Buried the tractor

RobertN · Dec 17, 2000

Re: try this jack

Harv,
I don't know how you read that post; my speeling is terrible!

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

gordon · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Well I sure wish I had a camera today. It was a sight for sure. I was taking a shortcut in the woods behind my house. A couple of inches of ice over this short area of mud. Looked fine so I took the short cut. Well needless to say I broke through the ice and into the mud. I had a bucket full of fire wood and didn't want to dump it so I tried to rock the tractor a couple of times. Big mistake---down I went to the loader subframe and rear drawbar. Ended up using the bucket still couldn't move her so lowered the bucket all the way and lowered my hydraulic top link all the way and got a foot of clear space under the rear tires. Started the chainsaw dropped a tree and shoved it under the rear tires. Sooo clooose but the bucket was now just turning mud--- sawed up some 6' sections and put them under the bucket and out she came. So that was a nice little detour today. It sure wasn't a short cut.

I still had the rearblade on in hopes of getting some snow. Got about an inch last night of snow but not enough to plow.
Gordon

DFB · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Gordon, great save. Necessity is the mother of invention. Your only stuck when ya gotta walk home./w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Thomas · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

gordon,
Kinda went thur the samething last late spring,for I to try a short cut /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gifand belly out.
Between logs and rocks plus a 10 ton come along and hour plus swatting blackflies /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gifshe got a grip and crawl out.

When it was wash down time the pressure washer sure came in handy,also for the Kubota. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Have you ever gotten stuck in a snow bank w/ ice for a surface on a steep grade...now thats a real treat. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

GeorgeH · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Last night while plowing the drive the BX slid sideways and got wedged between 2 guy wires on an electric pole. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif
Battery was dead on S-10 Blazer so no help from it to pull the BX out. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Tried to use the car (Dodge Stratus) as a pulling point by hooking a come-a-long to it. Just pulled the car closer to the tractor./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Tractor needed to be pulled sideways to clear guy wire. What to do?/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif Wait a minute, neighbor down the road has a 4 wheel drive John Deere. Must swallow pride and call him for help! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Called neighbor, not home, pride saved. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Called towing comany, they can come right out! /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif Hour and a half later they show up with a flatbed car hauler. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif He hooks up the winch and pulls it 6 inches. I drive it the rest of the way out. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Cost $37.50 /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Thank goodness it all happened after dark. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Next time I think I will try to drive an Iron bar into the ground to use as a pulling anchor. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif Cheaper and faster! /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

George /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Thomas · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

George,
Thats what I call a tight spot, /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gifand I bet you won't forget that spot everytime you pass by w/ your BX /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

GeorgeH · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

I gave it a wide berth today. Even in the car I could feel a powerful magnetic type of force pulling the car that direction. I'm sure the massive amount of iron in the Kubota contributed to last nights fiasco!

George /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Harv · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Gordon -

Glad you made it back to the high ground. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Sounds like you knew what to do. Where exactly did you pick up the experience? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Just curious -- would a hi-lift w/jack-mate have been of any use in your case?

gordon · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Thats a tough call Harv. I don't have a hi/lift jack. But I did have a chainsaw. Usually when I'm in the woods I've got the skidding winch on the back this time of year. But where was it sitting up at the house! So I used what I had with me because it's going to get in the low twentys tonight and I didn't want the tractor to freeze in.--Been there done that as well!

If I did have a high lift I guess I could have shovelded down enough to get some wood under the jack to give it a surface to jack on or else it would have just jacked down into the mud. Once I did that I could have put some wood under the tires to get it up out of the hole.

Was sort of funny though, with the heat from the engine running it was melting the ice causing a very nice mud pool.
Gordon

Harv · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Gordon -

I wasn't thinking so much of jacking the tractor up, but rather using the jack as a poor man's winch, as shown here.

Since I bought one of these things, I'm just curious to know if it's really going to do the job when the need arises.

I suppose I could just drive my tractor into the bog and ... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

gordon · Jan 6, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Just remember Harv if you drive her into the bog---we want pictures!!!
Yes I do think that the jack setup you've got would get you out of a jam. It's like insurance hope you never need it but it sure is nice to have if you do.

But that jack set up would work for alot of different things not just jackin. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

gordon · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Don't you hate that when you get your tractor tight! Six inches may as well be six miles---I know the feeling. What did the tow truck driver say? They must run into some pretty interesting mishaps throughout the day.

Did you try to put a wheel chalk in front of the Dodge to help keep it from sliding? Hindsight is always 20/20---using the come a long and the steel pipe./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

gordon · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Your right there just a little quick class in handlin school that was all!
Gordon

Rowski · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

George

Sometimes if your on a slippery surface (ice, snow) you can try to spin the wheels while pulling sideways. By spinning you can decrease the static friction and make the pulling easier. Don't know if this would have helped you out in your situation using a come-a-long. I have used this method for straightening out 10 wheelers (using our 1 ton wrecker) that are slightly jack knifed on the slippery, narrow back roads. I have pulled out a few tractors too with the wrecker most of them in a ditch and some in the mud. One time I got there and hopped on the tractor used the bucket and got iy out in 5 minutes. The guy was alittle pissed, new tractor owner.

Derek

Thomas · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

gordon,
You might remember that tool thats shape like a wedge w/ a vee tip point and about foot an half long,and than you pound it in the ground w/a sledge hammer than hook a chain to it.

Some farmer use them on fence lines also cutting down trees.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

GeorgeH · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!

Gordon,

You are right, six inches or six miles. If only I could move forward or back I could have got it out by using the front end loader. I just had to go sideways only. I had a guy wire from the electric pole in front of the rear tire, one in back of the rear tire and one in front of the front tire. Just couldn't budge it an inch either way. On top of all that the ground was covered with heavy wet snow on top of ice. I will keep an iron bar handy in case something like this happens again. I'll just pound it into the ground in the proper location and pull with the come-a-long. I went with the towing company because they said they could be there right away. When he showed up with a flat bed car hauler I didn't think he would be able to get me out. But he knew his equipment and saw what needed done. He said he pulled a John Deere up out of a muddy ravine, brush hog and all earlier this year. He said that cost someone $130.00 I guess it pays to have some tractor owning friends close by too. Never be reluctant to help someone out of a jam. You never know when you might need a helping hand.

George /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

gordon · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!-Bobcat Stuck

Here is a picture of Guido with his bobcat stuck. That nice soupy mud is what the front end of my tractor looked like yesterday. Took the wife back this morning and showed her where I spent an hour yesterday. She was amazed that I got it out with the bucket. Actually so was I.
Gordon

Muhammad · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!-Bobcat Stuck

Oh boy, what a mess... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif and I see that the Bobcat has tracks, too.

Thomas · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!-Bobcat Stuck

gordon,
So how did the Bobcat get stuck,for it looks like a drainage ditch area.
Good thing it had the tracks.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Harv · Jan 7, 2001

Re: We want pictures!-Bobcat Stuck

Gordon -

Thanks for the picture. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

That, combined with the rains headed our way out here, make a good recipe for nightmares. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Maybe I'll just keep tuning up my 'bota.