worst winter job

farmer boy · Dec 16, 2008

What is the worst job you regularly do in the winter or what's the worst job you've done in the winter? The worst regular job in the winter is clearing snow after a bad storm and being on an uncabbed tractor for 2 hours. The worst one time job was replacing a well pump at -30 C

DerbyCity · Dec 16, 2008

Trying to spread frozen manure or using a pitch fork to clean out frozen manure. Frozen chunks hitting the back of your head. Don't know why I got that job. Putting pump in septic tank in 15 degree weather isn't easy either. Pew!

JOE FARMER · Dec 16, 2008

TRYING TO THAW OUT CATTLE WATER ON SUPER BOWL
SUNDAY AND MISSING HALF THE GAME AT 10 BELOW
NOTE POWER HAD KICKED OFF NIGHT BEFORE AND NIXED THE ELECTRIC HEATER'''''PS BUY FORD NOW

Doug in Illinois · Dec 16, 2008

My worst winter job is in the past, that used to be loading grain hopper cars. The wind blew twice as fast between the elevators and bins as open ground, venturi effect. Once you were on top of the car you really couldn't come down, the grain chute would move side to side enough to fill one compartment and just get into the next. If you were on the tractor to move the cars at least you could duck back into the main house for 3 or 4 minutes to warm back up before the next move. We would switch off on who got stuck on top of the cars. I was glad we still had a feed mill then also so I could get inside to make and deliver feed. The feed truck was a welcome relief to the cold. DOUG

Jersey Joe · Dec 16, 2008

Pumping gas,couldn"t wear gloves

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

Chimney fires, fires, auto accidents. Next in line is probably hog and cattle waters. Want to make it even worse? Listen to a farmer explain that last winter towards spring it froze a couple of times ----So I waited till it froooooze solid this winter to call you, often they have to do some windshield time or drive the cab tractor while I try to explain to some thirsty animals I need them to stay back till I get done with the fixin. Also there is feed in the feeder, they need not chew on my coveralls for food or recreational purposes.

Coments like--I don't think that manure will hurt to much around the water either, there realy ain't that much, and it's pretty well frozen. Boy, how can you stand the cold? I'm freezin to death, and I even got my gloves on.

No need to bring a new element or thermostat, cause I got some old waters behind the shed that might have some parts in it, we may have to dig in the snow to find them, but I'm pretty sure they are over in that direction.. HRS later...Oh yea I remember now! That water was acting up, thats why we tore it out cause I was sick and tired of trying to fix it.

I best stop now before my head bursts. Any idea what I'm supposed to do tomorrow morning? It involves a couple waters. He will feed those three big bulls some hay, so they should'nt bother me much. But by darn be carefull cause two of them are kinda mean, and don't turn your back on them because they are pretty fast. I'm a thinkin this five gallon bucket of boiling hot water dumped across his back would make him run faster yet.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

Fix U joint on log truck in woods, at -40 below, could not work hard or fast enough to stay warm.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

Mine used to be clearing snow using the snowblower mounted on a WD-45. I would come off that thing looking like the indomitable snowman and twice as ornery. Got a snowplow on my truck this year though, so now it's fun.

kyhayman · Dec 17, 2008

Replacing a broken water valve in the bottom of a concrete stock tank when its about 0 is about tops on my list of bad one time jobs. As far as repeating jobs its loading hay onto a semi trailer in the rain/snow. Only thing to make it worse is loading several trailers.

Kansas Cockshutt · Dec 17, 2008

Anything involving water- once you get hands or feet wet, you are cold. Wife can stand the cold- not me- I"ll take 100 degrees any day over the cold blowing stuff!

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

You need to live in the Desert /////////

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

nothing worse than thirsty hogs, they'll eat the boots right off your feet.

1936 · Dec 17, 2008

Don't do this, but getting up every morning knowing that most of the day will walking in the cold and snow to carry letters all winter.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

I'll second that ISPUD. There's just something about getting out in the woods at 4:30, temp 40 - 45 below, in hip deep snow and playing with steal all day.

dhermesc · Dec 17, 2008

Worst one I remember was loading possum-belly cattle trailers with small square bales of hay out of remote hay stacks.

You can't stand, you're walking on a frozen uneven floor (still full of **** from the cows), you're sweating in your coveralls but its too cold to take them off and you know as soon as the trailer is loaded another one is waiting.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

Milk hauler= Week ends, Holidays, snow storms, ice storms, power outages. When the bulk tank is full it needs to be emptied no matter the weather.

Rick Kr · Dec 17, 2008

Worst so far.

Having to replace my LP gas regulator on the side of the house -5F that day, plus a good 20mph wind. 2 hours of that was enough.

