Thinks that will bite you in the tush!

So yesterday I'm plowing away with the 1755 and a JD 4-16 plow. All was going well, it was real heavy clay soil so the old Oliver was singing pretty. It was misting and raining so I was happy to finally have a machine with a cab, life was good! Then it happened, I hit an unusually heavy patch of clay and BANG, POP, POP, SNAP. The tractor lurched ahead and I realized my stupid mistake. The bang was the plow clevis breaking, no problem one might think, wrong, well in my haste to get plowing I had grabbed the wrong hydraulic cylinder for the lift, the hoses were about 4 feet too long. So without thinking it through I put a loop in the hoses and tie them up to the top link chain, if all goes well this is fine but if the hydraulic breakaways can't work you know the result. POP, POP go the hydraulic hoses. Then to top it off the hoses whipped around and SNAP right into the lower rear window of the cab, big crack now. Moral of the story , DONT TIE YOUR HYDRAULIC HOSES TO THE TRACTOR!!!! All is well this AM and everything is fixed but the window, thats for another day. Have a good one all. :>)

Yup. Just when you think things are gonna go smooth and easy, sumpin' throws ya a curve!

Sunday afternoon, we had planned to pick up "Earl" our 39B hand start at the mechanics' shop (he broke a valve rod) and drop off "Vernon" the 53 JD70 that has an oil pump problem. Well, guess what. Battery was down on Vernon and we didn't have time to charge it up. But we did get "Earl" and he's back home and James is a happy camper.

Vernon will have to wait until next week.

Nancy,I name some of my cattle but never thought of naming my tractors,I have a allis chalmers WD maybe I'll name it the Wild Donkey!! I'll need some help naming my JD 60 any suggestions?

I use the following quote as a signature on another forum:

"When everything is going smooth and exactly as planned, you're about to be surprised".

Since we have accumulated 11 JDs, we give the tractors names so we know which one we're talking about. Some names come from who/where we got the tractor, one has to do with the Ser. #, one because we've had it the longest. Just whatever seems to fit.

Only one I ever named was an Oliver 1550 diesel I bought in 1976- it was twice as big as any other tractor I had owned (8N Ford, JD 420, McCormick-Deering W4)- so I named it Bodacious.

We bought "Uncle Earl" our 39B from a young man in McRea, AR.

We originally bought the pair of rear flat spokes (nice cutoffs) from him.

Went to pick up the wheels and he showed us his 39B.

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Uncle%20Earl/?action=view¤t=IMG_1638.jpg" target="_blank"> </a>

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Uncle%20Earl/?action=view¤t=IMG_1637.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Uncle%20Earl/?action=view¤t=IMG_1636.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

He said the tractor belonged to his uncle Earl.

"Uncle Earl" had a exhaust valve break off.

Just got him back from the shop yesterday.


Uncle Earl
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/H-dtiNAZZ_o&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/H-dtiNAZZ_o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

You are more brave than I would ever be, driving a hand clutch tractor forward onto the trailer seems a bit suicidal to me. Not pickin on ya just observing.

Explain.

All our tractors except one are vintage JD with hand clutch and we've never had a problem.

We normally back the trailer up to a terrace so the ramp angle isn't so steep, but didn't in this case.

I got chewed out the other day for calling the Allis WD45 the orange tractor, now I have to name them all also??????

Getting a hand-clutch tractor on the trailer isn"t too bad.

We always load a tractor going down hill; less chance of the frontend getting "light" and loosing traction.

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Vernon/?action=view¤t=IMG_0058.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Vernon/?action=view¤t=IMG_0059.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Vernon/?action=view¤t=IMG_0060.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

Getting a hand-clutch off the trailor can be an adventure.

We always unload a tractor going up hill; less chance of momentum taking over with over-correction of steering.

Take the tractor out of gear and use the brakes accordingly to "roll" off the trailer.

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Vernon/?action=view¤t=IMG_0070.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Vernon/?action=view¤t=IMG_0071.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

<a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/Vernon/?action=view¤t=IMG_0072.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

One of the most important things we check out before buying a tractor are the brakes.

If the brakes aren"t safe, we use the winch to load and unload the tractor.

Several years ago when we bought "John B" our 43B, the left brake locked coming off the trailer.

I somehow managed to get the tricycle front down the right ramp, turned the front wheels hard right, and the left rear wheel fell about 2 feet.

Nancy took a video of loading "Uncle Earl" at the repair shop yesterday.

Got to the "top" of the trailer hump and the tractor didn"t have enough momentum to make it.

Strange looking situation, but managed to "roll" off without incident.

Too embarrased to post it and didn"t want to take any "flak" as insult to injury.

=================================================

I want you to know that I sincerely appreciate your open letter to the forum and your support back on Friday the 17th concerning another matter.

Thank you
James L. Howell

If the JD had fairly tight clutch linkage, it would be easy to "stop on a dime"..two feet, one on each brake just as you jerk the clutch lever..no problem. I saw a guy with a JD G at a antique tractor pull try going up on three planks about 14 inches wide onto a full height straight truck just as the rain started. Everyone including the driver was running around getting their loads ready, when this dude tryed to charge up those planks in second or third gear, rain making the planks slippery and he spun out about half way up. He slid backward, then let it roll backward and tryed again, this time successfully. I could not watch him anymore, looked the other way...what if the tractor slipped off the planks sideways when he was about 3-4 feet off the ground? Gives me the shudders every time I think about it. The planks were not tied together and the there wasn't enough loading ramps available, just a straight truck sitting in a grassy field. Leonard.

Twas my pleasure!!!!! :>)

Saw a guy load a tricycle tractor with two ramps one time- came at the ramps at an angle, ran the front wheels up the far ramp, cranked it hard when he got the front wheels clear, and the ramps were then lined up for the back wheels. Looked pretty slick when he did it, but a little dicey for my tastes.

Just got to thinking- there's probably not a tricycle tractor on the planet with ROP! The one era was over before the other began.

We saw a similar incident two years ago at a tractor show in Terrell. The guy had a really nice tricycle front big tractor, 730 I think. He had parked facing up hill and the center ramp was very short and steep.

That thing got "light in the loafers" and the front end came off the ground almost 2 feet. He got it under control and tried again with the same results.

We offered one of our portable ramps which was much longer. He declined, but did turn the trailer around to where he was loading downhill. He was able to load ok after he turned the trailer around.

hardly anybody around here uses center ramps for tricycle tractors. it's easy to load them with 2 ramps. also, I've seen few, if any people back them onto trailers. we always load them forward.

Have done that several times with an F-20 wioth hand brakes! Can be interesting!