Had to cut a tree that was rubbing my garage. It was 30ft tall or so. It was also between my power and cable tv lines and my neighbors lines. I climbed the tree over half way up and tied a rope to it. Hooked the rope to my jeep and pulled till the tree bent over. Now there was nothing that could stop it from ending up in the middle of my driveway away from all of the overhead lines..... That is where that ******** Murphy comes in. I notched it perfect, started cutting on the back and just as I cut through it did a spin/twist enough for the rope to get loose. Needless to say I got to meet my neighbors when they came out to see what the crash was and why they had no power! Sunday afternoon service calls to the power company, electrician ( since it was ripped out of the house) and the cable tv company wasn't cheap!
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The things I've seen me do...
- Thread starter CM1995
- Start date
Those statistics are very interesting digger242j. What is your conclusion?
On the thread topic I will say I have been very fortunate in the field because of my control obsession and I just check and re check my moves but I did one time watch a 631 back into my truck at work one day years back.
Now I have seen some here on my property that I've caused from just being distracted and too relaxed.
A couple Saturdays ago we were working here at home on maintenance and such. I got in the dump truck to pull it up on the concrete from the gravel. After stopping I looked in the passenger window and noticed the tailgate had swung out. Hmm I thought after seeing the wife's Honda Accord also in that same mirror but the view was blocked by the tailgate. In the same mirror I saw my wife appear. That was that I guess. My guys were already in the back of the dump truck and didn't latch the tailgate but I didn't check.
On the thread topic I will say I have been very fortunate in the field because of my control obsession and I just check and re check my moves but I did one time watch a 631 back into my truck at work one day years back.
Now I have seen some here on my property that I've caused from just being distracted and too relaxed.
A couple Saturdays ago we were working here at home on maintenance and such. I got in the dump truck to pull it up on the concrete from the gravel. After stopping I looked in the passenger window and noticed the tailgate had swung out. Hmm I thought after seeing the wife's Honda Accord also in that same mirror but the view was blocked by the tailgate. In the same mirror I saw my wife appear. That was that I guess. My guys were already in the back of the dump truck and didn't latch the tailgate but I didn't check.
old-iron-habit
Senior Member
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- Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
In the early 70s we were harvesting a state timber sale on top of a steep river bluff over the Saint Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin. I was running our brand new 931 Cat outfitted with long, wide tracks, counterweights, winch, woods protection package, and a Allan tree shear. State of the art for the time. I was happily cutting away, life was good. I always wore my seat belt, mainly because it kept my butt planted in the seat and not sliding around. After a number of days on the machine, I got to the point that the surrounding area awareness become natural, and I very seldom looked behind me. Imagine my surprise when I backed up, turned, and dumped a large tree starting a new jag. When the heavy tree left the clamp my front end went up and I was looking at the sky while I slid down the near shear bank backwards. Fortunatly I hit a large tree stopping me about with the shear about 10 ft down from the top. I nearly sh*t my pants. I shut the machine down concerned about oil pressure. I was literally laying on my back with the machine facing almost straight up. After crawling out and chasing him down the skidder operator pulled me up and after leaving the 931 set for an hour I fired up and went back to work. I got lucky that time. It was a long way down to the river and not a lot of trees big enough to stop me on the slope.
I would not have wanted one then but to have a picture now would be historic.
I would not have wanted one then but to have a picture now would be historic.
Shimmy1
Senior Member
I think I've posted this story before but I'll recount it anyway. We were hauling rip rap one winter, using the old 1080B to load with. About -10°F during the day so we would bring the hoe back into the yard at night to plug it in. I was walking the hoe to the road to load it. It was dark, the ditch was too steep to climb so I had to take it to an approach. Closest one was on the other side of a pond. So, I thought I'd be smart and walk on top of the hard snow next to the road. About halfway I started to sink in deeper than I was comfortable with. I'm sure everyone knows where this is going. Spun around to get out of there and pretty soon I was stopped. I was close enough to the road that I could reach the opposite shoulder so in my infinite 16 year old wisdom I thought I could get it up on the road. Bad idea. Ended up throwing a track. So, for the next two hours, Dad and I proceeded to put the rail back on. Did I mention we were in water and mud up to our knees? We got the track back on, but the shoulder was froze too hard to get up on the road. So, Dad had to go home to get the rubber tire (25 miles away) and we called the county blade man to bring the blade down to help pull with. Used the backhoe to dig a ramp in the shoulder, and pulled it up with the blade. For the next 10 yrs, the county guy would ask me if I was fishing with my excavator lately.
joispoi
Senior Member
I haven't posted in a while simply because I haven't had anything to share. But, here it goes.