Now for plowing snow... if it is 25F out and no wind, I will plow for a couple hours in an open station tractor. Snowblower is just as fun as long as you keep the chute aimed with the wind instead of against it.

Rick

J.C.in AZ. · Dec 17, 2008

We are in the Desert and that is not the answer all the time. Our buisness is Portable Rest Room Rentals and at 1200 Ft.El. the Tanks freeze often and at 4500 Ft.El. you can bet the tanks will be frozen or slushy often in the Winter Season.Water Hoses on the Trucks freeze from just the air flowing by them.Propane torches are used for thawing regularly,and you hope you don't set some thing on fire.Your hands really take a beating from the cold and water.Rubber Gloves don't offer much protection from the cold.Most of Arizona is in a snow zone the last couple of days except for here [sw quarter of the state] and we have a cold Drizzle often turning to rain.Not real nice.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

Worst winter jobs for me usually are weather related.
Laying on my back repairing a brake line that burst,transmission coolant lines or a failed starter on an old ford diesel. Usually just after sunset or at sunrise. Every year I say it'll be different never is.

This weekend I dropped my tape (25') in the duck pond. Mucking around in that to find it was not pleasant. I don't mind the wind,rain, snow if I can keep moving. Frozen sawdust at the mill and a wet seat on the skid steer...anyone put a heated seat in a skid steer?

rrlund · Dec 17, 2008

Just doing chores in general. I don't stay warm as easy as I used to.

Worst winter job I ever had was hauling milk for 2 years in the mid 70s. Hauled cans over in the lake effect regions of west Michigan. Always amazed me that the widoes and old maids had their driveways plowed while the old bachelors must have been sitting in the house laughing while I wrestled cans out to the road through waste deep snow.

MN Scott · Dec 17, 2008

One of my least favorite jobs is chopping holes in the ice in the creek every morning so the cows can get water. No matter how I go about it I aways get splashed and covered with ice. Sure wish that global warming would kick in soon.

MF#1 · Dec 17, 2008

Milking cows by hand in an unheated barn, at least until the milk warmed the hands then you were on to the next one. I"ve had milk freeze on the side of the pail routinely.

bruster · Dec 17, 2008

After working in the oil field, moving rigs with a dozer in winter, plowing snow seems easy on a tractor. You never move enough to keep warm when operating dozers, and walking through icy mud to hook cables up can start up sweating since you are suited up with enough clothing to do a space walk.

chris yoder · Dec 17, 2008

cleaning out a manure spreader by pitchfork in the middle of the feild in 0 below weather because of the chain breaking then going back up to the barn to warm up because there is no cab on the tractor

Anonymous-0 · Dec 17, 2008

Why don't you buy that chemical to keep your things from freezing ????????

coobie · Dec 17, 2008

Putting powerlines up in a ice storm & snow storms.I am used to it after 32 plus years :lol:

BLinWMI · Dec 17, 2008

huh, hauled cans of milk in the 70's? holy cow, I thought grandpa was behind the times. He went Grade A and put the tank in in '56. Guess maybe the guys around Rothbury weren't that far behind the rest of the world.

rrlund · Dec 17, 2008

There were a lot of small ones left. I started in Smyrna,Grattan,Lowell,Alto,Caledonia,Middleville,Wayland,Dorr,Byron Center,Coopersville,Marne,Sparta,Belmont,Rockford then back to Sheridan to unload.

Fixer · Dec 17, 2008

In the 1950s used to dig silage out of a trench silo at -20. Every Morning. Bernie Steffen

shawnspeed3 · Dec 17, 2008

my worst winter job....putting a temporary deck on the basement in the house I am currently living in , before the house was set....got a start late in the season and cold wet weather got here sooner than expected and had to put heat in the basement to keep mortar from freezing...house is in a old hay field next to 180 ac of corn stubble at the end of a small valley that channels the surface wind ..day I had to put deck on was -10F with winds out of the NW at 30 , gusting to 50 ..filled my jacket up with cold air along with my bibs....I still shiver just thinking about it....My buddy the dairy farmer said it never fails , the gutter cleaner chain always breaks when it's 10 below or more....Shawn

RodinNS · Dec 17, 2008

Barn cleaners.... plain and simply the worst job on the face of the earth at -20.
It never fails that the chain will break or something else muff up.
I will take blowing snow on an open tractor any day over that.

Barn cleaner repairs tend to be pretty regular too...

Rod

Anonymous-0 · Dec 18, 2008

Fixing tracks on a D7E in the Army in Alaska on winter training.
Just outside Delta Junction with a 40 knot wind and -45.
That was as cold as I have ever been in my life.

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