I hold myself partially responsible.

So our farm used to have a circle driveway, my mom wanted it put back in so I started on it last fall but didnt get it finished, so I worked on it a bit today. Personally I think its maybe starting to shape up, you might disagree with me and that's fine. I'd love to hear some feedback on it.



Then I decided to move some manure, and that's when things went a little bit wrong.



No I'm not stuck, but I heard a weird noise. So I shut of the skidsteer and looked around. Turns out the flywheel had ripped a hole in the battery. Dirt and manure had worked it's way in to where the battery sets while I was running the skidsteer, and pushed the battery against the flywheel. That's actually the 2nd time I've ripped a hole in a battery on that skidsteer. Unfortunately those batteries aren't super cheap, but I guess they aren't outrageously expensive. On top of that the skidsteer shorted out and wrecked the solenoid. So I need a new battery a new battery cable, a new solenoid and a new starter button (the starter button broke months before this accident) Oh well that's farming for ya I guess, coulda been worse.






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-Garrett

Where's the battery hold down??

Hmm..... missing I guess. Never had one as long as I've owned it. Guess I have to rig something up

A couple bungee cords work better than nothing b

Yep, I'll have to try that.

I have seen that many times.Battery blows up like that and acid goes every where. Take some baking soda and spread it around where the acid hit. It will kill the acid then wash it off.

You didn't run it over, you didn't start a fire. you didn't loose it, the connections are still where you can get to them, seems pretty much a near win. Jim

I thought that was a stick on the back side of that which used to be a battery. Jim

Why not add a plate of steel on the bottom we?re the mudd is getting in to keep that from happening?

I don't know, I'll have to look at it, but it seems like that would work.

It appears that the driveway will work out well with a little water run-off management. Determine which side of it will catch the most rainwater and put a ditch down that side with some rocks in it. The ditch will keep the water from eroding the driveway, and the rocks will keep the ditch from washing too deep.

Just be aware that a couple of bungee cords will only help keep the battery from bouncing out. It won't stop the manure building up from underneath and pushing the battery into the flywheel again.

You'd need something to forcibly hold the battery down against the manure pushing up on it, but I suspect that if you clamp the battery down hard, the force from the manure pushing up may simply break whatever you use, or worse, crush the battery.

So, you've either got to figure out how to prevent the manure from getting up in there or make cleaning that area out a regular maintenance item.

Aside from the issue with the skid steer ..... I think you did an excellent job on the driveway. Only thing I can suggest is maybe investing in some aggregate or crushed concrete (approx 2"). Looks like that ground would get pretty sloppy after a big rain.

Replying a little late to your post but you could actually fix that battery, assuming the palates aren?t damaged. I don?t know how old the battery is and I can?t see in the photo how far the hole goes down the side. If you cut up an old antifreeze jug and form it into a 90 degree bend with a heat gun to fit on that corner you can essentially glue it on with RTV. RTV is not affected by battery acid. As others have posted a solid hold down for your battery is a wise idea.

Interesting, I'll talk to my dad and see what he thinks but I might have to try that. Thanks.

And thank you to everyone else who has replied.

I go with a plate underneath to keep the material from getting in there in the first place.