It Happened Again, She’s Mechanically Impaired

PineRidge · May 14, 2004

There it happened again, should have known better but what could I say?

It's my wife. I love her dearly but she is just plain mechanically impaired. It started way back with my last tractor. Rose wanted to help clear our then wooded lot so I said what the heck, after all what can she hurt? Well, later that same afternoon she came limping back to me on my 25 HP diesel with steam snorting from the radiator overflow looking like she was riding a flame snorting dragon. Honey she yells over the engine noise and the high pitched whistle of superheated steam bellowing everywhere. Is this friggin tractor supposed to be this hot when it’s a running? Just so happens that the temperature gauge was pegged but hey who looks at them gadgets? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

It doesn't really matter which tool that Rose uses. As it most always means some extra work for me at the end of the day to make it usable once again.

Just today I was helping my neighbor mount a new set of filled R4s on his Massey so I got behind on my regular chores from the start. Then it was back to mowing 7+ acres before tilling the food plot to get ready for planting a stand of sweet corn. The wife saw that I was getting behind on my timetable so she grabbed the 1 year old mower and offered to do the trim work. I just knew that as she pushed that mower out of the pole barn the day wasn't going to end well at all, but I just bit my lip and went on about my business. Just 30 minutes later as I was dragging the tiller through the garden plot she asked me if I could take a minute to check the mower as she thought that it was running hot. The oil was fine and I saw no problem with the mower overheating so I restarted the push mower for her and went back to my tilling job still feeling uneasy.

Later in the day Rose told me that there was now a totally different problem with the push mower, now it was vibrating so badly that she stopped using it. She suspected a bent blade but I braced myself for the worst case scenario. I checked it out and sure enough the main shaft was now bent so badly that the mower was unusable the way it was. She said that she had a run in with a piece of scrap 2X4 although I suspect that she found some other immovable object somewhere on our lot that did the deed on the mower. I was able to get it straightened out fairly well with the use of a long piece of pipe that enabled me to put extra leverage on the drive shaft. But come fall I'll start looking for another push mower to replace this one. I think bending an output shaft more than once merely weakens it and I don’t want to see anyone hurt with the mower.

I'm open for suggestions here, is there a cure for this curse? I'm not trading Rose for the world so please don’t suggest it, we have 8 wonderful years together. I have been fixing equipment regularly since we met.

Incidentally, I’m also not offering Rose the keys to the TC-40D either. I think not in this lifetime anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Anybody else have these same kinds of mechanical failures?

Bird · May 14, 2004

( Anybody else have these same kinds of mechanical failures? )

More times than I care to think about. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

beenthere · May 14, 2004

Re: It Happened Again, She’s Mechanically Impaired

Welll. If I sent my wife into the brush with an unprotected radiator and little knowledge of what might happen, I might expect her to come back with a hole in the radiator, or a hose ripped off (you didn't say what happened, only implied it was 'her' fault).

If I had a lot with hidden things to mow over (you thought a hidden 2x4 but then thought it was something else), I guess I would expect her to find it.

Doesn't sound to me like it is really just her fault. But you sound pretty convinced it is, so I would have to yield to the first-hand knowledge that you have. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

My wife went out amongst a tree plantation to mow, and couldn't stop before mowing off a 1" oak tree about 6' high with my 54" deck. It handled it quite well, and that tree was really in the way anyhow. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I hope she still wants to go out and mow again. As long as she doesn't hurt herself, all will be okay. I keep my fingers crossed.

Junkman · May 14, 2004

In the immortal words of the man that came to quote the price on paving our driveway... "Lady, why don't you go in the kitchen and bake some cookies.". Needless to say, he didn't get the job. That is the one thing that she can do well and does often. When it comes to mechanical things, I just don't let her near them. A woman's place is in the kitchen where the worse that they can do is burn the house down. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Ozarker · May 14, 2004

My wife grew up on an Iowa farm, left that farm 35 years ago and no longer gets the urge to drive tractors or operate mechanical things. She told me that the only reason she ever drove a tractor was because her daddy made her do it.....and I'm not her daddy.

