Stupid Tractor Tricks

[gordon]

Re: Stupid Tractor Tricks-flipped it

Only damage was one bent brush screen. Could have been alot worse. About the questions on a seatbelt---yes it has one and he had it on---go figure. The only thing he hurt was his ego. The type of dozer is a D4H cat, the kind most of us drool over a real workhorse. Doesn't compact like a skidder but a much rougher ride. Everything has it's downside.

Here are his words on what happened:
One track rolled up on a large rock covered with moses and hidden in some brush. It felt like an old stump and I was expecting it to collapse. I was also turning at the time to come along side the felled tree to hook it. The Cat suddenly slid off the rock......

And the rest is history
Gordon

 

[Bird]

Re: Stupid Tractor Tricks-flipped it

Gordon, I kinda know how he felt driving onto a rock that he thought was a stump that would collapse. I've driven my little tractor over some clods of dirt and clay that I expected to collapse and didn't./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Haven't gone all the way over yet, but have sure scared myself a few times.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Well, it has taken several days for me to decide to share some of my weekend tractor experiences with y'all. It's not easy having to admit that I am both a complete idiot and lucky to be alive. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

If you recall the post that started this thread, I came close to tipping my tractor over on myself by chaining a small dead tree to one side of my bucket and lifting (while standing next to my tractor, no less). When I recovered from that one, I successfully lifted the tree out by centering the bucket forks on the tree, chaining it up and lifting straight up, as shown in this picture.

So this last weekend, another similarly-sized dead tree was in my way. This time I started with the exact same approach as in the picture 'cuz that was now tried and proven. Or so I thought. Two factors were a little different this time -- the tree had better roots, and the ground was now fairly muddy.

This time I was at least strapped into the seat, as I should be, and I tried to "curl" the tree out. I tried nudging the tree back and forth with the bucket a little to loosen it up. When I tried to curl it again, the chain slipped on the tree a little, so I raised the bucket a little (heaven forbid I get off the tractor and re-set the chain). I sensed a little progress, but the chain slipped a little more, so I raised the bucket a little more. The tree appeared about ready to come out, so I go the bright idea to slowly back the tractor up and just drag that dang twig out of the ground.

In less than a heartbeat, my right rear wheel spun a hole in the muddy ground and the tractor listed to that side. It then caught traction again and resumed pulling -- pulling the two left wheels off the ground so quickly I hardly had time to react. I instinctively let off the gas, stomped on the clutch and hit the brakes. I was now literally teetering on two wheels, and I was sure I was going over. As my life took on that queasy slow-motion feeling, I finally realized that my bucket was way too high to be pulling anything and that's what was pulling me over.

In a panic, I slammed the loader control forward and the tractor ungracefully plopped back down on all fours. The whole episode must have lasted no more than 3 seconds, but any of you who have had a similar experience, you know how long those seconds felt. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I decided I liked the tree right where it was, and just pushed my way around it so I could get on with my next disaster. It took less than 20 minutes --

My whole goal was to clear a temporary path to our well head so I could haul a new housing (a remodeled doghouse) out to it. Then next obstacle was a fallen tree, maybe 12 inches in diameter. It had conveniently broken so that if I could just move a 10-foot section of it, I could scoot right through. So, with relative ease, I slipped under that section with my bucket forks and picked it up. I maneuvered it towards a sort of natural woodpile nearby and decided I wanted to drop this log towards the backside of the pile. As I approached the pile, I raised my load high enough for clearance, but an annoying branch was sticking up from the pile and was trying to dislodge my cargo.

So, with my attention focused on the annoying branch and the underside of the bucket, I raised it still higher until I had just about cleared the obstacle.

CRASH!!!

I thought my tractor had exploded right in my face. Close enough -- the log on my forks had rolled backwards, right off the bucket and down the loader arms and right at me! Then only thing that stopped it from becoming part of my dental work was a branch of its own which caught on the base of my exhaust stack!

Miraculously, there was no damage, not even a scratch, to the tractor, and I was thankful the seat is washable. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

All I could do was to scream out loud about how stupid I had been -- for the second time in less than half an hour. In both cases I knew better than to do what I had done, yet somehow (brain fart?) I had totally lost track of what I was doing and nearly paid the price.

Like I said, this is fairly embarassing to write about, but I know there are other newbies on this board who might benefit from hearing from a first-class idiot.

