What have you broken this year?

[Mith]

Fess up then, what have you busted? Your fault, or did 'the wife' do it?


I've got by so far with a blown hydraulic line (and yes, it was my fault, just tore it off at the fitting)
Lawn tractors on the other hand, I've ruined 3 this year!

I'm betting some of your here have some stories to tell......

 

[PBinWA]

Nothing too exciting. Had a little gasket leak in my front axle. My FEL hyrdaulic lines took a beating this year. I dropped firewood and a cement mixer on them!

Otherwise, smooth sailing!

 

[xlr82v2]

Tore up the PTO shaft on my finish mower this past summer when using it on my 8N.

The 3PH on the 8N sometimes gets a mind of its own to just raise up to it's maximum travel even though you don't have the position control lever set anywhere near that.


So anyway, I'm mowing grass, and just finish one section of the yard. I raise up the mower about 6" or so, and start heading for the back section of the yard, with the PTO still running (the hitch leaks down in about minute unless you keep the PTO spinning). I get about halfway there, and all of a sudden I hear the loudest, most violent commotion going on behind me... ... the 3PH lifted up to it's maximum possible height, and hyperextended the PTO shaft with it spinning at rated speed. That was a set of nun-chucks spinning around back there like you've never seen before!! It took me about 3 hours of heating and bending and tweaking with the torch, hammers, wrenches, etc, getting that shaft back in shape enough to get it back together again. That was probably the 4th or 5th time that's happened... but it was the first time that it happened at that speed... and the first time it did any real damage.

That day it was decided by me that the 8N was going to get replaced regardless of what "she who must be obeyed" said... and my new Mahindra was sitting in the shed a few days later!! It's much easier to beg for forgiveness than to get permission sometimes... and you just have to do what you have to do.

Also had to replace that PTO shaft... at the length it had to be to work with the 8N, it was way too short to work on the Mahindra.

Don't get me wrong, I love my 8N, and it was a great tractor in it's day. Unfortunately, it's day was about 60 years ago...

Also, I just remembered, I had to replace a spindle on the same finish mower... the top bearing in it failed and was making quite a racket, but at least it didn't take anything out with it.

 

[PaulChristenson]

1. Tore the hydraulic line controlling lift on the haybine... ...inconvenient to repair
2. Sheared off the electrical connection to the kicker... ...expensive to repair

 

[California]

Pretty hard to break anything on a Yanmar! (well at least with the limited use that this one sees.) The only thing I can think of in four years I've owned it was I tore the wire off the oil pressure sender in heavy brush. It was unnerving to drive back to the barn with the light on, but the cause was obvious.

The loader (Great Bend, US) is another matter. No problems with the structure but I'm averaging ripping off at least one hose a year in brush or moving downed trees, plus replacing 1-2 of the 25 year old hoses when each reaches the sweating/bulging point. The new hoses go on the lift circuits, the barely-serviceable ones to the down pressure side so they can't strand me.

The one thing I'm watching closely is the cracked and welded front wheels. I can't imagine what the previous owner did to the tractor, but both front wheels have welds repairing stress cracks. One has '$25' on it so he must have busted up some wheels prior to these. I haven't re-cracked them in four years but this is the one thing on the tractor that needs attention. I recently bought two used correct wheels, haven't put them on yet.

 

[Mark777]

Stress Cracks ?? How in the world would someone crack those babies? Maybe operating the FEL with front flats or something?

Are they cracked at or near the lug holes or outward near the tires?

I've been very fortunate this year and (knock on wood) havent broken anything I can remember.

 

[Mith]

Stress Cracks ?? How in the world would someone crack those babies?

Maybe hitting the wheel against a curb or something? A side impact might crack them?

 

[Dougster]

Fess up then, what have you busted? Your fault, or did 'the wife' do it? I'm betting some of your here have some stories to tell......

My most expensive screw-up this past year was the deep scratching of my backhoe's bucket cylinder rod while digging under a large rock I was trying to bury deeper. It's still not repaired after the replacement part arrived at my Mahindra dealership from Bradco just as deeply scratched as the one I wished to replace. So far, Bradco has refused to ship an undamaged one in its place. Their attitude, unfortunately, is "take it or leave it." So I left it. Very disappointing for a premium American backhoe brand... and a Mahindra dealership apparently without a whole lot of clout.

I also blew out two tires on my dump trailer while on the highway... prompting replacement of all 8 tires and wheels on both of my trailers with larger, much higher load capacity steel-belted radials. Fortunately, the trailer itself was not damaged at all, but the new tires and wheels ended up costing ~$1,300.00.

I did some slight damage to my equipment trailer's right fender by hitting a certain unmovable object. I also had the FEL bucket too low while off-loading from the trailer one time. It gouged one board on the equipment trailer real good!

I also broke the small toe on my left foot... and apparently cracked a rib taking a spill recently on a client's super-icy driveway. It hurts like hell, but it hasn't slowed me down one bit.

Dougster

 

[California]

Originally Posted by Mark777
Stress Cracks ?? How in the world would someone crack those babies?

Maybe hitting the wheel against a curb or something? A side impact might crack them?

I can't imagine what the first owner did to this thing. I was told it was used mostly for mucking out a riding stable, along with general stable chores, the first 15-20 years. Maybe he had a lot of curbs in there.

