Ever Had A Runaway Tractor?

mb58 · Nov 7, 2019

I once dismounted from my B John Deere only to hear an rpm change behind me and turned to see the tractor, driverless, heading away from me. I ran and got along side of it since it wasn't going but about 2 miles an hour, and knocked the clutch lever back, stopping it.
Anybody ever had a runaway tractor experience?

moll · Nov 7, 2019

I had a stationary runaway on my 1927 D John Deere, had a later carb on it which a friend
of mine rebuilt for me. To work on the earlier tractor the original owner had flipped the
throttle butterfly around and when my friend put it back together he put it together like
was supposed to be on the later carb, as it had been some time when I installed it I didn't
think about checking it and when it took off the governor was holding the throttle open
instead of idling it down. First instinct tells you to run away quickly, I second guessed and
jerked the plug wires off. Didn't hurt anything but it could have.

Two Dogs · Nov 7, 2019

I had to run away from one once. I ran over a ground hornet nest with a bush hog and got wrapped up with them. I didn't have the time to look for the fuel cutoff on an unfamiliar diesel or hunt neutral and bailed out. Then after beating the hornets out of my hair I chased down the still going tractor and bush hog. I got my revenge that night with a jug of gasoline down the hole. TDF

rusty6 · Nov 7, 2019

Not a tractor that I can recall but my old IH Loadstar nearly got away from me and ended up in the trees. I had a neighbour combining flax for me a few years ago and he was working a bit after dark. I had climbed up into the cab with him to discuss something while the hopper was unloading. I happened to glance to the left and wondered why he was driving the combine forward. Suddenly realizing the combine was still but the truck was rolling! Down that combine ladder fast as I could and took off after the Loadstar. Which by now was gaining velocity on the long and gradual slope in the field. I knew that would end up in a bush with a huge rock pile. If the trees didn't stop it, the rocks would. Seemed like it was rolling pretty fast by the time I got close enough to jump onto the running board, get the door open and hit the brakes. I forget just how close it was but seems like it did not have much further to go to hit the trees. I almost always leave that truck in gear with the engine shut off. Apparently not that time.

Determined · Nov 7, 2019

Do intentional runaways count?

I was burning down an old shed one winter, a wall wanted to fall outward so I drove the old Case 600 up to it with plans of using the blade on it to give the wall a nudge in the right direction.

The heat from the fire had melted enough snow that my wheels were basically on solid ice with a slight downhill toward the fire.

As soon as I touched the brake the tractor slid forward and the front wheels jumped the foundation wall preventing me from being able to back up.

Instantly the heat was beyond unbearable so I was jumping off and I do mean right now, as I was jumping off I thought to hit the hand clutch as I really had nothing to loose at that point.

The 600 was in first gear so it had no problem driving right through the burning building, when it came out the other side it was half covered in burning wood and shingles, I caught up to it, got the clutch released and proceeded to pull off the burning lumber.

Other than burning up some wiring and the headlights it survived but took forever to clean all the soot off of it.

37chief · Nov 7, 2019

yes I have. Never start your tractor unless you are sitting in the seat, especially when on top a hill pointing down. The mower was down, and holding the tractor from rolling. Soon as I started the tractor the mower raised, and off went my favorite to it's death. There was a small ditch that caught the mower, and kept the tractor from going further down. Stan

37chief · Nov 7, 2019

That's a picture you will not forget. That will also give you a good heart check. Stan

Northvale PA · Nov 7, 2019

My Ferguson started rolling down a minor slope. I was thinking, safety first, so I let it roll straight into my cultivator. Poked a hole straight thru the radiator. Ultimately had to buy a new radiator. I honestly could have jumped on with little risk, but that day my brain told me no. Hard to say why.

Kc1937B · Nov 7, 2019

Not really a runaway driverless tractor but I had one uncontrollable once. Dad was trying to sell grandpa's 1958 jd 620 propane tractor. I've always been catious with all gpas tractors and dad always told me just pop the clutch forward and go. So here I sit in the driveway tractor in 12th gear and all I can here in my head is pop the clutch forward and go so I did well I shoulda babies it cause apparently when you make a sharp right turn in full out twelth gear that's not smart. The tractor started fish tailing with just one back wheel on the ground the tire was so far off the ground I almost rolled the tractor. I've been laughed at for saying this but I felt something grab my arm and pull the clutch back and stopped the tractor asked Dad if he somehow did it and he said no. Al I could figure was grandpa somehow saved his tractor. Well now I baby the tractors when I drive them. I'm not really a farm kid but I do enjoy driving the few tractors left in the collection.

