Yet another mishap!

[SteveH_CT]

OK - Let me say upfront that I am working in fairly harsh circumstances. Hence the flat tire last week - well yesterday I managed to crimp a hose on my BH. As I was pulling a bucket full out of the drainage ditch I saw a brief steam cloud rise past me on the left... After my "Oh that can't be good" eye-roll I looked down and saw the main hydraulic hose shooting fluid into the ground. I've got it apart and the hose is off waiting for a trip to the dealer on Monday.

I've just got one question for everyone - Do these things always have to happen when the dealer is closed! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

This brings me to another point - Do you folks who do a lot of clearing with the tractors use underbody armor? I think I'm going to look into it. There are just too many rocks and branches and miscellaneous New England ground fodder interfering with the underside of my tractor. Man I can't wait until I'm done clearing and I can start to enjoy plain old tractoring like lawn mowing, and moving mulch. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Take Care,

 

[cowboydoc]

Clearing ground will tear anything up. I've had the same things happen, even to skidsteers which have pretty much full body armour. There are just too many hazards that reach out and tear something up before you have time to react. I used to try and save money and do those projects with my equipment. But by the time you figure all the costs in tearing up your equipment I just get a dozer anymore.

 

[SteveH_CT]

Excellent advice! When we move up to the 100 acre parcel I'm going to either rent a dozer, or pay someone to come in and do the initial tree/brush/rock moving. Live and learn! I'm so close to done now it's painful to have to wait for a hose.

 

[755inNY]

<font color="blue"> I've just got one question for everyone - Do these things always have to happen when the dealer is closed! </font>

Scott,

Not if you limit your work to mornings and early afternoons Monday through Friday. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Consider that you don't have to go to the JD dealer for everything. When I broke a hyraulic hose fitting on my FEL it was a late Saturday morning and the tractor was sitting crosswise in a drainage stream. I checked with NAPA first as they make custom hydraulic hoses but they did not have the fitting required. NAPA referred me to another place that specializes in hydraulic hoses. I was back up and running that afternoon.

Check around your area, you may find it cheaper and more convenient to get a replacement hose from a hydraulic shop than from Deere.

Jeff

 

[SteveH_CT]

Thanks for the info - Today just isn't the day to look around - Mothers day stuff going on - but in the future I do think I'll try to find some alternate sources for these kinds of things.

 

[LarryRB]

next time, get on 395 north and head into Webster MAss.. There's a guy there that does hydro lines and is a third the prcie of any tractor dealer.. He makes bullet proof hoses and are better, (I think) than the factory set up.

 

[SteveH_CT]

Thanks LB - would you get me his company name? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[LarryRB]

I'm looking for his card now. I went with broken line to Foskett's in Woodstock. He doesn't do new lines but has new ones for his line of tractors. None of his were long enough or correct size at that time.. It was Harold that told me about the place in Webster. I keep mixing you up with another guy in Sterling. Salem is quite a bit more down the road. Anyway, I went where Harold sent me. Walk in service, brand new line with fittings, plus extra 8" in length, out the door in 15 minutes and 30.00

 

[SteveH_CT]

The hose that let go is about 5' - it' the primary line that comes off the back of the tractor to the BH connector... at least when I pop one I get the big one /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif I think when I re-attach it I'll try to use a tie wrap or two so it doesn't hang as far down.

 

[TCowner]

Steve, sorry to hear about your recent run of bad luck.

I'm curious, does your John Deere dealer sell farm equipment as well as compact utitlity tractors? The reason I ask is that both my John Deere dealer and New Holland dealer have parts technicians available on weekends and evenings. They have to because all of their competition offers the same service.

When I purchased my New Holland TC40D I asked the dealer (who is also the co-owner) if this service was available for me or limited to the big farmers. He said if my tractor was down on a weekend to call the "on-call" parts tech to get me going again. My JD dealer (also the owner) told me the same thing.

I would check with your JD dealer to see if they offer this service. For me, if they didn't, I would be looking for another dealer that would.