# When 2020 goes from a dumpster fire to a real fire.



## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

This was our excitement on Monday. My dad was working on the super mta's fuel line and shorted the starter out and lit a full tank (20 gallon) of gas on fire inside the building. Tractor was sitting right behind planter. I have to commend my two sons, they saved several thousand dollars worth of equipment and 10,000 square feet of building space with 3 fire extinguishers.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Sorry to hear of your loss Joe....but great for your sons level-headiness in times of sheer terror and panic. Times of this nature show how our children were nurtured.

Also, a big plus to you for keeping fire extinguishers at hand. Very few do so.

I hope you have no complications with the insurance providers.

Regards, Mike


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Sorry for your loss & I'm glad none of your family was harmed.

I still remember the day many yrs ago that my rd baler caught on fire due to a failed lower tailgate bearing. I dislike insurance adjusters & before the settlement check arrives the adjuster probably disliked me.


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## JOR Farm (Aug 27, 2019)

Hate to hear that, hope no one was hurt.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Wow, tough to look at, sounds like nobody was hurt. My Dad would say, 'you can replace things', not people. And it looks like your son's did one heck of a job with just 3 extinguishers.

Larry


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Yikes! That will put your heart rate off the monitor! Glad everybody is unhurt!


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Wow! Thank goodness your sons were so on the ball!

Ralph


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Cant believe the fire got that hot that fast to melt the plastic...amazing how quick things happen.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Oh shit that sucks,glad they got it out.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Tx Jim said:


> Sorry for your loss & I'm glad none of your family was harmed.
> 
> I still remember the day many yrs ago that my rd baler caught on fire due to a failed lower tailgate bearing. I dislike insurance adjusters & before the settlement check arrives the adjuster probably disliked me.


Dealt with that crap when the same combine burnt twice. Lesson learned was when a combine catches fire make sure its a complete loss BEFORE calling the FD.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

Damn that sucks. I'm glad no one was hurt. Makes me wonder if I should insure my equipment; may have to think about that one.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

CowboyRam said:


> Damn that sucks. I'm glad no one was hurt. Makes me wonder if I should insure my equipment; may have to think about that one.


I can always find the money to pay the premium, not sure if i could if i needed to replace the equipment.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Grats on raising your kids to keep their heads screwed on straight in an emergency. I know of plenty 20 or even 30 somethings that would have completely lost it and stood and watched with their thumbs planted squarely in their bungholes.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

mlappin said:


> Grats on raising your kids to keep their heads screwed on straight in an emergency. I know of plenty 20 or even 30 somethings that would have completely lost it and stood and watched with their thumbs planted squarely in their bungholes.


Yep, that is exactly what my 77 year old dad did. He didn't lose it but didn't know what to do either. Oh well, at least he isn't crispy (we still don't know how he is not) and he did manage to call me for help.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Sorry for your loss, but thankful it wasn't worse... it could very well have been...

Might be a good time to add a few more extinguishers, can't have too many...

And remember to disconnect the battery....


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

SCtrailrider said:


> Sorry for your loss, but thankful it wasn't worse... it could very well have been...
> 
> Might be a good time to add a few more extinguishers, can't have too many...
> 
> And remember to disconnect the battery....


That is what my boys are getting my dad for Christmas, a fire extinguisher for his Polaris ranger! Definitely opened our eyes to making sure we have enough extinguishers in all buildings and equipment and making sure they have routine service, Luke, my second son, is taking the John Deere tech program at local university and he has been telling me for sometime to always remove battery cables before working on anything. I am a believer for sure now.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

haybaler101 said:


> That is what my boys are getting my dad for Christmas, a fire extinguisher for his Polaris ranger! Definitely opened our eyes to making sure we have enough extinguishers in all buildings and equipment and making sure they have routine service, Luke, my second son, is taking the John Deere tech program at local university and he has been telling me for sometime to always remove battery cables before working on anything. I am a believer for sure now.


With as much electronics that are on crap now, even a short across a wrench while working on a starter could cost thousands in burnt modules. Anything electric doesn't work near as well once the smoke escapes.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

mlappin said:


> With as much electronics that are on crap now, even a short across a wrench while working on a starter could cost thousands in burnt modules. Anything electric doesn't work near as well once the smoke escapes.


That factory installed smoke is hella expensive.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

stack em up said:


> That factory installed smoke is hella expensive.


I am just glad we stopped the fire where we did, planter has about $5000 worth of Ag Leader control modules mounted under one of the front of one of the fertilizer tank frames. Fire only melted a couple of wiring harnesses on the backbone. Actually, got the seed boxes off yesterday, and planter is not hurt to bad. Need 13 boxes and lids (seed meters are fine), 2 fertilizer tanks, vacuum manifold and tubes on main frame, couple wiring harnesses and some air line and fertilizer tubing. I think I can fix used for 3-5k and if Deere comes in new with labor, probably 20-25k.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Sad pictures, but fortunate things did not turn out worse. Nice old MTA probably easy to redo if you chose . Was the MTA owned by your family for a long time . Maybe since new I guess your dad wouldn't be quite old enough to have bought it new .

Rode the local fire truck half my life and seen alot of farm tractor / equipment fires started by battery cables from starter to battery problems . Maybe battery hold downs or cable clamps failed or were thrown in trash .


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

endrow said:


> Sad pictures, but fortunate things did not turn out worse. Nice old MTA probably easy to redo if you chose . Was the MTA owned by your family for a long time . Maybe since new I guess your dad wouldn't be quite old enough to have bought it new .
> 
> Rode the local fire truck half my life and seen alot of farm tractor / equipment fires started by battery cables from starter to battery problems . Maybe battery hold downs or cable clamps failed or were thrown in trash .


My dad and uncle bought the MTA in ~1965. My family is the second owner. Dad and my uncle each had one at that point. Both were equipped with 4.25" M&W stroker kits and would dyno all day at 75+ hp. Pulled 4-14" plows and 14' disk. I grew up driving them starting at 8 years old disking. Trust me, one of those with dual rear tires, tricycle front end, 14' disk in 3rd gear on moldboard plowed sod and you are ready for professional bull riding! Still use both of them yet as chore tractors. Original owner's son, a very large farmer in the community, collector of all things red, has wanted the mta back for years. He has hinted at 10k several times but dad was always too stubborn to sell it. I have been a volunteer fireman for 29 of my 48 years and some of the hottest fires I have ever seen were tractors or combines.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2367019196729285



If anyone is on Facebook, here is a video from fall 2019 of the MTA augering beans with a 10x81 auger running at full capacity.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

link comes up "content not available"....


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

SCtrailrider said:


> link comes up "content not available"....


Same


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

SCtrailrider said:


> link comes up "content not available"....


You might have to be on FB or he only has it available to FB friends???

I can see it but am a FB friend with him


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

That's probably it. I'm on FB, but not an FB friend with Joe.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

paoutdoorsman said:


> That's probably it. I'm on FB, but not an FB friend with Joe.


Send me a friend request. My two main things on Facebook are farming and pissing off my 3 liberal friends.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

haybaler101 said:


> Send me a friend request. My two main things on Facebook are farming and pissing off my 3 liberal friends.


You have 3?I think any liberals I had on FB defriended me,lol


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

swmnhay said:


> You have 3?I think any liberals I had on FB defriended me,lol


One of mine did in the 2016 election and the a couple months later, sent me a friend request. I only took him back because he was my 8th grade US history teacher AND he tried to indoctrinate all three of my kids when they were in the 8th grade. He really likes to stir shit and I love to see everyone jump on him.


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