Re: (ET) This deck died for your sins....

[Rob Brockway <getractor yahoo com>]

Glad you are ok.  I have had a bad experience driving up a steep grade 
when the tractor slipped out of gear.  Started backwards down the slope.  
Was very concerned the brakes would cause me to flip over backwards.  
Avoided a tree but was not a good situation.
Rob in NH

Sent from my iPad

> On Nov 18, 2018, at 5:28 PM, Mike Finck via Elec-trak <elec-trak cosmos 
> phy tufts edu> wrote:
> 
> Wow, what a story. It was probably over in 2-3 seconds but so much went 
> through your mind, you kept your wits about you and mitigated the 
> outcome. 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 18, 2018, at 4:53 PM, Chris Zach <cz alembic crystel com> wrote:
>> 
>> I'll be honest: In about 10 alternate realities I am dead, and no 
>> longer posting on this list. In this one however I merely have a banged 
>> up leg, so I thought I would write up my error such that others do not 
>> repeat it.
>> 
>> Spent the day mowing leaves and hauling the bags up to the curb with my 
>> E20. It's a pretty heavy tractor; several hundred pounds plus 
>> batteries. The brakes needed adjustment, but they would hold it at a 
>> stop, so I put off getting them adjusted till later. Besides, the motor 
>> in regen mode can stop the tractor easily, and it doesn't go too fast.
>> 
>> After taking the last load up the hill I turned to the driveway to go 
>> down and back into the yard. My driveway is pretty long, about a 30 
>> degree slope, and the tractor can get a good bit of regen. This time 
>> however when I went down the tractor popped out of L.
>> 
>> First reaction was to hit the brakes. Nothing, the tractor was speeding 
>> up and was basically freewheeling. Could not get it back into gear so I 
>> thought about bailing out. At the bottom of the hill are 4 cars: 2 
>> porsches, a minivan and an older electric. By the time I decided to hit 
>> the cars, it was too late to angle for the electric and if I hit the 
>> minivan I would probably go through the rear hatch. So the Porsche it 
>> was, with the thought that I would go over the top of the car and deal 
>> with things later.
>> 
>> At the last second I realized there was another option: A hard 90 
>> degree turn into the woodpile. There was one that was only 10% full, so 
>> I turned the wheel and prepared to go off the side. The tractor turned, 
>> dumped me, slammed into the woodpile, and the deck took the force of 
>> the blow as it was retracted up.
>> 
>> The deck is now bent like a cruller, it's kind of neat to see. Granted 
>> it was old and rusted but I think I will need a replacement. I went off 
>> the side, bumped into the minivan, and was quite oddly fine with the 
>> exception of a badly bruised and cut up leg.
>> 
>> This could have gone much much worse. In fact it's pretty much 
>> impossible that it went as well as it did. The moral of the story is 
>> this: Adjust your brakes on your tractor. Never drive it if they are 
>> not ready to stop it. Been doing this for 20 years, and I really almost 
>> bought it this evening.
>> 
>> Noted for future reference.
>> 
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