Did something dumb today.

[Old Greenhorn]

Then there is the school of thought that says "if you are not making mistakes, you aren't doing anything."

[rooster 58]

Well now it's my turn to make entry into this post. I picked up my shiny brand new lt50 wide on Thursday the 20th. The first project is to edge old oak barn siding into random widths to use in our house. Friday went well, other than being rusty. Oh yeah, I forgot, I couldn't seem to make the head travel forward.  I started to look for issues. After a few minutes, I realized it was only the speed control switch was turned off : Then yesterday  on Saturday,  I was still edging, reversing the head back when an edging got caught and fell down onto the cat track, resulting in a broken link.  :-\

[firefighter ontheside]

I could change it to "at least one of us did something dumb today".

I didn't share my truck wheels coming off my truck from last week here, but I'm sure most of you saw it on the diesel truck thread.  In case you didn't, here it is.  I got the truck back recently and it only cost me an $85 tow and $650 for the repair.  I do not have a back hoe and even if I did, towing it on our curvy rural hwy is probably not a good idea and I would have another story to share how I did something dumb.


 

[Southside]

Rooster - did it break a piece or just come apart? Those are made to remove and install in line through a series of secret Ninja moves that must be perfectly executed. YouTube University is a good resource to learn the soucery. 

[Crusarius]

I have had that happen on my jeep when I broke the axle. I ended up using a couple ratchet straps and a high lift jack handle strapped across the sidewall with copius amounts of lube to drive it back to camp to fix.

[firefighter ontheside]

I have a buddy that does pretty serious rock crawling.  He said when something like that happens to a jeep out on the trail, they just have another one drive right next to them tire to tire to keep it pushed in to get back to somewhere to work on it.

[Crusarius]

That only works on wide trails  great idea though. I never thought of doing that.

[Resonator]

I like the backhoe tow truck idea (maybe use no-mar chains next time). :D
I used my backhoe like that way back in the day to pull a non running tractor (that may have rolled away from me into a ditch).

FFOTS good to see your OK. I've seen wheels come off before, and it's scary to say the least.

[rusticretreater]

Egad. I have seen enough mishaps to just call AAA.  Towing by chain is illegal in Virginia now, but in the countryside the deputies will probably let it go.  

My version of the saying is: "If you're not making mistakes, you aren't really trying."

And this thread should be called "A compendium of dumb things you can do for fun and video profit."

[Southside]

Well that explains why down this way guys are using ropes to tow now.  :D

[rooster 58]

Southside,
     The top "tie strap" broke, as well as the connection on the inside of the link

[aigheadish]

rustic- That's interesting about chains. There was a Sheriff's Deputy standing there while we were putting the chain on, but we were also real close to home. Seeing some of the junk other people around me consider a trailer though makes me know that our little chain was way safer than some of that. 

[backwoodsboy]

Listen. I don't want you to get discouraged or nuthin, ok? But, do u no who u r up against? I'm backwoodsboy and I'm the world's undisputed champeen at doing more dumb stuff per day and for more consecutive (27,011) days in a row than all other competitors combined. So, no offense, but this is my kingdom.  

[K-Guy]

@backwoodsboy
Fill in you location so we'll know where to avoid becoming collateral damage!!!   smiley_jester

[rusticretreater]

The idea behind the chain towing ban is that if the chain breaks or comes off suddenly, it becomes a deadly whip.

I know a guy who had that happen, shattered the rear window in his PU and nearly sent him to the afterlife.

[wisconsitom]

Guys here and there are killing themselves by using drop-down hitches as attachment points when pulling or being pulled out of stuck.  Those things break off and come through windshields, even truck caps and rear windows.

[Old Greenhorn]

Gee guys, I ain't calling nobody a liar, and I know no one here would exaggerate ;D but I have broken a lot of chains (I'd rather not get into it) and I have never seen one fly. They just part and lay down. (I could interject a line here about a gal I once knew, but it's a family site.) Now tow straps on the other hand are like rubber bands on steroids and will surely fly with a lot of energy, which can be quite energetic and distracting. Put a nylon strap in line with a chain or a trailer hitch or big shackle and you have a super weapon with no remorse. I just don't understand the chain ban.

