[TheForge] wheel out of the mud, sort of on topic

[lp.brown at verizon.net]

Ran a machine years ago and I got it out of a few mud unders this way and in combination with RR ties also once(They are still down there somewhere) We used to call it crab walking. Got the machine out when all that was showing on an open machine, 455Ford? was the top of the arm, the exhaust and me above chest level. Took about 2 hrs and I was worried I would run out of fuel. I had broke up the roots over a spring and was in semi bottomless mud soup.
See if you can get any lift out of the stabilizer arms, crowd the arm in with the back of the bucket down flat and see if you can get any rear lift. If you can drop the front bucket down flat and as you raise the back use the arm to push forward. If the front is sinking let it go down as far as it can and curl down as you push forward to get the mud behind you. If you can find something for the back to push against even better. A little foreward each time means freedom someday.
Had to wash my clothes with a hose before more conventional methods.
Good luck, have some help around and be carefull (Don't walk into the mud)
Larry Brown
Encouraged me to change to welding and smithing


>From: David Childress <trollkeep at gmail.com>
>Date: 2008/03/02 Sun PM 12:39:31 CST
>To: Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] wheel out of the mud, sort of on topic

>I get my backhoe stuck all the time.  The hydraulics are strong enough
>that I just walk it out with the buckets.  with the outriggers up
>,putt the buckets down enough to lift the wheels on the back and pivot
>the hoe and turn the whole machine afew degrees, move the hoe bucket
>and repeat. Or drag the machine back depending on where it is solid.
>But then I abuse the machine a lot and do not have the foggiest of
>what a competent operator would do.
>