My Stupid Problem

[DJ54]

I'd find someone with a dozer comparable to like an 850 Case with a winch. Not sure what you've got to hook onto on the front of the tractor, but definitely hook to the tractor, not the loader. Lower the wings as mentioned to relieve some weight off the middle section. It should walk you right out of there.

Once the dozer is attached, and cable snug, I wouldn't be afraid to ride it out.

If it would come to that, just be sure the winch cable is in good shape, and no kinks where it could break. Where I worked, all of our dozers had winches, and they were our lifeline, so to speak , so cables were kept in good condition. Whether if it were to get ourself out, or another machine.

Are there coal mines in that area..?? Could be an old mine caving in, or an old air shaft. LOTS of these in SE Ohio..!!

 

[XSKIER]

Hey DT, looks like it's contagious...


http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=498120077

You might want to use your FEL to fill in that Florida sink whole too.

 

[PRF]

I'd find someone with a dozer comparable to like an 850 Case with a winch. Not sure what you've got to hook onto on the front of the tractor, but definitely hook to the tractor, not the loader. Lower the wings as mentioned to relieve some weight off the middle section. It should walk you right out of there.

Once the dozer is attached, and cable snug, I wouldn't be afraid to ride it out.

If it would come to that, just be sure the winch cable is in good shape, and no kinks where it could break. Where I worked, all of our dozers had winches, and they were our lifeline, so to speak , so cables were kept in good condition. Whether if it were to get ourself out, or another machine.

Are there coal mines in that area..?? Could be an old mine caving in, or an old air shaft. LOTS of these in SE Ohio..!!

This ^^ sounds like a great suggestion.. We're rooting for ya up here in CT, hope you recover all your equipment in one piece !! Good luck

 

[AaronS]

Subscribed. Wishing you the best of luck in this scary situation.

 

[OldMcDonald]

If there is anything nearby heavier than your tractor and mower combination - like a big tree, I suggest you chain your tractor to that to safeguard against it slipping into the hole. I would most certainly not attempt to drive it out. You have no idea whether it will just fall into the (or another) hole. If possible winch it out.

I do not know what you would call them in the US, but I have a device called a Sylvester that was used down coal mines in the UK and operates with a lever pulling a chain along a bar a one inch notch at a time. Very slow, but very certain. And nobody is at risk after attaching the pulling chain to the tractor. You do still need the original chain tightened every time you reach the end of the bar. The only limitation is the "anchor" (like a big tree) and the strength of your pulling chain. I used it way back in the 1970s to haul a Fordson Major up an almost vertical 20ft cliff. I am sure you have similar things in the US. Best of luck - and think safe whatever you do.

 

[crashz]

Good luck DT!

If it were me, I'd be tempted to try and lift the mower up with a boom pole or A frame of some type to try and drive forward with little load. But that may cause other problems. Hitching onto a good size dozer sounds good too, if not just for the piece of mind.

A Cat 330 and D6 with plenty of chain should do the trick. Too pricey?

I hope it turns out to be an un-eventful and easy recovery!

 

[JRobyn]

I sure wish that those who say "just unhitch the mower" could somehow be transported to the scene, and that the rest of us could sit in bleachers surrounding the scene to be entertained as they actually attempted to do so! Because as we who have actually hitched and unhitched mowers a few times know, this is just as easy and simple as it can be (NOT) even when everything is sitting on and evenly supported by perfectly flat, smooth, and level ground.
;-)
Best wishes for a safe and successful extraction, DT.
-Jay

 

[Larro Darro]

Good luck DT. Like others have said, lowering the wings, perhaps on two small logs, will help. Make sure the other tractor is safely away, and with both in 4WD I think you can ease it out. Don't get into the seat until it is safely chained off to the other tractor. Stay safe.

 

[bcp]

There may be another unopened hole nearby just waiting for the weight of a tractor to break through.

Bruce

 

[aczlan]

I sure wish that those who say "just unhitch the mower" could somehow be transported to the scene, and that the rest of us could sit in bleachers surrounding the scene to be entertained as they actually attempted to do so! Because as we who have actually hitched and unhitched mowers a few times know, this is just as easy and simple as it can be (NOT) even when everything is sitting on and evenly supported by perfectly flat, smooth, and level ground.

Especially since it looks like the mower might slide backward and down into the hole if one were to "just unhitch" it.
Worse comes to worst, it might be worth seeing if a chain could be run under the center wheels of the bushhog and pulled up (loader on each side backing up?) to pick the back end of the bushhog up and help it go out easier. If its the F4-15 cutter, there should be ~2700# on the back tires.

