Tractor Fails That Prove Not Everyone Should Operate Heavy Machinery
As kids, many of us loved the idea of driving big vehicles like monster trucks, buses, construction vehicles, and even garbage trucks. When you get older, you realize that operating such massive machines can be a lot more challenging than it looks. These tractor fails prove just that. From plowing into someone's living room to ramming into a freeway overpass, these tractor accidents did more than a little damage. Read on to see some of the most outrageous tractor fails out there.
The Flying Tractor
It's a plane! It's an alien spaceship! It's a... tractor? At first glance, it looks like this thing is either flying at a sideways tilt or getting used to levitation and having a wobbly time.
If you follow the arm, you can see that it's lodged into the roof so that the entire machine is lifted from the ground. Somehow, the arm is able to support the weight of the rest of the tractor so that its future is literally hanging in the balance.
It's Electrifying!
Moving forward, this is officially the image that will forever come to mind whenever we hear John Travolta belt out "it's electrifying!" in the Grease song "You're The One That I Want."
Never has a situation been more accurately described as "electrifying" than one where a tractor is literally wrapped up in sky-high power wires. We're willing to bet that the driver is the one who took this photo, right after he jumped out of the tractor and ran for his life to a safe distance.
How Did They Even Get Up There?
If we didn't know better, we would think that a small child was responsible for the unbelievable position of this tractor. They're always breaking the laws of physics by climbing to heights they shouldn't be able to reach, lodging stuff up their noses, and losing things within a two-foot radius that are never to again be found.
Likewise, this tractor somehow managed to wedge itself atop a semi truck while leaning back on its arm. Oh, and did we mention that there's no one in the driver's seat?
A Valentine's Day Hiccup
It can be a real pain to see a "freeway closed" sign unexpectedly, but it's usually because the road is under construction. In this case, the construction was under the road! The arm of this machine plowed right through an overpass.
Perhaps the best part of this photo isn't the massive fail, but that the time stamp in the right corner reveals it happened on Valentine's Day of 2006! We sincerely hope that the poor worker wasn't single at the time because that would be the worst holiday ever.
Talk About Curbside Delivery
Tractors can come in handy for numerous farm activities, but they are rendered useless when it comes to the indoors. We're not even sure why this tractor was so close to a house to begin with!
It's like one of the kids stole the keys to their dad's tractor and went wild in the front yard. They must have seen the house coming for some time before they ran right through it! Those who freeze in intense situations probably shouldn't be operating heavy machinery.
BBQing On The Tractor
Is that someone BBQing out in the forest? No. It's someone's tractor on fire. We're no mechanic, so we can only imagine what could have caused the engine to go ablaze.
It looks like someone threw fire starter liquid into the hood and then tossed in a match. The hilarious part is that the owner didn't think "better race to find a fire extinguisher!" Instead, their first thought was, "I've got to get a picture of this."
Hope You Wore Your Rain Boots
This little fiasco involved not one, not two, but THREE tractors! They all somehow found themselves stuck in a big pool of water and mud out in the middle of a grassland.
You would think that the first tractor would have been a warning to the other two, but apparently they were overzealous. Plus, wouldn't you have noticed the massive amount of water you were headed for? This is a lesson to all not to overestimate your machinery.
Taking The Stairs Isn't For Everyone
Taking the stairs is typically the better option for those who want to stay in good shape. Apparently, this tractor was worried about its figure because it also tried to hop on a flight of stairs.
In all seriousness, we would guess that the tractor somehow rolled backward and down the top flight of steps, thereby getting lodged between the two flights. We just hope it's easier getting this thing out than it was watching it fall in.
Literally And Metaphorically In Deep Water
The term "in deep water" is often used to describe someone who has taken on more than they could handle or is in a challenging situation. In this case, the term applies both metaphorically and literally.
The tractor is more than halfway submerged in a lake while someone desperately tries to drive it out. We love the two onlookers who are just standing there idly. They could at least have their hands up in exasperation or something!
Not Your Average Street Sweeper
For some of us, street sweepers don't exactly bring up the best memories since they are the cause of countless parking tickets. Hopefully, this hilarious makeshift street sweeper can create a more lighthearted association with the machines.
We're not sure what exactly prompted someone to attach ten witchy-looking brooms to their tractor and drive it around town. As long as they aren't handing out tickets to parked cars, we're sure the neighbors found it a hilarious delight to watch as it drove by.
Heads Up!
