My first tractor operating scare

Cityboyfarmer · Jun 5, 2005

Had the new tractor for 9 days now. This is my first experience operating a loader. I was digging out a hill next to my basement for a retaining wall, learning to operate the loader. Well, I start getting it figured out how to scoop up a full bucket of dirt and begin gaining confidence, working a little faster and having a blast. I was dumping the dirt about 150 feet away, on a very slight hill. At one point as I approached the rapidly growing dirt pile with the loader raised to the top of the 4' high pile, my left front wheel rode slightly up the pile and the tractor tilts to the right, lifting the left rear wheel off the ground! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I clutched and braked immediately, the tractor rocked a couple of times and stablized. I dumped the dirt, lowerd the loader and slowly backed away. Scared the stew outta me! 'bout had to go change my drawers!

Newbie loader lesson #1: Slow and easy on even the slightest grade with a loaded bucket.

Anyone care to share one of their close calls with this very humbled newbie? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

firtol88 · Jun 5, 2005

Lotta them here

DannyD · Jun 5, 2005

slow, easy, and LOW with the bucket. You were fine till you moved the center of gravity with your bucket. glad you stayed on top of the situation

MFL · Jun 5, 2005

City,

Keep it slow and LOW. Hard won knowledge.

DmansPadge · Jun 5, 2005

( City,

Keep it slow and LOW. Hard won knowledge. )

Oooouch! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

JDFANATIC · Jun 5, 2005

Cityboy,

Semper Fi! Beware especially the newer generations of tractors; they are lighter (cheaper too) and ballast becomes even more of an issue (although previous generation tractors could be too). Load the tires, and keep that bucket as low as you possibly can. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

stevenf · Jun 6, 2005

I got one for ya, I was replacing soil on the top of my Lake dam today and as I was backing back off the dam the last flood we had undermined the edge and the bank caved in the tractor lurched over towards the creek and thankfully some trees kept it upright long enough to spend the rest of the afternoon with a hand operated shovel /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif digging out the dam on the high side under the tractor wheels to get it back on 4 wheels solidly enough to move it. My honey came to help and she gave me the look more than once and eventually asked me if there was anything to be learned from this my only, granted weak response was Thank God for seatbelts because I'm sure I'da ended up in the creek first and probably wearing the tractor as a hat second. The tractor is a M9000 with urethane filled tires and a box blade mounted on the back for ballast plus a 84" loader bucket filled so I'm sure I weighed every bit of 15,000lbs when I road along that creek bank. I'm sure what she was really thinking was a more ranch like response like "Jack#**.
Steve

skivt · Jun 6, 2005

About day number 5 of owning my tractor, I volunteered to spread out a pile of fill for my neighbor. Up until now, I had only moved mulch so this load was far heavier. The grade was slightly downhill and there is a telephone pole I kept maneuvering around. As I creep down the hill to place a load, the right front tire drops in some soft fill I had just spread and the left rear tire started rising off the ground. I look right because I am sure I am going to roll over and what do I see....the darn telephone pole. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Not only am I going to roll, but this ROPS is useless here because my body is aimed at the pole next to me. As the tractor continues to tip, I panic and throw my right foot out to place against the telephone poll. I push with all my might and the tractor stops tipping. Quickly, I drop the bucket and roll it to empty some weight. Now, I slowly back up and all the while, keep staring at the pole. My neighbor was just as scared as I so we took a moment and had a frosty adult beverage. Not a fun story to tell my wife. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Note to Self and other TBN neophytes:
Do not go across a hill, down or up, with a load in the bucket. If you have to bring the dirt across a downhill, make a pile close by and push it the rest of the way with a rear blade.

I really like my GC2300 but it is probably too powerful for its small size and weight.

skivt

gabby · Jun 6, 2005

When you feel it starting to tip with a loaded bucket the best thing you can do is drop the bucket to the ground.
gabby

Cityboyfarmer · Jun 6, 2005

Hey Gabby! Where in Georgia are you?

