The things I've seen me do...

I have a few... but just one for starters

Before kids I used to work much later into the evening regularly. Often making it home after dark, and because quitting time was so late, I would just take the truck from the jobsite home. In this case I drove the little six wheel International DT home so I could go to the quarry for stone in the A.M.

As was often the case my wife would be doing whatever she did, out with friends, home with a book etc etc. This particular night her sister was over visiting.

Our driveway at this time was double wide to accommodate the two bay garage we have. It also had a nice sized turn around which a jumbo jet could park in.
Anyways - in the dark (pretty weak back up light) I backed straight up my driveway looking in the driverside mirror because I was watching for my wifes car. What I didn't expect was the flash of white in the corner of my eye from the passenger side mirror. I didn't even feel it as my right rear tire went along the Sister-in-laws bumper and grill, busting plastic and generally messing up the nose of her car (which she loved). Hard part was going inside and trying not to smile while telling her what happened. She thought I was joking for a moment. I don't even think the sidewalls got scuffed on the truck side of things
Worst part was there was a solid three feet of space behind her car to the evergreen hedge at the back of the turn around....grrr......

Oops.

Kshansen's screw-up thread reminded me of this thread, and how I have a confession to make.

Dang trees! whats the story there Shimmy?

farmerlund said:

Dang trees! whats the story there Shimmy?

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Exactly the first line in your post. Was trying to get ahead of things the Friday deer season opener. I was by myself because other guys were hunting and whatnot, and the trees were too big to move without cutting apart after they were down. Wanted to be ready Monday for a big day with plenty of help, so I was tearing the roots around the trees with the ripper. This job had over 70 cottonwoods that were 24" and bigger, all of them 70-80' tall. Had a small one that started moving when I ripped around it, so I pushed it over. Overlooked the fact that it removed a fair bit of support from a leaner that so happened to be leaning AWAY from the direction of the 25 mph wind that day. Let's just say I'm lucky it didn't land on the cab.

The pics don't really do justice for the size of these trees. The are all 24" diameter and larger, the biggest was a little over 42". I couldn't pick up the rootballs, even with the trunk cut off at the dirt line.

Had a PTO auger on the back of tractor helping a neighbor plant trees for a privacy hedge. Dug about 35 holes and he wanted the last tree right close to the house... next to the 100 gallon propane tank.

I asked three times "are you sure we're going to miss the underground gas line." With his third "absolutely okay" I lowered the auger in his indicated spot.

Within minutes, the hole was filled with water. As I raised the auger out of the hole, a piece of twisted plastic pipe fell off the auger tip. His wife, who was in the shower, started hollering about that time.

I beat a hasty retreat like a coward and left him alone, to take the brunt of a soapy, wet hen.

Wow Shimmy...that's a rough one! Glad it didn't land on your noggin.

I was expecting a delivery at the shop, and we were moving stuff around, and getting ready to leave to a different project (you can hear the excuses coming up in all that, sorry)

Anyways, I'm on one forklift, one of the other guys has the big forklift up on the hill in the driveway, and it dies. Out of fuel. I'm ticked, tell him to put it in neutral, delivery is here, and I run up behind it with the other forklift to shove him out of the way. Its a heavy old pig of a forklift, and halfway across the yard, I slipped the fork right up off of the counterweight, and right through the radiator. Speared that sucker like a jousting match.

Yep, 90% of the damage I have ever done to my machines have been from trees. I really hate big cottonwoods.
Glad to see it didn't get the cab. could be hard on a guys forehead.

farmerlund said:

Yep, 90% of the damage I have ever done to my machines have been from trees. I really hate big cottonwoods.
Glad to see it didn't get the cab. could be hard on a guys forehead.

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If there is a worse tree to deal with, I'd like to know. I've had (several, over the years) 12" diameter "tree" fall off of the main tree as soon as I put the bucket against the tree. They are the most unpredictable, unruly mess to deal with I've ever had the pleasure to try. To the brave souls out there that think a mini-ex can get any tree or stump out (it just takes time), my hat's off to you. We made the decision a couple years ago that on a tree project, the starting point for any live cottonwood bigger than 18" is $150, per tree.

A few years a go i was driving through a pit where there had been a chrusher set up. This is the hole they dig under the tail pully of the cone? If i remeber right. They had moved out early that morning in and it rained a bit. I was there to fix on a conveyer. Poor jugment. Truck was fine.. the pride rook a beating. Weeks later some one sent me this pic.