How stupid can I be?

[crashz]

On the 770, 790 & 970, 990 series tractors, its really easy to bump the range selector with your right foot getting on or off the machine. You'll do this dozens of time Champy!

I'll recite the lastest and greatest of bonehead moves by me:

Last weekend I picked up my father's Atlas Copco air compressor (tow behind) and was turning around on a dirt circle in a field. I had started to make the turn and I felt the truck sink. I popped it into 4 Lo and decided to back out the way I came. But the mud had other plans. So as I felt the truck sink and slide even more, I had the brillant idea that if I kept the momentum, I'd get out. I took my eyes off of the mirrors for second to see where the truck was sliding. In that split second, the compressor came around and jacknifed into the driver's side of the truck. I pulled ahead, and when I did, the truck caught solid ground. I was able to drive the circle that I was too afraid of after all.

 

[DGS]

Hi guys
There is a clinical description for all these things we have done to ourselves
"Brain Farts"
DGS

 

[rback33]

I have experienced many such instances, most of which I have been able to forget. I DID stop by a Mahindra dealer once (they aren't anymore, but I digress) that had a used Kioti DK45 on the lot. They could not get it to start. Knowing we have built loaders for the tractor, he had me come look at it while I was there so a man could test it. First thing I did was climb on, turn the PTO off and turn the key. It fired right up. Salesman was like, " I thought it was that, but did not know how to turn it off!" I asked what my commission was if he sold it.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Jeans with the hammer holder on the side changing the ABC range to neutral when getting in or out. Also forgetting to pick up the rock box when first starting out makes good noises on dirt OR concrete!!

 

[RCT]

I too have done a couple of stupid things. I hopped on the tractor, and started it up per the manual, half throttle and fully choked. Well I remembered to push the throttle back in, but forgot to flip the throttle all the way up. I was thinking, man I am going slow! Got off checked the tranny fluid, Ok, checked the deck, OK, oh well put it back in the shed and deal with it tomorrow. So I went to put the throttle back to half throttle to restart it and **** it was already there. Flipped the throttle all the way up and viola! Speed again. Another time I couldn't figure out why the grass was not cutting, forgot to lower the deck, doh!

 

[EddieWalker]

I've told this story before, but since it fits right in here, I'll tell it again.

In High School, one of the guys I hung out with bought a jet boat. We'd go skiing after class, and sometimes, cut school to go water skiing. Shortly after graduating, I went off to bootcamp. When I came back, I called him up to go skiing, but found out that the boat had broken down shortly after I left for boot camp. He said it was an electical problem, but he couldn't figure it out. A few weeks later, he said he found a boat shop that said they would take a look at it. I went with him when he brought it to them. They tried the key, looked at the carburators and then looked in the gas tanks. One tank was totally full, the other empty. The guy asked if he had turned the switch to get fuel from the full tank. My friend just had one of those deer in the headlight looks. The guy turned the switch, and it fired right up!!!!

The last I heard, he's a mechanic for British Airlines out at SFO.

Eddie

 

[Soundguy]

Just goes to show that the phrase 'common sense' can not be not universally applied!

soundguy

 

[deere755]

We used to have an International 2 ton grain truck. Shortly after we got the thing the fuel pump went out of it. I filled both tanks on it one morning and started hauling corn. The next day I was getting low on fuel so I flip the switch on the dash and the fuel gauge showed full as it should since had not used any out of it since I filled it. I am cruising along on my way back to the field (so I was empty thank God) when it died. I check it all out and I find it is not getting any fuel. I figure the fuel pump is bad again. It was on a busy high way and getting close to dark so I have a tow truck tow it to the shop. The next morning I walk in and my uncle has it running like a top. The switch on the dash is for the fuel gauge only, to switch tanks there is a valve behind the seat. Talk about feeling stupid.

 

[POC]

THAT is just a stupid design, deere755.

 

[GreenWannabe]

I put the same kind of arrangement on two different pickups. I had two tanks fabricated, one for each side, and mounted them to the frame and body. I used a manual 3-way fuel selector valve with a tank indicator on the floor to the left of the driver's seat. This was not an uncommon arrangement back in the 60's, the valve came from the International dealer. However, it did not include any electrical switch for the tank sending units. I added a three-way switch with tank indicator mounted to a plate attached to the bottom of the dash to select which tank sending unit to connect to the fuel gage. Simple but effective system, and was a lot better than the unmarked rocker switch on the Chevy tandem I drove once. I also added a Mico brake lock, light switches, and a mechanical tach to my little panel. Loved that truck for more than thirty years.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

We used to have an International 2 ton grain truck. Shortly after we got the thing the fuel pump went out of it. I filled both tanks on it one morning and started hauling corn. The next day I was getting low on fuel so I flip the switch on the dash and the fuel gauge showed full as it should since had not used any out of it since I filled it. I am cruising along on my way back to the field (so I was empty thank God) when it died. I check it all out and I find it is not getting any fuel. I figure the fuel pump is bad again. It was on a busy high way and getting close to dark so I have a tow truck tow it to the shop. The next morning I walk in and my uncle has it running like a top. The switch on the dash is for the fuel gauge only, to switch tanks there is a valve behind the seat. Talk about feeling stupid.

