Working tractor in the water

[RPK]

I live on a 100 acre lake and have backed my L3130 with landscape rake out into our swimming area to clean out the bottom. My question is, how much of the tractor is safe to be submerged?? I think there is a breather port for the hydro fluid at the rear of the tractor and I'm sure this should be kept dry. Any other thoughts on this?

Thanks

 

[Blagadan]

I'd be thinking about making an extension for your rake so you can keep your machine on dry land....

 

[MrJimi]

Also consider brakes, wheel bearings and shaft openings, I like the rake extension idea more now

 

[art]

I'd wonder how far you are backing into the lake? How deep have you had it? Are you axle deep?

 

[RPK]

Good points. I have had it out axle deep once. I hadn't thought about brakes and bearings. I am not going to do it again. I have been thinking about mounting the rake on the front of the tractor and this will give me a good reason to do so. Thanks

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I would be concerned like the others said about contamination of the rear end, brakes and vital fluids. Maybe tire tread deep without any worrys. Another thread awhile back the guy wanted ways to clean his pond. I think the best idea was using a chain link fence drag across the bottom.

 

[AndyinIowa]

On a related note, here in Iowa with the heavy flooding, many of us have had our machines in deep water intentionally or unintentionally. I'd rather drown the tractor while moving sandbags vs. worry about bearings and seals. We have wreckers up to their rear decks in water, wheel loaders up to their engine fans in water, etc....

The best thing to do is get tractor onto dry ground and let it drain off before hosing it down in WD-40 and moving on.

IowaAndy

 

[ampsucker]

another vote for an extension and keeping it on dry ground as much as possible. my main concern would be getting it stuck in the soft muck and then really having it sink down past the vent holes. even with four wheel drive, the ground around the edge of a pond or lake can be like quicksand and suck you in quick.

amp

 

[dtd24]

I have been thinking of how to accomplish this myself I was thinking of placing my landscape rake at one side of the pond, and chaining it from the top link pin to the tractor on the other side of the pond. Then I could pull the rake through the pond. Not sure if it will be heavy enough for this, but I could try the box blade instead. Sounds good, but not sure how effective it will be. That is like project 18 on summer list. Working on project 5 right now!!!

 

[wushaw]

I wouldn't be worried so much about the brakes since they are wet brakes, It's the bearings, for some reason water just loves bearing surfaces.

Alxe seals are designed to keep fluid in and dust out....not fluid out.

 

[john_bud]

When you make an "oil slick" you've gone too far!


jb

 

[Kays Supply]

I sold the Grey market tractors for a few years. They were worked in water up to the foot rests daily. They are designed for rice patty work. Some of them must have been deeper. I found mud in places you wouldn't believe. All that and they really didn't show much problems with water doing damage inside. Bad shifter boots and rain did more damage.

 

[638]

dtd24,

Do not under any cercumstance hook any thing to the top link pin bracket on your tractor! This will cause the tractor to back flip (roll over backwards). Always pull from the fixed drawbar, which is lower than the axle shafts, thus preventing a back flip.

ron

 

[Kendrick]

hehe my kioti manual sais to bring a step stool along for when you exit the tractor in a rice field. never saw a warning about how deep is to deep. saw a utube vid of "water leveling" 2 tractors up to their axels in water plowing the high spots or somthing.

 

[pat32rf]

After using my various 4x4's in water for the past 30yrs I don't worry about water in the brakes, front axle etc as long as you use the vehicle every few days to keep the water mixed in the boxes and DON"T get over the vent height of any auto tranny or hydrostat. If you get muddy water into either you get problems real quick.
I bought my first auto on a 4x4 (Scout with 727 tranny) back in 76. The salesman insisted that I was safe as long as the water was below the top of the dipstick tube. Their service dept showed my where the vent was when they had the tranny out the next month...... As soon as it was out of warranttee (12 months) I took it to a tranny shop for an extended vent, new clutch plates and a real oil cooler. We used that truck for the next 20yrs without any problems more serious than universals and body rot..

 

[dtd24]

638, I meant the top link of the rake. Then back to the drawbar

 

[638]

My bad

ron

 

[PBinWA]

I've never used one but this thing is interesting:

Paumco - Beach Buddy

 

[lhfarm]

I built a pond rank using a 3pt lift pole with a 2" receiver and a 10' 2x2 extension. I moved it to the front of the tractor by welding a 3 pt HF QA to loader QA plate. I have less than $200 in the plate and HF QA.

I haven't put my landscape rake on the front yet, but I could. I really like having the rake on the loader. Not only does it keep the tractor out of the water, but I can see what I'm doing and I can maneuver the loader to get the right angle and depth for dragging the bottom.

 

[Zick]

Had mine in water up to the feet support. Really didn't want to but it saved my back moving dirt and sand bags around the house to keep it from flooding.
Finally got stuck in the mud when the ground became too soft. Had to get pulled out by my neighbors BX2200.