My Weekend, or, How to Sink a Crawler.

jdonovan · January 07, 2020, 12:52:31 PM

Ah too used to dozers which have much more substantial tracks

Southside · January 07, 2020, 01:06:31 PM

I don't think triple grousers would have helped him.... :D

jdonovan · January 07, 2020, 01:42:32 PM

He could have dug that hole a lot faster with triple grousers, which would have given him more daylight to work on getting it unstuck. :D

chet · January 07, 2020, 03:55:27 PM

Lots of crawler loaders have a backhoe too. Which he could have used ta dig dat hole. ;D Although it might have taken longer. :D

Sorry Jon, no mercy from this bunch.

Don P · January 07, 2020, 09:50:47 PM

"You'll have some of that on these big jobs"

Greyman · January 08, 2020, 05:51:29 PM

Here's another method if you're sunk too deep for the pole or have a longer distance to go. Works on trucks etc. also, but not tracked vehicles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d09MAs9bNpE

WV Sawmiller · January 08, 2020, 07:49:15 PM

Greyman,

Thanks for posting. I started to say that was pretty slick but that is how they got in the fix they were in to start with. :D It is a very useful looking solution.

randy d · January 08, 2020, 08:36:33 PM

Thanks for posting that was pretty slick I have chained a pole across the wheels a few times but this looks to be less dangerous . Randy

Ed_K · January 09, 2020, 07:12:57 AM

He would have been better off to leave the bucket down with pressure to keep the front tires up an also stabilize the tractor better.

moosehunter · January 09, 2020, 01:17:06 PM

Jon, I stuck a D6 and it looked a lot like that. Mud was top of tracks were at the same level. Father of the gal I was digging the pond showed up with his large JD backhoe and dug me out. He had to dig all the way around me then in front , I just drove out.

mh

scsmith42 · January 09, 2020, 07:44:07 PM

Jon, I feel your pain....

Read response #25.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=16250.msg290146#msg290146

square1 · January 10, 2020, 04:36:40 AM

Quote from: GAB on January 06, 2020, 08:44:48 PM
Quote from: Chuck White on January 06, 2020, 08:39:04 PM
That works pretty good, Lynn!

As a sidenote: keep the chain AWAY from the valve stem!
And keep the engine rpm's to the minimum possible.
GAB

And only BACK over it. Dad drove the exhaust stack on a Super M into the ground trying to drive forward doing this.

Weekend_Sawyer · January 10, 2020, 08:37:23 AM

We are heading up this weekend to try and retrieve the machine.
I don't know what to expect as it snowed 4 - 6" (depending on who you ask)
and will be in the 60's.

Jon

chet · January 10, 2020, 11:30:42 AM

Quote from: Weekend_Sawyer on January 10, 2020, 08:37:23 AM
We are heading up this weekend to try and retrieve the machine.
I don't know what to expect as it snowed 4 - 6" (depending on who you ask)
and will be in the 60's.

Jon

Sounds like yer gonna have lots more mud :(

Raider Bill · January 10, 2020, 01:32:24 PM

Quote from: Weekend_Sawyer on January 10, 2020, 08:37:23 AM
We are heading up this weekend to try and retrieve the machine.
I don't know what to expect as it snowed 4 - 6" (depending on who you ask)
and will be in the 60's.

Jon

Good luck Jon. be careful.

Weekend_Sawyer · January 13, 2020, 01:20:53 PM

My brother Chris and I had a good weekend to get the machine out.
The snow melted and the temp went up to 60!

We used block and tackle and rigged a 4 part line and using
Our neighbor Steve's 75 Hp 4wd New Holland, it came right out.

We spent Saturday afternoon helping Steve do some maintenance on his New Holland and then all day Sunday demudding the crawler, changing the engine oil and rear drive oil.

The engine oil was not compromised but it was time. 5 gallons.
The transmission oil looked fine so we didn't mess with it.
The rear end oil looked like a pink milkshake. We changed it. 15 gallons.
What I should have done was to drain the contaminated oil, refill it with diesel fuel, drain it and then put in the fresh oil. But alas I skipped the 2nd part and the fresh oil is now slightly contaminated. I'm going to run it for about 30 minutes and then change it again.

Overall, what a weekend.
Yes we and all of our equipment got real muddy.
But really, we all had a pretty good time working together.

I still have one saw log down in that bottom and it's going to stay there till we can install come culvert's and a couple loads of shale.

Meanwhile, next weekend there's a couple of blow downs at a higher elevation I can retrieve!

Jon

GAB · January 13, 2020, 02:55:35 PM

Congratulations on your success.
Gerald

DPatton · January 14, 2020, 10:31:29 PM

Quote from: Greyman on January 08, 2020, 05:51:29 PM
Here's another method if you're sunk too deep for the pole or have a longer distance to go. Works on trucks etc. also, but not tracked vehicles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d09MAs9bNpE

I grew up farming in Southeast Nebraska, and that is not considered a stuck tractor. Although being an International maybe I over estimated it's capabilities. :D :D :D