Take your time...

The time you save trying to rush through the job is nothing compared to the time it takes for a friend to load his tractor and drive 30 miles to save your ass...

I was building a road across a creek. It was tight quaters all around. Been moving dirt all day and I was finishing up putting dirt over the top of the culvert pipe that lets the overflow through. It's at least 25' down the side and I got too close to it. As the dirt was quite moist it was compacting under the tires of the tractor. One thing led to another and I wound up so close to the edge that the dirt gave way. The only thing that stopped me from going over was droping the bucket. Luckly it landed on the top of the culvert pipe and the tractor stopped sliding.

I was strapped in but it didn't take me but a second or two to bail off the high side of the tractor. The pictures don't do the situation justice, believe me.

Makes ya wanna go behind a tree and check your shorts

Glad it didn't get any worse!

OhioTC18 said:

Makes ya wanna go behind a tree and check your shorts

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LOL, I'm telling ya... There's an space between realizing you have a problem but believing you can drive out of if and then suddenly realizing that your in deep sh*t and there's a good chance you're going to get hurt.

It's in this space that you start thinking of just how stupid rushing through this part of the job was and how much you wish you haden't pushed the limits as far as you had. And I'm sure that it was funny as hell watching me bail off the high side of that tractor. Although in retrospect, if the tractor hadn't stopped sliding I would never had made it off in time. But none-the-less, I'm sure it would have been interesting to see me try.

Dang glad it turned out OK for ya. I know all about the pics not doing a close call like that justice, so I can only imagine how bad it really was.

I got in a similiar situation by my pond a few years ago, and had to hurry and get my other tractor hooked up to it to keep it from going over as I backed out of it. I think it may be the pic in my avitar but it dont show the other side.

Damn! Look at those tires!

squerly said:

Damn! Look at those tires!

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That was part of my problem , its perty sandy here and the tires took to big a bite. .

Cowboy said:

had to hurry and get my other tractor hooked up to it to keep it from going over as I backed out of it.

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I didn't have another tractor to hook up but I ran down and got my truck, hooked a tow strap to the tractor/truck and put some tension on it while I waited for my buddy to bring his tractor over.

He hooked a chain to the grader (on the back of my tractor), I put mine in nutral, and he started pulling. I stood off to the side and kept my fingers crossed. The front slid off, as expected, and he was left with my tractor hanging down the hill and him unable to pull it up. It was a mess. I had to climb back on mine, start it up and (with him pulling) I backed it up the hill. Fricken scarry time. But we had a beer or two afterward, ate a bunch of deer jerky, and laughed a bunch.

squerly said:

I didn't have another tractor to hook up but I ran down and got my truck, hooked a tow strap to the tractor/truck and put some tension on it while I waited for my buddy to bring his tractor over.

He hooked a chain to the grader (on the back of my tractor), I put mine in nutral, and he started pulling. I stood off to the side and kept my fingers crossed. The front slid off, as expected, and he was left with my tractor hanging down the hill and him unable to pull it up. It was a mess. I had to climb back on mine, start it up and (with him pulling) I backed it up the hill. Fricken scarry time. But we had a beer or two afterward, ate a bunch of deer jerky, and laughed a bunch.

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Yup that sounds a lot scarier then my situation for sure, but I have seen what kind of terrain you have too, so even with another tractor I doubt I would have attempted it myself in your case. Sounds like it turned out great though espectally with the beer and the good laughs, it sure gives one something to look back on too.

DAMN!

squerly said:

There's an space between realizing you have a problem but believing you can drive out of if and then suddenly realizing that your in deep sh*t and there's a good chance you're going to get hurt.
)

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Been in that "zone" a couple of times over the years but always made it out unscathed, even if it took a while. Glad you got out of it with nothing worse than a good story to tell.

Been there myself a few times. On one occasion, even after it was fully shut down, it continued to tip if i moved even the slightest amount in the seat. That flip would have been over a 8' embankment into water over our (mine and the tractors) head. Home alone and getting dark, it would have been a long time before they found us upside down at the bottom of that pond.

Man that is scary. I got in a similar predicament last year in cleaning out a not so dried up pond. I thought for sure I was in for it. Prayed a lot and was able to be pulled out with another tractor- then , I did it again worse the next week- I was saved again by prayer and the 4 wd tractor He furnished . That time , I was thinking about something else and backed up too much and one side of the cat skid steer just caved into the mud- one front wheel was off the ground and the other was in deep. I was very close to going into debt and having to buy my bil another skid steer. I sure believe in the power of prayer and am very grateful. . bordercollie