Daily carnage thread

[mike_belben]

No but you got your coffee right then on the spot and i waited years to have a splitter!

[redneck]

Unless there were two (sure could've been😁) the one failure occurred up in Wisconsin after they left Georgia. It actually wasn't the center bearing or pins, the frame just collapsed. All of Stanley's monster loads of SYP finally caught up with it. Stanley sold the machine to the guy they were contracting to in WI, who rebuilt it. It's still over there as far as I know. Stanley was homesick and headed back for Georgia.

I wonder if this is the guy who fixed that machine.   Here is a video of the start of the repair process.  He has others on his channel about this machine.  Very Interesting to watch a master mechanic and welder repair something like this.  I wish I had the skills.   Here is the link Wow! Ponsse Axle ep2 - YouTube

[teakwood]

I just can't understand how people can abuse machines to such a level!! it hurts and could a have been prevented and fixed earlier with not much money involved

[barbender]

Nope different guy. That repair right there is a fairly common one (from what I saw, I didn't watch the whole video). The vertical bolts on top of the axle housing loosen up, and if you don't catch them and tighten them down, they'll break. Once they break,  all of the stress is transferred to the long horizontal thru bolts on the bottom. Then those break, your C-frame that sits over the axle will get destroyed. I say it's a fairly common repair, by that I mean the first bolts loosening up and breaking. Beyond that your operator is really not paying attention. I check the nuts on those to make sure they're tight every time the machine gets moved, since we clean the bunks off then anyhow. As far as how does that stuff get broke in the first place, cowboy operators. I drive slow, no slamming over stumps- I figure if it hurts me, it hurts the machine too. I got my first new machine a year and ahalf ago, which is now approaching 3000 hours on the clock. Those bolts haven't loosened yet. I mound my machine up with every stick I can get on, and drive slow. Other operators throw a quick load on up to the top of the stakes, and slam their way out to the landing, breaking stuff the whole way🙄 In my experience, it's the big shock loads that break stuff.

[mike_belben]

The spread axle trailer im hauling is cracked everywhere.  Put a bunch of weight on something and put it on uneven ground for a million cycles..  stress is gonna eventually win.

[BargeMonkey]

 

 
 Spit 40ft of boom chain out the back, makes for good times. Threw a repair link in, have to fix a couple more, this job gets done she is going to the shop and getting a new boom chain. 

[mike_belben]

Me and trailers...  

Last week i tore up the spread axle and we swapped to an old, been sitting forever closed tandem flatbed for now to get by.. I hauled about 450 miles with it yesterday but i lost my wallet in the afternoon [it was under the spread i was working on] and there was some snow so it looked like school could be cancelled and i said i cant risk being gone nor should i drive with no CDL in hand.  This guy dont care but i said no and he called the only other sorta licensed driver that doesnt want the load.  He ran it half way down and called me this morning saying the whole trailer is broke.  Cant figure out where but other trucks are honking at him and its rocking all over the road.  I felt a little wiggle back there but nothing bad.  

So i dunno but im off to bubbleyum two junky trailers back together on a cold day.  Wish my phone cam worked. Quarrying is hard on equipment.  Theres a private junkyard full of dead iron that gave up the ghost under these big slabs of rock. 

[TKehl]

The past week was rough.
 
Broke the loader on the 706 where the tilt cylinder attaches to the frame.  Have it chained up, so it is still kind of usable to set out hay. 
 
But,  Sunday the fan came off and bashed the radiator of the 706.  So it's DOA for a bit until parts come in.

We still don't have a bale spike for the front of the Deere, which is sad because it actual has FWA and a cab (and the cab has a heater!)...  Just have the 3 point spike on the back.  This means we can't use the flatbed gooseneck trailer to move hay.  (Kind of okay as my big lathe is still on it.)

So of course on the second load of the "lowboy" bale carrier, we find that part of the neck on the gooseneck is split...
 
And of course, the only licensed truck we have with a gooseneck ball (dad's) is with my brother while he fixes his Exploder...  I can't give him either of my spare vehicles as they need repairs to.  Can't take anything anywhere to be fixed yet...
 
We may be down to getting bales one at a time for a bit as I sold our last good wagon in October since, "We'll never use one of these again."    We are at pick up sticks level of "Have to fix this before we can fix this." 