 

[roysallis]

Harv, I'm glad you and your tractor are ok. I have had simimliar experiences with 2 wheels off the ground. It seems we too often forget about safety when we get in a hurry or get comfortable with using such a powerful piece of machinery. Stay scared and it will help you to be safe.

 

[Richard]

Ouch Harv...

Years ago, my father became enamored with some new product. Seems it was a contraption that with a push of a button, rotated, hence, slid a "fresh" plastic seat cover around on public toilet seats. Sounds interesting enough I guess, though I've yet to see that specific market take off. I'm wondering if that concept could maybe somehow be altered and used benefically on tractor seats? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Just out of curiosity...do you think a 4 in 1 bucket would have helped change the factors enough where this might not have happened??

Given your circumstances, could you have just plowed the first offending tree over by pushing with the bucket?

Richard

 

[RobS]

Wow Harv, glad to hear you are still with us. My advice in those instances (usually to myself) is to slow down, reduce horsepower and increase brainpower. My guess is you already know that.

My stupidity on my own tractor so far is limited to the following: I keep the tractor at our house in the garage. Right now I've got my rotary cutter in the garage facing out and I pull the tractor in forwards with the box scraper on the back. I have to raise the FEL up over the cutter and overlap the two to get it all to fit lengthwise. The first time I did this I pulled in too far and ran the grill right into the PTO shaft on the the cutter. Minimal damage other than to my ego. Knowing I'll do this again I checked with the dealer for a grill guard and there is nothing available /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

My bigger stupids have been on others' equipment (lesson: don't loan equipment, especially to me). My first tractor experience was probably 20 years ago on a Kubota belonging to a guy I worked for. We were loading a pickup with gravel and I was behind the wheel. I don't remember the details but somehow the loader hydraulic line got caught on the truck bed and snapped a fitting right off. Fluid everywhere! Seems the design was poor as the fittings extended below the plane of the loader arms.

My more recent stupid involved a bobcat (rental). Again I was loading a truck (this time my truck). I had the bucket full on a slight downslope toward my truck. As I eased up to the truck while slowing the momentum of the load tipped the whole Bobcat forward into the side of my truck. Crushed the bed side and a bit of the tailgate. After some screaming, pants changing etc. I used the Bobcat to push the side of my truck back into reasonable shape and hammered out the tailgate so it's functional. Still driving with those scars as a permanent reminder to use my head muscle more than my others. I'll post some truck pics sometime for all to enjoy.

Once again Harv, glad you only damaged your pride. Be careful out there!

Rob

 

[Bird]

Harv, really got a kick out of reading about your, and Rob's, experiences./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Of course, it's always funny when it happens to someone else (if no one gets hurt). If someone gets hurt, kinda takes the funny out of it. Quite awhile ago, on TV they showed a doctor (weekend farmer) who let a round bale of hay roll back from his loader onto him - broke his back and now he's in a wheelchair./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird

 

[cowboydoc]

Glad to hear that you're alright Harv. Don't feel stupid. Even the best laid plans and thought out ways to do things still go bad even when you are careful.
Richard

 

[DFB]

Harv, I'm sure glad to hear your allright. I've got the same style forks and I know how just how easy a log can roll over the top of the bucket. Several times I've thought about fabricating some kind of bolt on uprights with stops on the ends. As much as most of us won't admit it **** happens. Since some of us are fessin' up here I'll share this little episode. (Bird, I'm sure you'll get a chuckle out of this) When my tractor was first delivered the parking brake had some problems. Parked the tractor, engaged the parking brake, put the range selector in neutral. Got off the tractor and started to walk away when my wife shouted the tractors' rolling. Rolled about 25 ft downhill, and lucky for me right into my pile of topsoil. Needless to say I intend not to have a repeat performance.

 

[ddl]

Harv
My first question is what did your tilt meter read when you were almost tipping over? Bet you did not even look to see the reading. Which is normal, but that is what I have been saying about those meters, events happen too fast for a meter that only reads the present. If it could have looked into the future and sounded an alarm. you problem would have never happened. But I bet you were on level ground also, so you meter reading was normal. I am gald you did not take the time to read the meter or you would have been under the tractor getting muddy. All of us that grew up on a tractor know exactlly what you felt like at the monent of panic. Most people don't get that monent befor doom happens. Say a lot of prayers.

Dan L