Got lucky today and a new nickname

[Taylortractornut]

I usually dont wear a belt on a 3 to 1 slope but a 2 to 1 I will. If the tractor had been an older rigs without a ROPS like dad grew up on it would be worn. Theres just no way a person can clear a machine like this in a rollover with the Rops and the shifter lock and safety bar that protrudes into the entry way of the machine. I did hold onto the gaurd rail around the shifter and the blade lever underthe knob that why the blade is a little tilted. That saved my head from hitting the ground.
When dad was in his late 30's to early 40's he was an operator and Foreman for Wright Brothers Construction out of TN. I was a little kid and remeber him comming home one weekend sick looking. They had been clearing a mountain side going down the slope about 2000 feet that was so steep once you went over you had to go to the bottom and walk up another road/. Then you repeated that process till it was cleand all the way across. I saw him do it when I was little boy about 4 D8K's and D9Gs going over the bank at one time taking out several trees and dressin the slope at one time.
When dad got called to run anotherpart of the job a fella a tad younger than I am now was a good operator and he took dads tractor. he went over several times but one time he didnt put his blade down enough and hit an oak tree the root ball got betwwn the back of the blade and the nose of his tractor. It made it into a sled then and took off. He got sideways and buried a track frame then rolled 10 times. he was belted in but it broke him up badly. He recoverd after about a year and the machine was put back into action the next day.
Ive done some slopes like this and I believe in the belt on a slope or cuttin a bank out. the second wore time I had we had a load of thick doors that came in to be disposed of and I got ontop of them without knowing they were thick fiberglass laminate I took off like a rocket sled sideways but a 4 yard load of masking paper stopped me.

 

[mrutkaus]

hey i'm a 40 yr experience tech writer and that was a good read.

if you want the truth, it is often best unedited

glad you're ok

mike
winchester va

 

[intel]

seeing your picture of the D5 on it side on level ground looks funny, if you didn't know the story people would be looking at that wondering how the heck they did that.

 

[Taylortractornut]

It looks funny with out the lowboy beside it. He left before i got the camera. I got picture on my brothers camera that shows me greasing to 2 back axle greas points under the rear end lol. Making the best of a bad situation lol.
I wished I had some pictures of the big homemade compactor pulling it back over.

 

[dmccarty]

I ve been operating heay equipment for about 15 years since I was 14.
...
I saw the bed sliding and thought thats not good. THen Itgot real fast and slow agin. I had my belt on and had a kungfu grip on the gaurd around the shifter and gripped the blade control lever likewise. was crashing at that moment lol.

Crash I am glad to hear you survived the crash.

Three scary things about this crash.

One. You have been doing this ALONG time, were careful, and SOMETHING still went wrong. There is a lesson there somewhere. You sure thought you were safe doing what you were doing until she rolled.

Two. This equipment is tough. Roll it back up. Let it sit and off it guys. The operator might not be so tough.

Three. You are old enough to know about KungFu Grip!

Thanks for posting. Twas very interesting reading.

Later,
Dan

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Three. You are old enough to know about KungFu Grip!
Dan

Were all glad he's alright and shared his story.

I use to drive a tractor trailer.

I was driving on a two lane road and saw a pickup truck coming right at me, and i had a "Kung-Fu Grip with my left wrist on the steering wheel and right hand on the shifter, and the truck hit my front wheel and spun the steering wheel...and it happened so quick.

My employer later ask me in the hospital, Why didn't you let go of the steering wheel when the truck was getting ready to hit you.

Here is a picture right after the accident.

And one after the third surgery.

 

[teg]

"...an 82 wheeled trailer came through town had to shoot it..."

I'm sorry... I must have missed where you posted these photos (you don't have to post all of them )


.

 

[Sota]

Hey Neighbor,

I am glad you are okay. I read your story and then seen you were from Iuka and with me being from Belmont, that puts us both in Tishomingo county.

Best regards,

Sota

 

[Taylortractornut]

Hey Sota Iwork in Belmont, that where I rolled the D5 over. I run a landfill for Tiffin, down Red bud. You probably saw that trailer to, it made 3 trips through there with press parts for Toyota at Cullman AL.

Teg as soon as I cant get them scanned, those folks thought I was an eqwuipment stalker as long as I followed it. 350 tons the cargo and the dual tandem sets of Bogies went from white line to white line.

JD4300 THis company I work for had bought the rolloffs truck we sold the previous owners. I was drivinge a DM sidewinder mack and was going back to the plant to get another load. I was on Golen road and the state had let the trees interfere with this road. The old truck had been let go down by the other owners. We had it as a spare and it had been a transit mixer truck and a log truck. It was our winter and spare when we owned it. It was kinda beat up and the lime had taken its toll on the cab.. I had a set of doors that fit off and R model., since the R is a center mount cab and the DM is flush mounted theres about10 inches extra mirrior on the DM. I got nearly back to Red bay and I met a Peterbilt with West coast heated mirrors and chrome out the yang. I saw him way off looking up at the branches full steam and over the yellow line. Its narrow shoulder and I was fighting the wheel with some slack in it from dragging me over in the ditch. I realised that I had my window down. I closed my eyes and heard a killer bang. It cut my face i na few places and filled my head the glass. I had most of his mirror. I got pulled over and wiped my face off and I went back about a mile and no sign of him anywhere. Ive had that same feeling. In 01 I had the same injury from a car accident.

Dan It was true a 2 lessons were pouned in my head. Alway walk around before you load. I shoud have gotten off and walked around. I forgot that trailer had Car hauler hxles and an air ride. I didnt notice the truck was out of level be cause I only looked at the trailer. The trailer is slightly warped that why it looked level. Im always cautious because of the tracks when they go over the metal decking of the dove tail and the top over the axles. I ve had to do an emergncy back off a couple times. Iguess I was over comfortable but I always respect that trailer loading. I checked my track marks and I was center, That was the first time I let the driver pick where he wanted to load.
The blade being down really saved alot of the Impact lettin it slide instead of drop off.
Thinking I was safe eft about six inchees be fore the rollong over, safe left when I felt that gentle easy slide side ways lol. I would have loaded it iffen the truck had stayed there, Ive seen many good operators have an accident like that and be un nerved by that. Many operatrs wont load their own machine. I think every operator shoulld walk a machine over every morning know all the usuall noises, and service and clean his her machine down to the loading and unloading. just as long as the unloading part isnt done like I mine.
I was shocked but kept my cool when i was rolling, I kinda blocked it out and when it hit I did everything I had in my mind to do in an emergency. Hold one and kill the motor when I get stopped. I was more worried about the fuel oil or coolant contamination of the ground. When I got out I did the 4 point inspection testicles spectackles wallet and watch.
The kung fu grip Im 29 with the part of my brain still a demented 15 year olds lmao. I ve see nthe old GI Joe's and heard all the jokes. The pucker string also had a pretty good suction on the seat.