At least we just paid property taxes, so we don't have to worry about being loaded down with all that extra money.   :D  :D 

[Corley5]

I had one of those days too.  I left the Bobcat's lights on yesterday after plowing snow.  I tried to boost it with the charger without letting it charge at least a little bit and the solenoid stuck :-\ :-\  While diagnosing that I stepped on the charger cord and pulled out the several year old temporary repair : ;D  Got it temporarily repaired again and got the battery charging with the cables un hooked.  It took three trips up the hill to the garage and one to firewood machine shed to get the right tools and materials to work on things and of course the machine is wedged in between the wall and the syrup evaporator so I had to walk all the way around to get to both ends of the machine and there are more than a few obstacles.  Next week's project is cleaning the sugarhouse ;) :D  I took the starter and solenoid both loose and wiggled them around after tapping both the starter and the solenoid ever so gently with a hammer;) :D before I unhooked the battery.  By this time the battery was charged and when I hit the battery post with the cable the starter engaged and the solenoid released.  Cool 8) 8)  And then it started with the key.  Then after cleaning up a bit of snow I lost a tire chain and a link came off the other one.  Up to the garage, jack it up and put the chain back on and fix the other one with a shackle.  In the mean time the 550 has been plugged in.  It's been starting harder than it should because it needs a lift pump.  This issue developed a few days ago the last time it was used.  It did start but only after hooking up jumper cables to the Ram.  Finally on to doing a 5 face cord load of wood for us, my main objective for the day ;D  and it needed to be done today because of obligations the rest of the week and single digit highs forecast for the weekend.  Got half of it done before I had to pick the boys up from school and Zach helped with rest of it when we got home and he picked me up at the shop in town after dropping off the 550.  It was of those days but we made it. 

[mike_belben]

Im off to an early start for carnage this morning.  I felt one little wiggle on the interstate yesterday and looked around, tire was low. Chalked it up to loose KP's following a bad road. Today felt it for a second and pulled over before getting on the highway.  Saw brake to hub contact and got turned around.  Lost the wheel at 1mph, 2.2 miles from home.  Waiting on a $200 sling job.  First time ive paid for a bailout since i started moving in 2013.   I think 1 in 20+ break downs isnt a bad record. 

[David s Forest]

I am pretty new at this but I've been having so much fun checking out all the stuff on the Forum. Anyway, last week it is already I was trying to build a landing for my cordwood. I was placing a log with my forks and it got away from me. It broke the wheel off my tractor. I did have it fixed that day thanks to parts tractors and just for clarification, the wheel that is under the tractor, I put there to rest the the tractor on when I went to put the new spindle in place.

 

[mike_belben]

Well that settles it folks.  Check your spindle locknuts!

[Wudman]

Mine today was a little less costly........Note to self.......don't try to put a 25 inch stick of wood into a 24" stove with a glass door.  I'll normally get it in there at the proper angle and the door will close.  Today as I cinched her up, it came through the glass.....oops.......Checked the internet and an Englander replacement part was $129.00....aftermarket discounted to $119.00.  I found a glass dealer online that would cut it for me for $69.00 plus shipping (of $20.00).  I called my local glass company to see if they had a piece of ceramic glass in stock......Nope.  So, I called the closest machine and welding shop.  He fixed me up with a piece of 1/4 inch plate.  I got by for $10.00 and some good conversation.  Guess I don't have to worry about breaking the glass any more.

Wudman

[Crusarius]

I was really hoping to just continue reading this thread but I knew it was to good to be true as long as it was. 

The weather guessers are threatening freezing rain tonight and 40 tomorrow. Got home tonight figuring I will push the snowbanks back before I can't move them since I didn't do a good job when it was really cold. So i get the UTV out and start plowing. it has been feeling really sluggish lately been meaning to check it out. 

I start clearing up by the house and made some nice big snowmobile jumps  then I start clearing the main drive waiting for wife to get home.... and waiting.... and waiting.... and waiting some more. Just wish she would get home so I can do the hill that needed it more than anything. In the process of cleaning up at the house I slid off the driveway and get stuck. crap! so I get the kubota out and pull it out. ok no big deal. Continue plowing. still feeling sluggish. Wife FINALLY gets home. so I head down the driveway. get to the end get everything cleared out then head back up. can't get any speed or any traction trying to figure out what is going on. Ended up getting stuck in the middle of the driveway in about 1/2" of packed snow on the hill. 

