Tractor (No.2)

Zetor - Czech made - post-WW2 tractor.

The little red Zetor tractor was great for a while but, given its age and lack of technology, it had its limitations.

In order to get the hay bales down from the top of the stack of three I had to climb up the haystack and tie a rope around the top bale. I would then attach the other end of the rope to the tractor.

Scream at the dogs to get out of the way and reverse the tractor at a bit of a distance from the hay. Pulling the bales off and out.

I could then pick up the bale with the forks on the front of the tractor. Out to the paddock and feed the hay out to the animals.

This process had its moments. Monty narrowly missed being squashed. He loved to try and catch the mice as they scurried out of the hay - he would chomp them! And occasionally a bale would bounce off in the wrong direction.

Zetor and the new tractor

Years later I had a little bit of cash and a friend was selling his dad’s old tractor. What an upgrade!!! This one had forks that tilted and lifted up high. It had air conditioning and a stereo. Wipers and lights. Wonderful!!!!!

Now I could just approach the pile, extend the lifting device and pick off the high bales. Very little likelihood of a dog being squashed now.

But I had to learn a bunch of new tricks with this tractor. There were buttons and levers to master.

And more importantly I needed to understand that when you have a very heavy object such as a hay bale suspended above the tractor there is a chance the tractor may overbalance and flip. I was advised of this danger. In very clear terms. By a friend. Always have another hay bale on the back forks to counter balance it. Or drive with the bale down low.

I ignored that advice. Not intentionally but I just did not register the importance.

One day I was driving the tractor at an angle on a hillside with a hay bale up high. Everything wrong.

Suddenly I felt the wheels on the high side lift off the ground. The tractor was about to flip.

My instincts at the time were to stand up and lean up the hill as though that would help keep the tractor four wheels down. (Wrong!) I hung onto the door. Suddenly my brain clicked on and I hit the lever to drop the hay bale.

The front forks flew down to the ground, the hay bale hit the earth with a great thump and the tractor righted itself. However, with this, the door of the tractor slammed shut. My hand was part way out that door. Broken fingers and blood. But I was alive at least. Shaken but not stirred.

I never did that again.

Moral to the story?

Listen and learn from those with experience and who offer their help. It may save an injury!! Or death.