Dumbest Thing you have done with your tractor
- Thread starter rpeter
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I've done a number of dumb things, but years ago as a teenager I once crank started an H Farmall while it was still in gear! And the throttle was about 1/2 way open, and it was hooked to a manure spreader! Fortunately, it was on wet concrete and and while the tires were spinning to get traction, I somehow managed to get in the seat and get the clutch in.
And one time when I was about 15 I was driving on a sidehill at about 12 - 14 mph in 4th gear, throttle wide open, with a Farmall 504, when the narrow front end just broke off and the front end hit the ground! With the forward momentum the front wheels got caught by the high side rear wheel, which tried to climb over the front wheels and put this side of the tractor about 2' in the air. I thought it was going to turn over, so I bailed off like a rocket, and turned around to see what was happening. The tractor balanced on the low side rear wheel for a few seconds, with the high side wheel spinning like mad and then slowly settled back to the ground where it started spinning in the dirt as it tried to push the tractor along without any front wheels. I quick reached up and shut off the key. It wasn't my fault, but my Dad wasn't very happy about that, though the only damage was 4 broken bolts in the front end. I'm sure there are others, but those are two that stand out in my mind!
And one time when I was about 15 I was driving on a sidehill at about 12 - 14 mph in 4th gear, throttle wide open, with a Farmall 504, when the narrow front end just broke off and the front end hit the ground! With the forward momentum the front wheels got caught by the high side rear wheel, which tried to climb over the front wheels and put this side of the tractor about 2' in the air. I thought it was going to turn over, so I bailed off like a rocket, and turned around to see what was happening. The tractor balanced on the low side rear wheel for a few seconds, with the high side wheel spinning like mad and then slowly settled back to the ground where it started spinning in the dirt as it tried to push the tractor along without any front wheels. I quick reached up and shut off the key. It wasn't my fault, but my Dad wasn't very happy about that, though the only damage was 4 broken bolts in the front end. I'm sure there are others, but those are two that stand out in my mind!
roxynoodle
Veteran Member
So far the dumbest thing I've done was hit the manure spreader with the rear wheel of the tractor while I was mowing. The tongue of the spreader fell down onto the RFM. Now seeing as I use the loader on my tractor to lift the tongue to connect the spreader to my truck I had something of a quandry. Do I disconnect the mower so I can use the tractor to pick up the spreader? If I do I will still have to manage to hook back up to the mower without knocking the spreader down again. I learned that day I can (barely) lift the tongue of the spreader and get it back on it's stand. Good thing.
droy
Silver Member
Came home from work one day, wife had most of our 7+ acres mowed, ran the Bolens G152 out of diesel. After having consumed a large mug of adult beverage, I filled the Bolens with fuel, got it started, and decided to finish the little bit of mowing she had left.
The grass was sparse, and mowing at a high rate of speed, I tried to pass that little tractor and 48" rear mounted mower between two oak trees that were about 42" apart. When the dust settled, the mower was still on one side of the trees, and me and the Bolens was on the other. Cast rear end, I had broken EVERYTHING !! After failing to find another rear axle housing for it, I gave the tractor to wife's uncle, who got a "shade tree" welder to make new 3ph brackets, then weld them to the housing. He used that tractor for a few years, till the tranny finally gave out.
The grass was sparse, and mowing at a high rate of speed, I tried to pass that little tractor and 48" rear mounted mower between two oak trees that were about 42" apart. When the dust settled, the mower was still on one side of the trees, and me and the Bolens was on the other. Cast rear end, I had broken EVERYTHING !! After failing to find another rear axle housing for it, I gave the tractor to wife's uncle, who got a "shade tree" welder to make new 3ph brackets, then weld them to the housing. He used that tractor for a few years, till the tranny finally gave out.
dieselsmoke1
Platinum Member
Iplayfarmer said:
Can't say now, but it was running 3000 hrs. later when I sold it. I told the story in another forum a while back here.
LBrown59
Super Star Member
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*Which could very well happen.roermo said:
Pooh_Bear
Platinum Member
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- Early 1949 Ford 8N
Being a Pooh Bear means I got fluff for brains.