I've several times started backward in a hard turn with a loaded bucket, and had the wheel tugged out of my hands. I can see how a careless operator might keep going and let the steering hit the limit hard then continue to plow sideways so it stressed the wheels.

These ultra-enlarged pictures are pretty crude. Note the primer - I think the wheels were welded, primed, then later welded up again. It looks like the '$25.00' side tore the hub out of the wheel, and the other side has a repaired spiderweb of cracks running from all the lugs out to three of the wheel-weight holes.

The owner before me said he put limited hours on these without problems. I haven't had a problem either, but I've been searching for replacement wheels and finally found some with the tiller I bought recently. The dealers can get wheels but they wanted $150 each!

 

[Nicahawk]

Mith, first of all let me say this was a good idea for a thread. When I'm not on the Kubota I'm on the ole JD 1020. The FEL cylinders bleed down pretty quick and you have to keep tweeking them up. I made some 40" forks that are bolted to the bucket and while going forward the cylinders bled down, I wasn't paying attention, and the forks went straight into the ground. Lucky for me I wasn't going very fast. Kinda gets your attention real fast. Gotta get that problem fixed before it does some real damage. I think the problem must be in the control valves and not the cylinders, but I'm far from being a hydraulics geru. I'm assuming you can get rebuild kits for the valves.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

THE BANK

 

[GreenWannabe]

First day last summer with my daughter's "new" 1994 LX176 - mowing thickest grass in the yard, tractor just stopped moving - engine running, mower spinning - yep, threw the drive belt - badly cracked and about to disintegrate. Got some interesting wrnching time in on that one...

Fred

Home is where the bus is....

"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story"

 

[Farmwithjunk]

2007 - - Year of the flat Tractor tire.

First a slice in the sidewall of a rear tire on the Massey 150. I was planning on new rubber, but hadn't bought them yet. Had to repair what I had. 4" slice all the way through the sidewall. 8" boot covered with 12" boot, new tube and we're good to go.

Then my son-in-law found the remnants of a tee post sticking out of the ground with a brand new Michelin radial on the Deere. 8" rip. VERY expensive flower bed. New tire w/freight, $$$$.$$

Trying to finish up a mowing job as it was starting to rain, I speared a stick through the slice in the sidewall of the tire on the MF150. I surrender. New tires that week.

GoodYear DynaTorque II's on "Bambi" (little Deere) decide to find a couple dozen thorns. Fix a leak, find another, ect. New tires on order.

Lost count on front tires patched.

Almost 3000 hours logged on a total of 4 tractors. One power steering cylinder, 2 belts, a radiator hose, oil/filters, and 2 u-joints (on a mower)

All in all, probably ahead of the curve.

Hope I don't mess it up next year with a bunch of new stuff

 

[PaulChristenson]

I can't imagine what the first owner did to this thing. I was told it was used mostly for mucking out a riding stable, along with general stable chores, the first 15-20 years. Maybe he had a lot of curbs in there.

I've several times started backward in a hard turn with a loaded bucket, and had the wheel tugged out of my hands. I can see how a careless operator might keep going and let the steering hit the limit hard then continue to plow sideways so it stressed the wheels.

These ultra-enlarged pictures are pretty crude. Note the primer - I think the wheels were welded, primed, then later welded up again. It looks like the '$25.00' side tore the hub out of the wheel, and the other side has a repaired spiderweb of cracks running from all the lugs out to three of the wheel-weight holes.

The owner before me said he put limited hours on these without problems. I haven't had a problem either, but I've been searching for replacement wheels and finally found some with the tiller I bought recently. The dealers can get wheels but they wanted $150 each!


View attachment 1071

You may also want to take a hard look at the axles AND the steering mechanism...just so there are no more suprises...

 

[California]

You may also want to take a hard look at the axles AND the steering mechanism...

It has the optional heavy duty front axle. The steering is all snug and straight.

In the manual I see an option kit with wheel reinforcement discs and longer lug bolts. When the dealer put the loader on it, I think he should have used the reinforcement kit.

 

[JDA 3020]

Not sure it is actually a "I broke thing" as much as a "it wore out" thing.

I replaced the shifter linkages, synchro, and other miscellaneous goodies in the picture, that kept my 3020 from going backwards. In doing this we needed to split the 3020 which was easier than I had feared. Everything works great now. Around 1800.00 dollars later, but much cheaper than having the dealer do it.

 

[Bindian]

I broke my grey water line while removing a pine sapling. I forgot it was there. I bent a hard line on my BH's bucket cylinder. I straightened it out under pressure with some 2X4s & 1X6s and nugging it into a bent tree I have on my place. I also broke a trailer stop light lens, but that wasn't my fault. It was the tree's fault as it jumped in the way.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bindian]

Fess up then, what have you busted? Your fault, or did 'the wife' do it?


I've got by so far with a blown hydraulic line (and yes, it was my fault, just tore it off at the fitting)
Lawn tractors on the other hand, I've ruined 3 this year!

I'm betting some of your here have some stories to tell......

Mith,
This guy ruined a dozer in a bad, bad way.
http://www.allowe.com/Humor/WhereIsMyDozer.htm
hugs, Brandi

 

[PaulChristenson]

Remember...DO NOT become part of the problem

 

[Doc]

Good pics Paul. Rep points for you.

I can honestly say I have broken NOTHING so far this year.