WHAT NOT TO DO! OUCH!

byax65 · May 4, 2004

Hey All,

Made a rookie mistake today and figured I'd warn all you other new tractor owners. I had been working in my pole barn cleaning it out, there is no cement floor yet and the ground is uneven at the far end. I like to keep my stuff off the dirt so till I cement the floor, I have everything sitting on pallets. Cleaned it all out, put everything back in, last to go was all the pallets. Once they were in I wanted to drop the forks and go hook the bucket back up. I had the tractor rev'in at around 2000, (Loud enough to not be heard shouting), didn't realize the forks were sitting up on an incline of about 6 inches. Set the tractor in neutral with parking brake but left rpm's alone, jumped off and pulled the quick detach lever on one side, then reached over and pulled the other lever. OUCH! Attach plate dropped (Was in float position) down on my right foot and pinned it in place. Could not get it free and could not lift the arms. Worse, I'm in the pole barn so no one can see me and the tractor is echoing enough inside to drown out my calls to the wife. Stuck for 20 minutes, tried to reach several items just out of reach to try and pry the arms up. Then tried to lasso a basketball which I was gonna throw at the joystick to lift up the arms. Ball rolled away out of reach. Finally realized if I pushed the near lever back down the pin may lift it up enough. It worked enough that I was able to eventually get my foot wiggled free. Once all that blood was freed my foot ballooned up. Went to doctor, got some drugs an a excuse absence from work for five days /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. Luckily no breaks. Morale of story: Keep feet clear of loader arms when pulling those levers, duh! Two, idle the tractor down next time so people can hear me scream every four letter word in the book, beginning with HELP! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

BY

JayC · May 4, 2004

Ouch! Glad you are ok. That could have made for a much worse day. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

jinman · May 4, 2004

That's a big O-U-C-H! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I'm glad nothing was broken. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Too darn bad it was your hydro-foot. Can you sit side-saddle and operate the tractor with your left foot? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Lazy · May 4, 2004

Hi
Glad to hear you're ok, I keep my cell phone in my pocket just in case that happens to me. so far even with all the dumb things I do I have managed to survive, but I know the day is coming I might need the cell to get help.

Charlie

JimR · May 4, 2004

You were very lucky. Always carry a knife in your pocket. You could have dug yourself out with it. My father in law years ago flipped his tractor over on himself. His ankle was under the back wheel. He dug himself out with his Swiss Army knife. Lucky for him that he had it on him. Otherwise he probably would have lost his foot. Nobody was around and his wife wouldn't be home for another 7 hours.

markie61 · May 4, 2004

I wear steel-toe Redwing boots with 1800lb rating most of the time, still....

Like you, I put the booms in "float" when I am changing between the forks and bucket. After my first close call, I started releasing the far-side lever before I release the closest one. That way, I usually have to step back to drop the booms.

I always wondered what would happen if the boom fell on my foot - now (thanks to you) I know /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. I am glad you are mostly OK. Hope the foot gets well enough for you to climb back up on that horse ASAP.

Thanks for sharing.

Mark

byax65 · May 4, 2004

Thanks fella's,

Actually between the vicadin and bud's, my foot feels quite well. I did have steel toe'd boots, but the thing fell just beyond the steel toe, that's what prevented me from pulling my foot out, the steel lip of the shoe was caught on the other side. I guess the old proverb is true, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or in this case, wiser!!

BY

AndyMA · May 4, 2004

I've been using the Skid Steer Quick Attaches for several years now. I never release them when any attachment is on the ground. I raise the implement up a foot or 2 and curl the loader back. I then get off tractor and release the 2 arms. As long as busket is curled, implement stays on just fine. Only then do I drive to location where I want to drop implement and set it on ground and lower loader, uncurl loader and back out so that it releases. This way, I'm no way near loader when it comes out of implement. You are also not releasing arms when there is any pressure on them.

Andy

JimR · May 4, 2004

One thing to remember about steel toes. If the weight is too much, the metal plate will cut your toes off.

byax65 · May 5, 2004

ANdyMA,

That's good advice. I'll have to remember to start doing it that way from now on.

BY

PineRidge · May 5, 2004

I agree with Andy. When I attach an implement using the quick attach I curl into it lift it slightly off the ground, dismount the tractor and lock the QA.

Likewise when I drop an implement I slightly raise, slightly curl, unlock the QA, move it where I want it parked, lower the arms, and uncurl out of the QA attachment. It can't hurt you if you are still in the seat.

Glad you weren't hurt!

Mark_in_NH · May 6, 2004

( Like you, I put the booms in "float" when I am changing between the forks and bucket. )

For the life of me, I can't imagine why anybody would do it this way. Never mind leaving the RPM's cranked up. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Either one alone or together is just asking for an accident to happen.
I Never leave my tractor throttled up when I get off it. It is Always shut down to an idle or shut right off.
I also leave my loader raised off the ground when unlatching my quick-tach, but only by a few inchs. I also make sure that I keep my feet well out of the way, just in case. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I would think that putting it in the float position, which allows everything to settle onto the ground, would put tension on the latch's.

bcarter · May 6, 2004

One thing to remember about steel toes. If the weight is too much, the metal plate will cut your toes off. 

...but supposedly they will be cut "clean" and can be re-attached. Not much they can do with crushed toes...

Either way its something I'd prefer to avoid!

Inspector507 · May 6, 2004

Sometimes the metal will just curl down INTO the top of the foot, not cutting anything off. But you also have to cut the boots off and ATTEMPT to get the foot out. Not very pleasant. Happened to my brother.

markie61 · May 6, 2004

You're right - I've already changed the way I release the levers by keeping it a few inches in the air. All this talk about steel-toed boots cutting off toes made me rethink my methods.
Mark

Ronbo · May 6, 2004

If you'da had the knife, you could'a cut yer foot off and changed your name to stumpy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

GaryM · May 7, 2004

A REAL man would have chewed it off at the ankle!

MossRoad · May 7, 2004

A REAL man would have chewed it off at the ankle! 

Only if the tractor was ugly /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But seriously, shut that tractor off every time you get off and make sure all implements are down on the ground.

And with my luck, throwing a basketball at the joystick, if I was good enough to hit it, the stick would bounce back, then forward a bit and push down even harder. Or the ball would bounce off the parking break and onto the shifter and it would run me over. But, that's just my luck.

Glad you kept your foot. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

byax65 · May 8, 2004

Hey,

I'll never look at my steel toed boots again after reading these posts!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Seriously though, how many of you out there turn your tractor off everytime you dismount the tractor? If I am only getting off for a minute and getting right back on I leave the tractor running in neutral with the parking brake set. Am I in the minority here? Just curious.

BY