Aaron Z

 

[Danno1]

I do not know what you would call them in the US, but I have a device called a Sylvester that was used down coal mines in the UK and operates with a lever pulling a chain along a bar a one inch notch at a time. Very slow, but very certain. And nobody is at risk after attaching the pulling chain to the tractor. You do still need the original chain tightened every time you reach the end of the bar.

OMD,

That sounds like we call a "come along".



.

 

[bcp]

...I have a device called a Sylvester...

 

[MH8675309]

That looks a bit like a fence stretcher. **** sinkholes anyway!!~

 

[Xfaxman]

.......................
I do not know what you would call them in the US, but I have a device called a Sylvester that was used down coal mines in the UK and operates with a lever pulling a chain along a bar a one inch notch at a time. Very slow, but very certain. And nobody is at risk after attaching the pulling chain to the tractor. You do still need the original chain tightened every time you reach the end of the bar. The only limitation is the "anchor" (like a big tree) and the strength of your pulling chain. I used it way back in the 1970s to haul a Fordson Major up an almost vertical 20ft cliff. I am sure you have similar things in the US. Best of luck - and think safe whatever you do.

OMD,

That sounds like we call a "come along".

.

My chain come-along.

JE Shaffer Co.

 

[GManBart]

Wow, that's a scary situation!

I would be worried that the sink hole extends a significant ways forward from the tractor. Even if it's not a true sink hole forward of the tractor, it could still be a very soft spot (with all the rain mentioned). I'd want any recovery machine as far away as reasonably possible. One wheel in the wrong place, and you've got two machines to extract.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

call the national guard and make it a training mission to remove the tractor , i've looked at those pictures a 100 times and I'm willing to bet a dollar that is a drainage ditch that used to be used for the barn a couple hundred feet behind it , all the thicker foliage runs right up behind it and it seems to be pretty solid and dry in the pictures . I can't wait to see the 12 foot deep sink hole that tunnels under the tractor , That would be something different .

 

[TCJatko]

Hope you get your machinery out intact. Take plenty of pictures.

 

[Coyote machine]

If it were my tractor/mower I would at a minimum get a 3 ton chain hand crank winch to secure the mower to the nearby tree while it's still attached to the tractor. Then attach a winch or chain or both to whatever recovery vehicle is available and secure the tractor. Then separate the mower from the tractor if feasible; if not leave it attached and coordinate the tractor recovery with the comealong recovery of the mower.
Whatever you do be safe and take the necessary time to get the units out as best as possible.
I can attest to the power of a 3 ton chain comealong. I used the one I bought at a pawn shop for possible emergencies to pull my tractor/loader/and backhoe off the soft edge of my pond when I misjudged my maneuver to pull away from an area I had just filled in with material. I had to pull on the frame at the lowest point from a tree near the bank because the tractor was going to fall over sideways into the pond if I tried any other recovery. It is not fast, but it is effective.:thumbsup:
An example: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200485291_200485291

 

[OldMcDonald]

bcp, That is a Sylvester.

Danno1, MH8675309 and Xfaxman those "come alongs" and fence stretchers (I have two different makes of those come along type gadgets from different parts of the world) are just toys compared with the real thing. The main difference, as you can see from bcp's image is what is known as the Elliott block. The fence stretchers rely on hooks. If you are not familiar with a Sylvester then I suggest you ask bcp to explain it to you in American English. He will make a far better job of it than I could. A Sylvester is one of the world's most useful inventions.

Maybe I should not say this, but if you have ever read my book you would know that the one I have was considered by me to be the best legacy I ever received - and that was a long time ago.

As I posted earlier, the only limitations on moving objects are your anchor and the breaking strength of your chain. Think about it, one man can, and has on countless occasions, move several tons by his own power. The imprtant thing is that it is completely safe so long as you remember to keep tightening the safety chain.

I could tell you a story of soccer where the English centre forward used one in Woodhorn pit (where my father worked) only three hours before he was due to appear on the pitch, but it would be totally off-topic.

 

[Xfaxman]

bcp, That is a Sylvester.

Danno1, MH8675309 and Xfaxman those "come alongs" and fence stretchers (I have two different makes of those come along type gadgets from different parts of the world) are just toys compared with the real thing. The main difference, as you can see from bcp's image is what is known as the Elliott block. The fence stretchers rely on hooks. If you are not familiar with a Sylvester then I suggest you ask bcp to explain it to you in American English. He will make a far better job of it than I could. A Sylvester is one of the world's most useful inventions.
.........................
As I posted earlier, the only limitations on moving objects are your anchor and the breaking strength of your chain. Think about it, one man can, and has on countless occasions, move several tons by his own power. The imprtant thing is that it is completely safe so long as you remember to keep tightening the safety chain.

You can do the same thing with a farm jack. mine is rated at 7,000 pounds. Need a big chain !

Pictures from Google Image Search.