450C near death accident

[Clark]

I was pushing trees out with my 350 B the other day. Been running dozers for 40 years and I know better. anyway I was pushing pines out about 6 inches thick 50 ft tall Pushed it over and thought the whole tree came out and kept pushing. I didn't know I cut the tree off and about 8 foot , I backed up and my seat cushion was pushed up about 10 inches and luckily I hit the forward real sudden. got off and looked to find that the tree went under the fuel tank knocking off the fuel line and drain valve. So glad I wasn't impaled by this tree. So guys be careful when pushing trees and brush and then backing up. I read a story in rock and dirt 35 years ago where a fellow was clearing brush and while backing up a small 2 inch brush trunk impaled him and killed him.

[Ken Wells]

Scary story! Glad you survived.
I did the same thing yesterday, knocked the thing in gear with my knee dismounting. Fortunately I wasn't standing on the tracks.

[TuolumneGuy]

Ive gotten lucky more than once .i started it once in gear while standing on the track and had to run the opposite way like 3 stooges to dive back into the machine to shut it down . Always made it a point to lock that shift gate in neutral witb the e brake set.buckets/ outriggers etc.and not just that but even backing into brush and have it Push on the backhoe controls .thank god nobody or my dog werent standing back there with the bucket flying all over and me not know for a sec . ..the very first time i used a excavator i flipped it because i thought i was comfortable enough with the different style controls untill i had an emergency situation and i instinctively tried to zig but zagged instead and over we went.seatbelt SAVED MY ASS. and yes .always keep my phone on me .once my kid decided to climb in after i had climbed up into the bucket while moving a small building...then one time i flipped a crow bar into my mouth on accident when i was mounting a sprocket weight And it slipped off....not trying to impress anyone with my stupidity but hope that if i tell people someone might have a last sec thought before they make the same mistakes

[Kzinti]

Sadly, there may be a tale similar to yours involved with my JD 350 tracked loader. Owner was out by himself doing some dirt work with it and ran across a yellow jacket nest. They swarmed him and in his haste to get clear of them and the machine, something happened and he ran himself over. I did not find out any of this until maybe a year or two after purchasing the unit. I do know it was his pride and joy, he'd only recently done a complete restoration of it. Scary stuff, but that moving hunk of metal doesn't stop for much. Be careful out there!

[wednesdar]

Get well soon! I religiously use that little flip lever to hold it in neutral ever since my 450c tried to kill me! My starter button is broken, so I have to hold the hot lead directly to the starter motor to boot it up... needless to say I hope I never make the mistake of firing it off in gear again!!

[Jim B]

Fixing the starter button and or neutral safety switch would be a good step to prevent that from happening.

[Anthony Rivieccio]

only with Faith and Divine Providence could we have the Miracles of all we need and of all that we could rightfully want
Please heal well ! and Thank you for all those whom because of this post shall make it the new habit not to leave a machine running without the operator being comfortably in control at the station.
also Thanks to Clark and every commenter for sharing which shall make us all evolve to safer habits.