If it weren't for bad luck..........

It has been a tough year for alot of us, I quess. And if I had a nickel for every hydraulic hose I had to replace this year along with the money I spent for every gallon of hytran I bought, I would be in Florida right now. And then I think of a neighbor. This guy had farmed a long time. Worked real hard and finally felt that he could afford to get himself a new pickup truck. And he got a dandy. 3/4 ton, four wheel drive, extended cab, the works. First new pickup he ever had. At corn planting time he had some trouble with his planter and had his truck out in the field with his tools in the back. When he got the planter fixed, he got in the tractor to check it out. Hit that hydraulic lever and dropped the marker right thru the windshield of his brand new truck. He went directly into Extreme P.Oed mode and raised the marker up and out of the truck. Got out of the tractor to move the truck. Got all the glass out of the way and noticed the steering column had been adversely affected by the marker hit. Got the truck started but couldn't get it in gear. Really mad at this point he yanked the shifter into what he thought was R and hit the gas. The truck lurched forward, of course and right into the side of the planter (7000 JD 12RN) and took out 2 row units. This is the same guy who tried to pull a stuck 7700 combine out of the mud by putting a chain around the back axle and pulled the combine in two.
So when you feel like you have had about enough of this farming just think about this guy. And he is still farming!

A friend of mine baught his first brand new pickup. They were in wheat harvest and he drove into the field and hit a wet spot and got stuck. As he got out he realized the cat-converter had packed with straw and was on fire. He had to set and watch his new truck with less than 500 miles burn to a crisp.
On a side note I have always found my temper costs me money.

"I have always found my temper costs me money"

You hit that nail on the head. I've learned that patience, at least enough to take a breath (or two) and have another look (or two or three), is cheap.

Moving hay with 44 foot cotton trailers 2 weeks ago sunday -- my friend had 2 trailers behind his 1086, tight gate with a large pecan tree right on the other side of it -- his wife went ahead in the new pick up and opened the gate and he would not wait till she got back to the truck and moved it before he barreled through the gate. Before that happened I didn't know a new chevrolet fleetside bed cost over $4000.00

Also I have learned never to ask the question "good Lord, What else could go wrong". or you will find out!!!

I can relate to that. Once when I was farming, I had my seed in the back of a crew cab dually I was driving at the time.

I pulled the planter alongside the pickup to fill the planter. It occured to me that if I lowered the planter, the boxes would be lower and easier to fill. So, without thinking, I hit the hydraulic lever. Yup, the marker came down on the side of the pickp box and made a rather respectible dent.

But, in my case, I just made a few appropriate comments, filled the planter, and went back to planting.

Sounds like Another Day in Paradise !!!!!!! Nothin like Farming !!!!!!! If it anit broke Just Brake it ! Always By Accident ???

Lesson learned is never park your truck right next to heavy machinery. Speaking of that, I was pulling the backhoe through driveway going into the back area of the yard to check the fence, i hit a hole and the backhoe came about 1/8 of an inch from swinging and hitting the front of my truck. It was one of those OH **** moments. Luckally it didnt and I very carefully backed it back out and around. Out on the farm i'm very concious of moving the truck away from equipment but going through with the backhoe i didnt even thing about that possibly happening. Also a heavy duty grill guard is not a bad insurance policy.

1989--My Dodge GLH parked in the barnyard, drove through with my 975 NH combine. The power line for the electric fence always cleared the cab roof before. Not this time. Did the line break? No, the pole snapped off at the ground, bounced off the roof of the car, jamming the driver's door shut, and caved in the front fender and hood. One of my better days.

One large irrigated farm we used to harvest at had an employee who parked a pickup over a pivot track and walked away for the day. The particular tower that ran that track climbed one wheel up on the top of the cab and sat there and spun for a moment or two until the pivot stopped. I never did hear anyone say how much damage was done to the pickup.Jim

A bad accident is one money won't fix.

(quoted from post at 08:52:30 10/20/09) Moving hay with 44 foot cotton trailers 2 weeks ago sunday -- my friend had 2 trailers behind his 1086, tight gate with a large pecan tree right on the other side of it -- his wife went ahead in the new pick up and opened the gate and he would not wait till she got back to the truck and moved it before he barreled through the gate. Before that happened I didn't know a new chevrolet fleetside bed cost over $4000.00

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That's more stupidity than bad luck.

I always dig a hole to set auger hopper in. Makes so you don't havee to drive up just right. When done filling bin I was pulling auger away from bin to let it down when one wheel fell in the hole. Yep you guessed it, auger tipped over. I was to busy watching top of auger so I would not hit anything. Instead I ruined the whole auger.

About twenty years ago trickle irrigation came into vogue for tomatoes where we lived so every farm had to have a large deep pond. My best friend growing up was trying out a large excavator. He parked their brand new ford dually pickup still had dealer tags on it.He hopped on machine and started digging after a while something that sparkled underneath the machine caught his eye it was the mirror of the pickup he had backed across it.
Ron