Lost my draw bar

[Eric_Phillips]

I was out trying to clean out a drainage ditch. I pulled out several rotten logs with a chain on the draw bar. I then hooked up a landscape rake and started pulling out underbrush. I found some more logs, wrapped a chain around them and backed the tractor up to the chain. Went to connect the chain to the tractor and no draw bar. I looked all around the work area but couldn't find it. I think it is in the brush pile. I am in the process of building a soil seperator. I hope I can find the draw bar in the brush pile with the seperator. Just another fun day in the seat.

 

[Runner]

Yeah, I hate it when that happens. I removed a pin from my rear blade to allow it to "float", i.e., rotate on it's longitudinal axis, and stored the pin by hanging it in one of the other holes on the impliment. Like a dummy, I hung it with the angled part up and the clip on the bottom and it fell out of the hole after awhile.

Spent several hours hunting in the grass along the path where I used the blade (which was unfortunately about 800 feet long). Even tried using a metal detector, though I thought I would be able to see it since it was a 3/4 inch pin about 6 inches long.

Anyway, I was about to give up about dark, but decided to retrace my path one more time. Then I remembered one area where I had turned the tractor around, but forgot to check all the other times. Sure enough, there it was.

On the plus side, I did find that there is lots of metallic stuff buried along that path that I'll have to go back and check out someday.

 

[3RRL]

Similar incident happened to me.
I had just bought a large pair of Channel Lock pliers which I kept in an open tool box on the tractor. Paid about 30 bucks for them. Well, while working under some Oaks, a branch must have snagged them and they were lost! I was miffed since they were new, so I bought a pretty good metal detector and ended finding the pliers with it. Of course it cost me 200 bucks for the metal detector, but so what ... it's the principle that counts!

 

[SPIKER]

I usually hook up my finish mower and I'll find the lost items right away, usually right after sharpening the blades and greasing every thing up

I have found chains, receiver hitch & 2.5" ball and a 2.5" pipe & chain
heheh

Mark M

 

[sandman2234]

How about a couple of speaker magnets on a chain to drag thru the pile? Just a thought...
David from jax

 

[MikeD74T]

Many tool rental places also rent metal detectors. My son lost a brand new backhoe tooth picking ledge. He hand dug for over an hour trying to find it. I found it about 14'' down with a metal detector in less than 2 minutes. MikeD74T

 

[jdmar]

Did the same after I moved to my new place last year. Problem is I lost it in about 40 acres of weeds and muck soil...never seen from again. I bought a new one (though not as nice) at TSC. My only concern is that someday I "find" the old drawbar with a brush hog blade.....oouch!.

 

[tony123]

I have an I-beam for my front bumper. It makes a very convenient place to lay things. I lost a 4 pound hand maul that way....I sure hope I don't find it with the bush hog!

Last fall I had a large pile of debris that I was working with and a stick knocked my glasses off. It took me about an hour to find them. I put them back on, and within 30 seconds another branch knocked them off again. Took about 30 minutes to find them the second time. All my wife had to say was that I was fortunate I didn't loose an eye. She's always so right.

Rob, you can loose things left and right now! You have the tool to find things.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I found a groundhog once with my rotary cutter, but that's another story

My Dad lost my drawbar once, he looked all over the field for it. found it months later in the barn on the pile of wood where he had set it

 

[Redbug]

I hate losing stuff! For tools, pins and the things most likely to get dropped and forgotten, I spray flourescent orange paint on them. It's easy to leave a tool on the ground to blend in the woods and be forgotten, but with a splash of florescent orange on it...the handle will stand out and say, "here I am, come get me"! Same with chain...a little florescent orange on the ends. If you find your drawbar...

With clevises, make sure you put the main pin in from the top. Then if the locking cross pin becomes lost at least the main pin will not drop out.