Ever get your tractor stuck?

treeboone · Jul 20, 2001

Kubmech is describing a variation of what is known as a "deadman". It is used when there is nothing else to anchor to. If you want easy, go look elsewhere. If you want solid, this is the answer. Go forward to solid ground, dig a trench at 90 degrees to the pull angle. secure a cable or chain to the middle of a solid log or pipe or? Bury it in the trench (works best if one end of the cable remains topside....) Place another solid log on top of trench, lay cable over top of log so cable forms a 90 degree angle when tension applied. This will hold well if dug deep using solid post or log and cable or chain is securely attached. Be very, very cautious using cable, if it breaks or comes loose under a load, it will recoil like a rubber band to the point it is still attached to. It can and will sever anything inside the arc it can describe. Humans most likely will die. Never use a frayed cable. Throw it away. Never allow a cable to slip through your hands, with or without gloves. Never stand or step over a slack cable or chain that is hooked to something, Walk around it. Work smart, not sorry.

treeboone · Jul 20, 2001

Sorry, I meant Kubotadriver

Anonymous Poster · Jul 20, 2001

treeboone,

VERY, VERY well stated. As we say around here: "Safety doesn't happen by accident".

glennmac · Jul 20, 2001

I thought of using the chained board method mentioned by Rch and Harv when I got stuck the first time. In fact, I came back in the house, logged on to TBN, and reread the thread that described it.

There is no chance it would have worked with my tractor in the situations I was in. First, there no place on the wheel to run a chain through. Second, even if you could jury rig the board onto the wheels somehow, it cant travel very far. It will go under the wheel, yes, but then hit the 3ph. Maybe if you only have to go forward 6" to safety this would work. Third, using separate small boards, you face the same attachment problem, and, if you solve that, the boards cant rotate past the fenders on my tractor. So, maybe, you can move 12". But the small boards I do not believe would have provided enough purchase in the goop I was in anyway; planks and tires I put in front of the tires just submerged, too.

I suppose its worth a try, but maybe it can work better on a large agricultural tractor with larger clearances.

Harv · Jul 20, 2001

Hey, you're right, Glenn!

Until you mentioned it, I never noticed that there are different types of wheel rims out there. Some are solid, and others (like mine) are sort of made of pieces, with plenty of gaps to run chains and/or cables through. I looked through some pictures and brochures, and they seem to show solid wheels with turf tires, and the gap kind with R1's and R4's. Too small a sample to know if there's a standard correspondence. Bet somebody out there knows.

Clearance seems to vary quite a bit, too, according to makes, models, tires and how the wheels are set. I seem to have plenty of room on my L2500, so maybe I would be prudent to put together some blocks with cables or chains, and have them already for next winter.

Or would that fall under the category of pessimism? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

glennmac · Jul 20, 2001

Harv,

I think all the B series Kubota's have solid rims. My JD and NH catalogs suggest that maybe the large frame versions of those tractors have gaps in the rims. The clearance problem I have is on the inside of the tire. Same thing people were complaining about in the snow chain threads--unable to fit even a chain through that gap on the 2910. If you've got better clearance, good, but query how big a board can you really get on the wheel. I wouldnt take any risks relying on this procedure.

You'll know when its risky. The little white angel is sitting on one shoulder, whining: "No, no, no, it looks goopy and risky." On the other shoulder sits the black angel, logically arguing; "You've got big tires, you've got big cleats on your big tires, you've got 4wd, you've got diff lock, don't be a wimp, go for it, see what happens, you can back out in time."

Blackie convinced me, not once but twice.

gordon · Jul 20, 2001

Glenn wrote:

You'll know when its risky. The little white angel is sitting on one shoulder, whining: "No, no, no, it looks goopy and risky." On the other shoulder sits the black angel, logically arguing; "You've got big tires, you've got big cleats on your big tires, you've got 4wd, you've got diff lock, don't be a wimp, go for it, see what happens, you can back out in time."

Blackie convinced me, not once but twice
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I wish blackie had only convinced two times to go for it. He has gotten me a few more times than that./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Gordon

Anonymous Poster · Jul 22, 2001

I've found that the best thing to anchor to when there are no trees around is...a boat anchor. It's not hard to find a place to mount to a tractor and it's designed, obviously, to stick in mud.

scruffy · Jul 22, 2001

Bird's steel posts, and the boat anchor are good ideas, but invariably when needed, they are back in the 'shop' and not available. Life goes on, and with inginuity, we find a way to over come our difficulties. Each situation will usually call for a slightly different solution due to the current parameters that we are faced with. Look around! Use what is available! Be open minded and adaptable, we usually can find something to do the trick.
I know I've been lucky so far in worming my way out of tough situations with my vehicles, and some of the methods hav been unorthadox to say the least.

dmccarty · Jul 22, 2001

Harv, Glenn and Gordon,

That Black angel on you shoulder is a bad dude to over come my White angel. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

There is a spot I have been working to clear for the last 4-6 Saturdays. The area had a bunch of little and big pine trees that the hurricanes knocked down over the last few years. The land falls from the south to the north and from the east to the west. This particular area is in the north west corner of what will be a pasture so alot of water moves into/through this wet spot. The area also flatens a bit so the water has more of a chance to collect, sit and soak. The downed trees formed a series of dams to keep the water from moving and of course the stump holes added to the mess. Last weekend I had cut up enough of the trees so I could finally get into the area to move the stuff that was on the ground and forming a dam. I was able to break through the downed stuff but it was a really mess in the mud. I cleared out enough of the trees that I could in theory drive the tractor through stuff that was undrivable the week before.

The problem was the mud. The more I worked in the area the worse it got. I got a good bit of the timber moved but not stacked on a burn pile and had to give up. The ruts were getting a good 6 inches deep so I figured I would get out while the getting was good. This last weekend the area had drained and dried up a good bit so I went into to put stuff on the burn piles. One area that was full of ruts last weekend I smashed into a degree of levelness just by working the area to get the timber on the burn pile. I thought I was doing good until I went up the slope a bit to where it gets a bit flatter. The tractor was to moving forward like it should be, I had been looking on the right side of the tractor so I looked to the left and noticed the left front wheel was digging a rut that had put 6 inches of mud on top of the axle. At this point my White angel said, "Dan, its time to leave, let the area dry out some more and do it again next Saturday." If my Black angel said anything I sure did not hear him! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

One of my neighbors drove up a few hours later on a 1955 Ferguson 30, I think it was a 30, he just restored. He has a couple of other tractors and is retired. At least I know someone with equipment that might be able to get me out if I get into trouble! I don't think I could get my truck into the areas I might get stuck in and I don't think the truck has the traction anyway. I pretty much ignore Mr. Black Angel as a result! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

My hats off to you Tractor Stuckers. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I'm to chicken to play in your mud bogs! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Later...
Dan