 @backswoodsboy them are some pretty strong words. You might just best be reading all the (72) pages of this thread to see who your competition is before you proclaim yourself 'champeen'. We all have our weak moments and make mistakes that draw blood, grease, oil, sparks, or worse, but nobody is in here for the competition aspect. I would be happy to count myself a loser in your race to be the best. ;D :D I haven't seen any posts in this thread from you in the past so to be polite, lets just say I am dubious of your claim. (But I will make note of your location when you add it, just to be on the safe side. You don't, by chance, live in WV do you? Just askin'.)

[doc henderson]

I am not the expert here.  all my family has been involved using heavy equipment and ive heard the stories.  I think if you are smart, you tension the chain and then pull.  if the chain is on the ground, and you "hit it" and it breaks, it may go way in the air and flow down on your head.  My uncle Steve running heavy equipment, had one break.  he anticipated it and ducked down in the cab as the chain went trough the front and rear glass.  My brother prefers steel rope/cable.  when pullin smaller 8 inch stumps at the property I had in Fort Hays, we put the chain over a 15 inch steel wheel to give some up lift on the stump.  the guy before had a nursery and many trees froze and there were many stumps all over the yard.   prob. pulled over a hundred that way with my dads 1970 heavy half chevy.  I have a 70 foot half inch chain I got on clearance.  been broke several times.  not high quality.  never killed yet, but I think about it every time I use it.  sometimes pull use the dump truck with the bed raised up.  If I tug, I carefully raise the energy to see what is happening.  If a tug makes your gut hurt where the seat belt runs across, you are in for some trouble.

[aigheadish]

I'm pretty new to moving stuff with chains but I've been fortunate. My chain use this time was more to lift the car and it rolled nicely the short drive I had home. No worries on that end. I did break a chain a couple times trying to unstick the backhoe, where I'd wrapped around a tree then to the hoe bucket. Not a whole lot of excitement on that, just broke and my astonishment that I hadn't moved an inch... I've certainly seen all the TV shows where they love to have the camera man standing much too close to a chain that's strapped around a 20000 lb. rock or something, when those pop, seems like it gets a bit sketchy.

[backwoodsboy]

@backwoodsboy
Fill in you location so we'll know where to avoid becoming collateral damage!!!   smiley_jester

I can only give u an approximate location. My fans, God bless 'em, lose control and become like rioting school girls like when the Beatles did the Ed Sullivan Show, when they get close to me. Sorry, too, that there is no way to be entirely free from the wake of my destructive path. I hear you, though, and wish I knew how to avoid myself as well. North America, sometimes. Chile, Barbados, Hankow and the Philippines, too, provide some relief. 

[backwoodsboy]

You don't, by chance, live in WV do you? Just askin'.)

Let's put it this way. Yes. WV is one of the places I've been ordered not to visit ever again. 
U understand I hope, how I hate to brag, but quite honestly, I can't claim personal credit for my achievements in this field. I was born this way. Yes, I have trained hard, hit the books diligently to excel, but it is a gift more than anything. Alright then. I have to blow up a saw again. Later.

[Old Greenhorn]

OK

[Resonator]

Synthetic arborist rope (used for tree pulling) is supposed to be the safest, as far as snapping back at the person using it. It's designed so no energy is stored in the strands if it breaks. Though it is pricey from what I've read.

[RichTired]

I was taught to put the chain through a 5'-6' piece of pipe to keep snap back from happening and to keep the towed and tower's vehicles from hitting each other. However, I now have road side assistant for my vehicles. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Well it's been a long time for me here so I guess I am due. I guess my head wasn't in the game today as much as it needed to be. I measured twice and transposed some digits in my head and mis-cut two grooves in the bottom of a shelf by 2 inches. 



 

Just to be consistent, I did it on both ends. ;D



 

 As you can see, I cut some ERC for contrast and fitted them to the incorrect slots, glued them in and sanded it all flush. We'll just call it a 'accent feature' instead of a mistake. :D