Got the tractor stuck...

[TSO]

... Yesterday while leveling an area for a chicken Coop. The ground is pretty low here and it holds water, so I'm digging down a bit to set posts, then I'll bring some aggregate in to bring the level back up before I put the dirt back in.

I had to leave it for the night & have my buddy give me a little tug with his truck; **** these things get stuck easily in mud!

 

[Gary Fowler]

Did you try shoving it out backwards with the bucket. That looks like it would have been easy enough to do. Looks like you were about the get the bucket locked in behind that tree.

 

[TSO]

Did you try shoving it out backwards with the bucket. That looks like it would have been easy enough to do. Looks like you were about the get the bucket locked in behind that tree.

Yeah, tried but ran out of room because of that tree. i almost had an escape forward to the left, but it was too soupy.

 

[General Lee]

R-1's and that tractor woulda came right out of there

 

[Gary Fowler]

Possibly R1 would have helped but it looks like it just sunk on the one side. I got my little Yanmar 4220 stuck similar to that where one side sunk and it has R1. The soil was like liquid. It was sunk so far that the opposite tire was off the ground. The ground was hard at first then vibration from running back and forth caused the water logged sand to turn to gel. I could walk on it and it would pump up 3 feet in from of me. After we got it out, I went back the next day and the whole thing was hard as concrete again on top. We were digging out an old pond that had partially dried up. I think there must have been an old spring flowing under the sand bed.

 

[mguitas]

R-1's and that tractor woulda came right out of there

I have news for ya, R-1's get stuck too.

 

[buggieart]

If your not getting stuck your not using your tractor properly.:laughing:

 

[Baby Grand]

It's official - you were stuck.

The soil was like liquid. It was sunk so far that the opposite tire was off the ground. The ground was hard at first then vibration from running back and forth caused the water logged sand to turn to gel.

Liquifaction. Happens in sandy & loess soils during earthquakes. And last week under my tractor - actually not liquifaction in my case, I just stirred it up too much trying to pull a stubborn tree out of the woods. R1s with diff locked. Dug down almost to China.

 

[IndyIan]

I have news for ya, R-1's get stuck too.

Yep, knock on wood, but so far I've been able to get out of a situation before it gets too bad with my R1's. I had a little scare yesterday on top of a pile of some wet clay soil and got to watch (while I was praying)how R1's self clean as they spin so they don't turn into slicks. If I had to stop and try to back up I would've sunk it as the soil was starting to liquify and the bottom was 4' down...

 

[NHmitch]

I have R1's, and they help, but they tear up the ground, and they dig when you get stuck. For the price to replace your tires with R1's, you could buy a good winch. Glad that you were able to get it out ok. When I was a kid, and learning to drive my grandfathers John Deere, I forgot that you needed to push the clutch in along with the brakes, and I hung the tractor up on two trees with the bucket, and dug two, very deep ditches. I think they only thing that kept him from getting upset, was the fact that I was allright.

 

[Mousefield]

Ground sure looks soupy. One minute you think you are on dry ground and next think you are stuck. Even if you had ag tires on I don't think they would have helped, the rear one that is higher up would have just spun.
Happened to me only once, was going over a piece of ground several times to clear it and get it level for the chicken place and all of a sudden got that sinking feeling. Lucky I had the backhoe on and could lift the back end to get boards under the wheels.

 

[PatasColo]

I think it was here on TBN that I saw a nifty video showing how some fellas got their tractor out of mud. I believe it was some Danish or Dutch fellas, blue tractor (?not sure?), and used some 2x4's that they somehow temporarily attached to the rear hubs. It was simple, yet ingenious.

Anyone got time to search it out and post a link to it here? (I can't just now, but may tomorrow if someone else doesn't). Seemed like a good technique to have in your "back pocket" in case you have to get the thing out under its own power.
-Mitch

 

[teg]

Did you lock the rear axle? Doesn't look like mud in the tread on the left side...

 

[PatasColo]

I think it was here on TBN that I saw a nifty video showing how some fellas got their tractor out of mud. I believe it was some Danish or Dutch fellas, blue tractor (?not sure?), and used some 2x4's that they somehow temporarily attached to the rear hubs. It was simple, yet ingenious.

Here's a link to that video I was talking about in this post:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnRRGW6z3UQ]Fordson tractor stuck in the mud - YouTube[/ame]

Big Disclaimer: CAUTION & DANGER: Some of the comments under the video are correct; You could flip a tractor using this method if you haven't thought out and prevented this. Better to drive out BACKWARDS. Also if this lifts one side of your tractor too high, you could have a rollover. You do that in the mud, and you could die even with a ROPS (drowning in the mud... awful way to go!) You are Responsible for Your own Actions. (End Disclaimer :thumbsup: )

-Mitch

 

[kwg]

If your not getting stuck your not using your tractor properly.:laughing:

I must be doing a great job with mine. I buried it the second day I had it!!!!!

 

[IronHog]

Cuts with FEL's are dogs in the mud.......... small tires, heavy front end, low ground clearance, no power......... just not designed for the slop.

 

[kiotiken]

Cuts with FEL's are dogs in the mud.......... small tires, heavy front end, low ground clearance, no power......... just not designed for the slop.

Not sure I agree with the no power comment, once you've got more power than traction, more doesn't help you much. The real killer is ground clearance, which comes in part from the small tires.

 

[IronHog]

Not sure I agree with the no power comment, once you've got more power than traction, more doesn't help you much. The real killer is ground clearance, which comes in part from the small tires.

CUT's are rated by engine HP instead of PTO like "real" tractors......... you can really tell the difference in the slop when you might want to rock a tractor or get some tire spin for whatever reason..... I'd never try to walk a CUT out with a chain like I would a big tractor either......

Nothing wrong with that........ they are designed that way for a reason.

 

[kiotiken]

CUT's are rated by engine HP instead of PTO like "real" tractors......... you can really tell the difference in the slop when you might want to rock a tractor or get some tire spin for whatever reason..... I'd never try to walk a CUT out with a chain like I would a big tractor either......

Nothing wrong with that........ they are designed that way for a reason.

Well, again I have to disagree, even the "real" tractors are now rated by engine hp instead of PTO hp. The DK90 would be a case in point.

Again, yes, your other points about clearance and tire size are true, but the OP's CK20 has ample power to spin 3 wheels with no problem, that's kinda what got him in the mess in the first place. Being from Ottawa and growing up in the snow, the one thing I know is when your tires start spinning, power is not your friend. We used to change from 1st to 2nd or even 3rd gear went stuck in snow to try and gently move without spinning.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Did you lock the rear axle? Doesn't look like mud in the tread on the left side...

my thoughts as well.