Same thing on a 1977 Ford Bronco I owned. When I sold it, the buyer started home, ran low on gas in the main tank. He switched the dash switch. That showed the auxillary tank full. In just a few miles he ran out of gas. I got an irate phone call. All he had to do was reach under the front seat and turn a valve that directed flow from main to auxillary tank.

 

[DCJL]

I just did one yesterday. I was working all weekend at my father in laws helping him clear shrubs, move rocks plant grass etc. I kept my tractor in his garage which has 7 1/2 foot doors. ROPs no problem. Well you guessed it. Came back home and tried putting my tractor in my garage... 7 foot doors... Not a good move for sure. It stopped the tractor in its tracts and jammed the ROPS under the top of the door. I was able to move the tractor a little bit to take the pressure off the pins and collapsed the ROPS while driving forward. Luckily no damage to anything but my ego.

 

[Soundguy]

Don't worry.. ego's bruse.. but scab over real easy!

soundguy

 

[rus_geek]

Have to add mine to this, since everyone I've told the story to has done it! JD skidsteer has a gas strut to hold the cab door open when you're climbing in/out. Hopped in last fall to move some gravel, closed the door (it didn't latch) was driving into the gravel pile and raising the bucket. Hitting the pile slowed me quick enough for momentum to open the door far enough for the gas strut to open it the rest of the way. Just in time to meet the loader on it's way up!

I'm still amazed how far pieces of tempered glass will fly when you crush that window from the edge...

-rus-

 

[3RRL]

Many years ago my boys took my Blazer to get some parts.
They were not used to 4wd vehicles at all. It had a habit of jumping out of gear, where the transfer case would go into neutral if you went over railroad tracks or a big bump. It wouldn't do that when in 4w hi or 4w lo, but did it frequently when in 2w hi. Anyway, they got a block away and went over the railroad tracks. They couldn't figure out what happened but the Blazer wouldn't go. They called me in a panic thinking the trans broke and they had a wrecker on the way to tow them. I told them to check if the transfer case was in gear and I had to explain what that was. Finally they figured it out, put it back in gear and drove off. We had a big laugh about it later.

 

[beersngars]

Well I might as well throw in a bonehead story that happened a a while back at home. My son and I were wiring in a 230V circuit to my garage for a welder/compressor. On one side of the wall is our new master bedroom, the other is my highly prized 3 1/2 car garage. Let me state that this part of my home is a new addition and the roof truss was sitting on top of the wall plate and running the same direction of the plate. The plan was to drill beside the truss and into the wall so we could drop the wire. I had my 16 year old son do the drilling because it required a near monkey to get in the position to drill the thing.

I am in the garage cutting the hole for the box and hear him up there drilling. And drilling. and DRILLING. As I 'm yelling what's the trouble, he yells down, it's thru, I can see light. WHAT!!! Light inside the wall? I run in the house and see a big hole slicing down the wall about 3 inches and thru the ceiling. I yell at him for not drilling straight. He says he was drilling straight but the bit got hung up and he had to wiggle it around. I say just drill a few inches over and this time angle the thing more towards the garage. Guess what? A nice big hole thru the garage just like in the wife's new bedroom. DOH.

We did get the wire run and I cleverly put up an electrical blank plate in my garage to hide the damage and make it look like it was supposed to be there. Now the bedroom wasn't as easy.

 

[LBrown59]

I pull this one from time to time.

L B

Another time I couldn't figure out why the grass was not cutting, forgot to lower the deck, doh!

 

[mcfly682]

It seems getting off to take a break is the leading cause of stupidity here, so i dont feel so bad for this one.

Only have had my tractor now for about 2 months. I was doing some dirt moving which required crossing my nicely manicured lawn when i felt the need for a break, so i parked the tractor in the lawn, lowered the FEL and box blade and took a few minutes to stretch out. When i got back on, i fired up the tractor, raised the FEL and threw her in high reverse. I thought i had left the parking brake on because it was moving very sluggishly through the grass, so i checked it and nope, wasnt on. Hmmmm..... Well, maybe i should give her some more revs. That made the tractor go a little faster, but something still wasnt right. It finally hit me when i looked in front of the tractor and noticed a nice 25' swath of missing grass right through the middle of my yard. DOH.... Forgot to raise the dang box blade.

When the wife asked me what happened to the yard, i just told her that there was a hump there that needed some leveling out. She said "I dont ever remember a hump there". I just laughed at her and said "Pfffttt, women!!!".

 

[mjarrels]

Once went thru a couple of expensive light bulbs on haligen lamps in the garage... dang lights were not pluged in!

mark

 

[Gary Fowler]

I was working on putting a new wiring harness on my boat trailer. I connected everything up just like the old one, then plugged it in and everything was working backward and other strange stuff. I would turn on the right signal light and the tail lights would blink. Turn on the left light and the right light would blink or some such strange stuff. After I chased everything down and determined that the wires were indeed wired correctly, I noticed that I had failed to hook up the ground wire to the trailer frame. Everything was backfeeding back thru the hot wires. I had not hooked the trailer on the ball on the truck so no ground was coming thru. Lack of ground on a 4 way flat connection can make for some strange things to happen. Oh, this took about 4 hours for me to notice the ground wire missing.