I could write volumes about the dumb things I have done.
Ran out of gas on the other side of the property. Walked back to the house to get the gas jug. Went back to the tractor. Started pouring gas into the tank expecting to hear it hit the empty bottom of the tank. Heard it splash instead. Then I remembered I had a reserve and could have drove it back to the house.
Was mowing a ditch along the road. One wheel was on the pavement.
Finally the wheel in the ditch lost traction. No problem. Use the brake on that side.
Kept going till the wheel on the pavement lost traction. Stuck now.
Learned that you use steering brakes to get out of problems. Not into them.
Was mowing the front yard. Got up close to the front porch and then swerved to miss my brothers car. Forgot about the mower on the back. Took the steps clean off the porch.
Under-estimated the height of my satelite dish mounted to the back deck.
Clipped it with a rear tire. System hasn't worked right since.
Driving along the guard rail mowing. Came to a sharp curve. Tried to turn.
Rear wheel and mower was against the guardrail. Front wheel went under
the guardrail and was stuck good. Had to dig a hole to clear it backing out.
Latest thing: Yesterday. I have been going down near the river and scooping dirt with my rear dirt scoop and bringing it back up into the yard to fill in a ditch. A neighbor went down there to where his cows go to get water and scooped all the mud out where the river bank had collapsed into the water. He piled it up where I could get it with the scoop. Normally I scoop forward. But for this I have to scoop backwards. The digging edge of the scoop has to be angled downward slightly so I can lower the scoop to the ground and reset the trip after dumping it. But doing this with the scoop on backwards means it is angled down and backward. And I have to come up a big hill from the river so I would lose half my scoop of dirt going up the hill. I got the bright idea that I could angle the scoop up a little and just lower it on a higher object so that the back of the bucket could drop low enough to reset the trip. I picked a stump as that object. Unfortunately the stump was a little too high. First time I drove over it the tractor high centered and was stuck. I had to walk home, get a high lift jack, take it back to the tractor. I jacked up the rear of the tractor to clear the stump and then pushed it over.
I found a different spot to reset the trip where this can't happen.
Pooh Bear
(They don't call me "Ol' Fluff For Brains" for nothing.)
I could write volumes about the dumb things I have done.
Ran out of gas on the other side of the property. Walked back to the house to get the gas jug. Went back to the tractor. Started pouring gas into the tank expecting to hear it hit the empty bottom of the tank. Heard it splash instead. Then I remembered I had a reserve and could have drove it back to the house.
Was mowing a ditch along the road. One wheel was on the pavement.
Finally the wheel in the ditch lost traction. No problem. Use the brake on that side.
Kept going till the wheel on the pavement lost traction. Stuck now.
Learned that you use steering brakes to get out of problems. Not into them.
Was mowing the front yard. Got up close to the front porch and then swerved to miss my brothers car. Forgot about the mower on the back. Took the steps clean off the porch.
Under-estimated the height of my satelite dish mounted to the back deck.
Clipped it with a rear tire. System hasn't worked right since.
Driving along the guard rail mowing. Came to a sharp curve. Tried to turn.
Rear wheel and mower was against the guardrail. Front wheel went under
the guardrail and was stuck good. Had to dig a hole to clear it backing out.
Latest thing: Yesterday. I have been going down near the river and scooping dirt with my rear dirt scoop and bringing it back up into the yard to fill in a ditch. A neighbor went down there to where his cows go to get water and scooped all the mud out where the river bank had collapsed into the water. He piled it up where I could get it with the scoop. Normally I scoop forward. But for this I have to scoop backwards. The digging edge of the scoop has to be angled downward slightly so I can lower the scoop to the ground and reset the trip after dumping it. But doing this with the scoop on backwards means it is angled down and backward. And I have to come up a big hill from the river so I would lose half my scoop of dirt going up the hill. I got the bright idea that I could angle the scoop up a little and just lower it on a higher object so that the back of the bucket could drop low enough to reset the trip. I picked a stump as that object. Unfortunately the stump was a little too high. First time I drove over it the tractor high centered and was stuck. I had to walk home, get a high lift jack, take it back to the tractor. I jacked up the rear of the tractor to clear the stump and then pushed it over.
