Could have been bad.

In the 26 years I have been operating my different tractors. I have had some things happen that could have been real bad to my tractor. I stopped to take a leak, and noticed oil leaking from the filter on my T020, the motor still had enough oil to keep from ruining it. Another time on a different tractor Mowing along and I see a streak of oil on the ground. I guess I forgot to tighten the drain plug. Caught it just in time. My more recent screw up. I added 5 gal of gasoline to my JD 401. All that cost was a injunction pump rebuild. That was a few years ago. I'm sure I am not the only one with close calls, of possible engine failures. Stan

Neighbor was brush hogging with his MF 230. Drain plug fell out and he didn't notice till he was on the next round. No damage, luckily. I couldn't push the haybine out to cutting position by hand once and stood on the platform and popped the clutch to jerk it. I do this in 1st but this time it was in 4th. Almost went off the back but managed to hang on to the wheel and fender and pull myself back up. Never did that again.

Had the engine oil drain plug fall out of the Bobcat engine once.

It had an oil leak for years, could not determine where it was leaking. Didn't know there was an oil plug, it has a capped hose you let down to drain the oil.

One day it was being run by a very novice operator, he was mostly just playing around using the bucket for a power wheel barrow. He happened to get off and saw the oil trail, stopped before any damage was done.

I was preparing to pull the engine to find the leak, got to looking, loosened the mounts and lifted the engine just barely enough to see the missing plug. It was laying there in the dirt on top of the frame. I think it had been left loose by the last person that worked on the engine.

I was able to retrieve it, clean it up and just get it back in. It tightened up, all was well!

1. Neighbor drove by his barn with Allis C on way to field. Exhaust (no muffler) on C spewed sparks on straw stack next to barn. Barn was a total loss.
2. Twin City tractor was pulling plow with new spring release hitch on plow but no quick release device on plow rope. Rope wrapped around tractor seat. Plow hit rock, uncoupled, rope pulled tractor seat down until it broke propelling 10 year old boy driving over the steering wheel and landed on hood. I forgot how he got the tractor stopped but all ended well.
3. Neighbor driving tractor up barnhill with Ford 9N and wagon loaded with earcorn noticed one of his rubber overshoes wasn't properly adjusted and began fiddling with it as the tractor continued onto the barn floor and went right on out barnyard side which was about a 9 foot drop. Tractor, farmer, wagon full of corn right down into the barnyard. They dug old Emil out and he got up, dusted himself off and said: "Well, wasn't that something."
4. Uncle's Fordson jumped into gear while idling in the yard, headed right for the silo, hit the silo head on, climbed up the silo and back flipped and then caught on fire.
5. Neighbor had wheel slip off a Farmall bar axle while working in field.
6. Another neighbor's son had just left the dealer with their Farmall M which had just been overhauled. While travelling at top speed, the son decided to see how much gas was in the tank by opening up the cap and looking in. Lost control of tractor. Right rear wheel struck power pole, breaking the tractor in half. It then needed another overhaul.

Was driving to church with the 62 Rambler Classic, the oil plug fell out. When the red oul pressure light came on i instantly shut it down and coasted to the side of the road. No harm done. I changed oil in the 105 Deere combine engine, a 4020 gas. I was in my usual hurry at that young age and did not notice the gasket from the spin on filter came off the filter and stuck to the filter housing when I removed the filter. I screwed the new filter on with that old rubber gasket stuck there, filled the oil up and took off for the field. I combined a short distance when the main drive belt started slipping. I stopped the combine, went down the ladder and headed for the back of the combine when I saw oil running off the side of the combine. Oil was spraying out of the filter base and onto the main drive belt making the belt slip. If the belt would not have slipped I never would have caught the leaking oil and the engine would have been toast.

I changed the oil on my 7120 Case IH before I went to the field to start applying anhydrous. Put on about 20 acres and the low oil pressure light suddenly came on, I immediately shut the tractor off. Followed my oil trail to the plug, refilled the crankcase and no harm done. I must?ve forgotten to tighten the plug

I have had this happen several times! Oil filter gasket sticks to block. The first time I traveled 5 miles before oil blew out (1981 Pontiac)

Since that time I recall it happening three times and fortunately I was on top of it!

Young and stupidly careless, I was dragging with 1937 JD A at brisk rate, enjoying stomping on the brake to turn quickly at the fence when out of the corner of my vision I see the drag snagged on the tire and coming up to me. I managed to jerk the clutch and duck, but the only thing that happened was the drag rested on the left rear tire and swung parallel to the tractor and the left front tire was impaled on one of the drag teeth. Forgot to lengthen the chain pulling the drag, letting the rear wheel catch it. Whew!

