I Did Not Know It Was Possible To Do This! Or My Latest Tractor Mishap.

[RidgeHiker]

I had just removed my standard 3 point quick hitch and installed Pat's Easy Hitch. I did not like how the frame of the standard one was interfering with adjusting the angle of the PTO shaft on my snow blower. I backed up to mount the box blade which was sitting on some blocks near the back. I pushed it just enough with the lower links for the back of the box blade to come off the blocks. This positioned the top link receiver too far back. It was not a problem to get the lower links attached. So my brilliant idea was to raise the box blade high enough to pull it over the blocks then lower it to level ground. Which I did, at least the first part. This resulted in the back of the box blade pointing almost straight down.

Which angled the scarifiers, one on each side, into the back of the tires. The points were now pressing into the tires. I could no longer move forward or back partly out of concern for puncturing the tires and because the points were now trapped between the deep lugs of the ag tires. The three point was all the way up and and could not lower it. So I could not move anything. I knew that somehow this would work itself out but I had no idea how. I thought of getting my Handyman Jack but could not figure out how it would help. It's so weird how things can change so fast. I tried loosening the scarifiers but they were stuck tight. There was some thinking going on about how expensive new rear tires are on a 50 HP tractor.

So when all else fail the best thing to do is get a really big hammer. Actually one of my splitting mauls. Finally got one of the scarifiers to move which removed some of the pressure and then was able to get the other which freed the tires. Whew!!! That was a relief. As far as I could tell I didn't even damage anything (this time).

 

[Industrial Toys]

That's what is called getting oneself into a "Pickle" lol

Good outcome.

 

[RidgeHiker]

Unpickled itself with a little help from the hammer.:laughing:

 

[Industrial Toys]

Unless something or someone is in immediate danger, Often the best thing to do is just STOP everything and carefully assess the situation.

My Dad once wrapped a chain harrow partly around the wheel of our new tractor (with big wide fenders). That was much worse!

 

[RidgeHiker]

"
Unless something or someone is in immediate danger, Often the best thing to do is just STOP everything and carefully assess the situation."
Hence the big hammer...

 

[blitzn00]

Amazingly I did the exact same thing this evening, but I did impale my right tire. Not to the point of leaking beet juice...yet......

 

[RidgeHiker]

Wow. Seemed like a pretty rare thing I got myself into. Interesting you had the same thing 2 days later. Sorry to hear about the tire. Wish I had posted this sooner, might have saved you the trouble.

 

[blitzn00]

It's was my first hour on the tractor, so I forgave myself

 

[RidgeHiker]

Good! I am pretty much at the point where things just happen. Kind of feel like a bystander. Was more amazed than anything what I innocently got myself into. LOL

 

[Redlands Okie]

Good post so others can beware of similar problems.

 

[dodge man]

I can’t remember exactly how I did it but I dumped my weight box over backwards hooking it up once. I think I just wanted to raise the three point a little to hook up and raised it way to much.

 

[Henro]

I believe the technical term for _really big hammer_ is BFH...

Glad there was a happy ending.

 

[shooterdon]

It is not uncommon to "fix' a problem by using a bigger hammer.

Glad you worked it out without any damage.

 

[Peter 315]

I believe the technical term for _really big hammer_ is BFH...

Glad there was a happy ending.

:thumbsup:

 

[caver]

I once backed into a power pole guy wire with the box blade. The scarifier came into contact with the tire and I stopped just in time. Thankfully it didn't puncture the tire or break the guy wire.

 

[Maxify55]

I had a nice, really nice, brush pile going and one morning I decided that there was room for one more load of brush atop the mass.
I'd removed the grapple for pallet forks for some reason that escapes me just now but..
Suffice it to say that for whatever reason, when I reattached my grapple I forgot to lock down the attachment appropriately.
Oh, I got the hydro lines attached but was lacking the lockdown pin engagement.
Such that when I had the grapple up higher than the cab & lowered, then opened the bail....
it all came tumbling down with the hydro lines still attached, stretched and less than pleased at their, now aghast, owner!!

Let me see if I can cast a mental picture for you.
I've just lit the pile ablaze with a series of small strategic fires and I'm in the cab of my, maybe, 50hr old tractor in the midst of this smokey environment with a boom of unknown
weight and more flammables within its' grasp.
Hydraulic fluid alone at room temperature isn't flammable BUT add pressure and make it a mist?
You've got something that would make Spielburg proud.:shocked:

I don't think I've told the Mrs. this one.
She might decide to watch what I do more intently in the future.
She says it's for love but I know all too well what Landscape Pros are paid and she can't afford it.
So it's in her best interest to keep her slave healthy or alive anyway:confused3:

To finish: I lowered the FEL and hooked one side of the SSQA enough to drag the attachment back onto terra firma.
Reattached the grapple and continued.
What accident, Dear? I don't know what you mean? There's nothing to see here! You can go back inside now.:ashamed:

 

[JethroB]

Like wedging yourself between three trees with a rotary mower attached. Or up against a building....

 

[RidgeHiker]

There are no doubt infinite possibilities for mishap with these powerful, heavy, awkward, machines designed to have multiple things all happening at once and with numerous detail that must be attended to. Their surfaces are also very hard. Much harder than buildings, plants, bodies, etc.

Combine that with human operators that have limited abilities to multitask (some say none), minds that continually wander and distract themselves, narrow ranges of perception, senses that can get skewed when overlapping, varying levels of experience, often questionable judgement, and you just never know what will happen next. Furthermore, as the rate of motion increases and potential for intended outcomes decreases. The good news is that as the operators age they tend to slow down. Downside is that their functional abilities tend to deteriorate.

Then there is the unknown outcome of having had an argument with wife (or husband) or watching the news just before jumping on the tractor. Forgot to mention above the effects of the volatile emotional natures inherent in our natures which distort and distract mental and sensory functioning.

I am very grateful that it all works out as well as it does.

 

[RidgeHiker]

We also operate these machines in continually changing conditions including light or dark, wet or dry, hard or soft, slippery or grippy, hot or cold, etc. Nothing is ever just the same.

 

[Avenger]

Nothing that the proper application of force from a large hammer wont fix.

However, I accidently got myself in a similar situation, where I had to use the pickup and a chain to pull the back of the box blade. Fortunately, I had space to do that.