Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Beware the blanket of snow.

[patrick_g]

So, in the aftermath of the Blizzard of 2009 here in Oklahoma we had a blanket of snow all over the place. I had the HD 6 ft brush hog on the 3PH as counter weight to make handling 1000 + lb round bales a less exciting activity when feeding the herd. I was cruising along at a fast walking pace when I encountered a rough feature in the terrain which was masked by the snow cover. No bale on the spike, just the brush hog on the back.

S H E B A N G !!! I hit the rough terrain and the brush hog hit the dirt. The 3PH was totally ineffective. I had to unhitch the mower to be able to continue. The 3PH would not even lift itself, empty.

Now that the grass has greened up and I don't have to supply hay to the herd I could take the tractor in for repairs. I had a few other little items to take care of but the broken 3PH was the bulk of the cost which was nearly a thousand dollars. The tractor mechanic said that usually a large push-rod is shoved through a hydraulic piston but not this time. It bent the rod (larger in diameter than my thumb) and broke one thingy in half and ruined the piston. All is fixed and I can now, disc, spray, box blade, mow, grade, mix cement and lots of other 3PH activities.

This is a cautionary tale that has taught me a lesson or three. Don't drive through snow unless you know what is underneath. Don't bounce the tractor with heavy implements raised on the 3PH.

Pat

 

[Egon]

It was being used as a counter weight?

Makes one wonder about some uses of counter weights and their weight?

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Wow thanks for the expensive advice.

 

[Thomas]

Egon
"It was being used as a counter weight?
Makes one wonder about some uses of counter weights and their weight?"

That was one of the things I miss from my B7100 days..travel chain for 3PH..hook under the set to arm,than let pressure off..made traveling chain for new tractor tho.

 

[RoyJackson]

Let's expand on that...don't go through anything at any speed unless you know what's under there.

 

[TripleR]

Let's expand on that...don't go through anything at any speed unless you know what's under there.

Yep, learned that one years ago when I went over the handle bars of my motorcycle in a hayfield.

 

[RoyJackson]

Yep, learned that one years ago when I went over the handle bars of my motorcycle in a hayfield.

Yep...guy who used to work for me (nice kid...was only in his mid-20's when we started working together) went off his ATV after hitting a tire or something hidden in the brush. He was a paraplegic. Waist down was basically along for the ride...no functionality (including his genitals).

 

[ChuckinNH]

I don't know if you all know this, or not, but a 12" square granite post buried under the snow, and in three feet of frozen ground will stop a jeep that is moving right along plowing snow. I know some of you might not belive it, but I have seen it, and it was pretty darned spectacular if you ask me.

 

[radioman]

I can beleive it. With a bush hog or ballast box weighin the same, the bush hog has more leverage causing more stress then a closeby hugging ballast box would. Perhaps this is what really caused the issue?

 

[patrick_g]

Yes I had the brush hog on for a counter weight, I was not brush hogging the fields with complete snow cover. I "THOUGHT" I knew the terrain to be smooth but with the snow cover I was NOT aware of my true exact location. I was not traveling fast, no more than a walk but even that was too fast for the REAL conditions. I hit the only terrain feature for a hundred feet in any direction that was capable of causing a problem. GPS maybe next time.

Yes, the brush hog has its CG farther aft of the datum than a weight box but I wasn't looking for traction I was looking for leverage to offset the leverage of the 1000 + lb round bale on the hay spike (FEL attachment.) To get the same effect from a weight box would require carrying much more weight than the weight of the brush hog and again I say I needed leverage not just weight.

I suspect my use of the brush hog and other implements for nearly seven years cumulatively weakened the internal parts with the "KERTHUNK" caused by the terrain feature being the coup de gras. As you may suspect I will be reexamining my technique regarding the use of 3PH implements and trying to take steps to reduce stress on the 3PH as far as practical use of the tractor permits.

I don't need all the leverage the brush hog provides to handle a large round bale on the hay spike. With care, not exceeding 1000 lbs by much with the weight of the bale and slow deliberate maneuvering I can keep the tractor upright with 4 wheels on the ground most of the time, dropping the bale to the ground to stabilize a deteriorating situation if needed and carefully retrying after a moments thought. Laziness exacerbated by bad weather conditions nudged me toward the brush hog vs the box blade as the mower was on the hitch and the box would have to be retrieved from under the snow.

The box blade has sufficient weight and leverage to allow safe bale handling and would not have stressed the hitch as much as the mower did with it raised up and not letting the tail wheel carry any weight (due to depth of snow.)

Ahh, hindsight, no corrective lenses needed there, 20-20 or better you betcha.

As in most disasters involving an operator, there is no single factor responsible for the result but a combination of things all converging at one time. Be careful out there lest you too be overcome by a brief gust of stupidity aided by gravity to your detriment.

Pat