Yet another mishap!

[SteveH_CT]

I think most of my bad luck is pretty much self inflicted. The picture I posted gives you an idea of the terrain I'm working. Anything I've cleared looked like the rain forest you see around the tractor before I got in there. Lots of "stuff" around to get hung up on. Fortunately I'm about done clearing for now.

I don't believe my dealer offers any after hours services... The on-call idea is great, and I could see where someone who relies on their tractor for a living could use it. For me it falls into the inconvenience category.

Thanks for your post - Have a good one - Monday... ughhh, back to my real job. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[TCowner]

Steve, I used this service a few years ago when after a heavy snowfall on a Sunday morning a hydraulic hose ruptured on my tractor mounted snowblower. I couldn't lift the snowblower without spewing oil everywhere.

I called the dealership and got the telephone for the parts tech on-call. I met him at the dealership and picked up a new hydraulic hose. An hour later I'm back removing snow.

I'm not a big custom operator but I do some work for customers so the ability for me to get back in operation is important.

The work with my tractor I do on the weekend is both important and I enjoy it. My tractor being down all weekend might result in having to spend some quality time with the spouse. Another reason to have the on-call parts program available.

 

[dmccarty]

Steve,

I have cleared one house site, two driveways, multiple wood trails, and lots of timber slash with my 4700. I broke one hydraulic house within the first few hours but that was because the tractor was not set up correctly. The dealer fixed in for free. I have since broke one bolt on my JD48, and busted the "latches" on the hood when a piece of wood rolled off the 4n1. I have about 460 hours with most of that time in the first two years of owning the tractor. Last year was real wet and a bunch of family issues slowed the tractor time down.

The key to running these things in the woods or clearing land is to go SLOW. I put the tractor in A range 1-2. Fourth gear can get me into the site but gears 1 and 2 to work. The first house site I cleared I was working the same time a guy was clearing a neighbors site with a small JD dozer. He moved faster but he made a huge mess. My site needs to have some trees/stumps either hauled out or burned. The neighboring site had a pile of dirt, rocks, stumps, and trees the size of a single story house. They burned it so that now its only a half story but it will cost the new landowner some big dollars to clean up the mess.

Frankly I thought by know I would have spent some money on repairs but I have not. Knock On Wood.

I'm clearing out an area know to try to find a septic system. I got the tractor in there to bulldoze a trail and clear up some downed trees. Last week I spent two hours with a brush cutter clearing 600 feet of property line to find three corner pins. This was NOT something to use the tractor to do. The MX6 COULD clear the brush but the stuff is so thick you can't see what the cutter would get lowered on so the best thing to do is start out with hand tools and eventually get the tractor into the mess.

Later,
Dan McCarty

 

[SteveH_CT]

Thanks Dan - go slow is advice well taken. I replaced the hose today and am back in business. I need to gain experience in working lots like this - I'm learning.... 1 loosened front end hydro connection, 1 flat, and 1 busted line... hopefully if they come in 3's then I'm all set for a while. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Richard]

Late to the party (me) I see, but...

I've had the odd hose break, so I now have 2 extra hoses made up, hanging in my garage so that if another one blows, the 'odds' are, I might be able to swap it out and at least hobble along.

As I was reading this thread, another idea hit me.

Seems my local car or tractor shop will make hoses while you wait (alas, presuming they're open of course /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ). My hoses are "british metric" which evidently are a bit odd.

It's just dawned on me, that it might behoove me to go to the supplier, buy 2 or 3 hose fittings ONLY, so that I'll have them in hand. If I blow a hose, I can then go to the local car store with fittings in hand, & let them supply the hose itself.

 

[SteveH_CT]

Better late than never... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My Deere dealer, and I'm sure several other shops around can make hoses while you wait. Unfortunately I always seem to break something about a 1/2 hour after they've already closed and gone home for the weekend.

 

[755inNY]

<font color="blue"> Unfortunately I always seem to break something about a 1/2 hour after they've already closed and gone home for the weekend.
</font>

Steve,

You need to work faster so you can break things earlier in the day /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jeff

 

[PerryWhite]

Steve,
Sounds like you have been having some bad luck lately.
Sorry to here that. I hope that you start getting some
of my luck lately as I got a call on Monday from John Deere
saying that I had won their $1000 parts giveaway drawing
for the end of April.

 

[SteveH_CT]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif You say faster - Cowboydoc says slower... what's a greenhorn tractor owner to do! I think mostly I need to watch where I point the tractor, and what exactly I'm backing over. As I said originally I think most of my bad luck is self inflicted. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[SteveH_CT]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifYowza! Shopping time! I could think of a few places to point those funds. Good for you - It's always a lot of fun to win stuff - especially stuff for our favorite toy!