One drawback to plastic tractors

CVHoss · Mar 14, 2002

They melt./w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif This probably wouldn't come up too many times in your tractor operating, but I did this to my tractor a couple of days ago. Took a picture today so I could let you all know that, as long as I'm alive, none of you have to worry about bein' the dumbest person on earth.

Finally got a go ahead to light my burn piles again. I've been using the loader to "feed" trees into the fire. I've been really cautious about getting too far into the pile, though I have done a pretty good job of burnin' the paint on the inside of the bucket (some of them hot little chunks want to fall in there). Well, I had just "fed the fire" again, backed away, shut the tractor down and was admiring my handiwork. Noticed this gray rock on the hood and was wonderin' where it came from when I realized it wasn't a rock. It was an ash covered coal and it was darn hot (I know this cause I picked it off with my fingers). The attached picture shows what it did to my hood. Guess I'll wait till I've got all the burnin' done in case it happens again and then dig out the Bondo and body tools.

Hoss

Bird · Mar 14, 2002

Ooops!

TxBillyed · Mar 14, 2002

Interseting advices,I am just about to lite off a big time burn pile, some of the stuff is over 8 years old on the bottom, I think I will keep the green machine far away.

Thanks,

Bill

TWINKLE_TOES · Mar 14, 2002

Randy,

The longer you wait, the better it will look. Before long you will be showing it off and telling the tail of how it happened/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif If it were metal, it would have burned the paint and started to rust, then you would have to fix it. Ain't plastic great?
Al

Thomas · Mar 15, 2002

I wonder if a good auto body shop could make a repair,for I would hate to think what a new hood would cost..ouch.

Hillbilly · Mar 15, 2002

A little body putty and some John Deere green paint and you would be good to go.......Or a big bandaid./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Egon · Mar 15, 2002

Hoss:

Save yourself a lot of time and work. Mount a tiltmeter over the small blemish.

Egon

RobS · Mar 15, 2002

Bummer, but at least it won't rust and you don't have to rush to fix it either /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MossRoad · Mar 15, 2002

I contemplated burning my brush pile, but figured I'd probably end up burning down my woods /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. So I pushed all of the brush to a place on my property where I don't have to look at it and surrounded it with pines and shrubs. It slowly rots down over the years and I just keep adding to it. It is out of sight and makes a great home for wildlife. I even used it for fun once. I was adding stuff to the pile one day when I saw this big buck running around on our property. I noticed that when I would rattle the branches, he would come closer. So I hid in the pile and rattled now and then. He came to within about 50 feet of me. Then a breeze came up over my back and about 2 seconds later, he bolted.

Is the color all the way through on your hood? You might be able to sand it down and polish it. There would still be a depression, but it might be the same color. You might want to ask your dealer.

CSAW · Mar 15, 2002

CVHoss

Let's see, a new hood for my stx 38 riding mower is $195.00. I can't see why you wouldn't be able to get a new hood for a real tractor for 6-8k/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Seriously, I would just pretty that up around the edges maybe with a razor blade and let it go. If you repaint it will never be the same.