Dream Realized

[MChalkley]

Wen, I did that 5 or 6 years ago, but I was only going over a roadside shoulder, so the back tires slid about 10 feet before I got to the bottom of the hill. It was the longest 10 feet I've ever travelled on a tractor, though. The scary part is that if the hill had been a lot longer, I'd have ended up like Rat's tractor. I hope a longer hill would've made me think about the fact that you need to be in 4wd with a load in the bucket, but you never know...

Mark

 

[JimBinMI]

Many of the Japanese ways of management/quality were given to them by Americans! They listened and implemented while American businesses doubted and did same ole, same ole!

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[W5FL]

At least that is Dr. Demings story. I got to listen to him lecture twice when he was over 90 years old! He stood up and lectured for 4 hours a day for 5 straight days.

 

[W5FL]

Mark,

Always wondered what the slope of the areas they mow beside the freeways since they mow them going in line with the freeway. Yes, handling anything in a bucket going downhill in 2WD can be very dangerous. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[MChalkley]

Wen - I don't know, but most of it's steeper than I'd feel comfortable with. I don't know if you remember this post or not, http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=buykubota&Number=2640&page=&view=&sb=&vc=1#Post2640, but I mentioned talking to one of those crews that does contract mowing for the electric company. Tough bunch...

Mark

 

[_RaT_]

Wen, just make sure your well versed in dumping the bucket. I once had a 15000lb est. rock in a Cat articulating loader (they have brakes on all 4 wheels). Everything was fine until while dumping it over the hill the center of gravity shifted forward as I rolled the bucket. The rock could not completely fit in the 4 yd bucket and rolling the bucket had the effect of putting the rock out further to the front. The moment I noticed the rear wheels lifting, I slammed the joystick forward quickly dropping the bucket and then the load rolled out. The rear wheels were up about 2'. Its a great way to exercise the sphincter muscle. Rat...

 

[W5FL]

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Now I know why my old Massey had a hole in the bottom of the seat! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[W5FL]

Yeah that was a good post. I worked for the Utility companies two summers while going to college and I am not sure they wouldn't pull your leg a little! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I decided I had enough when an insurance salesman came to the door and asked what my occupation was. He just said thank you and left. They won't insure you if you work in the manholes or substations.

I have never seen a roll over accident beside a freeway and I am sure it would make the news and stop traffic for miles. I thought they were limited to 30% grade, which I never considered really steep until I saw the run-a-way picture (which probably was caused by more than the grade).

Tanks Dams and Roadside Ditches in the country still make me a little nervous, though.

A small tracked CAT was digging a swimming pool in front of the house on a hillside when I lived in California. It was a wet day and he couldn't get traction and slid (very slowly) a couple of hundred feet and had to have a wrecker put a line on him to get him back up to the driveway. The wrecker sunk the driveway a little where he was setting, so he was pulling pretty hard! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MChalkley]

Wen - I'll never forget seeing this just-out-of-school kid working on a construction site in a Bobcat. He must've thought it was an amusement park ride or something - he turned the thing over several times, mostly on his face, but once on its side, and just completely abused the machine. He obviously thought he was having the time of his life. Funny part was, he didn't accomplish anything. Finally the boss came back and yanked him out of it. Put him back on a shovel (the wooden-handled kind), where he belonged.

Speaking of stuck equipment, there's a HUGE excavator at the bottom of a lake at the Mercury Blvd exit on I-64 in Hampton, VA. The guy was digging with it, and hit an underwater river or something. The hole filled up before they could get out. Now it's very expensive fish structure. Whoops.

The only time I've ever seen a roadside rollover, the tractor was on its side and they were righting it as I went by. There wasn't any commotion, though - just one tractor pulling the other one back upright. I know one thing: It would sure be nice to have one of those full-blown wrap-around cage for my tractor, if it was possible to make it a fairly easy-on easy-off thing.

Mark

 

[bcarter]

Yikes!! I run an articulating Cat loader occasionally... I haven't picked up any big rocks with it but I'll certainly be aware of this potential problem. I get nervous sitting up that high on flat ground, never mind with the back wheels 2' off the ground!