Another day on the job.

[6]

My M9540 wouldn't go into 4x4.


I Realized this after being stuck in the shit pit.. thigh deep in horse shit sludge swamp water in 11" boots.

Both my guys had left.. fun fun.

After some investigation I discovered that the step had been hit, moving the cab mount and tank mount so the the tank rested against the 4x4 linkage pivot thus not allowing the spring to clear.

We had to pull the tank out. Replace every bracket that holds the tank, including the cab mount.

@Kubota PLEASE don't use single mounting points for things like steps AND the cab AND the fuel tank. Steps get hit.. the rest shouldn't.

16303453030275924673125969331016.jpg

[6]

Three guys, 6 hours each...

[bones]

That sucks.
Any way to add some braces to the steps so they won't be prone to getting bent out of whack and causing all sorts of other issues?

[6]

That sucks.
Any way to add some braces to the steps so they won't be prone to getting bent out of whack and causing all sorts of other issues?

I don't know that any bracing will hold up to the hits they take. I was thinking the opposite and trying to make some kind of break away setup for it.

If that tractor is moving at 5mph in low range and that step hits something that won't move.... unstoppable force, immovable object.

That thing can literally rip stumps out the ground. I have no idea why they would have tied it into such important parts.

[bones]

I have no doubt that the low range in that tractor can literally move mountains.
I bet you could put it in low and just walk along next to it while it idles in super low.
Yeah, a break away sounds good, too.
Too bad you can't remove the mounting points and keep them separate.

In a former life I ran heavy equipment like D9's, motor graders and excavators so I know that the gear reduction in that equipment is crazy.

[69Falcon]

Use snowblower shear pins to mount the step?

[bones]

Sheer pins like they use for snowplows would work as well.

But bottom line is the operator is responsible for the complete operation of the equipment and all apparatus.
You got to walk in the shit pond because you didn't verify that everything was operational on your equipment before you used it.
I know it takes extra time but a complete pre-op and post-op would have told you the 4wd was inoperable before you started to use the tractor.

When I was operating, if we damaged equipment and it could be written up as a preventable then the repairs came out of your paycheck.
And we had to file pre and post ops every last time we touched the equipment.
If you didn't catch damage during your pre-op and there was damage on your post-op, you just bought the damage.

[6]

Sheer pins like they use for snowplows would work as well.

But bottom line is the operator is responsible for the complete operation of the equipment and all apparatus.
You got to walk in the shit pond because you didn't verify that everything was operational on your equipment before you used it.
I know it takes extra time but a complete pre-op and post-op would have told you the 4wd was inoperable before you started to use the tractor.

When I was operating, if we damaged equipment and it could be written up as a preventable then the repairs came out of your paycheck.
And we had to file pre and post ops every last time we touched the equipment.
If you didn't catch damage during your pre-op and there was damage on your post-op, you just bought the damage.

It doesn't and can't work like that here. We are all in about out of all the machines multiple times a day. There is absolutely not time to repeatedly inspect everything we use every time we use it. We would spend more time inspecting than operating.

We go though them once a week when we clean them.

You would probably have to be here to understand.

[old_pirelli]

Three guys, 6 hours each...

cant get good help these days or good sympathetic machine operators

[bones]

I ran heavy equipment for over a decade and most of it was much, much bigger than that tractor.
I know how things go on a job site.
It would be even easier working on a set job site compared to just showing up at the next site and having to figure out your workflow with everyone else.
When we would spend weeks at the same jobsite everyone knew what they had to do and when it had to be done.
Anyone damaging equipment was held accountable.

[riot]

Bottom step on Case tractors was suspended by rubber. That way it would just flex out of the way if it got hit. Probably something you could fab upfrom an old tire and some scrap metal.

[bones]

Bottom step on Case tractors was suspended by rubber. That way it would just flex out of the way if it got hit. Probably something you could fab upfrom an old tire and some scrap metal.

Unfortunately, 6 said the step also somehow ties into the cab mounts or is used as part of the cab mounts.

[6]

Unfortunately, 6 said the step also somehow ties into the cab mounts or is used as part of the cab mounts.

This.

[nt650hawk]

how about retractable stairs

[6]

how about retractable stairs

Sounds above my engineering abilities...