How to sink a Tractor?

[Gav 1,708]

A few weeks ago I mentioned to a few of you that I had sunk my tractor going out to cut the peats. The wife even rang Chris Evans on radio two and told him, he even asked "how the hell do you sink a tractor". Well it is quite easy here out on the bog.

 

Anyway the kids are going away and we decided to empty their memory cards off their cameras so they can take loads of pictures while they are away, cutting to the chase low and behold our daughter had captured the sorry looking dexta sunk.

 

I have been using this bit of the bog to get to the peats for a few years and although it is boggy have had no problems before, I have been raiding the sea defences for pebbles and other hard core to keep on top of it and keep it pretty firm. This day however the front wheels all but dissapeared beneath the sludge, that was it, once the front wheels go you will only make it worse trying to get it out.

 

You can see from the picture, the lift box on the back is in the lifted position but on the ground, stopping the back wheels going down, just the top of the front wheel is showing as the belly of the tractor stopped them sinking further, hence the phrase "bellied out". Every one up here has done it at some point and your a liar is you say you haven't.

 

It took three days for a big (and I mean big) 4x4 tractor to come and pull it out for me.

 

Here is the sad picture we found last night (thanks daughter).

 

 

So there you go, thats how you sink a tractor.

 

I will add that I have got bog wheels on too, but only on the back :cry:

[Tallyho 181]

it wont let me see the picture.

[Guest JohnGalway]

If you tie strong, and I emphaise strong, fencing posts to the wheels you may have been able to get out yourself. It'll only give you half a rotation or so but in stages it might've helped

[Gav 1,708]

If you tie strong, and I emphaise strong, fencing posts to the wheels you may have been able to get out yourself. It'll only give you half a rotation or so but in stages it might've helped

 

I did actually hammer some bits of wood inbetween the back wheels facing down but even with independant wheel brakes it was on its belly and too much weight to drag itself out. Thanks for the idea though I did try some other silly things to no avail. I may invest in a big spike and a winch in the near future, big spike as there are no trees round here

 

The guy that came and dragged it out for me did it for free too, a very nice man ... and a very handy man to know

[SEAN3513 7]

good old countrymans tip john !!!!

 

we have some peat bogs (marsh) near us and when it was dug ( not anymore sadly) the peat cutters had specialy made heavy steel bars when they got stuck thay removed a couple of wheel nuts put the bar on the studs, put the wheel nuts back on........and hey presto.......a four cylinder diesel powered jack !!!!!!!

 

or you could give gavs mate a ring

 

cheers

 

sean

[Gav 1,708]

good old countrymans tip john !!!!

 

we have some peat bogs (marsh) near us and when it was dug ( not anymore sadly) the peat cutters had specialy made heavy steel bars when they got stuck thay removed a couple of wheel nuts put the bar on the studs, put the wheel nuts back on........and hey presto.......a four cylinder diesel powered jack !!!!!!!

 

or you could give gavs mate a ring

 

cheers

 

sean

 

Mine is only a three cylinder but is a bloody good idea Sean, if only I could suss a way to jack it up to take the wheels off and change it over when its sunk. Where theres a will theres a way huh

 

The only other thing is theres is nothing under to grip it just churns it all up and sinks you further, makes a right mess too

[Rabbithunter 456]

good old countrymans tip john !!!!

 

we have some peat bogs (marsh) near us and when it was dug ( not anymore sadly) the peat cutters had specialy made heavy steel bars when they got stuck thay removed a couple of wheel nuts put the bar on the studs, put the wheel nuts back on........and hey presto.......a four cylinder diesel powered jack !!!!!!!