The gentlemen in this photo look a little too relaxed considering there's a tractor dangling off the road above them. To top it off, there's a line of cars driving past the tractor, and the slightest bump looks like it would send the thing over.
It seems that one of the men is the owner of the tractor, while the other one likely owns the car that the dangling machine crushed underneath. That's got to be an awkward insurance exchange.
Off-Roading
This tractor took the term off-roading a little too seriously. The driver somehow managed to maneuver the machine right off the side of the road and into a deep ditch.
The pit is so extensive that the entire front of the tractor went face down, leaving the back wheels up in the air. The vehicle must have been going relatively slowly to not have flipped over, but it definitely had some speed to have landed nose-first.
Just Digging Out My Tractor
For those of us who live in warmer climates, this scene must trigger some culture shock. Imagine having to dig your vehicles out of a pile of snow during part of the year!
This poor pair isn't just scraping snow off of their car windshield; they're digging up their tractor, which is half-buried! Considering how far away the nearest houses are, we would imagine that the tractor was left out for some time. Hopefully it still runs!
Learning To Swim
This is another tractor situation that we just can't explain. Wouldn't the drive have seen the massive pit filled with water before they drove their tractor straight into it? Whatever happened, it's too late to go back now.
Water is bad news for an engine, and this tractor's grill is already half-submerged in the pond. The two gentlemen to the right seem to be discussing where in the world they go from here. At least they have another tractor in the background.
All Twisted Up
This massive tractor is not only stuck in a watery ditch but is also all twisted up. The thing has three giant wheels at each corner of the vehicle to support all of the weight it has to pull due to the large plow behind it.
Whoever was driving the tractor managed to get it into a wreck where the plow is upside down, but the body of the vehicle is right side up and tilted. Being that the culprit isn't in the driver's seat, we would guess it's one of the guys standing in the background.
The Steep Climb
This tractor reminds us of The Little Engine That Could because of the way it appears to be fighting to make it up the steep slope. The vehicle wouldn't be in such a position if its driver hadn't driven it into a narrow ditch filled with muddy water.
Unfortunately, the machine went grill-first into the water, meaning that it could be done for after this. We would bet that the driver attempted to reverse out of this one, and then abandoned the tractor when they realized it was a goner.
In Deep
This tractor is in deep in more than one way. It is literally in deep because it's nearly buried in this field's debris. It's also metaphorically in deep because it doesn't look like the tractor is going to make it out to the other side.
The machine is so buried in the dead vegetation that you can barely see its tires! We just wonder how the driver managed to climb out of this mess without getting poked.
It Wanted To Go Ice Skating
This tractor looks like it wanted to go ice skating, not realizing it was too heavy not to break the ice. It's one thing to flood your engine with water, but it's another to flood it with water that is literally freezing cold.
We have to wonder if the driver honestly thought that they would be able to drive their tractor across a frozen-over lake. We'd find it easier to believe that the tractor decided to roll in on its own!
You Better Strap It Tight!
Strapping a tractor to the top of a vehicle would be a bad idea in most circumstances, but especially when it involves a tiny car! The tractor is practically the same size as the sedan carrying it!
Since the machine couldn't fit on top of the truck, the owner resolved to place a large plank of wood on top. They then wrapped it tightly with a few straps and ropes, and that's it! We wouldn't want to be driving behind that.
Fake It Until You Make It
It's no surprise that tractors aren't made by the luxury car company BMW, but the owner of this tractor likes to believe otherwise! They decided to re-design the front of their tractor to make it look as though it was manufactured by BMW.
While it's clearly not, the owner of the vehicle probably chuckles to himself whenever he passes by other farmers driving their tractors. Maybe it gave another farmer a similar idea for a different company to use.
Going Up!
As far as we know, tractors aren't necessarily meant to catch air like other motor vehicles such as dirt bikes. Yet, it appears that the person driving this tractor doesn't adhere by the rules and lives life on their own terms.
This tractor is one hundred percent off the ground, which begs the question of how fast they were driving in order to pull off this extreme stunt. We hope that they landed safely and didn't mess up the tractor.
Buried Up To Their Neck
We always thought that tractors were meant to dig holes, not get buried in them. Well, that's not the case for this tractor. It appears to have been buried almost all the way under the ground.
We're not sure if this is some kind of joke among the workers, or if somebody on the job really messed up. That's going to be quite the process to dig out of the ground, and it's likely that someone is out of a job.
What In Tarnation?
