Rescue Missions

Bob_Trevithick · Mar 28, 2002

Last night was interesting. First, a neighbor calls and says "HELP.. my truck is stuck right in the middle of the road and won't start!" So I take the tractor and push him up into his driveway. He had nice, solid bumpers, so pushing with the blade was no problem.

Then, about two hours later, I get a call that says "HELP.. a friend just backed right into a ditch and is hopelessly stuck!" The person's father had just had a heart attack and the guy in his hurry to get to the hospital had sort of missed the driveway. So out comes the tractor again!

This last one was trickier.. the car is kind of wedged into the ditch, and also buried to the hubcaps in mud. No way to get underneath to find a chain attachment point, and we were in a hurry. So, we put a few blankets over my front blade to protect the car, and I pushed him out. Then we found someone to drive him, as he obviously was too distraught to drive! He was almost in tears he was so grateful. He called this morning to say his dad was okay, and to thank me again.

This is the fun part of having a tractor, for me.. being able to help people!

I wonder.. I should make something I can just hook on the front blade for times when pushing a car is needed. Something soft and thick, which protects the car and distributes the force evenly over the back of the car. Easy on and off. Anybody got any ideas?

RoyJackson · Mar 28, 2002

I have used an old tire if it's a straight push. Note..tire, not wheel and tire.
But this was using a pick up to do the pushing.
I suppose you could hang two (2) or so off your blade to distribute the load better.

MossRoad · Mar 28, 2002

I used to have a large flat bumper and I covered it with an old tire tread. You could probably just do what others have said and hang an old tire or two over the blade somehow.

RoyJackson · Mar 28, 2002

Bob, helping out is great...I admire you for that!

Pushing can damage a vehicle..if the bumper rides up...other ways as well (remember Murphy's Law!).

Might want to check on insurance before ya do much of this....

I'd consider towing a vehicle (with a towbar..not a chain!!) before pushing, most of the time.

You know your friends and neighbors, I don't. How would they feel if their vehicle was damaged during a rescue? (rhetorical question)

Bob_Trevithick · Mar 28, 2002

Good idea! I can figure out a way to hang a couple tires in front of the blade. Maybe I can find something else someday, that folds up and distributes the force more evenly, but tires will certainly work. Thanks folks!

Thomas · Mar 28, 2002

Thats great to read..another helping another,wish there was more of that now a days.

Egon · Mar 28, 2002

Bob:

An inflatable air bag. There are some for purposes similar to your use. But where and how much I do not know.

Egon

Golfgar4 · Mar 28, 2002

You should start painting little cars on the side of the tractor, like they paint the planes that they shot down on the side of their planes! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bob_Trevithick · Mar 28, 2002

Hi Roy,

<font color=blue>Might want to check on insurance before ya do much of this....</font color=blue>

Yeah, good point. But I had a lot of witnesses that the guy asked me to do this, even though I thought damage might result. Of course with courts who find a farmer guilty because a criminal running from the police on a stolen motorcycle crashed in his field, I'm sure this wouldn't protect me! /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif Did you read that thread? Unbelievable!

<font color=blue>I'd consider towing a vehicle (with a towbar..not a chain!!) before pushing, most of the time.</font color=blue>

Well, I meant hooking a chain to my towbar. I'm not sure I'm following you here. How could I pull someone out with just my towbar? I wanted to use a good chain hooked to his frame and my towbar, but none of us could find a place to hook on to his car.. and he was frantic to get to the hospital. (Can you tell I'm new to this? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)