What is the dumbest thing you have done with your equipment ?

[marhar]

When answering the question please do not include an accident that caused a fatality. Please do not insult another poster.

I will go first: My father and I overloaded a small utility trailer with logs that extended out of the trailer. We were hauling significantly more weight than we should have and the center of gravity was between the trailer tires and the end of the trailer.

We did not go far before we lost control of the truck and ended up laying on its side in a ditch. Luckily we were not injured (just our pride) and the truck only dented a door and bent a wheel.

 

[Jstpssng]

The closest that I've ever come to flipping... I had the homemade log tongs on the bucket of my little L275 and was loading an 18 foot hemlock log onto my trailer. I don't remember the exact reason why, but for some reason I had backed up onto the berm from when they built my road with a bulldozer many decades ago, then tried to lift the log. The rear wheels came off the ground and the only reason I didn't go over was because the forks and log were over the trailer. I had to use a chainsaw to get it off, but learned what NOT to do that day.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

lent some to a neighbour: new neighbour came over and asked to borrow some equipment he sees me use regularly. I lent it too him even though I really didn't know him. But I am just that kind of guy.

He broke it. When returning it he complained about my stuff being "old" and was "****" and he almost hurt himself using it and could sue me. Never offered to cover repair and I never asked. We haven't talked since and that doesn't bother me at all.

aside: I too am "old" but don't consider myself "****" or junk or worthless just in need of a little more care and attention when in use. Like much of my equipment.

moral: I will come over and help with my equipment for free but will never lend out for others to use/abuse.

 

[dirttoys]

I live on a few acres, with zero level ground. Tried to turn around a trailer with skid steer on it on side hill. Jack knifed it, and slid down to an uncomfortable spot. Ruined tire and wheel, which was a hoot to get changed. Hind sight could have (maybe should have) been worse.

I have done more interesting/painful things (maybe I will kick in another one latter) but, this was the most obviously tragic from the beginning.

Best,

ed

 

[Hay Dude]

1. Was baling hay while driving tractor & baler down a hill. Had a bale spear mounted on the tractors loader. Baler started pushing me down steep hill. Baler monitor broke lose in cab, fell on floor. While leaning over to retrieve it, leaned against loader joystick, unknowingly pushing the loader down, plunging the bale spear straight into ground. Snapped bale spear off and drove over it because I couldnt stop baler.

2. While driving farm tractor tractor and pulling a center pivot discbine, I began going down a steep hill with woods at the bottom. I made the mistake of turning on the hill a bit too fast. The heavy discbine pushed the back end of the tractor down the hill into a woods line. A large tree branch, crashed through my cab side window, grazing my pretty face and masculine jaw line. lol
Nearly took my head off.

3. While stacking round bales in a long line, I decided to make a second parallel line. I had the ”passenger side” all glass tractor door open because it was hot and my AC was broken. I snagged bottom corner of glass door on a round bale and the glass door exploded like a bomb, showering me with hundreds of bits of glass. Scared the bejeebers out of me.

4. Stopped at a buddies repair garage to ask him to help me check on a miss on my tractor engine. Tractor had a 15’ bushog in tow, folded up for transport. I left the door open to the cab. He was a bit unfamiliar with my tractor. I was standing next to the engine and he was standing at the base of the cab steps down on the ground. I asked him to rev-up the engine. Instead of grabbing the throttle, he grabbed the reverser and the tractor began to take off with the mower in reverse. Luckily, I left the emergency brake on. It bogged the tractor down just enough to keep it from getting going across the railroad tracks down an embankment and into the local river.

I have many more. It happens in farming.

 

[jaxs]

Long hot drought and cattle pulled a pond down so low the surface was covered with dead channel cats I had stocked 5 years earlier.
Started pumping remainder of water so pond could be cleaned out. When water got shallow more fish began swimming on their sides and dying. While sitting empty and no rain weeds grew head high so I thought it was ready to work on. Dozer man looked at it one day while I was away and called to say bottom was only dry about 2 feet with mud below. Said if I cut the weeds it would dry faster. While mowing one rear tire broke through then the other while trying to get out. Transmission and differental set on high center. Came back ,hooked hand ratchet winch to a 12" willow on bank,told teen age son to wait until rear wheels moved then release clutch. Before wheels moved the tree snapped off and fell on me,tractor and boy without doing damage. Three days later before I finished cutting tree up it began raining. I had to repump pond twice to keep water from reaching tractor before dozer guy got there and pulled everything out.

 

[Hoobie]

Years ago I had an old 1939 Ford 9n. They had an electric starter but you could also insert a hand crank in the front to start it in a pinch. Cutting wood one fall in the woodlot the battery was weak and I was cranking it until I had a chance to replace it. Actually cranking was not a big deal and often in winter it would start easier on the crank than the electric.
One day after lunch I gave it a good whirl to get going and forgot I left it in gear. It came to life almost running me over, ran up against a small diameter tree, bent it over and proceded to climb the tree. By the time I got it shut off it was standing on its back wheels.

 

[RjCorazza]

My father enrolled me in an agricultural safety course when I was 8 or 9. It was a very thorough class, complete with shocking photos of stuff no child should see, but man did that stick with me!
Anyway, my contribution:
While (recently) pulling fence posts with my fel, I got to one set in concrete that wouldn't budge. Being safety minded of the fel's limitations and potential dangers I switched to the 3 point. In a poor judgement moment, I threaded a 9k rope through the lower link arms and around the fence post. The rope drew the arms together and put some undesigned force on the arms and snapped off the connecting ear to the transmission case (actually the brake case that bolts up between the transmission and differential case). That cost me over $2000.

 

[WVH1977]

Brand new 22 foot trailer with removable fenders. I was loading up pine logs at my mothers house to get rid of. I was not paying attention to the placement oof the grapple after putting a log on the trailer. Backed up with the tractor and bent and put a hole in the fender. One of the many dumbest things I have done with my equipment.

 

[bullbreaker]

Dumbest thing I ever did with "some" of my equipment was sell off certain tractors and attachments / implements for a small profit when in reality I didn't need the money .