Stupid tractor tricks - part 27

[GlueGuy]

This has probably been posted in a different manner, but it is worthwhile to see again; in hopes of helping others avoid the same "trick".

Tuesday afternoon/evening I did a bunch of mowing, and Mow-Zilla was very dirty indeed. Instead of putting her away, I washed he, and left her out that night to "drip dry". This morning, I decided that she was dry enough, and I should put her back in the garage before I left for work. Besdies, that punishing hot sun would do more damage than darn near anything else, right?

Some of you may see this coming. I hopped on, started her up, and drove into the garage. I completely missed the fact that the ROPS was still up. I recognized the mistake when the front wheels came off the ground, in the meanwhile, tearing the trim off the garage door.

Oh, Lucy's not hurt. Got a little "garage paint" on her otherwise unblemished ROPS (rubbed right off). The trim even went back up on the garage with only a few "battle scars".

I don't know what I can do to "remind me" when I have the ROPS up, and I won't have clearance. Has anybody else come up with a scheme?

The GlueGuy

 

[Harv]

GlueGuy -

Before I just up and enlarged the door opening with a saw, I had considered hanging cowbells or the like from the eves above the door. Just something that would make noise when the ROPS hit it.

Of course, high-tech solutions come to mind, but I think it would be hard to beat the cowbells for simplicity and reliability. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Oh, and if you don't happen to have the eves thing happening above your door, you'd just have to get a little more creative. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Von]

GlueGuy,
You just got all the reminder that you will ever need! When I got my B2710 I found out real quick that it is 2" taller than my B8200 was. Just about took the bottom section of the garage door off while backing it out! It clears the door if I nudge the door past its normal resting spot. I had to remove the bottom panel of the door and repair it so it would work again. It was all the reminder I needed to remember to hold the door up as I go in or out the opening.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

There was a Farmer that had a Donkey. Everytime the Donkey would go in the barn, its ears would rub against the top of the door opening.

One day the Farmer was talking with a Visitor and the Visitor noticed the Donkey's problem.

"You should dig a trench through that door," the Visitor suggested, "So the Donkey's ears won't rub."

When the Farmer got done laughing, he wiped his eyes and said "That wouldn't work! Anybody can see its the Donkey's EARS that are too long, not his LEGS!" /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

So, you can rely on bells and whistles, or make the hole larger. Might consider building a specialty structure just for the tractor. Small pole barn maybe. Tell the wife you want to make sure there's more room for HER car in the garage. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

SHF

 

[RPM]

If the front wheels on the tractor are set narrower than the back wheels you could have a little ramp that would conveniently tilt you back just enough to go in and then right you once you're in there.

Of course, you'd need to move it or have another one to go out. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Master of the impractical here ...!!!

 

[GlueGuy]

Harv,

For me, cutting out the door would take just enough materal out of the support beam to make me nervous, but the cowbell idea has some merit.

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

Von,

I don't have the problem when backing out. I always have the ROPS in the down position when Lucy is inside.

I've "bumped", and "nearly bumped" the door before. Problem I am having is remembering. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

SHF,

That may be the best suggestion yet. Sweetie & I were talking last night about re-doing the shed (Lucy won't fit into it because the door's too short even with the ROPS down /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif). She thought a small barn would be just the ticket.

Of course she won't park her van in the garage because if there were a house fire, her van would be in danger... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

That's OK. The garage is also part workshop.

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

RPM,

Hey that's a great idea! All I gotta do is put in short ramps that the front wheels ride over when the ROPS is in the "danger" zone! Would work on the way out too. Not bad. I might check into this....

Look out, mad scientist on the loose!

The GlueGuy

 

[Joe_W]

You could do what the railroad did for years. Back in the days when the brakemen would ride on top of the cars to set the brakes, they would need to know when a tunnel, signal tower, or other low-hanging obstruction was coming up. They came up with a cheap, effective solution called a "tickler" (and probably a lot of other names). They hung a series of ropes from a support structure, perpendicular across the tracks. These ropes had knots tied in them to give them a little extra weight at the bottom. When the brakemans head was "tickled" by these ropes bouncing off his skull, he knew it was time to lay down on the car or get knocked down. It would be easy to hang them from the eves or make a bracket so they contact your head before your ROPS contacts the garage.
Joe W.