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skid steer wrong side up

Started by CLL, June 25, 2007, 10:03:23 PM

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CLL

I went to load my skid steer today, and just before it got to trailer floor the left track lost contact, it did a 90 slid down the ramp and flipped on its side. OUCH!!!! I know I'm not the only one to have ever made that mistake.
Too much work-not enough pay.

Tom_Averwater

I unloaded a bobcat 442 out of a pickup one time and ended upside down. It was a good thing I had the seat belt on .
He who dies with the most toys wins .

Ironwood

I stood one over vertical. I was running down our EXTREMELY steep drive with reground asphalt. I went from standard grind to micro grind (it's twice as dense) went right over on the steepest part of the drive, I paniced and hit the foot lever to raise the bucket higher. IT could not right itself. I was not injured and it looked HELLISH from were my wife would soon be pulling around our old drive so I called her to "Not to panic" went she saw the Bobcat. I was OK. It ws interesting getting my BIG forklift up the drive from below to right the machine. Luckily it was a RENTAL. I wish I had photographed it. WOW what a ride.

I also worry loading them on high trailers. If the ramps are not all the way across the rear of the trailer, and steep, the machine could go over backward. The design charateristics assume some thiongs that may not hold true in the real world. I load them in reverse now on my high deck over.


             Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

beenthere

CLL
Glad you are ok, but woulda made a great picture... ;D

First time I ever loaded one on a trailer, I was without a front attachment, and told to just drive it on. Halfway up the ramps the front end acted light, and it stayed 'going up' until the rear wheels came to the top of the ramps. Made the stomach a bit light. Held my breath until it came down. After that, I backed 'em up.

Watching the semi drivers unload those new bobcats that are shipped crosswise on the flat trailers is a bit breathtaking. They put short ramps at about a 45° angle, and drive 'em right down off the side (no loading dock). They don't stop on the way, just kinda a free fall, near as I can tell.  ;D

Seems someone a couple year back posted a skidsteer in their mill yard on its nose...maybe a son with a heavy load of lumber or timbers... ???  Not good enough recall from my end.....
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Paul_H

Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

TexasTimbers

Quote from: Ironwood (Reid Crosby) on June 25, 2007, 10:17:05 PM. . . . . .  I also worry loading them on high trailers. If the ramps are not all the way across the rear of the trailer, and steep, the machine could go over backward. . . . . 

Let me know when you want lessons on how to surive this scenario. I am a 2-time pro and not proud of it.

The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Steve

First time I was ever on one, fliiped it over backwards.

Try to keep this understandable and short. A crew of us were filling sandbags from a hopper (flood of "69 in Fairbanks, AK) that was kept filled by a bobcat. The boss was BSing and the hopper was empty. The bobcat was idling at the bottom of the ramp with the bucket full. I jumped on and started up the ramp to dump it in the hopper. Just got to the top of the ramp couldn't figure out the brakes, having never been in one before. I did figure how to dump the load and was so relieved that when I backed down the ramp I forgot to lower the bucket and over I went. Came to rest upside down. It all happened in slow motion. 3 or 4 guys got around it and we turned in right side up. All that happened was a little oil leaked out before we got it upright.
Steve
Hawaiian Hardwoods Direct
www.curlykoa.com

sawguy21

I think I would have been looking to change my laundry after that one. ;D
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Ironwood

Mine looked like Percy's sons, except the rears were over the fronts and the bucket was higher.

Kevjay, good thing you are OK. These machine are great, but highly engineered and "tightly wound" Once they are out of the design specs all @#$% breaks loose.

             Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Engineer

I doubt I'd own a Bobcat without tracks.  The tracks make 'em much less "bouncy" and a bit more stable.

TexasTimbers

Everytime I have had a close call or an "event" it has been been my fault, not the machine. Usually because I got in a hurry and sometimes because I was carrying more of a load, and higher, than I should have been.

Not long after I had the machine, I was carrying a log and it was not heavy enough to tilt the machine but the back wheels were bouncing off the ground if I went in reverse. The previous owner had wired around both safety devices. I was not strapped in because I was safe right? I was on nice, flat, dry ground and would not go in reverse but just forward where I had all fours on the ground. Well I ran over something that caused a chain of events, and in trying to keep the load from falling off the forks I threw the log in the air and the reaction caused such a violent jerk the machine spit me out like a bad piece of meat. You cannot imagine the force it had. There was no way even a superman could have kept himself in that cab. Out I came and landed right beside the log and about the same time because it had been tossed up in the air. I could have easily been crushed.
Anyone want to guess wheather or not I now strap in every single time ???
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Ironwood

DITTO, the bar saved me as well. EVERYTIME, W/ out exception. Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Quartlow

