There should be a section entitled "Hope nobody saw me do that!"

[RoyJackson]

A couple of years ago I was widening the end of my driveway by using the FEL to scoop dirt and move it onto a pile out of the way. I had my brush cutter on the back for ballast, so I figured I had nothing to worry about. That would have been right if I had only seen the hole in the ground before my left front wheel dropped into it. I can only say that I'm glad I was wearing the seat belt. Both rear wheels came about a foot off the ground and without the belt I would have taken a flyer. I needed a chain on my truck to pull the rear of the tractor back on to the ground. Fortunately, there was no one home to see me doing my unbalancing act, and this is the first time I've admitted doing it.

Couldn't just back out...or use your loader?

 

[jdefils]

I think it was only the second time I was using my new tractor. I had the blower on the back and the FEL on the front, and I was moving/cutting 8' snow banks at the end of my driveway trying to widen things up. Needless to say, there's a rather old power/phone pole at the end of the drive, and I'd just pushed a load of snow past it with the FEL. I then proceeded to look backwards and reverse to start blowing, not realizing that I had cranked the wheel a smidge. Next thing I know, my reverse progress is slowing, I'm hearing wood cracking and snow and ice is falling off the wires over my head. I was able to reverse course and unhook the FEL which prevented bringing the pole and wires down on me, but it did get the adrenaline pumping pretty good.

My second bout of stupidity was in trying to lift a large ice shelf off the roof with the FEL. Needless to say, 100 lbs of ice slide down the lift arms pretty fast, and do a number on a week old tractor cowl. My tractor gained character at an early age, and after that I don't worry as much taking it through the brush.

I've also had two instances where I've had mud over the foot pedals, rear hitch, and over half-way up the tires. The first was simply a rookie mistake in that I didn't realize with the HST that if the tractor stops moving forward and the wheels are still spinning, you're only digging yourself into a hole. The second was mostly due to forgetting to put on the 4WD before you really need it.

 

[Old Coot]

Back in 87 when I got my Yamaha Big Bear, I was loading it on a tilt trailer. It was a 4X4 and climbed up the incline like nothing. But the trailer didn't go down so I tried to move up just a bit. Well it went more then a bit and that bed came down so fast that even with all four wheels locked up it slid and flew right off the front and smashed into the back of my 87 Blazer. Of course I looked around to see who was watching. And up in the kitchen window was my wife laughing. She is never watching when I do something right.
I also notice that after you pass 70 those things happen more often. Or at least it seems like I'm always saying you dumby why did you do that.:laughing:

 

[don white]

Was out back on the B26 this weekend and backed into a tree. Only bumped the left side step used to get up on the backhoe. Bent it some. Hooked up a chain to the step and the backhoe bucket. Stupid chain kept popping off the bucket.
So I put the chain around a tree and bent it out. Actually went to far but the step is easier to us this way. I think I will bend out the other one also.

The real funny one was I mowed a patch of field with the Simplicity and hit a stump. Bent the stupid mower deck. So I hooked a chain to the mower deck and the tractor and backed up. Worked fine only thing was the wife saw me out the window. What the are you doing.
So I had a bent weekend.

B26, Simplicity mower, 3 Stihl chainsaws, all orange. HD blue. Log spliter red, leaf blower, Bunch more in the garage.

 

[holt50]

When I stop and get off of the tractor, I normally drop all implements to the ground, and that includes my ballast barrel and FEL. Well the FEL is not much trouble to remember as it is right out front where you are looking. But I have drug the ballast barrel a foot or 2 once or twice. Makes quite a racket on pavement. If dragging the outriggers for a few feet is the worse you ever do, I wouldn't lose much sleep over that.:thumbsup:

James K0UA

say there this is Holt50 and I try to let down the loader and tilt it then down it and tilt it again releaving all pressure on hyd system and as for the three point hitch I am like you forgetful so what I do is push lever down ,kill the tractor the pull lift lever back up.

 

[Gizmo2]

When I got my Cub Cadet 7260, it didn't take me long to crash the ROPS into the top of the overhead door! Luckily, I was barely moving and it missed the brick! Apparently I love driving with the brake set too, I do it often enough! LOL! My favorite was slamming backward into a tree wiht the boxblade! I bent the pin on the darn thing, which is why I have spares in the barn! LOL! The stupidest trick was when a friend was driving it. He tried to pick up a huge downed tree wiht the FEL, as I was telling him not to do it! He tipped my poor Cubby up on his nose! He thought it was funny; I was not happy. He has never driven it since then!

All too true. Want to know how many spare teeth I have on hand for our landscape rake? I can use the rake for days with no trouble or breakage....back into one tree,,,game over.

 

[bruceha2000]

That's the worse! No where to hide!

My wife is equally sympathetic! Can't give you a tractor story because I don't have a tractor yet. But, some years back I was hand digging a 4' deep 8' long trench to connect a gutter downspout to a clean out riser in the drain pipe. I'm doing fine, it is next to the house so pretty stable

..... on that side.

Sure enough the other side caves in, the shovel is all the way at the bottom and the dirt is mid thigh, couldn't pull out my feet OR the shovel. Does the wife go get another shovel to assist or at least let me dig myself out?

Of COURSE she does. Right after she goes into the house for the camera laughing her arse off .... and a bunch of neighbors come over (REALLY small neighborhood, REAL close) to see what is going on.

 

[bruceha2000]

I was able to remove the plate and drive over it a few times to flatten it out. It's back in service.

OK, that has to give you some points toward 'redneck'

 

[bruceha2000]

Should be Three kids illegally riding a ATV.

Three! They had a fourth really little guy on driver's lap!
Looks like Darwin missed the father and the guy is trying to make up for it by killing the kids before the stupid gene can be passed on.

 

[jonyyuma]

Three! They had a fourth really little guy on driver's lap!
Looks like Darwin missed the father and the guy is trying to make up for it by killing the kids before the stupid gene can be passed on.

Bruce, thanks for the Back-up, i was wondering if I was just getting paranoid about accidents. I just cannot take that kind of risks with childrens lives. They are the Future, and deserve to live it without being maimed or serious injurys due to lack of attention? {by the adult}.How can anyone give rides in a FEL? Just read about a drunk operator on a hayride, hurt 40 people...Insurance??