Tractor Horror Stories

[CrealCritter]

Share your tractor horror stories here.

I'll start with one (I have been told several).

Farmer parked tractor to go in and get lunch. Farmer's kids were playing on the tractor. Kids set the tractor idle up all the way, released the brake and put it in gear. Farmer comes out gets on tractor, hit the ignition. Tractor takes off, threw farmer off the back of the tractor. Tractor tore up two pickup trucks, a out building, damaged the barn, hit the side of the house before it got hung up in-between two trees and he was able to cut it off.

Lesson... Make sure you follow a start up procedure every time. Make sure the brake is set, PTO is disengaged, it's out of gear, the clutch(s) is disengaged (mine had two clutches) and the idle is low RPMs.

 

[farmerjan]

DS ran over a new baby calf hidden in the tall grass at one place he was bushogging.... didn't find it til the next trip around and the cow came charging up to get her calf and it was dead....

Got 3 fawns at 3 different hayfields this year with the discbine/ mowing hay. Happens every year that he usually gets one. They don't get up and run when they are very new.... got a hen turkey on a nest and we brought home the eggs not broken and hatched out a few.... she never flew or ran..... he did see one at another pasture and mowed a big triangle around where she was... looked pretty silly in the middle of the hayfield... but she came off the nest with a bunch of poults about a week later.... got mowed off the next cutting.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

When I bush hog I tell my wife and have her check on me occasionally. All pets and kids are put up, until I'm done and the tractor is parked.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

Creal, when you started this thread, I thought to myself: "Now why would he go and start such a thread. This is not gonna be pretty." But, you know what, my friend? I'm glad you did start this thread. Because if any one of these horror stories is enough to make someone pause, and take a few extra safety precautions, it just might save a life. I don't know if it would be possible to walk a field, or even send a drone over before bush hogging or mowing. But, that might be a good idea.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Not tractor, but I can tell you that it's wise to be sure that your rear tine tiller has the tines in the shallowest setting before engaging them in rock hard soil.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Oh yeah. Can't let go cause it will keep on galloping w/o a driver. Can't pull back cause that sets the tines deeper, and makes it gallop faster. The ONLY possible solution is to be able to out run it for just a step or two, and lift the tines up w/o being dragged off your feet. That, my friends is why I much prefer my broad fork to my TroyBilt Pony. The broad fork only goes as fast as I do. But, with the tiller, even if the soil is softened up a bit, or I can even go deep with the tines, one of our many boulders can kick the tines out of the soil, and send me galloping across the yard. Giddy-up-hi-oh-kay-eeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Then... there's always the concern about the garden fence! Getting a tiller stuck in the garden fence is even more of a horror show.

 

[Britesea]

Yep. That's why we prefer raised beds here. Only thing I use to dig in the soil is a trowel, but usually I just use my hands because the soil is so soft.

 

[Britesea]

 

[Mini Horses]

Remove tractor key!

Hard soil+ tiller= unbelievable throwing you around!!

 

[CrealCritter]

Not tractor, but I can tell you that it's wise to be sure that your rear tine tiller has the tines in the shallowest setting before engaging them in rock hard soil.

Whoa Pony! Jerk a knot in your tail.

 

[CrealCritter]

Creal, when you started this thread, I thought to myself: "Now why would he go and start such a thread. This is not gonna be pretty." But, you know what, my friend? I'm glad you did start this thread. Because if any one of these horror stories is enough to make someone pause, and take a few extra safety precautions, it just might save a life. I don't know if it would be possible to walk a field, or even send a drone over before bush hogging or mowing. But, that might be a good idea.

Well when you hit a sofa in the tall grass, it kind of makes you think a little about safety. And yes I did... I ran over that sofa and chopped it up real good before I could get the tractor shut down 🤣. Thankfully it wasn't on my property but my neighbors, so he got to clean up the mess. No good deed goes unpunished. He's still in denial, doesn't ever remember dumping a sofa back there.


Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