So, how bad did you get your tractor stuck ?

PineRidge · Sep 27, 2004

We have all done it at one time or another. But I have to this day never got my tractor stuck so badly that I couldn't finagle it out using the FEL and bucket curl. At least one incident sticks out well in my mind. At the time my TC-40D was but a couple of months young and I was still learning. I had just finished using the BH to dig out a rather large stump where the woods meets my grass line. It was an old walnut tree that just had to go because it kept fouling the yard with those large nuts that play havoc with my finish mower deck. Anyway, I had just drug out the stump and was pushing the loose dirt back in the hole with the FEL bucket when I got distracted for a split second and ended up following the dirt in the hole myself. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Two wheels in and two wheels out......

The FEL kept me from doing any damage (other than my pride) and when I finally got my composure back I was able to use the bucket curl to get me out of a embarrassing situation. I am sure the neighbors must have heard my war cry that afternoon &#*%*#@%. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We have all been there at one time or another so share with the rest of us, how bad did you get your tractor stuck? Were you fortunate enough to get it back out without additional assistance? If you have any pictures to share I know we would all like to see them.

markie61 · Sep 27, 2004

President's Day Blizzard of '03. I was trying to go uphill to plow out the paddock (cuz the horses couldnt get out of their stalls.) Even in 4WD, it took me 10-15 minutes to move maybe 30-40 yards using the bucket.

BTW, I don't call it "stuck" unless you have to get the pickup truck or other vehicle to pull you out. I call it "temporarily detained." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mark

Bob_Skurka · Sep 27, 2004

Me, I have NEVER gotten any vehicle stuck, and I am sticking with that story. Now if you want to know how my brother-in-law came over and got it stuck, I could . . .

I found out long ago that 4WD is actually a code word. I means: "gets you stuck FARTHER away from help"

slowzuki · Sep 27, 2004

Hmm, worst for me was earlier this spring. Got the tractor in a small field on the other side of the huge manure pile. Buried it in manure to the top of the front tires, middle of rear axle.

This was with an ag tractor too!
Ken

Golfgar4 · Sep 27, 2004

At the first house we built, I rented a Bobcat to dig out an area in the front of our front porch where I was going to build a brick courtyard. I needed to dig out a bunch of old sidewalk and get some dirt out to lay the base.

Well, I didn't realize at the time that it's not a good idea to be digging into dirt right after a big rainstorm. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I buried that Bobcat almost to the tops of the tires in mud. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Having never operated a Bobcat before, it took me a good hour or two to figure out how to use the bucket the right way to help push my way out. Of course, all of the neighbors had come out to watch but never offered any advice or suggestions on what to do, even though I found out later a few them knew exactly what to do. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Luckily for me, unfortunately for you, people back then didn't run around with cameras or video cameras (actually I don't think we even had them back then! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) the way they do now, so no pictures to post. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

markie61 · Sep 27, 2004

You know, if memory serves, there was a post under the photos thread about a year ago about tractors that were stuck. There were some truly amazing pictures of machines, big and small, stuck mostly in mud. Some looked like dinosaurs in the La Brea(sp?) tarpits.

Mark

SPIKER · Sep 27, 2004

I've told this befor but my worst closest to actually STUCK was when I had a pile of multi-floral rose (wild rose) puched into a pile on the creek bank edge, (pile 8~12' high and 20+ across.) I was making last pass on one side pushing MORE into the pile getting ithigher and the bank gave away. (was a burried teliphone pole used as an errosion barrier.) that broke free as front end was up off ground pushing with FEL the left rear spun the pole out of the bank. nearly dumped the tractor and the shorts! luckly the tiller on back dug into the bank and stopped the down ward slide... now front end was postioned UP on a pile of crushed greenery (mostly thorns & brambles!) rear end setting 1/2 way into the slightly flowing creek and basically high centered on the tiller/3pt and backhoe brackets under the tractor one on each side of the pole!) I ended up having to DIG by hand & shovel a bunch of loose brambly stuff untill I could get the tiller and pole freed. then locked diff and drove out over the pile using FEL and curl... took about 2 hrs time... Shoveling out my shorts well that was a bit less time! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

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

kuby · Sep 27, 2004

It's funny you should post this at this time because it was just yesterday I had my kubota stuck for the first time in four years(except when I fell through the ice on the dugout)
I was on the side of a new pond I was digging and I was trying to climb over a tree thet was down and got hung up on the darn thing. Well as I was trying to bucket myself out I ended up sliding down the bank a$s backwards nearly rolling it. I got the truck and managed to pull it out and back up the bank without tipping over. To embaressed to take pictures of it. I think its time to build a roll bar for it..(grey market tractor) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

jjcc246 · Sep 27, 2004

A few years ago when I had a Ford 1320. I filled in a pond about 10'x10'x 6' deep. Everything was going real good, (I should probally mention, I never pumped the water out) of course the more I filled the more muck I got. On my last couple of pushes with my box scraper I went a little to far and it sucked me in before I could flinch. I have to say I had a pretty good laugh when the only thing above groung was my head, the arms of the loader and my rops. Thought I would need a helicopter to pull it out, but a friend with a brand new Ford F-250 diesel gave it a shot and after a couple of tries pulled that 1320 right out. Made a sucking sound when it came out too. Hooking the chains up wasn't any fun and seeing I was the one to bury it, I had to do the hooking. A good power wash and she was back in action.

moosetracks · Sep 27, 2004

Only had my tractor for 3 weeks and the worst it has been stuck so far was while it was still on the delivery truck. The F8000 Ford flatbed did not make the turn through a small creek in our driveway and ended up with its left rear wheels out over nothing and the right front wheel in a hole. The driver had to use the tilt bed to gradually push the wheels back onto terra ferma.

