Stuck in the Mud

Well, I finally did it. I stuck the Big Red Beast good. All the way up to the axles. All 11,100 pounds. The backhoe frame was sitting in the mud. When I deployed the backhoe bucket to lift the rear end up out of the mud. The bucket just went down into the muck. My neighbors came over to help. We threw boards under the BH bucket. Between the BH bucket and stabilizers, I got the rear end up out of the muck high enough to throw more boards under the tires. Then I raised the front end with the loader bucket and did the same under the front tires. We had to do this 3 times. After the first time, all my boards had dissappeared. So we started cutting down 4-5 inch trees in 2 foot lengths to throw under the tires. After the first try we had water appearing. I was concerned because we were scheduled for scattered thunderstorms. We didn't get the storms and after two hours of thrashing in the mud, the Beast walked out under her own power. Two mistakes I won't make again. I won't try to back out, as that dug in deeper. The front loader wanted to pull her out, but the BH frame just drug deeper. Don't use the stabilizer if you can. These just take up boards under them and time. Lift the rear end with the BH bucket alone if you can. But the Big Red Beast was so low, I had to use the BH bucket and stabilizers to raise her.
I had my camera hanging from the ROPS for blog photos. But I was too concerned in getting her out of the mud to remember to take photos! So now I just have a photo of the mud hole.
hugs, Brandi

Wow...you really were buried, and from the look of the mud in your picture, it almost looks like quicksand. It's been a long time since I've been stuck that bad, but I remember what a chore it was to get out. Glad you got out and everything is OK.

Good job getting her out Brandi. They say we're not using them if we don't get em stuck once in awhile, or at least come close to getting stuck. Since you got out under your own power, you technically weren't stuck, you were merely delayed.
I'm curious though what you meant when you said:

Brandi said:

Don't use the stabilizer if you can.

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Brandi:

I agree with Doc on the "technicality". Glad you were able to get out. It is nice to have helpful neighbors. Jay

Doc said:

Good job getting her out Brandi. They say we're not using them if we don't get em stuck once in awhile, or at least come close to getting stuck. Since you got out under your own power, you technically weren't stuck, you were merely delayed.
I'm curious though what you meant when you said:

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Doc,
If you you get too low in the mud, the BH bucket or stabilizers can't raise your rear end alone. I had to jockey with a combination of both to get up when burined to the axles. But it took a lot of time to keep placing boards under the stabilizers, then burying them when you are high enough for the bucket to use its designed power advantage. Each time I got her to inch forward, she would sink so low, the BH bucket didn't have enough power (mechanical advantage angle) to get the rear end up. I had to jockey between the stabilizers and bucket to raise the rear end. But after I had some small logs under the tires and the BH subframe out of the mud, I could raise the tires about 10 inches up to get larger logs under it by BH bucket alone. So if you can, leave the stabilizers up. They were full of mud and also in the way of sliding a long board under the rear tires.
Thus, if you can lift the rear end with the BH bucket alone, it saves a lot of time and energy trying to "shore" up the stabilizers. A 4x4 and landscaping timber parallel under the stabilizer legs worked best under the stabilizers. Because when you go way high by means of the bucket, the stabilizers get a narrower track the higher you go and slide off up short or narrow boards where as the 4x4 or landscaping timber gave the pads a "rail" to slide on as then went down and angles inward.
I know...... it isclear as mud.
hugs, Brandi

That just proves what my dad always said. "Just because ya have 4WD doesn't mean you don't get stuck. Just means you get stuck worse than everyone else"

civesnedfield said:

That just proves what my dad always said. "Just because ya have 4WD doesn't mean you don't get stuck. Just means you get stuck worse than everyone else"

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Ed,
Glad to hear you are alive and not frozen on top of that "modem" pole. How is the Tank running? Do y'all still have snow piled everywhere?
I forgot to say in my original post that at one point I thought I blew a hydraulic line while getting out of my "delayed" spot. My backhoe controls froze, but my loader still moved. I was looking every where for a leak when Lori pointed to the left rear tire. That is when I saw a quick disconnect popped off and I was trying to move a non-pressurized system.
Talk about being frustated. I thought I was "delayed" in the mud and had a broken backhoe!
hugs, Brandi

Bindian said:

Ed,
Glad to hear you are alive and not frozen on top of that "modem" pole. How is the Tank running? Do y'all still have snow piled everywhere?
I forgot to say in my original post that at one point I thought I blew a hydraulic line while getting out of my "delayed" spot. My backhoe controls froze, but my loader still moved. I was looking every where for a leak when Lori pointed to the left rear tire. That is when I saw a quick disconnect popped off and I was trying to move a non-pressurized system.
Talk about being frustated. I thought I was "delayed" in the mud and had a broken backhoe!
hugs, Brandi

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I like that term "Delayed"--I'll have to remember that one next time. Last spring my buddy got the itch and just had to go out and start haying. I called him on Friday when I got home and asked if he needed any help. He told me that the bulk of the work was done now. He said he had a little trouble. I asked him if he started over at Nancy's, he said yes, then I asked him if he got stuck behind the house at the tree line--he dropped the phone and asked how I knew. Not only did he get the tractor stuck up to the axle, he buried the mower/conditioner too.

Tank is running good. Did a little snow clean up Friday. YES there are still snow piles up here. I think I might be able to get to the barn around August.

this is some of our rough mowing jobs. Tractor not stuck but sure is deep. What nice is no one around can do this type of work. This is my OLD 1997 New Holland 4630 8 wheel drive.