 

or you could give gavs mate a ring

 

cheers

 

sean

 

Could of done with that idea, not so long ago

 

 

 

[agrifabs 0]

if you had a 'power down' on your 3 point linkage then you could use that to jack the tractor up and then place waffle boards under the wheels, dont think the dexta's have power down on linkages mind.... just a thought

[Guest JohnGalway]

Mine is only a three cylinder but is a bloody good idea Sean, if only I could suss a way to jack it up to take the wheels off and change it over when its sunk. Where theres a will theres a way huh

 

I saw a doohicky (technical term there...) at a couple of agricultural shows. Basically what it is is a giant baloon, I believe it works off the exhaust Slide it in under the vehicle and start her up I can't think of it's name for the life of me but I've seen it work

[SEAN3513 7]

If you tie strong, and I emphaise strong, fencing posts to the wheels you may have been able to get out yourself. It'll only give you half a rotation or so but in stages it might've helped

 

 

Mine is only a three cylinder but is a bloody good idea Sean, if only I could suss a way to jack it up to take the wheels off and change it over when its sunk. Where theres a will theres a way huh

 

I saw a doohicky (technical term there...) at a couple of agricultural shows. Basically what it is is a giant baloon, I believe it works off the exhaust Slide it in under the vehicle and start her up I can't think of it's name for the life of me but I've seen it work

 

we used to use them in the retained fire service...............we called em rescue bags !!!!! they probably have a trade name????............some where big enough to upright an overturned artic !!!!

 

they where air powered though....but same principal.

 

cheers

 

sean

[Guest JohnGalway]

Here it is That's just the result of a basic Google search so a bit more looking will probably find more/better versions.

[Gav 1,708]

if you had a 'power down' on your 3 point linkage then you could use that to jack the tractor up and then place waffle boards under the wheels, dont think the dexta's have power down on linkages mind.... just a thought

 

Your right there mate there is no power down linkage on it ... far too old, its a 1961 model, dont think they thought of that then :crazy: and even if I lifted the back it would get the front wheels out!

 

The trouble been too that its belly was sat on the mud too, no room to get any thing under the belly of it too to lift the front wheels out, the main problem with it was the front wheels sank, as I tried to back out the back wheels sank until the raised lift box came down to rest on the mud, the thing weighs close to four ton, once the belly is on the deck its near impossible to get them out on their own. I borrowed a neighbours MF35 and even that wouldn't shift it. The other side of it is its all bog too so no support from anything, if you tried jacking it up the jack sinks, then there is the added bonus of wading about knee deep in stinking bog shite

[SEAN3513 7]

if you had a 'power down' on your 3 point linkage then you could use that to jack the tractor up and then place waffle boards under the wheels, dont think the dexta's have power down on linkages mind.... just a thought

 

Your right there mate there is no power down linkage on it ... far too old, its a 1961 model, dont think they thought of that then :crazy: and even if I lifted the back it would get the front wheels out!

 

The trouble been too that its belly was sat on the mud too, no room to get any thing under the belly of it too to lift the front wheels out, the main problem with it was the front wheels sank, as I tried to back out the back wheels sank until the raised lift box came down to rest on the mud, the thing weighs close to four ton, once the belly is on the deck its near impossible to get them out on their own. I borrowed a neighbours MF35 and even that wouldn't shift it. The other side of it is its all bog too so no support from anything, if you tried jacking it up the jack sinks, then there is the added bonus of wading about knee deep in stinking bog shite

 

 

honestly though gav.........no dis-respect......how did you get it stuck????

 

at the end of the day .......you got it out !!!!!

 

 

he he he he he he he !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gav 1,708]

honestly though gav.........no dis-respect......how did you get it stuck????

 

at the end of the day .......you got it out !!!!!

 

 

he he he he he he he !!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Very easy mate, just driving it along the bog, I made the road myself. I got it dragged out by a very nice man in a huge 4x4 tractor yeah, that seems to be the easiest way.

 

I have now made a new track to my peat bank and left that one alone for now I say made but if you just drive over it a few times it looks like a track

[Gav 1,708]

Oh god, how dare ya bring this back to life TerrierMan .... it has slipped my mind conveniently