A monkey wrench afternoon

[arrow]

Many times I've used a technique of falling a tree into another tree so it would purposely hang up. This is so you do not have to hit something with a full fall. This particular tree had the chance to slap the house with its last 5 feet or so of length. I had the tree (18" oak) nestle slowly into its support tree. (thicker hinge starts slower fall using felling wedge) and all was good to that point. I made the release cut by center boring the hinge, inserting a wedge into this so when making the actual release cuts, the tree doesn't crush the bar. So now the tree is just resting on the stump. I go pull up the tractor to drag it off the stump and this is a tractor that you dismount as if you are on parallel bars and as I do so, my foot knocks the shift into reverse and before I can do anything, the tractor hits a rock and goes over. Just what I needed at a rather precarious time. It had to be dragged out in 3 pieces but it finally landed and none too much for the wear.Thought you may enjoy some pics of the follies.

 

[Craig Clayton]

It just goes to show how an accident can happen when you least expect it. It is very fortunate that the only thing damaged was your pride. The pictures you posted are a reminder that we could be in the same situation in the blink of an eye.
Craig Clayton

 

[Runner]

Glad you were'nt hurt and no damage. At least it gave you an opportunity to do a good underside inspection of the machine...

 

[Dutch445]

JD 1050 cut?
that has the 2 shift levers between your legs on
the transmission tunnel, right?

glad it worked out with little damage and
no injuries.

 

[arrow]

JD 1050 cut?
that has the 2 shift levers between your legs on
the transmission tunnel, right?

glad it worked out with little damage and
no injuries.

Its a 750 and yes the shifter is right on top of the tunnel. Was wearing snow boots which are much more awkward to maneuver on this tractor. Guess I'll have to consider getting an old mans tractor (hydrostatic) As my body is getting a bit rickety for this one. No easy way to dismount from this tractor but it has given me 26 years of faithful service so maybe I'm supposed to die with it.... or from it.

 

[arrow]

Glad you were'nt hurt and no damage. At least it gave you an opportunity to do a good underside inspection of the machine...

One of the pluses of rolling over your machine now and again. My hydraulic filter is dented.

 

[TripleR]

Man, that would have scared the heck out of me.

As an old guy, I rarely drive any of our tractors with the shifter in the middle anymore. I find a flat platform much safer for me at least and I have a tractor with a flat platform and the gear shift on the side with the shuttle shifter on the column.

OK, I also use a couple with HST too.

 

[Gizmo2]

Glad you did not get hurt. If you use it you will damage it sooner or later. All's well that ends well, I guess. I do bet that if the FEL was down the tractor probably would not have gone over.

 

[Thomas]

Glad your still w/us..whew.
Lot of warmth stack there.

 

[arrow]

Glad you did not get hurt. If you use it you will damage it sooner or later. All's well that ends well, I guess. I do bet that if the FEL was down the tractor probably would not have gone over.

Actually, the fel wasn't that high. The rock was 18 high so I'm not sure it would not of gone over even if the fel was at its bottom. The biggest culprit here beyond myself for not taking it off before hand was the rear scraper. That thing has sufficient free lateral play to shift the weight of the tractor significantly enough to give it that last push to topple the tractor. I will not be taking the rear blade into the woods anytime soon

 

[Army grunt]

Sh-- happens quick. The closest I have come to tipping mine over was dragging a brush pile.I would like to have that oak here an run it through my saw mill.
goes with ought saying Glad you didn't get hurt
Army Grunt

 

[ctgoldwing]

WOW!

You are right - very lucky it didn't go over on you. I have gotten in the (bad) habit of not putting up the rops & buckling up when I clear the snow. My driveway is built up about 10'. One moment of inattention & I could have a major problem. Ya convinced me by your post rops up, buckle on - I can always repair the garage when I inevitably hit it with the rops.

 

[arrow]

Sh-- happens quick. The closest I have come to tipping mine over was dragging a brush pile.I would like to have that oak here an run it through my saw mill.
goes with ought saying Glad you didn't get hurt
Army Grunt

AG a stem like this one used to bring a pretty penny up here and I once made a living from it. Now this part of the economy has gone to heck so its worth more as firewood as there is not a sufficient market to bring stems to any saw house. The last vestige up here was a pallet maker and he is now gone as well.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Glad it turned out OK for you and the tractor.
The side shift may not be the total answer though. My shift lever is on the left side right beside my thigh. I am always catching my chaps on that lever. In the summer if I wear short pants the lever catches in my pant leg. I have to check before I jump down that I'm not caught on it. My wife thinks I look funny dangling by a pant leg with both feet off the ground.

 

[arrow]

Glad it turned out OK for you and the tractor.
The side shift may not be the total answer though. My shift lever is on the left side right beside my thigh. I am always catching my chaps on that lever. In the summer if I wear short pants the lever catches in my pant leg. I have to check before I jump down that I'm not caught on it. My wife thinks I look funny dangling by a pant leg with both feet off the ground.

Don't know how much longer I can do the acrobatics to dismount the tractor. I wonder how this is going to be in my seventies which is disgustingly close. I know what you mean about clothes getting caught on levers. I can do the same with my outerwear on my fel levers. Other than a hydrostatic, I do not know what else has a flat floor without a lever being in the way someplace

 

[beenthere]

I re-read this a couple times.
Are you saying just the rock in the pic caused the tractor to tip? and you were not chained to the tree on the stump getting ready to pull it down?

I really like the open platform (on my 4300 HST). Much nicer working in the woods (my woods isn't flat like yours ). I don't want to be having to pull mine back upright.
Did the rear blade keep the tractor from going all the way down?

Thanks for the pics. Good lessons or warnings can come from your experience.

 

[arrow]

I re-read this a couple times.
Are you saying just the rock in the pic caused the tractor to tip? and you were not chained to the tree on the stump getting ready to pull it down?

I really like the open platform (on my 4300 HST). Much nicer working in the woods (my woods isn't flat like yours ). I don't want to be having to pull mine back upright.
Did the rear blade keep the tractor from going all the way down?

Thanks for the pics. Good lessons or warnings can come from your experience.

No, It was just the rock. I was not on the tractor. When I hopped off I accidently struck the shift lever with my foot and it got knocked into reverse. The tractor then backed over the rock which was about a foot away from the rear tire before I could do anything so I just stayed out of the way. The rock can be seen under the chain pulling the tractor over. I did not mean for this a safety reminder. The whole thing just struck me as so peculiar and yes comical that I had to document it. The tractor was completely over before I pulled it up abit with the come along. The whole thing took about 20 minutes from when the tractor went over to righting it up again and continue to drag stems. I had to shut the tractor off as it stayed running when it went over.

 

[Nitro-Fish]

Glad you didn't get hurt, I guess that is a good argument for the necessity of operator/seat safety switches!

 

[Gary Fowler]

Everyone is willing to accept another safety switch rather than insisting that the tractor manufacturers design them safer and ergonomically. After all they are made to operate with human, not a robot. There should be no reason that a design could not accomodate the human body with enough clearances to operate it in a safe manner and get on and off in a safe manner while fully clothed. Flat deck helps, but when the mfg. puts levers, pedals etc in the way so that you cant get on or off without hanging up on hydraulics, hydrostat pedals etc, then it is time to redesign.