GerardC · May 15, 2004

( .....drove a tractor was because her daddy made her do it.....and I'm not her daddy. )

(LOL) Guess I'm not the only one then. Only difference is that my wife says,"Your not my Father" /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. G

Egon · May 15, 2004

Junkman:

 A woman's place is in the kitchen where the worse that they can do is burn the house down.

There is many a farm Lady dressed in coveralls who is quite competent on a quarter million dollar combine or just using the chores tractor to feed the cattle.

Of course the coveralls are replaced by more conventional clothes when she drives the manual diesel dually to town to go shopping.

Egon

Brian_Stephens · May 15, 2004

( When it comes to mechanical things, I just don't let her near them. A woman's place is in the kitchen where the worse that they can do is burn the house down. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

I guess my wife is a little odd she drives the truck into town to get groceries.. A guy at the gas station says something like "Isn't that too much truck for a woman" It's a K3500 Dually diesel... Hell it's probably too much truck for some men... I told her next time someone says something like that to use her best deep voice and respond "who says I'm a woman!"

As for tractors my wife my wife may end up driving ours... If my neck continues it's downward spiral she may have to...(No feeling in the left arm and the thumb and forefinger on the right hand cut out last week) She drove her dads JD 855 and has pushed for the an MMM... The new Kioti dealer I'm working with should have tractors really soon... We're going to start bugging him next week....

Knight9 · May 15, 2004

You may have noticed an earlier thread on my B2410 not starting. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif This was the direct result of the mechanical comprehension of my wife. I love her dearly, but I can explain "the tractor thing" as many times as I like....I'll always end up sweating if she takes it out.

The first time she took it out while I was at work, it was parked in a shed. It had the rear blade on and she wasn't watching, cut the corner and just about pulled the front of the shed off! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif This last time she tried to start the Kubota without using the glow plugs and then when it was doing the diesel chug, she opted to push the hyrdostatic pedal like a gas pedal to "give it some gas". /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif It ended up getting locked that way and only thanks to a previous thread did I even get it going again.

I have 2 keys to the Kubota. Both of which are now not available to her. From now on, I'll start it, move it out to an open space, and THEN let her have at it and pray for the best!!

Kevin

rdam · May 15, 2004

My wife is not very mechanically inclined. However, I am forunate in that she allows me to use her tractor most of the time.

I...ahhhh, I mean, she...recently purchased a new truck. Since she has a little trouble reaching the pedals, she allows me to drive this also.

rockinmywaypa · May 15, 2004

Back when my wife and I were starting to date she came to drive tractor while I picked stones and threw them in the bucket. She goes to the fenceline to dump them and raises the bucket way up without leveling as it rose. Part way up a big rock rolled off the back of the bucket and broke off the hydraulic line for the bucket. bucket dumped fast and the oil shot up into the trees above and came raining down all over her and the tractor. I pretty near had a cramp trying to keep from laughing at her.

Junkman · May 15, 2004

( ................... A woman's place is in the kitchen where the worse that they can do is burn the house down. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

Darn.... I expected to get more flack than just two posts!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You fellows are way too serious for me to joke with. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

AndyM · May 15, 2004

"Lady, why don't you go in the kitchen and bake some cookies." 