Meangreen · Nov 7, 2019

I had an AC WD45 I had just finished restoring 2 months earlier to this. I was getting ready to unload it for a plow day the next day and was talking to a buddy and standing next to the tractor I started it without checking to see if it was in gear. It was in 1st. I tried to turn the key off quick, but jumped off the trailer to avoid injury. The tractor hit the headache bar with enough force to pop the front tires over it, but because I didn't have all the bugs worked out in the carb settings there was enough resistance it killed the tractor. So here we sit with a tractor half way over the front of the trailer. It put a small dent in the truck bumper and took out the trailer jack. We ended up unhooking the trailer from the truck and my trailer ramps fit just in between the front tires and the headache bar and I backed the tractor back onto the trailer. I took the tractor home that night to inspect it. The front toe on the wide front was way out of whack and it was easily fixed, but that was the only damage to the tractor. No scratches what so ever to the under carriage. I have never not been in the seat of a tractor on a trailer and started one since then!

9001ron · Nov 7, 2019

No drone shots with land level stills and a RUNNING commentary??? That would have been priceless!!

M-MAN · Nov 7, 2019

Yep, I was plowing one day on a slight slope and dropped the rear tire in a hole on the low side. The tractor started rolling over so I jumped. Got up and the tractor was sitting there balanced perfectly with that one tire up in the air turning. Pushed down on it and it dropped to the ground and took off down the hill.

jhwilliams · Nov 7, 2019

(quoted from post at 13:06:07 11/07/19) I had to run away from one once. I ran over a ground hornet nest with a bush hog and got wrapped up with them. I didn't have the time to look for the fuel cutoff on an unfamiliar diesel or hunt neutral and bailed out. Then after beating the hornets out of my hair I chased down the still going tractor and bush hog. I got my revenge that night with a jug of gasoline down the hole. TDF

My experience was very similar. JD 2440 with a New Holland (Kuhn cutter bar) 462 hay cutter. But I was haulin butt in 6th gear when I found myself in the black cloud of ground bumblebees that I had run over and disturbed on the previous round. They were hitting the side of the tractor so hard I could hear the "tink" over the noise of the engine and cutter. I dove off the left side, grabbing the spring-loaded fuel shut-off and holding it back as I finished my Olympic dismount. By the time my feet were on the ground the engine was down to about 1 rpm and sounded dead so I let go of the shut-off and ran like heck. As I was putting distance between me and the tractor, I heard the sickening sound of the engine refusing to die and slowly returning to PTO speed because the spring had returned the shut-off before it died, and it was still in 6th gear. Suddenly I forgot about bees and focused on running down a speeding tractor. I m glad this happened when I was about 16, because I was able to do it and saved the tractor and cutter. If it had run over me and killed me I d have chosen that fate over what my Dad would have done to me if I d have let it go into the creek!

DIM · Nov 7, 2019

I was plowing once with a pull type plow and the seat broke off the tractor. Next thing I knew I was walking on my knees with a plow hitch between my legs. I did catch up with the tractor and pull out hand clutch. With some body parts in danger you can move real fast even on your knees.

old · Nov 7, 2019

That how my BA came about. Old man that had owned the Farmall A stopped to pick up some stuff in his way and the A took off down a hill and hit a tree and became a parts tractor since it broke in a number of pieces. So I took the good engine parts and put them in a B block I had and took the front part of the B and the transmission back of the A and built my BA which I use to cut hay with the A-16 mower

SETX · Nov 7, 2019

Yep, with me in the seat.

Back in the 70's IH came out with the 4166 turbo 4x4 that articulated. We had 3 of them and they all had a nasty habit of steering failure
in which you turn one direction and the tractor went the other, or would simply start turning in a circle.