One of the first foundations that I dug was for a small 8x6 mudroom addition that was situated by the backdoor of a small ranch right next to the kitchen. It was a modest house that was well looked after with painted shutters and wooden flower boxes in front of some of the windows. I was still pretty green as an operator and I didn't own any equipment at the time. I'd rented a Bobcat with open ROPS. Now just to set the scene, it was early December in New England, and it was getting into the 20's at night and low 30's during the day. On the day I dug the foundation, it didn't get out of the 20's, the wind was blowing and there were flurries in the air. I was wearing insulated Dickie's coveralls that added about 2" in every direction to my 6'5" frame.
Everything was going as planned up until the point where I leaned forward to fiddle with one of the pedals with my left hand. My right elbow was bent which meant that my sleeve was sticking about 3" past my elbow. I didn't feel my sleeve pushing the joystick forward, but that's what happened. All I could do was stare in horror as the dipper swung out and the bucket pushed the planter box through the kitchen window and into the kitchen sink.
The owners weren't home at the time. I cleaned the flowers and broken glass out of their sink, washed their dishes and boarded up their window. I apologized half dozen to a dozen times and I bought them a new window and planter box. Thankfully the homeowners were understanding. They thought it was a little bit funny- they weren't happy about the window, but they were smirking a little when I explained what had happened. They of course told my friend who had referred me to them. He thought it was REALLY FUNNY. Since we both were in the Fire Department, there really wasn't anyway that he could be expected to not say anything at the FD. I could have sworn that I was working alone that day, but within a week I figured out that I'd miscounted. It seemed more like 15 people had watched it happen.
This might not actually belong in this thread, because I really didn't see me do this. I was looking down and fiddling with the foot pedals and it just sorta happened.
One of the first foundations that I dug was for a small 8x6 mudroom addition that was situated by the backdoor of a small ranch right next to the kitchen. It was a modest house that was well looked after with painted shutters and wooden flower boxes in front of some of the windows. I was still pretty green as an operator and I didn't own any equipment at the time. I'd rented a Bobcat with open ROPS. Now just to set the scene, it was early December in New England, and it was getting into the 20's at night and low 30's during the day. On the day I dug the foundation, it didn't get out of the 20's, the wind was blowing and there were flurries in the air. I was wearing insulated Dickie's coveralls that added about 2" in every direction to my 6'5" frame.
Everything was going as planned up until the point where I leaned forward to fiddle with one of the pedals with my left hand. My right elbow was bent which meant that my sleeve was sticking about 3" past my elbow. I didn't feel my sleeve pushing the joystick forward, but that's what happened. All I could do was stare in horror as the dipper swung out and the bucket pushed the planter box through the kitchen window and into the kitchen sink.
The owners weren't home at the time. I cleaned the flowers and broken glass out of their sink, washed their dishes and boarded up their window. I apologized half dozen to a dozen times and I bought them a new window and planter box. Thankfully the homeowners were understanding. They thought it was a little bit funny- they weren't happy about the window, but they were smirking a little when I explained what had happened. They of course told my friend who had referred me to them. He thought it was REALLY FUNNY. Since we both were in the Fire Department, there really wasn't anyway that he could be expected to not say anything at the FD. I could have sworn that I was working alone that day, but within a week I figured out that I'd miscounted. It seemed more like 15 people had watched it happen.
This might not actually belong in this thread, because I really didn't see me do this. I was looking down and fiddling with the foot pedals and it just sorta happened.