That's classic! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

One of the "vice presidents" of the company who built our house would not talk to my wife. He would call for silly questions that she could have answered herself, but he figured she wasn't capable of answering any question about home construction.
For some reason, he no longer works there. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Trev · May 15, 2004

I have much the opposite problem you do.. my wife is good at most things she tries.. like renovating houses. But she does surprise me sometimes. I'll never forget walking into a room we had just painted, and watching her nailing up some curtain rod holders. It was a hot day, and she was tired, and we were both sick of the flies buzzing around. One landed about 3 inches from the spot she was hammering in the nail, and without even a second of hesitation she nails the fly with the hammer, making a rather attractive spot of color on the newly painted wall, and goes right back to hammering the nail.. without even a change of expression. I wasn't even certain she was aware of doing it! I realized then that this wasn't a woman to be messed with lightly! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bob

SPIKER · May 15, 2004

Re: It Happened Again, She’s Mechanically Impaired

Boy you shouldn't feel bad, I have 3 of them! not wifes but girls who seem to be able to break everything mechanical they come into contact with!

lets see here. My woman has blown up her chevy about 6 times, and finally got a ford, she blew it up once already, but I fixed it. she broke several mowers, too. the plumbing seems to always have soemthign wrong with it too.

now for the twin 16 yr old girls.. humm first test drive I gave to the first born ended in the car burning to the ground. the otherone ran over about 20- 3~4 yr old pines while mowing. I tried to teach the one how to use the back hoe on the tracttor. Was just digging abig hole, she dropped the bucket into the bottom (which was filling with water ~4" and coated both of us with mucky water! lol) anyhow both of them now don't want to learn how to drive and just try and ask for help mowing or soemthing and this look of fear comes over ME !!!

here is the results of the first drive. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.bright.net/~ispike/carfire

now i have you know I'm not complaining MUCH, just wich I could catch up before soemthing else breaks and has to be added to the list!

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

reb · May 15, 2004

Re: It Happened Again, She’s Mechanically Impaired

Reminds me of an acquaintance with a teenage daughter who drove her first car without oil until the engine froze. Then, a few days later, did something similar to a second car. Then her mother gave her the keys to daddy's classic Corvette. Needless to say, daddy was not pleased when he got home.

Poppa · May 15, 2004

( When it comes to mechanical things, I just don't let her near them. A woman's place is in the kitchen where the worse that they can do is burn the house down. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

I'll bite.

My wife isn't allowed in the shop for fear she will try to use one of my tools. It wouldn't be so bad but apparently she was taught that every tool has a dual purpose. What it was sold for and as a hammer. But, more importantly, I will not allow her in the kitchen either. I tell you, all you have to do is watch her with a knife for two minutes and it will make your blood run cold. I have tried to give her friendly advice and pointers to make her safer but she is completely unwilling to listen to me.

In fact, just this morning while she was applying a butterfly bandage to the end of my left index finger in an attempt to reattach the portion I cut off and keep it at the length God Gave me, she looked at me and asked why I am always berating her knife technique. I winced through some of the pain and shook my head at the ridiculous question. "Do you see what I did here", I asked.

"Of course I see", she said, "I'm patching it up aren't I?"

Ignoring the sarcasm, I tried to explaining once more how it was only my quick reflexes that stopped this cut from being worse. How my experience in this field is what allowed me to so quickly apply the proper pressure to ensure that the severed portion would heal.

She looked at my other hand, and asked, "Like that one?"

I tapped my right ring finger on the table. Numb as a rock. "Well, it takes time for the nerve damage to heal."

Her eyebrows shot up, "Four years?"

I looked at her and told her that her attitude is the very reason she is not allowed in the shop or the Kitchen. Then once more I informed her that if she would just listen to me she would be so much safer and better off.

She finished with the bandage and said, "Great, then go finish the sandwich you were making for me."

I walked into the kitchen trying to keep my left hand elevated to alleviate the throbbing and smiled to myself. Once more, my logic was too much for her and I was able to keep her out of my kitchen. Foolish woman.

Mike

Egon · May 15, 2004

Trev:

Youse be a lucky man. Make use of it.

Egon

Egon · May 15, 2004

howes you make out baking the biscuts.

Egon

DAP · May 17, 2004

There a famous old quote, from a British Capt. in the 18th century:

"Tis apparent that men, in general, are destined for short brutal lives, and women, long miserable ones."

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif