Thought I had done broke it...

jwstewar

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I did some bush hogging/rough cutting/slashing whatever you want to call it this weekend.:wink: Of course, what I calling bush hogging some people refer to it as land clearing.:eek: I managed to only get stuck twice this time - both on the house side of the creek/ditch. I've attached pictures of the second/worst of the 2 times. Don't worry the cutter was off before it had flipped up like that - I knew it was going to do it based on the terrain I was on. That is the disadvantage/advantage of using a chain for the top link. It kept compressing the top link before. So far I haven't compressed the PTO shaft all the way - though this is probably fairly close.

Anyway, on to how I thought I broke it. I had almost finished up Sunday night after I got side tracked by installed brakes on Monica's cousin's car so I was happy. It was about 7:30 or so, almost done. I still have a patch of "trees" that I cut around that are too big for the tractor to knock over. I looked over and saw one that still had some growth under it but it also had another "tree" leaning. I drove over to it took the loader and was pushing the leaner out of the way. All of a sudden the tractor started stumbling and died.:angry3: It wouldn't start and the dash lights all were dim when I tried to start it. I get off and have a look. There was a branch that was on the ground that I had caught. It came up over top the axle and went up into the frame of the tractor. It hit the wiring for the main wire harnerss and the wire for the starter. At this point it is starting to get dark and with the tractor being where it was I was afraid to leave it thinking it would grow legs. I went and got Monica and the truck. I was also afraid it the truck wouldn't pull it out because I was along the ditch again in a bit of mud - and no tractor assist. I put the tow strap around the tail wheel and hook it to the truck. Monica had the truck in Lo-4wd and the truck pulled it out with ease. She pulled me back across to where we access the road and we then turned around to pull it forward and pulled it down the road to our driveway (500 ft. or so, all in front of our property, but I have to use the road to access the "other side" of our property). I put some things away and started looking at the tractor. I didn't try to start it again, but I did check lights and everything. They all worked. I then started checking wires and fuses all were good except for the wire I had run to add the horn the split loom was now split in another direction but the wire itself wasn't hurt. Hmmmm.....I tried to start it again. It tried to start, but the battery was low and the solenoid just kept kicking out. This is the original battery in the tractor, but it had been starting fine all day. I put the battery charger on 40-amp, hit the starter and the tractor fires right up. I put it away for the night.

Last night I go home, I check it again in the daylight and still don't see anything wrong. So I retape the wires and everything that I had undone in my trouble shooting the night before. Put the battery charger back on it and it fired right up - it still wouldn't start without it. I then went and bush hogged for another couple of hours - finished mine and did some of the neighbor's land. Tractor ran fine and came back to the barn and it is starting just fine. Looks like I dodged one this time...
 

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Doc

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So did Monica have to tow you out of the pics where you were stuck (above)? Seems like you kept her busy. :yum:

Glad you dodged the bullet. I'm planning to catch up on my bush hogging this weekend. Even if it is nice out I plan to resist the urge to take out the boat one more time.

I had a similar experience last Friday. I finally was able to mow and only had two strips of grass left to mow and the Scag died on me. No nothing. Just a little whine. I got the trailer and used the tractor to push it on the trailer. Pulled it up by the garage and put my battery charger on it. I left it on for over an hour and tried to start it but all I go was the whine. So off I go to the Scag dealer. Told the mechanic there what it was doing and dang if he didn't take a pair of pliers and touch the handle ends to each of the battery terminals. Nothing. He says dead battery. I told him I had charged it and I didn't think that was it. :hide: He gets a power pack and says if it will jump and run it's the battery. Sure nuff, he gave it a jump and she ran just fine. So I got off cheap. 48 bucks for a new battery and I was back in business. :D

I'm still befuddled by the way it stopped running during operation. Weird for a battery to do that, but it did. :confused:
 

jwstewar

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So did Monica have to tow you out of the pics where you were stuck (above)? Seems like you kept her busy. :yum:

Glad you dodged the bullet. I'm planning to catch up on my bush hogging this weekend. Even if it is nice out I plan to resist the urge to take out the boat one more time.

...

I'm still befuddled by the way it stopped running during operation. Weird for a battery to do that, but it did. :confused:

Yes, I had to have her pull me out twice from being down in the ditch/creek and then once when the log went up into it. That is less times than normal :whistling:

No 4-wheel drive JW?

Yes, that was 4wd w/ rear diff lock. The way the weight shifts when I back down into the bank, the fronts don't do a lot - especially right when like now the ground was damp. I also learned that the loader doesn't do a real good job of pulling you forward. It will just bunch stuff up under the front of the tractor. It will push you backward pretty well but not the other direction. Combine that with the angle and it won't do much either. I've learned when it happens, just go get Monica and the Silverado and pop it up out of there w/o any issues.
 

squerly

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You were buried good, that's for sure. Last time I did that I remember my biggest concern was getting out before anyone I knew saw me.:rolleyes: Stuff like this has a way of hanging on... and on... and on.
 

squerly

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Ya know JW, that looks a lot like a budweiser in that there cup holder.

Just saying... ;)
 

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jwstewar

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That would be a regular Pepsi my dear friend. Haven't had a beer - or any drink for that matter since probably 2001. :drink: I can probably count on my fingers the number of beers I've had in my lifetime. Just never did like the taste of it. I did like mixed drinks though, but once Monica got pregnant and couldn't have them any more, we both quit drinking and never went back. Give me a Pepsi though and I can probably out drink the best of them.:drink::a1: Monica always tells the waitresses that they might as well hook a hose up, because they won't be able to bring the glasses fast enough. They usually end up bringing 2 at a time.:yum: Along the same lines, I've never even so much had one puff of a cigarette or anything else for that matter.
 

jwstewar

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You were buried good, that's for sure. Last time I did that I remember my biggest concern was getting out before anyone I knew saw me.:rolleyes: Stuff like this has a way of hanging on... and on... and on.

I gave up on worried about people seeing me. We are on the corner right beside a major highway, so everytime I'm stuck seems like everyone knows it because they saw it. When I started cutting the other day, F-I-L asked me if I was gonna get stuck. My reply was, "I think that is a given that I will.":hide:
 

jwstewar

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Well JW, if we can't blame this on the beer then what's left? You fall asleep or something? Jeesh...

Nope, I call it pushing it to the limits. I always tell Monica that if I didn't get stuck at least once, I wasn't cutting all of the weeds that I could because I probably could've gone a bit farther.:dancing: Can't blame a guy for trying :drive2:
 

squerly

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The Lord: "Where's JW?"
St. Peter: "He'll be along shortly, he got stuck again... "
 

jwstewar

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Funny thing was, I was most scared when Monica was pulling me back to the barn. I don't think she realizes how fast 15 - 20 MPH is on that tractor w/o any suspension and you get the fluid in the back tires in "harmony" and to make it fun, since it wasn't running almost no steering.:17875:
 

Doc

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Jim,
Is your NH a hydro? Did you have to do anything special to make it free wheel?
 

jwstewar

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Jerry has it. I just put the range in neutral. I love the hydro transmission. I don't think I do what I do near as fast or easily with a standard tranny.
 
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