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RonG
Charter Member
I was running a Kobelco 907 one winter and had another worker in the bucket with a grease gun to grease something,I cannot remember what.Well,the sleeve on my Carharts caught the stick joystick and my passenger in the bucket dropped about 3 feet kind of sudden there and created some exitement among two guys who were probably not really awake yet.Well that changed that and taught me what not to do when I could kill someone with my little finger by not paying attention.Respect is the word I guess.Ron G
DPete
Senior Member
I never did any of that stuff
except when I bought D8K to replace an H while getting used to the intergraded steering and brake controls smacked the side of a garage with the side of the dozer while clearing brush around it on the neighbors dairy. Eventually it got demolished I just gave it a head start
except when I bought D8K to replace an H while getting used to the intergraded steering and brake controls smacked the side of a garage with the side of the dozer while clearing brush around it on the neighbors dairy. Eventually it got demolished I just gave it a head start 
I have more than I care to remember. Experience is what you get when you mess something up the first time.
I recall once backfilling the curb on a freshly paved road. We were using a 980C loader, since it was what we had. I knew that turning on the freshly paved road would damage it, so I was driving and letting the laborer shovel the dirt out. This was working out fine, since there was only a couple hundred feet to do, and it did not need much dirt, just about a one foot wide strip between the back of the curb and the choker.
Being the boss involved much phone time, and this day was no different. My laborer would get my attention when it was time to move up, and I would then wait for his next signal. I was keeping the bucket close to the ground so he didn't have to work any harder than needed. What I forgot was that the boom would drift down. I had the tip rolled up a little, but the heel plates on the bucket started to drag on the asphalt, and do to being distracted by the phone, I did not notice until we (I) had managed to scar up about 50 feet of the fresh asphalt.
When this was found out by the inspector, he first wanted ALL of the road torn out and repaved. He then backed down to just the damaged section, and after some negotiation with his boss it was reduced to a several thousand dollar deduct from our payment.
That was one expensive phone call!
I recall once backfilling the curb on a freshly paved road. We were using a 980C loader, since it was what we had. I knew that turning on the freshly paved road would damage it, so I was driving and letting the laborer shovel the dirt out. This was working out fine, since there was only a couple hundred feet to do, and it did not need much dirt, just about a one foot wide strip between the back of the curb and the choker.
Being the boss involved much phone time, and this day was no different. My laborer would get my attention when it was time to move up, and I would then wait for his next signal. I was keeping the bucket close to the ground so he didn't have to work any harder than needed. What I forgot was that the boom would drift down. I had the tip rolled up a little, but the heel plates on the bucket started to drag on the asphalt, and do to being distracted by the phone, I did not notice until we (I) had managed to scar up about 50 feet of the fresh asphalt.
When this was found out by the inspector, he first wanted ALL of the road torn out and repaved. He then backed down to just the damaged section, and after some negotiation with his boss it was reduced to a several thousand dollar deduct from our payment.
That was one expensive phone call!
movindirt
Senior Member
Most of the things I've seen me do were small stupid things that didn't cause much major catastrophic damage :tong Just watch, now that I've posted this I'll screw something up :Banghead
It was about 1982 or so and we were re-facing the back of Soil Conservation dam in Utah. We were running DW 15 scrapers and pushing with a D7G. In the evening it was my job to strip topsoil in the area that we would be cutting the next day.
This story is similar to Old Iron Habit's tale about being familiar with one's surroundings and not looking back. There was about a 4' more or less vertical cut where we had been borrowing material that day, and I was stripping an additional area next to it, pushing away from the cut. It was getting pretty dark and yep, you guessed it, I backed right off that edge at a bit of an angle.
When the dust cleared and I realized that I was in fact still alive and in the seat, I then had to extract myself from the predicament, as the front left track was still on top and the back right on the bottom. We used to run a gallon overfull in the transmission so that it would not kick out on steeper terrain, but a gallon evidently was not enough, as the tracks would not move. After what seemed like an hour of working the dozer and rippers to try to get myself off of that edge (was probably more like five minutes), and trying to do so before the boss came a looking, I finally extracted myself and the 92V and returned to work, making sure to look back every pass!
It really wasn't that bad, but the feeling of suddenly falling backwards on what was fairly flat ground put my heart where it was competing for space with my epiglottis.
This story is similar to Old Iron Habit's tale about being familiar with one's surroundings and not looking back. There was about a 4' more or less vertical cut where we had been borrowing material that day, and I was stripping an additional area next to it, pushing away from the cut. It was getting pretty dark and yep, you guessed it, I backed right off that edge at a bit of an angle.