While we believe that this was once a functioning tractor that spent many years on a farmer's land, it appears an artist got their hands on it when it was out of commission.
This is quite a work of art, however, we hope they don't plan on moving it anytime soon because that looks like it must be a problem. It's so realistic that we are almost expecting it to scurry away out of frame.
Look! Two Wheels!
While most people might drive tractors on four wheels typically, not this guy. He's charging down the road doing a wheelie, and it doesn't look like he has a care in the world. We're not sure if this is on accident or on purpose, but it definitely makes for a cool picture.
To top everything off, there even looks like there's a fire going on in the background! We hope he got the load there safely!
Burying Its Head In The Sand
It looks here like we have a pretty precarious position. This tractor is almost completely submerged in snow, ice, and dirt, and we have no idea how they're going to be able to get it out. The real question is, what happened?
We're going to guess that the person driving the tractor accidentally went into a hole and over time, it was slowly buried. We wonder if everyone gave up and that tractor is still there today.
Beneath The Waves
We're going to assume that one of the things that can bring a tractor down would have to be water. It can cause it to rust, ruin the engine, and flood the electronic systems. With that said, it's probably safe to say that this tractor is completely toast.
Not only is it stranded on the beach, but it is also submerged in water. At that point, it might be worth buying a whole new piece of equipment rather than try to fix this one.
Beware Of The Tide
If you're leaving your tractor next to a body of water, it's usually a good idea to make sure that there isn't going to be a major tidal swing overnight.
The reason for this is because of the picture above. It looks like this tractor was left in the same spot for a long time, and that the changes in water levels slowly began to drag the tractor into the ground. Good luck getting it out!
Nothing To See Here, Officer
While the majority of people use tractors to plow fields or build things, it appears this young man didn't have the same intentions. It looks like he was using it as a transportation method for enough kegs of beer for a small village to drink over half a year.
Unsurprisingly, he was pulled over by the police, who most likely has seen something like this before. We hope he didn't get held up for too long, because we're sure there's a party waiting on the beer.
Trying To Climb A Tree
Tractors often help with logging by carrying huge amounts of wood around. But no one expects the tractor to climb up a tree. This tractor seemed to ram head-first into a tree--how did it get that far up?
There is also a tiny toy tractor stuck to the tree. Was the big tractor trying to copy the little tractor? Is the toy the tractor’s pet, and is this a rescue mission? There are so many questions and so few answers.
Perfectly Functional Without A Wheel
When most people lose a wheel on their car, they quickly replace it. But this couple didn’t need to. They seem to enjoy driving down the street with a three-wheeled tractor. The woman sits on the left, balancing it out.
If you can save money on a wheel, go for it. But driving a three-wheeled tractor seems a bit risky, especially down a busy street. Even so, these drivers seem to be having a blast.
An Awkward Test Run
How did this tractor turn completely sideways? Beats us. All we know is that this happened during the tractor’s test run. It definitely hasn’t passed the test and won’t be making it into a professional work environment.
This tractor has completely rolled over, and it’s a pain to upright it again. Unfortunately, this can happen with any tractor, even those that have been tested and fully approved. It doesn’t make the pictures any less funny, though.
Quick! Grab The Wheel!
We're not sure how this tractor completely lost its wheel, but here we are. To make matters even worse for the farmer, it looks like they're forced to sit there in the tractor and watch as the tire slowly makes its escape across the field.
It's definitely going to be a lot harder to get that hay baled on a tractor that's missing its front wheel. Hopefully they're able to chase down the rogue tire and get things working again.
The Tractor's Tired
Behold, a tractor that fell asleep on the job. It’s so exhausted that the front wheel gave out and the tractor sunk into the ground. If you take any lesson from this picture, remember to give your tractor a break.
It seems that the ground may have been too soft for the heavy tractor. It’s close to sinking into the soil. Fortunately, all it needs is a nap and a reattached wheel. So far, this isn’t the worst tractor fail.
That’ll Cause A Traffic Jam
Yikes--this tractor broke down in the middle of the road. It even ran over an entire wheel before stopping. The driver looks stumped; who wouldn’t be in this situation? It has entirely dissembled.
Best of luck to the other drivers who have to wander around a broken-down tractor. The owner will have to call AAA, if it even works for tractors. Maybe AAAA? A times five? Either way, he’ll have to call someone to help out.
