I (narrowly) averted a multiple roll rollover crash in the tractor the other day.

[Soldier415]

Disclaimer: I'm a first time tractor owner, had it since September, and first winter with one.

We got our first snow that stuck a few days ago, about 5 inches. Driveway is 1/4 mile with steep sections that include a 90 degree turn right as you head down from the house. Couldn't use the blower as I hadn't put the chains on yet. Tried getting the chains on the tractor here at the house and it wasn't happening. Need to get rear wheels off ground to set and tension. Was going to take it to dad's shop and put it on the lift.

Had checked the driveway earlier in the day and it wasn't slick, and truck went up and down in 4WD with no slippage so figured I'd have enough traction to get the tractor down the hill, over the bridge and up to the trailer.

trumpwrooong.jpg

It had warmed up that day which melted the slow slightly and compacted it, then it got cold again and froze.

Was in 1st gear so i could just creep down. As soon as I started the downhill she went full slide...FAST. Wheels not even turning just sliding and gathering momentum rapidly. Headed straight for the pictured drop off at the end of the turnout with a 10-15 foot sloped drop with logs at the bottom.

Touchhole puckered so tight you wouldn't have been able to fit a needle up it with a sledgehammer.

Slammed it into second gear and floored it to get all 4 wheels spinning and started working the wheel to get the front end pointed to the right and get some semblance of forward motion as I figured hitting trees was preferable to going over the bank and rolling over.

Sliding sideways and forward now pointed right at a stand of trees. As i'm working the wheel I raise the FEL bucket up and thumb it down so the edge tamers are pointed down. As soon as the front wheels leave the road for the ditch I start lowering it fast so right as front wheels hit flat ground I dropped it all the way digging the bucket into the ground and stopping my forward momentum.

Engage brake and shut it down.

Shaking like a snitch at a gangster party from adrenaline. Take some pictures.

Walk back up to house and pour a whiskey. I also change my shorts...

From losing traction to dropping bucket to prevent impact with trees was probably 8 seconds.

The pictures really don't show how steep the grade is.

Slide started where I am standing

Looking down at the drop off on the back side of the turnout

 

[tman1020]

Glad u made it out ok. Had a couple close calls myself

 

[beowulf]

Wow, had to be scary! You tell the story well. A good reminder that even tractor tires can slide in the wrong conditions. I have no advice to give except discard the shorts.

The closest I came to an abrupt change in a nice tractoring day was when I was cutting a road to the back of the property on a rather steep slope and was backing down hill and dragging the heal of the bucket against the edge of the road I was building to try to get the pitch side to side as even as possible. Then, Wham! All of a sudden I was going in reverse very fast down the hill. Apparently the edge gave way where I was trying to scrape into it and the set acceleration was such that without that resistance all the power went into speed in reverse. Scary - never happened before - stopped after about 20 feet but during that time I was not really certain what had happened. It was like I was sort of shot down the hill - usually in reverse it is a slower speed.

 

[nybirdman]

Yup,chains on for sure.Glad you didn't hurt your-self or the tractor.

 

[CADplans]

If you had been pulling a rear scraper blade,,, you may have never noticed the driveway as slick.
When I had a 2WD,,, the tractor was impossible to go down a hill with the front bucket on.

Get a rear blade,,, at least 6 feet wide,,, it is like dragging an anchor.

 

[Soldier415]

Yup,chains on for sure.Glad you didn't hurt your-self or the tractor.

My father in law came over and we jacked up each side and got the chains on right where it sat. Was able to drive it out. Problem is I found out I need wheel spacers as the chains are rubbing on the 3PH arms.

Got the euro style studded chains from tirechains.com

 

[Henro]

I had one similar experience like yours over ten years ago. But on wet grass, not snow and ice....

R4 tires. Put chains on the rear tires afterwards and they have not been off since. I never have the need to run on paved surfaces though...

Bill

 

[Farmer495]

Wow you are lucky!

Blower would have given some added weight chains or not.

Could you have "dropped anchor" with the loader once you started to slide?

Looks like you could have drove out using the bucket to push yourself backwards.

 

[Milo]

Good save I'm glad you (and your tractor) are alright!

 

[Soldier415]

Wow you are lucky!

Blower would have given some added weight chains or not.

Could you have "dropped anchor" with the loader once you started to slide?

Looks like you could have drove out using the bucket to push yourself backwards.

I dropped the blower as it would have been in the way getting it on the lift, and would have been another thing to chain down on the trailer.

I perhaps could have dropped anchor immediately but it happened so fast my first focus was to not be headed straight for a drop off.

I haven't been running a tractor long enough to know how to use the bucket to walk myself out. And without the chains I would just slide again even if I got out of the ditch.

 

[Wagtail]

Isn't it amazing how perceived time slows down under these circumstances... and how, if you don't panic/freeze-up, you almost instinctively know what to do. You don't question the decision(s), you just do it.

Happy that you can 'tell the tale', Mate.

 

[silvertramp]

You pulled it out. Congratulations.

 

[Farmer495]

I dropped the blower as it would have been in the way getting it on the lift, and would have been another thing to chain down on the trailer.

I perhaps could have dropped anchor immediately but it happened so fast my first focus was to not be headed straight for a drop off.

I haven't been running a tractor long enough to know how to use the bucket to walk myself out. And without the chains I would just slide again even if I got out of the ditch.

You did good keeping it on all four wheels, always easy to know what to do when it has already happened

 

[Soldier415]

Isn't it amazing how perceived time slows down under these circumstances... and how, if you don't panic/freeze-up, you almost instinctively know what to do. You don't question the decision(s), you just do it.

Happy that you can 'tell the tale', Mate.

As an Army Senior NCO and a veteran of Afghanistan, I long ago learned to make a decision and go with it immediately as any action is better than no action in situations like this

 

[MossRoad]

I think this picture gets the whole story in one shot...

Looks like if you cleared some trees out you could do carrier take offs with a small plane from that ramp!

I'd be putting a berm across that.... a right turn arrow sign, too. :laughing:

Glad you pulled it out. :thumbsup:

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Pictures never seem to do slopes justice do they? Glad you and the tractor are ok.

Also: you seat belt was on RIGHT?!

 

[Brazos by Nemo]

That berm is a good idea. Next time you could be in your car. I got my tractor in August. I had run it for 2 days straight loading brush in a pile with my front forks. I had got real confident and enjoying myself. Middle of the third day I was going to dump a load of branches off the fork. I was running out of places to dump and decided to dump while on a slight cross slope. I knew that was against the rules but it wasn't too much slope. In a blink of an eye I nearly laid the tractor over on its side. I now have pucker power. Now it's December my butt cheeks finally don't tighten up quite as much when hitting a small bump. Lessons learned and happy we learned with a close call and not getting hurt.

 

[dadster4]

Scary!!! Good recovery...hope I think that fast on the fly:shocked:

 

[skyhook]

I would definitely install some cedar post's at the end of that runway.

 

[Bravo Xray]

Glad you're okay! that could have ended up badly if you hadn't been paying attention.

Something that I used to do in a similar situation was try to keep two wheels on the grass. Seemed to work with tractors and trucks. We didn't have chains, so that was the best we could manage back in the day.