Pulling stuck vehicles out of the ditch with a tractor

[Blue Mule]

After perusing the entire thread, all I can say is God bless Kentucky. People still help each other out all the time here, and I've never once heard of someone being dragged into court. A person stranded in a rural ditch after dark in the middle of a winter storm is more than happy to have a bystander offer to pull them out, preventing what would surely be a several hundred dollar tow bill. And folks understand that in extreme circumstances like that things will occasionally not go the way you want. It's a part of the natural risk of life that we all assume. And even IF, and I stress the if, a guy ended up in court defending himself few judges here would throw the book at him after hearing that he was simply trying to help a fellow citizen in distress. Believe it or not, compassion still exists in courtrooms. At least, it does here in the Commonwealth.

 

[hodge]

After perusing the entire thread, all I can say is God bless Kentucky. People still help each other out all the time here, and I've never once heard of someone being dragged into court. A person stranded in a rural ditch after dark in the middle of a winter storm is more than happy to have a bystander offer to pull them out, preventing what would surely be a several hundred dollar tow bill. And folks understand that in extreme circumstances like that things will occasionally not go the way you want. It's a part of the natural risk of life that we all assume. And even IF, and I stress the if, a guy ended up in court defending himself few judges here would throw the book at him after hearing that he was simply trying to help a fellow citizen in distress. Believe it or not, compassion still exists in courtrooms. At least, it does here in the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth of Virginia, too.

 

[masseyrider]

After perusing the entire thread, all I can say is God bless Kentucky. People still help each other out all the time here, and I've never once heard of someone being dragged into court. A person stranded in a rural ditch after dark in the middle of a winter storm is more than happy to have a bystander offer to pull them out, preventing what would surely be a several hundred dollar tow bill. And folks understand that in extreme circumstances like that things will occasionally not go the way you want. It's a part of the natural risk of life that we all assume. And even IF, and I stress the if, a guy ended up in court defending himself few judges here would throw the book at him after hearing that he was simply trying to help a fellow citizen in distress. Believe it or not, compassion still exists in courtrooms. At least, it does here in the Commonwealth.

Everybody is related at least once.
Who would abandon and strand family.
What would brother/father/cousin say?

 

[In.the.Piñons]

Wow, thanks for all the replies guys!

It is a shame that lawyers mess everything up. It's easy to get cynical in the modern world and not want to help out I guess (and for good reason).

To be clear though, I'm talking about people being stuck on my road, on my land (a few neighbors have easement access). So whomever I'm helping out is someone I know or a delivery person etc. I like to keep an eye on what's going on anyway if someone is stuck. They or the tow truck driver can damage the road/fence or my land etc when recovering someone. A couple of years back a rather nasty neighbor shammed a driver in a FWD courtesy shuttle car into going down a very steep icy road on my property. Of course they couldn't get up the hill and were stuck there for 3 hours. They took out my fence and the poor driver, who was on crutches, was stuck in the car as his door was pinned against the fence!

 

[groundcover]

This guy doesn't even need a strap !

 

[bcp]

This guy doesn't even need a strap !

Teesdale farmer cleared by jury after flipping car with tractor

Robert Hooper said of altercation he had ‘felt threatened, and an Englishman’s home is his castle’

www.theguardian.com

Bruce

 

[norbert77]

I wouldn't use chain unless it was massive oversized. In the 4x4 world we use a recovery strap, it has more give and elasticity than a regular strap, it is meant to take a good jolt. Since your tractor won't do anything quickly, likely not a worry until you get into a really stuck heavier vehicle. If you can pull without having to take a run, likely okay, but for anything else a recovery strap

 

[tundraman01]

If my tow ball can pull a 10,000Lb trailer; why can't it pull, not jerk, a stuck vehicle?

 

[4570Man]

If my tow ball can pull a 10,000Lb trailer; why can't it pull, not jerk, a stuck vehicle?

Well in most cases it can. The high drop balls are the ones breaking off.

 

[LouNY]

If my tow ball can pull a 10,000Lb trailer; why can't it pull, not jerk, a stuck vehicle?

It can but to many people use a tow ball with a reduced shank in larger hole which fits loose. Or has been over torqued to stay tight and then the idiots doing the pulling or even the stuck vehicle get slack and then jerk on it, and then something breaks and trys to fly sometimes resulting in bad situations and injuries or damage.
Many times no damage just a startling surprise. A loop or clevis around a good tow ball and smoothly pulled on is not an issue when it gets jerked by jerks things happen.
An inch or inch and quarter shanked towball in the same sized drawbar isn't bad, but there are a lot of tow balls with 3/4" shanks sold and install in 1" drawbars.

 

[JRH02]

It can but to many people use a tow ball with a reduced shank in larger hole which fits loose. Or has been over torqued to stay tight and then the idiots doing the pulling or even the stuck vehicle get slack and then jerk on it, and then something breaks and trys to fly sometimes resulting in bad situations and injuries or damage.
Many times no damage just a startling surprise. A loop or clevis around a good tow ball and smoothly pulled on is not an issue when it gets jerked by jerks things happen.
An inch or inch and quarter shanked towball in the same sized drawbar isn't bad, but there are a lot of tow balls with 3/4" shanks sold and install in 1" drawbars.

Do it right:

 

[groundcover]

Some good info.

 

[deserteagle71]

I carry one of these in my rig all the time. Only mine is made out of solid aluminum, weighs very little. Better safe than sorry.

 

[ning]

If my tow ball can pull a 10,000Lb trailer; why can't it pull, not jerk, a stuck vehicle?

If the vehicle is stuck on ice or just a bit of mud, no worries.

If it's stuck in deep mud, the forces necessary to pull a vehicle out may be double or triple the weight of the vehicle, at which point the tow hitch - or something else on one or both vehicles - may fail.

 

[grsthegreat]

i dont know...i usually pull someone out every year. i have a hook on the front frame, or can use rear drawbar with clevis if i dont have something attached.

 

[Torvy]

States need to all have good Samaritan laws that make lawsuits against someone trying to help almost impossible to win...like they must prove intent to damage/harm.

 

[4570Man]

States need to all have good Samaritan laws that make lawsuits against someone trying to help almost impossible to win...like they must prove intent to damage/harm.

Even if you do win lawsuits can be financially devastating. The consequences for filing frivolous claims should be severe.

 

[Benny Blue]

Whether you are driving a Tractor, truck or car… I don’t think you should try to “unstuck” anyone by pulling from the front of your tractor/vehicle (by going in reverse).
Something about being really bad for the gears.

Just something I heard a while back and it’s always stuck with me.

 

[j13smiley]

Not saying to do it, but I thought reverse was usually one of the strongest gears.

 

[DarkBlack]

You’re using 90% of the same gears in reverse. No gears are harmed