tractor fire

Very difficult to stand back and watch as your tractor goes up in flames which I had run since 1985 lots of memories. Our 8850 had 4000+ hours and served us well, but fortunately was able to buy a second one a few years back for a cheap price for a backup which I drove home from Michigan to NC Illinois around Chicago which took almost 12 hours and quite an interesting trip. Might start looking for a replacement tractor this weekend hopefully something a little newer.

sorry to hear such bad news , do you know what caused the fire?

Smoke was seen coming from under the back of cab, then stopped to check and seen flames under back end of engine.

Guy up the road had that happen. Hot hydraulic oil leak ignited somehow.

Sorry to hear about your loss Pard. That's gotta smart. :>(

Allan

I feel for you! My boy (7 at the time) and I were on my old M3 Gleaner cutting wheat when it caught on fire. Its a helpless feeling!!


Howard

Maybe a fire extinguisher mount on the next one? I have never had to use one. I should mount one on mine. Most fires are caught in the incipient stage (small) and could be contained quickly. The hot rod community has grabbed on to this and driven a market for small halon, co2 and dry chemical units. Priced between 50 and 100 bucks will buy a 2.5-5 lb unit with mount. Sorry about the loss.

Aaron

She gave her life doing something she loved..


sorry for your loss...

Glad you did not get hurt, sorry for your loss! Last week I read in the news a farmer died in a combine fire near Atlantic Iowa. Said the soybean field caught on fire!

Almost lost my Farmall a few years back. Starter switch shorted through the pull rod back to where it attaches to the headlight mounting bar. Destroyed the battery getting the battery cable loose with the only tool I had in the toolbox, a Crescent wrench. Got a serious burn on my hand. You can bet that pull rod is now insulated from the mounting bracket. And a new starter switch.....

Scary time when a machine starts to self destruct. I was on a motor boat once when the umbilical cable to the outboard shorted. that was a mad scramble to get the battery disconnected too.....

Fire is my worst nightmare. I have lost more from fire than most people ever will in a lifetime.

I was a volunteer fireman back in Nebraska, and have proper training along with common sense. Sometimes that isn't enough.

Will just give the quick story without major details on each:

1975 Mercury Cougar: in 1977, power steering hose blew. Car had 75K miles. Able to put it out. Nebraska.

In 1992 or so, moved to Kansas. Barn burned down in the middle of the night, took my 66 Chevy pickup with it and did damage to my IH 1066.

Rural carrier in Colorado 1995-2000. Came back to Nebraska farm as needed to keep everything mowed along with keeping in touch with our producer.

1997 or so: 1958 Ford 861 Powermaster (gas) tractor backfired, running hot in tall weeds. Fire burning from the gas tank. Able to open hood, so only needed all the wiring redone.

About a year later, same tractor. Fire again. Fuel shutoff had been damaged in the first fire, maybe dripping fuel, but had missed it. Was able to BACK UP tractor about about 150 yards as I was right in the yard at the time.

Worst fire loss was the old farmhouse at the farm in Nebraska on Valentine day 2007. Meth heads broke in. The propane was shut off at the tank and the power at the "breaker" at the meter. When the fire department got there, they told me the wall was blown out by the gas kitchen stove and it was blowing flames "sky high". Too cold to get enough water fast enough. Lost all, my mom had died in 2005. No insurance except liability. Even with insurance, couldn't replace all the lost family pictures and all the family records. I need to get a new birth certificate and the like, but not sure how to do it.

I know that I have some paid up life insurance policies that were also lost that were bought when I was just an infant. One was New York Life, I am in the process of getting that done.

Any ideas how to find out what the other ones are without having the records (that burned up)?

DOUG

Do you have any idea who the insurance agent was that you or your parents did business with? Unless you bought mail order insurance the agent can take care of you.

When I needed a copy of my birth certificate (for a passport) I went to the health department in the county seat of the county I was born in and just paid a fee to get a copy. They have the original, what you lost was a copy anyway.