I think I found my sluggish problem. Tire must have been low. ok. no big deal. I have to back down and take a more strategic run to get up to the house. manage to get it up to the house. Figure just going to put air in it pop it back onto the bead and finish up.

Yea. sure. nice try. apparently when I got it stuck I ripped the valve stem. So I pulled the valve stem parked it in the shed and went inside.

Of course after I got half my stuff off I remembered I needed to clear off the roof so it doesn't ice *DanG on me.

Put stuff back on back out I go. Now I am inside typing this thinking I love a good story.

Hold my beer and watch this....

[mike_belben]

All that tree pushing finally caught up to jackies front end loader.  Cracked most of the way through the passenger arm and half way thru driver side.  Also cracked a cylinder rod weld at the eyelet, and busted out the framework for the quick attach pin setup.  



I chased the cracks out and drilled the ends then bound it all into submission for a hot glue job. 










Two hours, a hundred bucks and a mile of ER70S6 later everyone is happy.  

[chevytaHOE5674]

Like Mike it was the day of loader breakage. One of the pins didn't drop into the bucket, so when I used the bucket to push myself backwards out of the snow the bucket cocked sideways on the loader and snapped the pipe that connects the left and right quick attach pin boxes.


Lots of beveling, welding, and grinding and i was back up and running.

[AZ_builder]

Good stories! Of, er, bad circumstances! They're building us a new shop to work in. The builders had extra sheets of steel roof deck that was going in the dumpster so I asked if I could have some. They said sure, take it all! Even cut it down to 12' so I could haul it. Long story short, loaded it in the truck overhanging the tail gate, backed into my parking spot and went back to work. Few hours later I was called  outside to find out I gouged the hood of the car next to me while backing in. I never even knew! $1200 later I brought home $900 of free metal roof.

[mike_belben]

Ooof!  


I made $100 and lit the right arm of two carhart insulated hoodies on fire doing it.  About $60 each.  

Just how it goes i guess.  Electric stays on another day, put some gas in the truck and back to the poor house for tomorrow. 

[mills]

Ooof!  


I made $100 and lit the right arm of two carhart insulated hoodies on fire doing it.  About $60 each.  

Just how it goes i guess.  Electric stays on another day, put some gas in the truck and back to the poor house for tomorrow

If your hoodies are anything like mine they probably burnt pretty fast. Mine stay soaked in motor and hydraulic oil.  :D
My dear wife loves it when I throw the bibs and jackets in the washing machine.  ;D

[David-L]

All that tree pushing finally caught up to jackies front end loader.  Cracked most of the way through the passenger arm and half way thru driver side.  Also cracked a cylinder rod weld at the eyelet, and busted out the framework for the quick attach pin setup.  



I chased the cracks out and drilled the ends then bound it all into submission for a hot glue job.










Two hours, a hundred bucks and a mile of ER70S6 later everyone is happy.  

Looks like a European  Quicke Alo loader frame.

[mike_belben]

Good eye, its a quickie Q750. 


I suspect theyre made of some stamped slightly alloyed plate that the 250X did not like, as it welded very blobby and sputtery like when patching a dump body.  I made my hitch right after on the same settings with hot roll and it melted in beautiful. 

[starmac]

Mike, I started running into some new metal a few years ago that would have sand or something in places in it, it was juust plain old mild steel and would even cause a sputter rafter grinding clean and using a wire welder with gas.

[mike_belben]

Yeah maybe youre onto something.  i guess it could just be some chineseum pot metal garbage in there.  I have no doubt that it was prepped and clean,  that the welder is good and that i can weld.  But that was the nicest i could get out of it and there was a lot of black sootyness to be brushed off between passes, more than normal. 

[starmac]

It is just my theory, but looking at your pictures, I am prone to belive something like that was going on.
I have noticed factory welds on a lot of stuff built in the last 15 or so years look similar, and some of it is machine welds, taking the human equation out of it.

[starmac]

I forgot to ask, is your spindle on your rig salvageable?