A scary situation

songhunter · Dec 18, 2003

I have a small tractor without a ROPS and seatbelt. Since most of the ground is fairly level, I figured I'd be okay for mowing and light cleaning. I have a small bush hog I use to clear out briars and small brush.

I was cleaning a small area on a gentle slope to prepare an area to plant a few more blueberry plants. I was using the small bush hog when the left side of the tractor suddenly raised up very high. I didn't know at the time what had happened. I pushed in the clutch that stopped the tractor's forward movement and the bush hog. The left side of the tractor was so high I could stand on the ground with my right leg unextended /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif The right side of the deck was almost touching the ground.

I looked down and the left rear wheel of the tractor had climbed a stump I had left several months ago. When I regained my composure, I put the tractor in reverse and backed down the stump. I felt like an idiot! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I always figured I could jump free from a rollover. I have pretty good reflexes and I figured I'd have plenty of time. If this experience is any indication of what a rollover would be like, there's not hardly any time to take any action. Then there's the question of where to jump. Jumping to back is a no-no. The pto and mower are back there. Jumping to the low side seems inappropriate, since that's where the tractor is going. Jumping over the hood is out, since I'd never make it in time. Jumping to the high side would almost be impossible.

I believe I need to invest in a ROPS and seatbelt, or maybe a tractor that already has one. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Dave___in___CT · Dec 18, 2003

Phew ! Close call !

Accident

1 a : an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance b : lack of intention or necessity : CHANCE <met by accident rather than by design>
2 a : an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance b : an unexpected and medically important bodily event especially when injurious <a cerebrovascular accident> c : an unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be sought
3 : a nonessential property or quality of an entity or circumstance <the accident of nationality>

Dave...

MikePA · Dec 18, 2003

Bruce, I am very glad you are alright!!! In the past, there have been people on TBN who have claimed that their reaction time will save them. Your example shows that's not a smart assumption. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Junkman · Dec 18, 2003

Dave...... are those definations from a legal dictionary????? You must be an attorney!!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Henro · Dec 18, 2003

A near miss is a lesson which (if learned) may save one from unfortunate circumstances at a future time.

I try to learn from mine and it sounds like you do too!

Glad your experience turned out to be a near miss... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

JDgreen227 · Dec 18, 2003

Thanks for sharing your experience, and I suggest you take the time to read the posts titled: "What not to do with a backhoe". After reading some of the accident reports that Junkman provided a link to I will NEVER fail to put my ROPS up when using my tractor.

herbenus · Dec 18, 2003

When I first received my tractor I quickly got good with it (so I thought) and was mowing in high gear making great time. I went around some brush and hit a hidden stump. One rear tire bounced up about a foot, although it seemed like three. A little more and I think it would have gone over. It was up and then back down before I knew it. There was no time to react. Period. Scaird the death out of me and made me slow down from then on.

GaryM · Dec 18, 2003

Experience is a tough teacher. First you take the test, then you get the lesson. Sounds like you survived and learned the lesson.

Please be careful!

stumpman · Dec 19, 2003

I know that if you drive a tractor long enough, your going to get into a scary situation. My scariest situation happened when I owned a sub-compact (20HP, gas, hydro) with a small FEL. I was driving straight up the hill in my back yard (1200 ft long with about 100 foot drop) with the loader on and a counter weight in back. My mound system is at the very top of the hill and as I climbed the last few feet I realized that I had forgotten some tools at the bottom of the hill. After I got to the top flat section I turned arround to head back down.
The tractor has a lever on the left side fender for turtle/rabbit selection and neutral in the middle. As I started down the mound, the selector popped into the neutral position. I went from 0-60 MPH in less than a second /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif. Stepped on the brakes and nothing happened /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif. All kinds of things went through my mind in that very fast ride! Do I drop the loader? No, it may flip end for end! Do I try to turn? No, it may go into a high speed roll! Do I jump? No, going way too fast. Everything went through my mind except... drop the weight.
So here I am riding this 1800 lb run away machine straight down the hill. About a third of the way down is an old fence row, no posts or wire, just a bump and a 4 foot drop to the next field. I hit that and came straight up out of the seat. I was able to hang on to the steering wheel and landed back in the seat, still going 100 mph /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. Just when I thought the excitement was over, another old fence row. You guest it, back out of the seat I go, again landing back in the seat to continue my ride down that hill. When the beast finally came to rest, the only damage was bruised knee's (from hitting the steering wheel) and a bruised ego.
After I changed my shorts, I measured the distance of my two "jumps". The first one the tractor was in the air for 8 feet, and 12 feet for the second one. Any time that I used the tractor after that, I bungee'd the lever into position. I sold the thing soon after /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif