Farmall Cub

Barnyard wrote:

George Willer wrote:It's the unexpected things like this that make it so important to do away with rubber fuel lines. A small fire can quickly become a large one if the fuel line melts away.

Well put George! This incident is a very good example of "What If". Fortunately this didn't happen in this case. But next time, who knows? Thanks to Dan Huggler for showing me what it takes, I am in the process of changing all mine.

Isn't it fun how this chain works and we learn from each other?

George Willer wrote:

Barnyard wrote:

George Willer wrote:It's the unexpected things like this that make it so important to do away with rubber fuel lines. A small fire can quickly become a large one if the fuel line melts away.

Well put George! This incident is a very good example of "What If". Fortunately this didn't happen in this case. But next time, who knows? Thanks to Dan Huggler for showing me what it takes, I am in the process of changing all mine.

Isn't it fun how this chain works and we learn from each other?

That's exactly how we keep what we give away

CT Yankee - Thank you for having the guts to share a seemingly embarrassing moment. You may have prevented a serious injury or even death for someone else on this forum. And for that, you have my gratitude. We all do not learn easily, some of us learn the hard way. Yours is a lesson well taught.
I am very happy that the damage was minimal and things will get better.

After having had a scary experience in the past with no fire extinguisher on hand, I have a fire extinguisher in each area where I store my tractors and also have one in the shop. Thanks for posting your scary experience and reminding us all to take the extra time to be safe.
It should also remind us to have a couple fire extinguishers in our homes 'cause ya never know when something might happen.

Thanks again guys for kind words and the lift...I was feeling lower than mud when I made that post.

Glad your OK! We've all done stuff like that and were lucky. Fillin the lawn mower while it's runnin cause ya know if ya shut it down it won't start again. I used to do that...NOT ANY MORE! Greg

glad to hear you and your cub are ok, i have done that before but never again

Butch Zell wrote:C. T. Y.

Your a SMART guy,...you saved yourself, your Cub, and probably some of US!!!

This and George's post pretty much say it all. I've pulled the same
stunt too many times and gotten away with it Thanks
for the heads up and Yeah, I really need to get some fire extinguishers.
(This from a former Volunteer Firefighter )

Bill

Glad your ok!!!! Your a good man for posting this to warn everyone too its a dangerous thing. We have all done things that we should of thought about first i'm sure...and you kept your head thru it all.......too.....it was right near/over the gas tank? Your a lucky guy so go out and get a lotto ticket now too...

Most of us just don't realize how fast things can go wrong and we can lose are thinking very quickly in a disaster too.

Being a welder I have been on fire many times but always got it out. You have to keep your cool and think quickly at the sametime. The only problem with years of being a welder and getting burned is the norm, when i first feel the heat its just a little because you get used to little burns from sparks but then it gets intense so you know something is wrong. Trust me its like turning up the burner on the stove a little at a time till its on max high.

This is one thing i always worry about with my cub cadets too. I try to refuel them before i start them up for the day while there bone cold. I have refueled my fcub and my int154 while it was running but now i won't anymore now for sure.


OT;

Those new safety gas cans with the push button are a great thing to have and use too. There costly but very safe. If you get just one get it for your chainsaws...

I'm thinking of getting one of those plastic storage sheds for my gas cans too so there away from everything when i weld and grind. Trust me when you get burned or have a fire the cost means nothing....

Always remember "SAFETY FIRST"!!!!!!!!

From the national timber fallers association quote; "is what i'm about to do safe" I think about it all the time....

i mat be the dummy , i am not really sure what happened to start the fire . was some fuel spilled onto the exhaust or intake ?

You also brought up a good point about fire extenishers.Might want to check them also.Make sure they are ready to go!!!I have one in the garage and just went out to check it.I have 2 in the house also.Glad you did not get hurt and thanks for the heads up!!!!! Kevin

Collateral damage is lessened if the machine is outside, as this instance illustrates.

Brian...you asked how the fire started, I can tell you his much from the hundred times I've now been over this in my head. Here we go..

I am sad to say I left the motor running...don't ever do that. I thought the engine was still cold, as I poured the gas into the tank from a plastic gas jug. I only intended to put in a small amount. The jug's plastic filler tube, because of the bend in it due to the height of the tractor, started leaking onto the hood of the tractor. I keep the it polished and waxed...this dispersed the gas quickly down the side to mag area where I believe it all started. I lost a wire there due to the fire and had heavy black sot on the tank. Or...it could have hit the manifold somehow I guess. The fan blowing back at me covered me in some gas on my left side. The fire came up so quickly and engulfed the hood and my sleeve I could not get away quick enough. The heat was unbelievable. As I did back away the filler tube pulled out of the cub's tank and added more fuel to the top of the hood.

I've been a city police officer for over 25 years...I've been in SWAT missions and armed robberies, you name it....this was one of the scariest and fastest developing scenarios I've ever been through. Thank God I got the gas jug away before it caught fire.

One other thing I remembered that I didn't originally post...some how I shut the tractor off by the kill switch after I put the fire on my sleeve out. The fan really fueled the fire and kept moving the fuel around. At that point, I was able to get a handle on things with the extinguisher. Hope this helps you Brian and others. Thanks to all.

TY for the post Yankee! And glad your OK

CT, thanks for sharing and glad you and the Cub are OK. I, for one, know I will be more careful.