Look what my wife did while I was at work.

Corney

New member

Equipment
L1500DT, front end loader, mower, tiller, snow blower
Please take her out and show her how to safely operate that tractor! Next time it might not end as well. If she is interested and wants to learn teach her where the clutchis, brakes and how to keep it on its wheels.
 

sheepfarmer

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L3560, B2650, Gator, Ingersoll mower
Nov 14, 2014
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Actually I have to confess to identifying with her, you just want to get something done, and I don't know if she can put the bale spear on by herself. I might have tried something like that once. I think you should get her reading OTT, there is a ton of safety information on here. More fun to learn it that way than after the fact from a spouse...don't ask me how come I remember that ;)
 

D2Cat

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L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
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I'd say a simple solution is to leave the rear bale spear on the tractor until all the hay is in place. Then don't have to hook it up, and don't have to try to roll a bale with the tractor.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
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Sandpoint, ID
2 things might have made this have a little better outcome.

A 3 point quick hitch... Makes installing implements way easier. :)

A FEL, could have pushed the bale safely with that. ;)
 

ShaunRH

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L3200
May 14, 2014
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Okay, I was not going to ask HOW it came to be like that but now that someone has...

I'm with NIWolfman, front loader!

As for implements, a bale spear would be among the easier of ones to install, at least for me.

She had the boom pole on it, she could've just hooked it and drug it out to where she wanted to go.

I might have considered pushing it but that would just make a mess out of my front end as it sanded off the paint and left the radiator clogged with hay/straw so I would've abandoned the thought fairly quickly.

All in all, lesson learned. I wish my wife had an interest in driving the tractor. She says "too slow" and wants her RTV900 so she can go blasting around the property like a maniac...
 

Diydave

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L2202 tractor, L185f tractor
Oct 31, 2013
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you gotta learn to use these heaven sent opportunities. NOW is the time to get a FE loader, for HER safety...:D
 

CaveCreekRay

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L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Jul 11, 2014
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48
Cave Creek, AZ
What Sheepfarmer said...

What I did with my wife was put her in low range and 1/4 throttle until she got comfortable with the HST machine. Even if she goofed up three times in a row, she wouldn't go anywhere.

And this is a woman who did well learning a clutch on my '83 Z28 but refused to drive it in traffic. Her confidence never matched her ability. Somehow, she learned how to ride a motorcycle (I got her started and then sent her and my daughter to MSF school for the weekend.) But then she whined for a Vespa because they have no clutch. ("Yes Dear!")

Confidence comes with experience. She made a boo-boo and will pay more attention from now on. Don't ban her from it, make her run the machine every day you have off for the next month! She'll be a lot safer and you won't worry about her near as much.

Motorcycling and flying were two experiences that matured my daughter. Basically, the teaching program for both is: "Do this and you are safe. Do this and you will get hurt." Works for tractors too.

Have fun and enjoy that new FEL... I can't think of a nicer wedding anniversary present.:D
 

D2Cat

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Mar 27, 2014
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CCR, your statement is only partially correct. "Confidence comes with experience."

Confidence only comes from a POSITIVE experience. (I know you know that because you reinforced the idea in your post.)

It's like the statement we often hear, "Practice makes perfect." No! "Perfect practice makes perfect."

If you practice anything doing it incorrectly you get real good at doing it incorrectly!!
 

Balvar24

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Equipment
L3800 HST, 5ft Rotary Cutter, 5ft Box Blade, Pallet Forks, 72" Rotary Tiller
Feb 18, 2014
56
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Rock Ridge
Glad noone was hurt.

What size bale is that?