I was coming off a paved ranch road into a field and at the age of 17 I am sure I had it in high 50th road gear.....just as I turned off the ranch road she had a steering fit and before I could clutch it, right off into a rice canal with 5 feet of water in it.

Fortunately she climbed right on out the other side even with a 480 disk behind her.

Red

bison · Nov 7, 2019

I drove a 1070 case into my shop years ago. It had a broken clutch so the clutch pedal did not work. I started it a few times and pulled the stop cable to see if it would shut the engine down.
I did that a few times before I started it in first gear and drove into the shop, when I had it where I wanted I pulled the stop cable but this time it did not work. I pulled it right out of the injection pump lever.. I could not pull it out of gear either but when it did it shifted right into second gear. In the meantime the damn tractor kept on going and was only 2 feet from going trough the wall before I finally kicked it into neutral. I thought my heart was pounding out of my chest.

Bob M · Nov 7, 2019

Hired man was chopping corn stubble with a flail chopper on a side hill. He stopped near the top for a quick nature stop in the adjacent woods and left the tractor idling. Apparently ballast sloshing in the rear tires was enough to start the tractor rolling. It turned downhill and took off.

The outfit made it about 2/3 of the way down when the front wheels dropped into a dip. Tractor (Super M) did a forward somersault taking the chopper with it. It then did a couple barrel rolls before coming to rest with the wheels up. Fortunately the hired man was in the woods with his pants around his ankles when the tractor took off - he emerged unhurt. But seeing the tractor roll scared the boss half to death.

The tractor needed a new front bolster, radiator, rear axle/wheels, steering shaft, seat, battery box, etc. But it was back in service a few weeks later.

cjunrau · Nov 7, 2019

Neighbor had a case 1070. Parked in front of shop over night as he was to lazy to put it inside one night. In the morning he walked out to put it inside and tractor was gone. Had started it self up and drove over the road through the ditch into a row of trees. Pushed a 16 inch popular down and was sitting there spinning one wheel as it was hanging on the tree. He always parks in gear and takes out the keys. Electric short caused it to start and drive away. He never Owened another case.

Loren in Iowa · Nov 7, 2019

Exact same situation when we first started our 1930 D. Brother shut off the fuel valve. Seemed to take forever for it to die.

John S-B · Nov 7, 2019

Closest I ever had was I was plowing with a Farmall M and a pin in the governor linkage came out for some unknown reason, causing the engine to overspeed. Luckily I reacted instinctively and hit the ignition switch. I was so startled that it took me a few minutes to understand what had happened.

Billy NY · Nov 7, 2019

When I was just getting old enough to go to school, one of the help here on this farm was spreading manure on this hill side with the JD 2010 wide front, with bucket loader and a JD manure spreader. To this day I cannot comprehend how this could have happened, but the hired hand ended up with this tractor and manure spreader on the 2nd floor of what was a huge barn. One side had a 2nd floor that had joists that were framed with like 4" thick joists. Tractor was on the 2nd floor, spreader hanging off. I am not sure how they got it out. I remember the hole in the wall more than anything. He must have had a running start, scary ride down for sure if he was on it. No one got hurt as I recall. I will have to ask my father, he would remember more. I just cannot see how it happened remembering the long since gone barn and knowing the terrain of this field which I still mow every summer.

DFZ · Nov 7, 2019

My Dad has a story from when he worked at a tractor dealership.
He came in to the dealership and the whole place stank of manure. A Local farmers son was spreading manure and turned too sharp damaging the spreader. He went to confess to his Dad and parked on top of the hill with the tractor in park. The farm was on a bluff above the banks of the Columbia river. The Son came back with his Father and started thinking... I parked it right here on top of the hill... I know I didn't park it this far over the crest of the hill..... I know I should be able to see it by now...
The tractor had popped out of park and took off down the hill. Now there was one lonely oak tree at the bottom of the hill before it dropped into the river. The tractor hit the oak just off center, and the sudden stop caused the load of soupy manure to shoot forward smashing out the back window filling the cab with 3 feet of manure.