Moosetracks

rockyridgefarm · Sep 27, 2004

Tractors can get stuck!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Thanks, guys, now I know what's coming next..!

Dargo · Sep 27, 2004

Ugly rock slide. Pic 1 to be followed by pic 2

Dargo · Sep 27, 2004

Full sized Case 580 pic 2. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

RedDog · Sep 27, 2004

My Kioti has never been stuck,, for that matter never close to being stuck,,,, but my old Massey Ferguson was quite a few times. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

RedDog

JoshJ · Sep 28, 2004

Haha... I've had my share

My grandmom owns a farm with a stream that runs throught it. My job (or hobby...) is to mow and clean out the stream. Well... lets just say that if i can get it out with the bucket curl, then I havent been stuck, i have been WARNED. (the problem is when i dont heed the warning) i have been sunk to the drawbar (Ford 555 TLB pulled me out) and up to the front axle (JD had to help me out). im not sure if FWD would have helped or buried me more... ive also had a skidloader stuck too, but that was more high centered. Shame I didnt have a camera for any of those times.

KennyV · Sep 28, 2004

Not only will they get stuck..... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

but they also will NOT float /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

PhilNH5 · Sep 28, 2004

I got stuck at the end of my drive last year while removing snow. I was using the FEL of my BX2200 to push snow over an embankment beside the drive. Went the proverbial hair to far. Left front wheel went down about 6 inches into thin air. Right rear wheel came up off the driveway a corresponding 6 inches. Blood pressure and heart rate went up as well. But the BX stopped just like that. Since the bucket was out over the embankment there was nothing to push against. My wife pulled me out with our truck.

Phil

GaryK · Sep 28, 2004

It was right after I got my 4100 and was bush hogging the right of way for my 1/2 mile water line, needless to say the line runs through some very soft and muddy ground. I was just off the solid ground when the bush hog got hung up and then the tractor sunk to the axles in 4wd. I could not use the FEL to push or pull because of the bush hog being also sunk in the muck. I was lucky enough to be able to reach the machine with a chain run from my 4wd PU. thankfully no one saw this fiasco. Never did get the black muck stains from my clothes....

bczoom · Sep 28, 2004

Mine was while doing a pond. Like the posts above me, using a box blade to scrape away muck at the rim. Backed in a little too far and down we slid. By time all the silt had a chance to settle in, the rear end of tractor disappeared to the top of the fenders. A dozer to get me out.

Dargo - please tell me nobody was in that machine when that rock slide occurred. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

RonR · Sep 28, 2004

Back in 73, I was stationed with 12th Marines, an artillery battalion on assignment in Japan, at a base camp at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Fuji had a firing range, and we used it a lot with our 155 towed type Howitzers. One trip I recall, we were “tactical” at the range, meaning the guns were in place, the tents and the five ton trucks were hidden in low spots behind our firing line. We were on a multi-day shoot. I was the range safety officer.

As we were on the fringes of a typhoon passing near, we were inundated with rain during one night. Our six or so people tent was on higher ground; it stayed up in the rain/wind until 5AM. Of course, we were wide awake long before then.

On our land line, we had been communicating with the fire direction center tent, which was a 40 man tent located at the bottom of a BIG ravine. About 2AM, their cots were level with the water in the tent! Everyone and everything in their tent was SOAKED.

The rains stopped about 8AM and our CO decided we’d better try to get our stuff out if we could. Fuji is all volcanic ash, so it soaks up water like a sponge and there is no base to it. Not a good combination!

We packed up all the tents and personal gear, then tried to get the trucks out. Being tactically hidden well in the valleys behind us, the big trucks were now “tactically stuck!” No problem, right—our unit had a mid sized bulldozer that could tow them out.

Only our bulldozer got stuck going to the first truck! It just sat on it’s undercarriage and spun the tracks. We spent a coupla hours tossing anything we could find under the tracks (ammo crates, tree limbs, etc) to no avail.

A call to the base camp dispatched TWO TANKS to rescue us. With their power, they made short work of dragging the dozer out, then each truck, followed by the six howitzers. They towed each piece to the road. A mere 6 hours later, we were on our way home. Wet, cold, and very muddy. But we sure liked those tanks!

I have pics filed away, but my words will have to do for now. Sorry.

Ron, former 2nd Lt, USMCR