lives here turns the wheels when parking no matter what type of vehicle it is. Although a lot of that is from the same habit because they've all been taught to drive a stick.

 

[4570Man]

My skid steer and mini x locks the brakes every time you lift the lap bar. It really should be standard for all equipment to do that. My last dump truck didn’t have any parking brake. The air brakes on my F-750 that actually lock down when they’re supposed to was a welcome feature.

 

[oosik]

Long ago, with my first tractor, I quit using the parking brake. Too easy to forget to release.

Then again - I don't have any really steep slopes. However - if I do park on any of the slopes I have - drop the rear blade - pin the grapple into the ground.

 

[Jstpssng]

There was a recall on that car, they sent me a sticker to put on the dash to tell me to set the parking break and turn the wheels

Mid ‘70s Ford, they did things differently back then. A woman pulled into the greenhouse around that time period in a brand new car with dealer plates and didn’t quite get it in park; just as she got out it started rolling. I chased it out across the road, down a slight incline, got in and got it stopped just before it went into the cemetery pond. It was obvious what had happened but she borrowed the greenhouse phone and called somebody all upset, telling them what happened and about the “clicking” sound it made as it rolled down the hill.
It amazes me how many people today don’t use the parking brake on their autos, even on the steepest hills; trusting those two little parking pawls to hold the vehicle in place