Close call brush-hogging

Since I had eye surgery last week, Doc said take it easy for awhile. Trying to figure out what I could do that was safe and didn't put a strain on the eye or put me in danger of getting stuff in it, etc.

Decided to catch up on my brush-hogging. Cleaned up a 4 acre piece, staying away from the trees so branches wouldn't hit my eye. Had a nice curved pair of sunglasses on that fit real tight to keep debris out.

Beautiful sunny day here in Michigan, no breeze, not too hot, perfect seat time. Did another 2 acre piece, no problem. Was heading over to another piece and went through a trail in the woods. A while back a bunch of trees came down in a storm that blocked the trail. I cut them back into the brush on either side. As I was going along the trail near the brush on one side, I noticed a tree remnant about 4-6" diameter barely sticking out of the brush. I suddenly felt a smack like a baseball bat hit me across the shin and more pain as my leg was slammed into the 3-pt control bracket, then pushed sideways and wedged against the trans. I jumped on the clutch and looked down to see that remnant now in the cab area pinning my leg. Evidently the right rear tire of my Ford 3600 caught the tip of it and instead of pushing it back into the brush, it somehow pulled it about 3-4 ft OUT of the brush.

With the tractor stopped, I caught my breath and surveyed the situation. Tried to push the remnant forward to free my leg, no dice. I do remember sitting there thinking "I could be in big trouble here". (Remember I just had eye surgery and the doc said don't do any heavy lifting or anything else to put pressure on your eyes :roll: ) Leg was throbbing pretty good but I didn't know if it was broken. Logical thing was to back up but I didn't just throw it in reverse. Took a few seconds to see if that would make matters worse because the tree end was under the seat and I couldn't see if would catch on anything or otherwise mess up my leg more.

With the leg still throbbing, dropped the throttle to idle, put it in R and slowly backed up. Don't know how everything exactly went but my leg was free. For some reason, I wanted out of that trail and I moved to the center of it and went about 50 yds to a clearing. Moved my leg and it didn't appear to be broken, so I just kept on brush hogging for another hour or so. It was such a nice day, I kind of just forgot about the leg as the throbbing went away.

Got home, was cooking dinner and noticed a stinging when I moved around the kitchen. Decided to take a look. Rolled up my pant leg, saw a bloody sock, uh, oh. Skin is pretty abraded on my shin and leg's a little swollen, but I'll live.

My point is that things happen awfully fast and that tree remnant could have gone anywhere in the cab area. I'm counting this as a "lucky" day.

Glad you got out okay.

P.S.- watch for infection on that leg...just in case.

Second the watch for infection comment. Gotta be a lot of crap in that abrasion.

Got a couple patches of waterhemp goin wild in the back two pastures that I wanted to cut before they headed out. Fighting a case of West Nile right now, so I didn't feel like getting the 1655 and hookin up to the haybine and took the little JD 950 and 5" bush hog.
Cut the small pasture and on the way in I wanted to push back some brush at the entrance. Never saw it comin, doggone limb whipped out and hit the ROPS plastic roof right at the front right marker light. Broke out the marker lite and about 2 sq ft of plastic roof! Fit to be tied when I got in.

Glad you are ok. Probably should get the bruse cleaned real good. Things happen real fast all right. I was mowing last year, and the weeds were so thick I couldn't see a chain link fence to my side. I thought I was away from it, but I was heading right into it. One of the support pipes came right into my chest, and went to the side under my arm. I had a nice bruse from the pipe. Be acareful out there boy's and girl's. Stan

Sure glad you are ok there. Things don't always go according to plan...at least not for me. I have a large grove, or what ever you call it, of bamboo on the front side of my 76 acres. The old 8N just doesn't have the grunt to cut all of that mess and it's tall and hard stuff anyway. I do keep it cut back to just that area. My neighbors father planted that many years ago, probably about 1920 or so. That stuff grows like a wild fire. I believe it would take over a 5 acre field in just a few years if I didn't cut it. I was cutting close to a couple of big pines that had died in the field and some of the bamboo shoots were coming up sort of close to them. As I swung around close to the tree an old bamboo was leaning over close to the tree (had been knocked over the year before and was really hard stuff when it dries out dead. I thought it just push it out of the way, like you were thinking with the tree piece. Well, the left rear wheel caught it and did like you said and that thing came about as close to impaling me in the right side of the chest as it could. I still have a scar where it went in some. Could have been much worse but I got the tractor stopped before it went any further and checked it out and backed up and definitely breathed a prayer of thanks!

Yesterday I was cutting some canary grass on a peice of land we just picked up this year that was already cut with a flail mower but was still kinda long, and the haybine picked up most again and made nice windrow.

I was on the 1st round when all of a sudden the front tires dropped into a hole about 18", and before I could stop they came back out and actually bounced into the air some. I stopped before the back tires hit it, but it sure got me going and my butt hurt from that thrilling ride...

Almost forgot about it today when I was out there picking it up with the chopper and almost did the same thing again with our big tractor. If we rent this field again next year A) The lesee won't be sh!t cutting it (really don't know why they did in the 1st place) and B) I really need to remember that hole is there.....

Donovan from Wisconsin

Donovan from Wisconsin

Yup, brush hogging and driving a tractor is just the thing to keep dirt out of your eyes. Should have tried a little baling while you were at it. Listen to what your doctor told you.

Could thresh some oats while the tractor was running.

I've pushed the healing time after surgery too. Found out doctors don't like it.

You should have picked an easier task. I was out cultivating 5days after surgury this summer. The Doc said wait 8 weeks. I didn't figure driving along in first gear at an idle for an hour at a time would hurt. He told me how well I was doing after a couple of weeks, He said he was glad I was out moving around instead of just sitting around and doing nothing. Go Figure? I didn't tell him I was on a tractor though. I had to do it while my wife wasn't around and make my babysitter grandson swear not to tell on me.
Glad your ok but be careful.

I put long, tall dead tree limbs in a hole like that to remind me where it is.

A couple years ago I was doing some pushing with my 1130 and put a bind on a stubby pine branch with the stack. It whipped back around and took the skin off of the end of my nose. If I would have been traveling a fraction faster, it might have taken my head off (or me off the tractor at the very least!)

I guess we get wrapped up in the joy of operating those marvelous machines. The experience did make me realize that I need to be more careful.

Surgeon who pieced my knee back together a couple years ago asked what the therapists were having me do, he was surprised how well my leg was doing. I told him I can"t afford that I been raking hay! Seems swinging your foot up to the brake pedal at the end of the field does it some good.