Donald Lehman · Nov 7, 2019

I never have, but my closet friend did and it cost him his life.

onefarmer · Nov 7, 2019

Not a tractor but a combine. Gleaner F2. I left it running making some last minute adjustments, when suddenly it dropped into gear and took off. To make it worse it was in road gear. I ran after it and jumped on just in time to keep it from hitting a tree with the corn head. I still don't see how it made road gear without stalling.

fixerupper · Nov 7, 2019

I ran away from a tractor once. Was mowing with the B Farmall with belly mower. The muffler had an elbow orienting the muffler horizontal and pointing straight ahead for low clearance. I mowed straight toward a low building and stopped with the front wheels almost touching the building and preparing to back up. The forward pointing muffler blew exhaust up into a wasp nest under the eve of the building and needless to say the ornery little critters were not happy. When the first wasp nipped me on the top of the ear I bailed off and ran, leaving the tractor sitting there running wide open blowing up into the nest. The little suckers didnt let me get anywhere near the tractor for the longest time. A good fogging with dairy barn spray knocked enough of them back to let me get back on the tractor.

4520BW · Nov 7, 2019

Not a tractor but yesterday I pulled the bean head in the barn and did not set the brake and the truck and head rolled forward and bent the crop divider. Anyone have a left snoot for a 900 deere head?

fixerupper · Nov 7, 2019

A young man was driving a truck for my neighbor hauling soybeans to a bean meal plant in Des Moines. Close to the plant a train was blocking the street so he parked and got out to take a nature call. When he parked he did not pull the parking brake buttons but instead pulled the johnny bar down to set the trailer brakes. The johnny bar worked its way up releasing the brakes and the truck rolled backward into a car while he was whizzing.

Bernie/MA · Nov 7, 2019

I had a trench silo a ways away from the barn and used a jalopy cut-off car to bring silage to the barn. I got stuck on the wet grass with the smooth tires so I went got the JD crawler to push it, alone. I parked the JD behind the car. Standing beside it I pushed the clutch in with my hand and put it in first, idling, and hopped into the car. I moved ahead about 25 feet, turning a bit, and got stuck again with the crawler still coming, passing, I got out to stop it. Blade was so close I couldn"t shut the door but was able to get out and watch as the blade crunched the door into the fender. If I had slipped.....

r.w.b. · Nov 8, 2019

Not a tractor,but my milk hauler came in unhappy in his spare truck.said new guy showed up at bentonville,ark. In anold truck with a jimmy 318.there is a downhill slope they park on loaded waiting turn to unload .seems he yanked kill cable but didnt poo brake valves.the driver went to rest room.the milk sloshing lit the detroit n she pushed 4 trucks busting grills hoods raiators charge coolers ac and severe damage to tanks.lotta milk was running on lot too.i didnt think a 318 had that much power but it sure tore up lots

jddrawbar · Nov 8, 2019

Ok, you win the blue ribbon for that story.

James Howell · Nov 8, 2019

"[b:654c4848f0][i:654c4848f0]Anybody ever had a runaway tractor experience?[/i:654c4848f0][/b:654c4848f0]"

Many years ago, I was raking hay with "Mac" one of our 1951 MTs and a JD 640 side delivery rake.

The seat on the MT did not have a back.

Turned to my left to pull the rope to engage the rake.

Lost my balance, fell off the tractor backwards, and landed between the tractor and rake.

The tines on the rake grabbed me and drug me along the ground for about 10 yards.

Tines finally broke and was free, but the right rear rake tire ran over me.

Jumped up, ran to the left side of the MT inside the rear tire, and turned off the switch.

Only had a few scratches, hurt pride, and a destroyed straw hat.

Immediately had a seat back installed.

agjim · Nov 8, 2019

I taught tractor mechanics in a HS vocational class in the 70's and 80's. A fellow brought a Massey in with low oil pressure. I had the students pull the pan so I could determine if the gear was slipping on the oil pump shaft. I slid under on a creeper with a trouble-light in hand and instructed a student to spin the engine so I determine if that was the trouble. In one round it was running and in gear. The neutral safety had been disconnected. There were several students around the tractor when it cranked and they all ran away. One came to his senses and came back and stopped it just before it hit the wall. I held on under the tractor and rode the creeper till it stopped. The neutral safety switch was fixed before the tractor left the shop.

Ever Had A Runaway Tractor?

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