In the situation I was in, the bucket was over the dirt pile when I began to tip. I believe had I dropped the bucket onto the 4' high dirt pile, given the contour of the ground, and the position I was in, it would have tipped me on over.

I agree in most cases dropping the bucket would be the best course of action.

Cityboyfarmer · Jun 6, 2005

MFL,

Judging by your roll-over photo, it sure doesn't take much of a hill or depression in the ground to tip over. The laws of physics and gravity can be quite unforgiving when combined with certain conditions. I didn't think I was on much of a hill at the time.......

gabby · Jun 6, 2005

( Hey Gabby! Where in Georgia are you? )

Hey City Boy!
I'm near Thomson, about 30 miles west of Augusta. www.pinetopfarm.com.
gabby

MFL · Jun 6, 2005

City,

FEL too high, ground too soft, and a bad choice of counter weight on the back end. I had been working with the tractor for about 4 hours when it tipped. Been going over the same ground laying in fill dirt in a depression when the ground gave way under the front left wheel. All said and done, I walked away with a h*ll of a scare, a great lesson and almost no damage to the Kubota. Some friends that stumped and graded our property had some HUGE Cat dozers out back when this happened and they put me back on my feet. They've been in the earth moving business for over twenty years, and were too happy to share all of their war stories. Flipping dozers, excavators, tractors, etc. Made me feel not-so-bad about laying down my baby! The pic is the Kubota after I gave her the once-over and a bath, and her paramedic!

Maybe it's just something about GA clay that likes to suck in tractors!

gizmo · Jun 7, 2005

Yea, I did nearly the same thing right after I got my loader. I had enough wits about me to slam the control into float which took care of the situation really fast.

I also had another event with my older tractor that looked like something right out of a cartoon. I was hauling a long log on the end of my boom pole through the woods (too fast) when the log turned sidways and caught between two trees. I was up at 45 degrees in about a half second. Clutch and brake saved my bacon.

Cityboyfarmer · Jun 7, 2005

Hi Mike!

Nice web page. Family is the #1 reason in my mind for safety.

I graduated Jonesboro High School in 1982. Small world. Is your land in Clayton County?

LBrown59 · Jun 28, 2005

my left front wheel rode slightly up the pile and the tractor tilts to the right, lifting the left rear wheel off the ground! 
=================
 Approach the pile slowly - don't lift the bucket till the list minute - keep an eye on where your wheels are heading and the type of surface they will be going over.

Never get in a hurry: When tempted to get in a rush I remind myself that no matter how long it's taking with the tractor I am way ahead time wise compared to doing it by hand.
Keep in mind the slowest tractor is much faster than the speediest shovel and wheel borrow,

TractorLegend · Jul 3, 2005

I was made aware this weekend on my hilly terrain pulling heavy tree poles up hills and around curved driveway that you could turn a tractor over sideways with not much effort.
In my case a Kioti CK30HST with poles chained up and attached to bucket I could get the tractor to lift one rear wheel off ground (which is NOT good).
It would be a benefit to lift the poles slightly to not dig into the driveway but not worth dying for.

JimMorrissey · Jul 7, 2005

City...What kind of counter weight are you using on rear end of your machine and how much does it weigh? Enough counter weight is critical for operating a loader safely.

I've had that happen multiple times with a BX and a L3830. Not a great feeling, but if you drop the loader AFAP you will take care of the situation.

Cityboyfarmer · Jul 7, 2005

Jim,

I had a box blade on the back, 500-600# maybe. Not enough I learned. The position I was in was not conducive to dropping the loader. I believe it would have tipped me on over had I floated the loader down because it was raised over the dirt pile. The loader would have hit the pile and kept the tipping momentum going. I believe in most cases it is good advice to drop the loader, though not in this instance.

JimMorrissey · Jul 9, 2005

Hummm, 5 or 6 hundred pounds sounds pretty good on the back end. In the future, consider lowering your counter balance....low enough that it doesn't drag, but the lower the better on the rear end.