To all of those who have been stuck... How did

[Tig]

Cute poem sandman. I love it.

 

[deerefan]

That poem had me laughing!! I got stuck on my 5103 JD when I first got it. I was moving some dirt w/ my box blade into a low spot and did something dumb. Instead of backing into the low spot pushing dirt in, I drove forward, which wedged my loaded b.b. into the ground and left me there spinning my tires in the shallow ditch looking like a fool. With my hydraulics already all the way up, I was stuck. Thanks to my neighbor and his early 80's 135hp JD and a chain, i was yanked out quick. Pretty embarassing. Lesson learned!

 

[SkyPup]

I got stuck once in my old 2WD 8N tractor and had to have a 4WD tractor pull me out, since then I've only had 4WD tractors and haven't gotten stuck.

 

[MarEng]

With room to work, I've always been able to walk the tractor out by curling the FEL bucket. Got so good at it, I never use ramps to get on the trailer anymore. There have been times when I've gotten really deep and had to drop whatever was on the 3-pt to allow the FEL room to work while curling out. Speaking of really deep - the one thing I'm beginning to learn is to stop and think sooner rather than later. If rocking the tractor (Fwd/Rev/Fwd) with the Diff Lock engaged doesn't work the first time, stop and re-assess. Don't wait till the mud is over the axles to decide to try something else.

 

[dillo99]

My land is covered with this awesome, black soil that is great to grow in and terrible to drive in. It is very slippery and makes a mud hole very quickly - so I have been stuck many times. So far, I have always had the backhoe on which makes getting unstuck relatively easy. I usually go find any boards I have laying around and then place the boards under the outriggers and raise the back of the tractor. More boards can then be shoved under the wheels. With the back now raised up I use the loader to lift the front and then also place boards under the wheels. Generally I can then drive the tractor out but if it is a big swamp I have to move the boards a few times. The biggest problem here is you have to haul all the boards to the place the tractor is stuck...sometimes by hand.

Lately I have had the backhoe off a lot and I dread getting stuck without it. Those outriggers sure are handy!

 

[Doc_Bob]

If rocking the tractor (Fwd/Rev/Fwd) with the Diff Lock engaged doesn't work the first time, stop and re-assess. Don't wait till the mud is over the axles to decide to try something else.

I second this idea. Don't get really stuck.
Bob

 

[3RRL]

When I first got my tractor my steering hydraulics ran dry from a small leak. So I was stuck about a half mile from camp. Not knowing any better, as my wife drove the tractor, I turned the front wheels by hand all the way back to camp. I could have used the turning brakes I found out later.

Another time I caught a hose on a stump while working off road and lost all my hydraulics. I tried to back out of the side slope I was on but the fel bucket was dragging and I couldn't steer. I ended up sliding and wedging the tractor between 2 trees and got stuck. I had to repair the tractor in the field (two weeks later) before I got out of there.

When I first got my tractor, it used to pop out of 4wd. I slid on a side hill and high centered it on a big boulder. I tried to back out but couldn't so I got a come-a-long and chain and had my wife try to back out while I worked the come along. Tractor was too heavy and I got stuck. Come to find out I didn't have the differential locked and it was in 2wd. I put it back in 4wd and differential lock and used the bucket to lift the fronts up. The rears grabbed and I drove it over the boulder out of there.

 

[RonMar]

Yeah, the easiest solution is to not get stuck... yet things don't always go as planned. The only way to learn your limitations is to test them.

In addition to the suggestions above, I have hooked a chain onto me loader bucket and curled it to pull me out; without an FEL I've hooked a tow chain through the rear wheel and put the tractor in gear to slowly pull myself out.

I have used both methods, or the chain on the rear wheel while pushing with the FEL bucket. The chain thru the wheel works great if you have a tree or other solid anchor to attach to directly behind you. It won't pull at much of an angle as the chain will just slip off the tire tread. You of course need a locking differential for this to work. The low creeper gears most tractors have, will allow the tractor tire to just roll back up the chain. Also as mentioned, a small log under the chain just behind the tractor helps for it to crawl up and out of the hole if it is really buried deep. Oh, and if you have an impliment on the back, it's gotta be removed. The tractor is bad enough to get unstuck without all the weight of an impliment out on the 3PH. Last time I got stuck, I had the 5' hog on the back. I drove into a swampy spot while busting thick brush. Didn't even realize I was in trouble till I saw mud/water on the front tire and then it was too late. It wouldn't crawl back up onto solid ground with the mower weight on the back, even with the diff locked and pushing with the FEL bucket. Getting the hog out of the way was the worst part. After it was clear, a chain thru the wheel and back to a tree and she crawled right up out of the hole in less than a minute. Far easier not to get stuck

 

[BobRip]

A WV farmer taught me one trick that really worked well when I had my IH scout sunk up to the axles.

Nothing seemed to work as the front tires were flat and sunk completely down in the mud. The come along didn't have enough strength to pull her out.

My WV buddy came by to help days later and said Shucks.....It's not stuck so bad. He cut a piece of log about 2 1/2 ft. long and placed it upright under the chain close to the front bumper on an angle to the scout.

When we pulled with the come along, the first thing that happened was the front of the scout was lifted up out of the mud somewhat and it was then easier to pull the rest of the way out.

I pass this along as this little trick saved the day, didn't cost anything and was easy to do.

I have used this same trick. I will tie a cable up 4 or 5 feet on a tree to give some lift. Be careful not to pull the tree over. Pulling straight back does not work as well.

 

[BTDT]

Usually if I get stuck, bend something, break something, it's with my wife in the background saying "I told you it was too wet, too muddy, too heavy, etc. etc. We see things through different eyes. As Harv would say, life is good.