I found a different spot to reset the trip where this can't happen.
Pooh Bear
(They don't call me "Ol' Fluff For Brains" for nothing.)
Superduper
Platinum Member
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roermo said:
I know of at least one published case where driver/operator was killed when ROPS knocked the lintel (header beam) off the support post and was crushed by the weight of the beam, if not the entire structure collapsing. I'm sure there are many more. I personally forget myself when operating my tractor how high the ROPS is, especially since it is located up and behind me, that is not a frequent place for me to look. The garage beam is not a trivial thing to hit. In fact after 3 times, it may be sufficiently loosened as to not survive a 4th hit. You would be wise to put a big fat SMV placard, dangling on header to remind you not to hit it again...
roermo
Gold Member
Superduper:
You’re right about it being dangerous and a person could get hurt or killed. You know they talk about the pucker factor on hillsides mowing and rolling over, well that day I had pucker factor on level ground. I know I hit hard and my arms came up fast over my head, kind of like duck and cover. I had thought about putting a Ping-Pong ball on a string so it would hit my face. Like a wake up dummy call. After reading your post I will string on up today. Better safe than hurt.
Roger
You’re right about it being dangerous and a person could get hurt or killed. You know they talk about the pucker factor on hillsides mowing and rolling over, well that day I had pucker factor on level ground. I know I hit hard and my arms came up fast over my head, kind of like duck and cover. I had thought about putting a Ping-Pong ball on a string so it would hit my face. Like a wake up dummy call. After reading your post I will string on up today. Better safe than hurt.
Roger
patrick_g
Elite Member
I have done way too many dumb things to even begin to try to list the majority here. Here is a small sample...
I have had my Kubota on every two wheel combination possible, some multiple times. Learned not to turn sharp with a really heavy load on the palet forks (few hundred T-posts) as the change in front end geometry tries to make the tractor roll over when the rear wheels come off the ground. I keep one hand on (guarding) the joy stick so I can dump the load quickly if needed (only 8-10 times so far.)
Don't mow too close to the fence on the uphill side as you can slip sideways a tad and let the bush hog get under the fence and then you can't turn to get away. I pulled the sway control pins and found that I could "bounce" the mower deck down hill and then shove it uphill and clear the T-post and drive nearly straight ahead and get away BUT... how to do that and drive at the same time? I foulnd a downed pecan limb only a few hundred yds away that was just barely strong enough to prop te dick to the high side and after a few attempts got it wedged with the deck high enough to clear the fence post. I drove slowly forward and got away, clearing the fence at a very slight angle and luckily not slipping.
I drove the cab model Kubota under a tree with limbs lower than the tractor roof and customized the top. I drove by a tree and the fold away mirrors folded but let a limb slap a back window. Boy that tempered glass sure EXPLODES. Backed into a limb... Boy that tempered glass sure explodes, every time!
"E" on the gauge must mean empty, especially if you drive on an incline.
If after having an engine cover fall off while brush hogging a little too enthusiastically and running over it, beating it out so it worked and then laying it down beside the tractor and runing over it again to get more body work practice.
I am on my 4th fuel tank cap. Only 3 count. Why doesn't Kubota put a keeper leash on the cap? (Because it is such a profitable item at about $20 or so a copy.) After losing the original and the first replacement I drilled a hole in #3 to tether it. Then the tank went bad and a new cap came with the new tank. I need to remember to take the new cap off before I lose it and put the one with the leash on it into service.
Brush hogged too close to my moms house after lifting the FEL high overhead to get clearance to make a particular turn in fear of hitting her siding. I missed the siding just fine but hit the soffit. That aluminum PVC coil isn't all that tough to work with and I had some scraps from when the house was built.
One of these days I really do need to make a mod to my trailer so that the one out of three times I put the tractor on it or remove it the ramps don't kick up and then miss their groove falling back and leave me sort of in a weird position.
