Rescued my tractor after almost three years.

[Spikes]

Due to health and too many surgeries to count over the last few years I haven't been able to mow the back fields. During the time I was in a nursing home a good friend tried to help out by mowing one of the grass fields (6' tall - can't see a thing) and found a deep,muddy drainage ditch.

There have been several failed tries to retrieve it (including a broken truck driveshaft and a stuck backhoe) but the bush hog was buried to the top plate and the entire tractor was sitting on the frame in clay after two of the wettest years I can remember. I finally felt strong enough to beat my way to it a couple of weeks ago and with the pickup's winch hooked to the bush hog and getting a good backwards run in 4LO it popped out on the third 'it'll come out or I'll break it in half' pull.

The engine fired right off with the truck pull starting in 3rd HI gear but it drug the tires for a few feet before something popped loose. It's a wet clutch so shouldn't have been that... Who knows.

It had no visible water in the engine oil (I ran it back to the house, maybe two minutes and no milkshake oil) but the trans / hydraulics were FULL of water. I've yet to check the front axle. It's an all gear transmission.

Picked up 20 gallons of hydraulic oil and a couple of gallons for the engine, all filters new as well as a new starter (it was locked up solid). I'll add a battery when the rest is done.

Other than drain / fill / run / repeat on the hydraulics, a new battery and figuring out a silly o-ring that I can't find a home for on the hydraulic filter, it's almost done.

Sorry for the long post but I'm excited to be back on the forum!


Black 'tide mark' on wheel

Axle was submerged

This isn't helping much

Raccoons made quite a mess

Before pic.

 

[skeets]

Im glad you are feeling well enough to save the old gal,,, take it slow you know one step one day and it will all come together.

 

[Lil Foot]

Glad both you & the tractor are back in action!

 

[D2Cat]

You can tell by the crud on the wheels how deep it was. Take your time, be safe. Welcome back!

 

[BigG]

" Due to health and too many surgeries to count over the last few years I haven't been able to mow the back fields. During the time I was in a nursing home a good friend tried to help out by mowing one of the grass fields (6' tall - can't see a thing) and found a deep,muddy drainage ditch. "


This is when you need to let your neighbors on here know that you need help. I have gone to help others and I was glad to do so. Any excuse for tractor time!

I tended to what remained of a friends family farm for years just to be outside and working. I never ask for or received anything for years. Then one day he called me up and gave me a tractor. A JD 60 Grove tractor. Still got it and it still needs to be redone but it was a hell of a gift!

 

[Magicman]

Yours is a refreshing example of rehabilitation, both for you and the tractor. I say "well done"!!

 

[Spikes]

" Due to health and too many surgeries to count over the last few years I haven't been able to mow the back fields. During the time I was in a nursing home a good friend tried to help out by mowing one of the grass fields (6' tall - can't see a thing) and found a deep,muddy drainage ditch. "


This is when you need to let your neighbors on here know that you need help. I have gone to help others and I was glad to do so. Any excuse for tractor time!

I tended to what remained of a friends family farm for years just to be outside and working. I never ask for or received anything for years. Then one day he called me up and gave me a tractor. A JD 60 Grove tractor. Still got it and it still needs to be redone but it was a hell of a gift!

That is a great gift!
I had a lot of help from family and friends - trying times show who true friends are for sure. I recently fixed a riding mower for a newly widowed lady in our city that reached out for help on the Neighbors app. She was almost irritated that I wouldn't accept payment until I told her a story of someone who recently helped me out in a time of need, and how this was my opportunity to 'pay it forward'. She was fine after that.

 

[RCW]

Wow, good for you on many counts.

That is fantastic!

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Awesome story. Hope the drive train didn't suffer too much from the water...

I have a friend that had just turned 90. Sadly, his ranch was going back to the bank and his son was taking his Kubota. He was doing some minor maintenance on his Kawasaki Mule (the old "original" version) and called me with a question. He had filled up the engine with a hose and saw oily water coming out. Not sure why but, poor guy had a lot on his mind at the time. I made him PROMISE me he would go in the house and not try to start it. He did and I grabbed tools and raced over to his place.

I drained the engine and then filled it up with some new 30 wt he had in his garage. We started it, after turning over the engine with the plugs out, and let it idle for about 15 minutes. Then, we drained the oil out and replaced it with fresh oil. Started it again and it ran fine. I told him to go drive it "gently" for a half hour to get the moisture out of the block. He actually said it ran better after the "washing" than before. Oh well. No harm done. (Phew)

Best of luck on getting her running again.

 

[Spikes]

" Due to health and too many surgeries to count over the last few years I haven't been able to mow the back fields. During the time I was in a nursing home a good friend tried to help out by mowing one of the grass fields (6' tall - can't see a thing) and found a deep,muddy drainage ditch. "


This is when you need to let your neighbors on here know that you need help. I have gone to help others and I was glad to do so. Any excuse for tractor time!

I tended to what remained of a friends family farm for years just to be outside and working. I never ask for or received anything for years. Then one day he called me up and gave me a tractor. A JD 60 Grove tractor. Still got it and it still needs to be redone but it was a hell of a gift!

I'm in the middle of a 80,000 plus town i have a unique situation that few people come to our house looking for other addresses but only once every three months. it's rare.