Stupid (read: unexpected) ways to hurt yourself with your tractor.

[MinnesotaEric]

I look out my window and see that it is below zero. The lakes are frozen, and white covers the land contrasting with the endless shades of gray from dormant deciduous brush and trees. Even the evergreens look dark and grey as the low hanging clouds still hide the false dawn and what will become the morning sun less than an hour over the horizon. This is Minnesota, and time has stopped, cooped up hibernating until the sun rises high enough to thaw the land months from now.

Any yet, here are photos from Idlewild, Tennessee, a place where the sun shines high, the grass is growing green, and a twiggy, half-dead, weed-tree has bloody leaves on it!

Glad you're okay.

 

[check]

Stopped at the side of the road just past a very tempting chip truck. Started to back up nice and slow, forgot the utility trailer was attached. Jacknife time! $1400 dent in the side of the Honda Pilot. Did the same thing with the pickup years earlier, same (low profile) trailer. Have got to get some tall flags or something for that trailer!:ashamed:

 

[vulcancowboy]

When I was a kid and much dumber (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!) We had an old Allis Chalmers B110 garden tractor. I was, and am, drawn towards anything mechanical and had the tractor running with the seat up which exposed the drive belt and idler pulley/clutch. For reasons that are still unknown, I decided to touch the moving belt. ZINGO, it grabbed the middle finger of my left hand and pulled it into the pulley and stalled the tractor with my finger still stuck in the pulley. I yelled for help but no one came. I finally ran the belt backwards with my good hand until I was free. It took several stitches to close the wound and I still have the scars.

 

[TJP89]

When I was a kid and much dumber (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!) We had an old Allis Chalmers B110 garden tractor. I was, and am, drawn towards anything mechanical and had the tractor running with the seat up which exposed the drive belt and idler pulley/clutch. For reasons that are still unknown, I decided to touch the moving belt. ZINGO, it grabbed the middle finger of my left hand and pulled it into the pulley and stalled the tractor with my finger still stuck in the pulley. I yelled for help but no one came. I finally ran the belt backwards with my good hand until I was free. It took several stitches to close the wound and I still have the scars.

No offense, but that was dumb, even my 4year old knows better than to come anywhere near running machinery

As for my own story, lets just say there are several scratches on the ROPS and some trimmed branches around the property! It is very easy to forget that the highest point of the tractor is behind you.

 

[vulcancowboy]

No offense, but that was dumb, even my 4year old knows better than to come anywhere near running machinery

It sure was, never did it again!

 

[Daver1963]

Forgetting the height of the ROPS. Good thing the limb was almost hollow.

You are one lucky SOB.

One of the few times. Just a scratch on the back.
I hate to think what might have happened had that been a solid branch.

 

[Alien]

Jumped off my tractor recently and the FEL joystick went up my shorts. Lucky its' parts broke instead of my parts.

 

[blurry]

walking to the barn at night, should have remembered I put the SQQA forklift on the side of the driveway - ouch!

 

[tractchores]

I have an extreme slope down to my waterfront, and in general my land is pretty hilly. I found out the hard way how much my tractor can take within a few hours of ownership. I accidentally had it in 2wd on a steep slope, lost traction going down, slid out of control, lowered the bucket to prevent going into the ice covered lake, spun in a 180 on a very steep slope and stopped without tipping. It was not a gentle spin, it was quite violent and I believe a rear wheel came slightly off the ground.

Have been way more careful since and always know if I'm in 2wd or r.

 

[tractchores]

I have an extreme slope down to my waterfront, and in general my land is pretty hilly. I found out the hard way how much my tractor can take within a few hours of ownership. I accidentally had it in 2wd on a steep slope, lost traction going down, slid out of control, lowered the bucket to prevent going into the ice covered lake, spun in a 180 on a very steep slope and stopped without tipping. It was not a gentle spin, it was quite violent and I believe a rear wheel came slightly off the ground.

Have been way more careful since and always know if I'm in 2wd or 4