I lowered the scarifier teeth on my box blade, shifted to low range, ran the RPM up tpo PTO speed (2600) and went at a piece of wire cable sticing out of a newly scraped place in the back yard. Yanked me to an instant stop, doing only mild chiropractic to my neck against the roof (Kubotas were designed to fit little people, not 6'2" 250 lb types.) I could have tested it with my FEL but no... just go for the gusto. I dug up 2 cu yds of dirt and removed a hundred feet of cable, alternator, truck leaf spring, fence posts, barbed wire, most of a washing machine, and so on. Seveal hundred pounds of debris. Previous owner had BIG dozers and apparenly burried some scrap metal. After I did some landscaping excavation (removed 4-5 feet to get drainage away from walkout basement.) Luck of draw, I found his dump site (In my "now" back yard.) Maybe next time I will test with the FEL and not assume a little piece of scrap could be dislodged by a few thousand pounds of moving steel (Kubota.)
I was just getting warmed up but have to go take care of some things.
Pat
I have had my Kubota on every two wheel combination possible, some multiple times. Learned not to turn sharp with a really heavy load on the palet forks (few hundred T-posts) as the change in front end geometry tries to make the tractor roll over when the rear wheels come off the ground. I keep one hand on (guarding) the joy stick so I can dump the load quickly if needed (only 8-10 times so far.)
Don't mow too close to the fence on the uphill side as you can slip sideways a tad and let the bush hog get under the fence and then you can't turn to get away. I pulled the sway control pins and found that I could "bounce" the mower deck down hill and then shove it uphill and clear the T-post and drive nearly straight ahead and get away BUT... how to do that and drive at the same time? I foulnd a downed pecan limb only a few hundred yds away that was just barely strong enough to prop te dick to the high side and after a few attempts got it wedged with the deck high enough to clear the fence post. I drove slowly forward and got away, clearing the fence at a very slight angle and luckily not slipping.
I drove the cab model Kubota under a tree with limbs lower than the tractor roof and customized the top. I drove by a tree and the fold away mirrors folded but let a limb slap a back window. Boy that tempered glass sure EXPLODES. Backed into a limb... Boy that tempered glass sure explodes, every time!
"E" on the gauge must mean empty, especially if you drive on an incline.
If after having an engine cover fall off while brush hogging a little too enthusiastically and running over it, beating it out so it worked and then laying it down beside the tractor and runing over it again to get more body work practice.
I am on my 4th fuel tank cap. Only 3 count. Why doesn't Kubota put a keeper leash on the cap? (Because it is such a profitable item at about $20 or so a copy.) After losing the original and the first replacement I drilled a hole in #3 to tether it. Then the tank went bad and a new cap came with the new tank. I need to remember to take the new cap off before I lose it and put the one with the leash on it into service.
Brush hogged too close to my moms house after lifting the FEL high overhead to get clearance to make a particular turn in fear of hitting her siding. I missed the siding just fine but hit the soffit. That aluminum PVC coil isn't all that tough to work with and I had some scraps from when the house was built.
One of these days I really do need to make a mod to my trailer so that the one out of three times I put the tractor on it or remove it the ramps don't kick up and then miss their groove falling back and leave me sort of in a weird position.
I lowered the scarifier teeth on my box blade, shifted to low range, ran the RPM up tpo PTO speed (2600) and went at a piece of wire cable sticing out of a newly scraped place in the back yard. Yanked me to an instant stop, doing only mild chiropractic to my neck against the roof (Kubotas were designed to fit little people, not 6'2" 250 lb types.) I could have tested it with my FEL but no... just go for the gusto. I dug up 2 cu yds of dirt and removed a hundred feet of cable, alternator, truck leaf spring, fence posts, barbed wire, most of a washing machine, and so on. Seveal hundred pounds of debris. Previous owner had BIG dozers and apparenly burried some scrap metal. After I did some landscaping excavation (removed 4-5 feet to get drainage away from walkout basement.) Luck of draw, I found his dump site (In my "now" back yard.) Maybe next time I will test with the FEL and not assume a little piece of scrap could be dislodged by a few thousand pounds of moving steel (Kubota.)
I was just getting warmed up but have to go take care of some things.
Pat