When the dust cleared and I realized that I was in fact still alive and in the seat, I then had to extract myself from the predicament, as the front left track was still on top and the back right on the bottom. We used to run a gallon overfull in the transmission so that it would not kick out on steeper terrain, but a gallon evidently was not enough, as the tracks would not move. After what seemed like an hour of working the dozer and rippers to try to get myself off of that edge (was probably more like five minutes), and trying to do so before the boss came a looking, I finally extracted myself and the 92V and returned to work, making sure to look back every pass!
It really wasn't that bad, but the feeling of suddenly falling backwards on what was fairly flat ground put my heart where it was competing for space with my epiglottis.
kshansen
Senior Member
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Well here's one I did several years ago, believe it was mid 1980's. Back then company was okay with guys borrowing equipment for personal jobs as long as it was back to work for Monday morning. I was in the process of building a 2 1/2 car garage a mile form the quarry and had wrestled with help from my wife about a third of the 24 foot trusses up into position. Well it was Friday and there was an old Koehring Hydraulic truck crane that was just going to be sitting that one mile away all weekend asked the boss and he said sure no problem! So I jumped in it and drove it home that night. Backed it in to the yard between the stack of new trusses and the new garage with about five trusses already in position. Looked like it was positioned about right but figured I'd do a quick check before we left for dinner appointment with friends. Started up the upper engine and swung the boom over the stack of new trusses and it was good. Next swung over the end of the garage to see how that looked. Not quite far enough so started booming out a bit to reach the far end of the garage. Did anyone notice the missing step??
Yes in my hurry to get done before cleaning up to go out to dinner I had failed to take time to put down the outriggers! Any guess on what happened next? For some reason those 2 by 4 trusses and the end wall of the new garage did not do much to slow that boom as it came down! After the shock of what I had done wore off a bit decided only solution was to boom down the crane enough to allow the outriggers to extend with pads on then boom back up and in to get truck back on it's wheels. Lucky there was no damage to the crane. I then put boom back in cradle and took the crane back to the quarry. A few days work repairing the damaged trusses and end wall and the rest of the work was done by hand with no problems!
And the worst part of the whole story? One of the people we were having dinner with that night was a guy know in the area as one of the top crane operators in the state, when GE was setting up a new radar system they always would request him by name. He did offer to set the trusses for me but I figured doing the work by hand was good for me.
Yes in my hurry to get done before cleaning up to go out to dinner I had failed to take time to put down the outriggers! Any guess on what happened next? For some reason those 2 by 4 trusses and the end wall of the new garage did not do much to slow that boom as it came down! After the shock of what I had done wore off a bit decided only solution was to boom down the crane enough to allow the outriggers to extend with pads on then boom back up and in to get truck back on it's wheels. Lucky there was no damage to the crane. I then put boom back in cradle and took the crane back to the quarry. A few days work repairing the damaged trusses and end wall and the rest of the work was done by hand with no problems!
And the worst part of the whole story? One of the people we were having dinner with that night was a guy know in the area as one of the top crane operators in the state, when GE was setting up a new radar system they always would request him by name. He did offer to set the trusses for me but I figured doing the work by hand was good for me.
simonsrplant
Senior Member
Forgiving collective;
I think the worst (and like most, there has been a few) was clipping (ahem) a bridge whilst hauling a 4 way screening plant. I was doing wrenching and heavy haulage for the company at the time and had a busy day ahead. I loaded up the screener, and in my haste I forgot, or neglected to lower the tail conveyor... Now I admit, I did think it was a little high heading out of the site as on the smaller roads I was pulling down overhanging branches, but I figured it was just a coincidence. As luck would have it I must have cleared half a dozen, maybe more, over passes on the A1 heading south and was making good progress. There was one however that was sloped, clearly lower on the left (southbound) than the right... As i was passing under said bridge I glanced in my mirror just at the time the tail conveyor hit the bridge... I pulled over immediately to assess the damage and figure out what I was going to do. As to be expected it was all things bad; drum, bearings, frame. I'd screwed up. Big time.
I figured it would be a good idea to lower the conveyor... (bit late) and carry on...
The twist in the tale is that before dropping the trailer at the yard I turned the machine around 180degrees, thinking that is someone notices the damage, it can't have been a bridge as it is pointing the wrong way. I dropped the trailer, changed out and headed off with my work.
