Mowing Oops. Duh moment

[Doc]

I've done dumb stuff before and I'm sure I will again but today takes the cake. WTF I was thinking I do not know. Actually I was jamming to some tunes while mowing and I must've turned off most of my brain.

We found a barge rope at our river lot. Wifey decided to bring it to the house for adornment somewhere. This was a 30ft or so piece of rope, much longer than the shorter ones we normally find. For some reason unknown to me wife decides to run in along the edge of our driveway temporarily.

I'm mowing today and rather than get my fat ass off the mower to move the rope or (option 2) skip that bit of grass and get it with the trimmer. Both were good options that I didn't really consider. I decide to nudge the rope with the edge of my mower deck to scoot a small section of the rope that had slipped off the pavement into the yard back onto the pavement. There was a big knot in the rope where I was going to nudge, and I've done that with other 'things' with no issue. This time it didn't work out so well.

The rope was immediately sucked up into the mower deck (which if I had a brain I would have turned off before trying to nudge anything), wrapped around the shaft of one of the blades and killed the motor.

I was able to restart and hobble to the garage. Jacked up the mower and saw the rope around the shaft. So, I had to cut through the barge rope. I had never done that before. We had found it on the bank close to our dock. It had been floating in the river for who knows how long. It had collected hoards of dirt from the river. Cutting or sawing it made a horrible dust bomb. Plus I found you don't cut barge rope. it was impossible to cut. First I tried the reciprocating saw. It got jammed up with loose threads of the rope that came loose and it never would make it through, so I changed blades and got a fresh battery. Still no go. Tried my utility knife to minimal avail. Got the bolt cutters and it would not open wide enough to cut the whole rope. I had to break apart strands of the rope and cut them individually then finish the little that was left with the reciprocating saw. What a nightmare, but I finally got it done. 45 mins I'll never get back. Then I had to finish mowing. Arrrggg. Thankfully the mower and mower deck performed flawlessly after my idiot operator error.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Lmao. Sounds like something I would do.

Canadian eh!!!

 

[tiredretired]

I picked up a piece of electric fence wire once. That was fun.

I'll bet those bolt cutters did not open up near enough to get around that rope. I get it, you were desperate.

 

[mla2ofus]

If it happens again, which I doubt, put a cutoff disc in a small grinder. It will go through it like a hot knife through butter. A few years ago on the farm I worked for, a co worker was mowing weeds with a 15' flail mower and found an old hand roll of barb wire. Took us a couple of hours with the hot wrench to cut it all off.
Mike

 

[Doc]

Good tip. Wish I'd thought of that. I have a small grinder just sitting in the pole barn.

 

[Melensdad]

But look at the bright side. You now own several short pieces of barge rope.

 

[pirate_girl]

I'd have liked to have been there to hear you cuss.

 

[JimVT]

watch for oil leaks it had to be hard on the seal.

 

[bczoom]

If it happens again, which I doubt, put a cutoff disc in a small grinder.

Or just remove the blade from the shaft and slide the rope off the bottom.

 

[Doc]

Or just remove the blade from the shaft and slide the rope off the bottom.

Considered that but the bolts that hold the blade are very long and a pain to get off. For me it's a two person job. The mower deck has to be very high .... if I do something that stew pid again I'll use the grinder.

 

[kc3tec]

At least you didnt hit a skunk!
I was mowing high grass with a front mounted brushhog we borrowed from the local golf course.
Flew lots of pretty fur and one hell of a stink.
Had to raise the deck and pressure wash it.
It was days before i could smell anything else.