Was just heading out the driveway with my IH2424 one day when I smelled electic fire. Looked down and wires were sparking under the steering wheel, right by the gas tank. Gave them a big swipe with my hand and pulled them out, which stopped the fire. Got a bit of a burn on my hand, but that was all. Never fixed the wires up.

Same tractor, a month ago - went out to put on the plow one night before a storm. As I was hooking up the plow I could smell something stinky, figure it was bird poop on the muffler. When I pulled it back into the shed and turned it off, suddenly white smoke everywhere. When I started it and backed it out of the shed, the fan pushed the fire everywhere. Quick shot with an extinguisher put it out. Turned out a mouse and built a nest over the exhaust manifold. No damage that time either. But if I had not looked back and noticed the smoke, I might have lost my shed, two year's firewood, and my garden tractor also.

Tim

Some people complain about idiot lights, but they saved me a couple of times. Changed oil and filter on an Oliver 880 that had a oil light and buzzer. Went to field to start disking and heard the buzzer and light flashing. Gasket on old filter had stuck to base and I didn't see it when I installed new filter. Another time I was combineing corn with a Gleaner N5 when warning light and beeper went off.I glanced over at oil gauge and saw needle flopping back and forth. Shut down quick and went back to check and found rubber gasket on by pass filter had bulged out. I have no doubt that both engines would have been lost without light and audible warning.

I too have had a near disaster, but caught the oil leak before it cost me an engine.

One time I pulled in a friend's driveway covered with snow. Notice a dark line in the SNOW. Sears had changed the oil. Only 1.5 quarts left. The gasket on old filter stuck to engine causing the new filter to leak.

Good thing it snowed so I was able I see the leak.
George

My cousin's wife is going thru chemo and he's a mess. He went to put DEF in his F250 and put it in the gas tank. Fortunately he caught himself and didn't start the truck. Had a tow bill and charge for cleaning the fuel tank but no major engine work.

I?d like to have a nickel for all the screwups I?ve made like that I?d have a million dollars

Welding a new light bar onto my tractor, up high, decided I needed some rags as insulation, ran into the barn, grabbed all the old oily rags I could find, padded all around, flipped the mask back down and started right in. Smelled fire and smoke, burning, but couldn't see any flames or smoke. Finally got so bad I raised up the mask, I had set all the rags on fire, couldn't see flames through the welding mask.

Went to visit my brother, he told me I could take his 930 Wheatland Case and go plow. Told me there is a tractor track around field where he wanted me to raise plow. Was plowing along and don't see the tractor track. Went to turn around in waterway (still looking for tractor track) plow caught rear tire and started climbing. Hit clutch, wait no foot clutch, in panic forgot had a hand clutch. A bolt on plow punch a hole in his nice Wheatland fender.

Neighbor is a nice guy, but definitely not a tractor guy though. He was brush hogging his trails in the woods on a John Deere B; looked back at the brush hog and when he turned back around a tree limb about 1.1/2" to 2" dia. pinned him across his chest and was pulling him over the seat backwards. He couldn't reach the hand clutch, said he thought he was a goner, but just managed to kick it out of gear with his foot before things got real ugly. He parked for a year after that then sold it.

And that my fellow YTers is how I came to own a 1951 JD B.
JD

We had a cousin visit from Germany back in the early 1990's, he loved to help out on the farm. He was pulling a three section drag on a plowed and side field with our JD 40. Grandpa knew he wold be low on fuel, and brought out a five gallon can, and likely a cold barley pop- they both liked those, too. Somehow they managed to add some of that gas to the radiator before the day was over. Still not quite sure how that happened.

Worst day of my life- we were harvesting corn and I was using our old JD MI to pull empty gravity wagons back to the field. Both my little boys were riding along, and on the return empty trip, were standing on the drawbar. My younger son was four at the time, started to fall off the drawbar, but rather than drop off a foot to the soft grass, he swung around trying to hang on. His coat caught the right rear tire tread and the tire pulled him through between the fender and the inside of the tire, throwing him down right in front of the rear wheel. I still do not know how I stopped the tractor without running over him. When he went by, his legs whipped over and he hit his shin on an angle iron step we had built for Grandpa to climb on. It busted his leg halfway between knee and ankle- more of a dent than a snap.

I cannot retell the story without tearing up. He was fine after the leg healed, no reduced abilities, and became a strong, fast athlete in school. But the call I had to make to my wife to explain why we were heading to the ER, I hope never again.

That Christmas, we were in AZ by my In-Laws. While watching the kid run around the pool with his swim cast on, an older fellow in the hot tub asked about his leg. Turns out he had run his son over and killed him with a loader tractor. What a terrible connection we had.

Sorry, that fits into a category of it was bad, but could have been worse.