Maybe I should stick to push mowers.......

[rallysman 0]

Ok guys, I'd like to share my incredibly un-smooth moment that I hope no one saw.

Here's a bit of background info.....

I own a C-120 that was my grandfathers. The tractor has no safety switch on the seat (but it will have in the future) and I haven't operated a garden tractor on a routine basis in years. I rebuilt this one thinking that it would be fun to keep a family heirloom alive, and I was right, but apparently I lost respect for the power of the tractor that I grew up on.

I've spent the last year getting this thing worthy of cutting my grass, so needless to say I was rather excited (read: happier than a kid in a candy store) to be able to use this to manicure my lawn.

All was well yesterday until I broke the 10 year old deck belt last evening. No big deal, right? I just went to NAPA and got another. Today I decided that I should put it through its paces to see if I've done things correctly and test it for any weak links......

Apparently I'm the weak link.

I was taking it nice and slow in first gear, where all I had to do was shove the shifter to the side to get it in reverse. Well, I got too comfortable and started mowing in 2 High. No big deal, right? Wrong. In all of my moronic stupidity I relaxed and forgot that I was in 2nd gear and just shoved that lever over into what I thought was reverse.

FAIL!!!!

When you pop the clutch and expect to go backwards but suddenly lunge forward you tend to fall off......especially if you're in high gear. This was exponentially compounded by the fact that the seat latch doesn't work (which is again, my fault from prior years...forward with the seat up doesn't end well).

Alright. Long story short. I was bucked off of my horse and it ran through my fence, only to dig holes as it pushed against my neighbors shed. To be quite honest I'm surprised it didn't knock the shed down.

Luckily the horse wasn't injured and I made it out with only a few grass stains on my back.

Lesson learned........I hope!

[wheel horse 1045 2]

sounds like that horse aint broke pardner

[rallysman 0]

sounds like that horse aint broke pardner

Not eve close!!!

I think I am though LOL

I can't believe I did that..... I grew up on a farm. I should know better

[kpinnc 10,981]

My shop has 10 year-old skid marks on the floor from the same thing.

The front door has never been right since...

Kevin

[Michael Bullington 5]

WoW..Glad everthing was okay!!..Yes it is amazing that your not rebuilding a shed too!!

Great Story! :thumbs2:

[jtmoyer 1]

thous 8 speeds are dangerous to us hydro users. i was working on my 417-8 when i first got it, (i had grown use to my hydros) i was standing next to the tractor trying to get it gowning and it would not turn over. oh ya i thought i need to press the clutch, i was on the left side so i just put my leg up and pushed in the clutch, turned the key and it started. after a little bit of letting it run i thought why am i holding the brake on. yep you guessed it, it took of towards my wifes van. glad it was not in high, i was able to get it stopped before it hit it.

[d180man 5]

Hi good that you and your horse is ok! i did some thing like that with one of our that has 26x12.00-12 ag tires on it but i did not fall off but i was looking at the hood it came up right to my face i i am luck it did not come over on me we have a big 14 kohler on it to this day i dont know how that front got that high on flat ground from then on i keep the blade on it ! :ychain:

[rallysman 0]

Here's the beast that stood itself up and bucked me off. I have a renewed respect for these things now

http://uglygreencouch.net/pics/main.php?g2...&g2_itemId=2802

http://uglygreencouch.net/pics/main.php?g2..._serialNumber=2

I also got a pic of the destroyed fence.....note the holes on the other side of the fence.....they're about 5" deep

[d180man 5]

Hi that is a nice job on the tractor! but now you have to do a fince job :thumbs2:

[Bill 4]

:thumbs2: :thumbs:

[rallysman 0]

I know the story is hilarious, even though I'm pretty embarrassed to tell it, but I'm proud to say that the picture that I linked is AFTER it went through the fence. I just wish I had a video of my stupid @$$ falling off of it:D

[gwgdog66 23]

I know the story is hilarious, even though I'm pretty embarrassed to tell it, but I'm proud to say that the picture that I linked is AFTER it went through the fence. I just wish I had a video of my stupid @$$ falling off of it:D

Hey it happens. My Seat kill switch on my C-160 went out years ago. No Longer available. I was mowing under some low hanging Pecan tree limbs, doing the duck down and push the limb up out of the way deal. I thought I was past it when one of them limbs caught hold of my shirt and dragged me off the horse.

I caught up with it about 40 yards later :thumbs2:

[Raider12 13]

Since you said that you, your self are Ok. I have to admit I was laughing my butt off while reading what happened. Im sure there are many of these kind of stories that many won't tell.

My dumb move was while at a car show that was near the house. When I began to leave on my freshly restored 1970 Raider 12 (with no mower deck) I decided to show off and side step the clutch. Needless to say that I just got lucky when it stalled when it came down on it's wheels. Im laying on the ground and a parking lot full of people and VERY EXPENSIVE show cars. .This could of been very bad. Instead......... I was skinned up at little but recieved standing ovation from the crowed. And I changed my pants when I got home.

Denver

[Cleaverkid 11]

I'll add my stupid move to this thread.

A year or so ago, I'm using my 854 with the dozer blade to backfill a trench at our church. Couldn't get to everything by going lengthwise along the trench so had to head down the hill and attack the trench sideways uphill. Trying to clutch it caused the tractor to start rolling backwards downhill, so in my brilliance, I popped it into 2nd, dumped the clutch and you guessed it...saw the blade pointing at the heavens (I was at church!) and decided quickly that I should exit stage left! I ended up rolling down the hill and the poor old girl was laying on her hood with gas and oil leaking out everywhere.

The good news is the only damage was a crushed hood and oil all over the engine. She still runs like a champ once you get her started and I'm in the process of mending the hood.

Oh, one final thing...this isn't the first time she's been beat up...she "survived" a tornado in 1974!