Thankfully all I can say is I've come close. First time I loaded one was working at the rental company. Drove it around to the trailer and tried to drive up the ramp without an attachment on.  IT got real light real fast.  :o I just pulled back on the handles and backed right ack off the ramp. After that I always backed on the trailer.
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

sawguy21

An eye opening event to be sure. ;D
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

ely

i hardly go any distance with out the attachments on the front. it just does not feel right. i have not flipped mine but i have stood it up on its nose a few times. heavy logs going down hill, but it has always stood itself back up with the loader and continued on. be careful out there.

isawlogs


I have a friend that has come to know that the center of gravity is not where he was thinking of ....
  he was moving lumber with one and was going downhill some , not much but the grade was going down , he had the load nice and low and was doing fine till he come to the gate , wich was narrower then the load , up goes the load .... over the gate he planed on going ....  ;D  up come the back wheels and load goes down , clearing the gate by that much  :D That was the end of down hill forward with a load .  :D :D :D :D
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Jeff

Quote from an old post:

Quote from: Jeff B on December 26, 2005, 11:00:00 AM
I fell out of the front of a bobcat with a feller buncher on the front.   :o

The feller buncher was small so there were many trees that had to be cut with the chainsaw. Our cutter cut a big aspen on a large hill that the wind caught and pushed into an oak hanging it up with the butt still on the stump.  Well, I went up the hill with the bobcat thinking I would lift the tree off the stump as I backed up, pulling the tree down.  Well, backing up and lifting a weight on a hill was not the thing to do.  Just about the time the tree was going to come down, the bobcat tipped forward and I didnt have on my seat belt or the door latched. I fell out the front, and luckily the bobcat just stayed there, with its back wheels past straight over top of the backweels and the buncher head stuck in the ground.  I reached up and shut the engine off as there was no pushing myself back over.   I walked back to the landing and we got a skidder.  Hooked a cable to the bobcat and started to winch it. it looked like it was going to tip slowly back on its wheels, but kept going and flipped on down the hill backwards this time.

We got the bobcat turned back on its wheels, checked and refilled the fluids, and I went back to work. With my seatbelt on and the door latched.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Handy Andy

  I did that Percy's son thing once, when I first got my Case.  As far as loading and unloading, I back the thing on, and drive it off.  The book says to back up steep slopes.  If you have the bucket full, you can drive up.  Takes some practice to  operate a skidsteer safely and well.  My buddy has an old Bobcat same size as my Case, and he can kick my butt when we get together, but he's had one for over 20 years.  Jim
My name's Jim, I like wood.

Corley5

I'd been around a skidsteer before I bought my 753 last spring so I knew a little about them  ;)  When I was getting ready to load it in the dump trailer after the auction I pulled around forward so I could line up the ramps easier.  I had NO intention of driving it on forward.  A couple of guys came scurrying over from different directions quite concerned that I was going to drive it on that way as it would tip over backwards for sure  8)  I explained what I was doing and they were quite relieved ;) ;D  I then drafted them to help me get lined up with ramps to back it on the trailer :) :) 

The ground in one barn we stack round bales in is up hill to the pile. It's a bit a hairy putting the third row up and backing away from the stack ;D  Another barn HAD a trench and ridges from water coming off the eaves.  I about set the Bobcat on its tail going over it ONCE  ;) ;D. 
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Sunfield Hardwood

I tipped my case over forward one time while unloading a much to large white pine log off the truck. it stopped with the front of the cab just about flat on the ground, when it came to a stop I thought this is not to bad, nothings broke, me or the loader. about that time the 2 , 100lb case weights I had hanging on the back came crashing onto me :'( Still nothing broke but I turned real purty colors for quite awhile. turned loader on its feet checked oils and went back to work. by the way those weights are chained on now ;)
2 international log trucks,woodmizer LT40 Super hyd, cat 910 frontloader, case 1845 skidloader,new holland 4x4 tracter with farmi whinch, lots of stihl saws, waiting to retire so I can spend even more time logging and sawing, yip-yip-yahoo

tomboysawyer

Quote from: Engineer on June 26, 2007, 11:13:49 AM
I doubt I'd own a Bobcat without tracks.  The tracks make 'em much less "bouncy" and a bit more stable.

Tracks are incredibly expensive to maintain. And that tire bounce is your ONLY suspension unless you have one built into the seat.

Hubby has set our skidsteer on its weights and we've pulled it over on the front a few - but its bigger than the one in the pic. Never had the rear tires *that* high up.

We looked into putting metal track/chains to float our tires across the wetland. You have to offset the wheels.

I don't know. Tracks seem nifty. I even looked at them for the wheeler. I'll stick with tires. Cheap. Simple. And the only savior of my aging back. $250 a pair m&b at Bennington Tire. Each tread on the dozer is $20 plus shipping - and thems the aftermarkets!

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