fixerupper
Well-known Member
DRussel's post with the video of the high clearance tractor brought back memories of the scariest machine I have ever driven.
My neighbor bought an old Hagie high clearance sprayer 50 miles away and he asked me to go along with him to drive it up on the trailer. He has an artificial leg and because of a surgery could not wear the leg so he was not able to climb on the sprayer to drive it up on the trailer himself.
I had never driven a high boy in my life and to top it off I had never driven a machine with a hydrostatic transmission and this machine had a hydrostat. The boom on this sprayer is on the back and of course the tank that hung down between the wheels was empty. Before I climbed up the ladder to get on my neighbor told me this machine could tip up on it's tail end when the tank is empty! Well thanks for telling me this pal!! Those old Hagies had a frame that was built to flex a bit so when it is driven it wiggles and flexes somewhat. Well I climbed up on it and sat down in the seat. The engine is behind the driver so all I could hear was that engine and all the while the only thought going through my mind was I am going to go over backward and die. I grabbed the hydrostat lever but being a rookie I had no feel for it and when the front wheels went up the ramp with the frame twisting and squirming away and I was looking at the sky from what seemed like twenty feet off the ground I was pretty sure I was going to be going back home in a pine box. Oh did I tell you it didn't have brakes? Well I made it up the ramps and onto the trailer OK but I had some unforgettable moments there.
What is your story?
My neighbor bought an old Hagie high clearance sprayer 50 miles away and he asked me to go along with him to drive it up on the trailer. He has an artificial leg and because of a surgery could not wear the leg so he was not able to climb on the sprayer to drive it up on the trailer himself.
I had never driven a high boy in my life and to top it off I had never driven a machine with a hydrostatic transmission and this machine had a hydrostat. The boom on this sprayer is on the back and of course the tank that hung down between the wheels was empty. Before I climbed up the ladder to get on my neighbor told me this machine could tip up on it's tail end when the tank is empty! Well thanks for telling me this pal!! Those old Hagies had a frame that was built to flex a bit so when it is driven it wiggles and flexes somewhat. Well I climbed up on it and sat down in the seat. The engine is behind the driver so all I could hear was that engine and all the while the only thought going through my mind was I am going to go over backward and die. I grabbed the hydrostat lever but being a rookie I had no feel for it and when the front wheels went up the ramp with the frame twisting and squirming away and I was looking at the sky from what seemed like twenty feet off the ground I was pretty sure I was going to be going back home in a pine box. Oh did I tell you it didn't have brakes? Well I made it up the ramps and onto the trailer OK but I had some unforgettable moments there.
What is your story?