Got home from work early yesterday and it was raining a bit, but needed to mow the pasture as weeds were knee high and outgrowing the grass. Ate dinner while waiting for the rain to stop.. went to fire up the NH 7610s and the batwing when i forgot i had pulle dthe battery out to charge it. not feeling like working on it, I instead fierd up the old ford 5000 w/ 10' mower and proceded down the road to the pasture. ( It's about a 4 mile trip each way. ) I get about hald way there and notice the steering a little sluggish.. when i suddenly figure out that there is NO steering! I was on a 4 lane, and had a good panic there for a second.. looked over both shoulders, thankfully no traffic around me as i was sneaking over intot he other lane.. I dumpe dthe throttle, and then reached down real quick and groped for the R/L brake pedal couple, try to get it free before I went intot he median and the ditch.. got it free, and used the left brake to get me back into my lane... a turnoff road was coming up real quick.. and i needed to get off theat road, but had to wait till the turn because there was a large curb ( but non onthe median side.. go figure! ) .. it was a small residential community.. low traffic i figured..... I kept the throttle low, and again.. use dthe left brake to swing me into the turn, and onto a grassy area near a power pole.
Found my problem.. a fitting on the pow steer pump was loos and running fluid out. I had checked all my oil and coolant before i had left.. but this sucker musta started bleeding when i uppe dthe rpms and got out onthe 4-lane.
Tried calling the wife.. but phone was busy.. i later learned the line was out from the storm!.. Called everybody I knew that lived inthe area.. no go. finally had to abandon the tractor there and walk to a jiffy store to buy some pow steer fluid.. Took me over an hour between the walk, and tightening the line... luckilly i keep an adjustable wrench and pair of pliers in the tool box. Got er oiled up and then ran the wheels lock to lock till it quit squealing, and then topped the pump off again, and then i went to mowing.
Had 2 more little surprises that evening.. 1, the neighbor was burning apile of weed debri and it musta had ivy or something else in it.. My eyes stung and itched and i broke out in a good hive all over my neck.. on the way home, I guy passed me on the 4 lane, I was in the right lane.. fully occupying it like I should be.. rear blinker, headlamps, and 3 smv plaques.. one high up on the tractor, and one at each edge of the mower.. was still light out.. but starting to head toward dark... guy passed between me and the car next to me.. literally ran us both near off the road... What gives?!?!
Mowing was fine.. but I got drenched onthe way home.. rain started back up good again...
Happy ending to the story.. but there for a second ont he 4-lane i almost had a brown alert type moment! Thank goodness there was no traffic around me.
soundguy