Come Monday and all hell was breaking loose, another driver had delivered the machine and, surprise surprise the customer had noticed the biblical balls up I had made. I was duly questioned and pled not guilty, having no knowledge of such damage, and it couldn't have been me, as I had it loaded "the other way" That was pretty much the end of it. The company I was working for paid a contribution to the repair bill and all was forgotten.
So;
I'd like to ask for forgiveness from the company I worked for; for rushing, for lying, for being devious and turning the machine around, and to the Customer whose machine it was for doing the damage I did.
I think the worst (and like most, there has been a few) was clipping (ahem) a bridge whilst hauling a 4 way screening plant. I was doing wrenching and heavy haulage for the company at the time and had a busy day ahead. I loaded up the screener, and in my haste I forgot, or neglected to lower the tail conveyor... Now I admit, I did think it was a little high heading out of the site as on the smaller roads I was pulling down overhanging branches, but I figured it was just a coincidence. As luck would have it I must have cleared half a dozen, maybe more, over passes on the A1 heading south and was making good progress. There was one however that was sloped, clearly lower on the left (southbound) than the right... As i was passing under said bridge I glanced in my mirror just at the time the tail conveyor hit the bridge... I pulled over immediately to assess the damage and figure out what I was going to do. As to be expected it was all things bad; drum, bearings, frame. I'd screwed up. Big time.
I figured it would be a good idea to lower the conveyor... (bit late) and carry on...
The twist in the tale is that before dropping the trailer at the yard I turned the machine around 180degrees, thinking that is someone notices the damage, it can't have been a bridge as it is pointing the wrong way. I dropped the trailer, changed out and headed off with my work.
Come Monday and all hell was breaking loose, another driver had delivered the machine and, surprise surprise the customer had noticed the biblical balls up I had made. I was duly questioned and pled not guilty, having no knowledge of such damage, and it couldn't have been me, as I had it loaded "the other way" That was pretty much the end of it. The company I was working for paid a contribution to the repair bill and all was forgotten.
So;
I'd like to ask for forgiveness from the company I worked for; for rushing, for lying, for being devious and turning the machine around, and to the Customer whose machine it was for doing the damage I did.
CM1995
Administrator
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That's a good one kshansen, for a minute there I thought you were going to say the boom hit the wife's car. That would've been bad, very bad.:cool2 In the end just some wood and labor, ya' got out lucky.:drinkup
Simonsrplant, confession is good for the soul.
Simonsrplant, confession is good for the soul.
DPete
Senior Member
Just think if you sat behind a desk none of that stuff would happen or worse a computer cubicle. If you can imagine doing that for a living, I for one can not
kshansen
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- Central New York, USA
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- Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
That's a good one kshansen, for a minute there I thought you were going to say the boom hit the wife's car. That would've been bad, very bad.:cool2 In the end just some wood and labor, ya' got out lucky.:drinkup
Simonsrplant, confession is good for the soul.
Yes, Lucky as car was parked right in front of the garage and was missed by things by a matter of a couple feet.
I did one that ended well. I was 20 or less, driving a 67 Ih 1100 2 wheel drive. I was driving around the Toronto state lake about 4 miles east of town.
Road goes NW up a hill and a road at the top of hill goes N. I couldn't see the intersection till near the top of the hill when going towards town until right on it.
As I came up the hill and saw the intersection there was a motorcycle with 2 on it waiting to turn onto the highway. There was also a camper coming from town and I saw the biker looking at it and just knew he was pulling out when the camper went by. I didn't think I had a chance of making the corner. He pulled out and at about 60 mph that old Ih hung that corner. I was relatively certain I was going to end up through the fence into a pasture, so was pretty pleased when made it. The cyclist came and thanked me for not running them over. They were like 10 feet from the grill of that old tank when I turned.
Road goes NW up a hill and a road at the top of hill goes N. I couldn't see the intersection till near the top of the hill when going towards town until right on it.
As I came up the hill and saw the intersection there was a motorcycle with 2 on it waiting to turn onto the highway. There was also a camper coming from town and I saw the biker looking at it and just knew he was pulling out when the camper went by. I didn't think I had a chance of making the corner. He pulled out and at about 60 mph that old Ih hung that corner. I was relatively certain I was going to end up through the fence into a pasture, so was pretty pleased when made it. The cyclist came and thanked me for not running them over. They were like 10 feet from the grill of that old tank when I turned.