The Bridge Wasn’t Sturdy Enough
While doing construction, sometimes workers have to build bridges or ramps for automobiles to cross. But when they do that, the bridges have to support a tractor that can weigh up to 25,000 pounds. This bridge couldn’t handle it.
On the bright side, at least the tractor hasn’t been dunked into the water. On the downside, it’s still in the middle of the river. The bridge-builder clearly made a mistake here, and it might cost someone a tractor.
It Plowed A Little Too Hard
Tractors are supposed to plow the soil--turn it, break it up, and remove any weeds. But this tractor was a little too powerful. It has completely sunk into the soil, as if the dirt transformed into water.
Most farmers don’t want their fields to turn into a pool. Not only do they have to pull out the tractor, but they’ll also have to re-fill their field. This is one of the worst fails that a farmer could ask for.
How Did This Even Happen?
Don’t ask us what happened here. It looks like every individual part of the tractor fell apart at the same time. If tractors had limbs, this one got dismembered. Who knows if it’s even able to be fixed?
This tractor has run its course. Based on the fresh, bright paint, it looks like the owner took care of it. But they couldn’t prevent it from falling apart before their very eyes. It’s like the ending of a Shakespeare tragedy.
Down In The Dumps
Farmers have a hard time hauling a tractor out of a pond. This tractor is very close to entering the river, but it is hanging on for dear life. Pray that it won’t roll backwards and become irretrievable.
If someone wants the tractor to cross a river, they should build a bridge first. Perhaps they didn’t see the water before climbing the hill, or perhaps the tractor tipped. Either way, this is a real pickle for the farmer.
That's One Way To Get Around
Clearly, this picture was taken somewhere in Eastern Europe, judging by the clothes that these women are wearing, and the fact that they're riding in a cage.
However, this appears to be by choice, as there's no top to the cage, so the women can leave whenever they want. We wouldn't be surprised if the driver of this tractor charged tourists for a ride so that they can get a real sense of what it's like to live in the town.
Buried In The Sand
Remember as a kid when you would lose something to the sea and hope it'd wash back up on the shore? This is like that, only the thing lost isn't a toy or a boogie-board, it's a boat.
We can just imagine the owner of this boat being out on the sea and suddenly having to evacuate. Perhaps it toppled over, leaving the riders in life-jackets out in the water as they watched the current yank their boat back to shore.
Not The Best Parking Job
We're no boating experts, but this certainly isn't the way you park at the marina. Perhaps they hit something that caused a leak, resulting in the boat tipping to its side. For all we know, the photo could have been taken as the boat was sinking.
You've got to love the guy in the background just standing there and watching. At some point, you've got to accept that there's nothing to be done until help arrives.
Going Up In Flames, On The Water
It seems improbable that something could catch on fire while sitting in a body of water. After all, water is what puts out fires! Clearly, this image proves that watercraft are just as flammable as land vehicles.
While it's fortunate that the boat fire wouldn't be able to spread because it's in the middle of the water, that didn't stop the flame from eating up the boat itself. We hope the owner had fire insurance.
Stuck In The Mud
There's nothing like gliding along the smooth water, and then suddenly coming to an abrupt stop because you're in the middle of a mud mound. Talk about destroying a lovely ride.
The best part is how this man is holding up a fishing pole. We're pretty sure you won't find fish swimming around in that thick mud. If you thought getting a car out of the mud was a challenge, just imagine trying to do so with a boat!
Airborne!
This one isn't technically a boating "fail" because it seems like an amazing magic trick instead. How the heck does a boat, with two grown men inside it, become airborne while traveling on dry land? It's truly a mystery.
We can't imagine that the landing that came after the brief sail through the air was very pleasant for the people involved. It couldn't have been good for the boat, either!
The Driver In Training
We can't imagine how someone could have driven their boat directly into another yacht. The crash was so perfect that both boats are perpendicular to one another! It's as though the collision was planned.
It is overtly clear which boat was responsible since the blue yacht to the right is tied to a dock. That means the driver had to head straight toward the stationary boat and continue full speed ahead without a trace of caution.
Straight Into The Building
This boat was going so fast that it managed to skid across the sand and straight into a building! It reminds us of a car that was in drive instead of reverse, flying forward and into the wall it was parked in front of.
The most comical part is how unsure all of the men look. You have one guy scratching his head, three men standing around talking, and one guy standing in the boat with his hands in his pockets.
Heading Toward The Highway
This boat nearly made it out of the water and up onto a highway! It's amazing that its nose didn't crash into the rocks. Instead, the entire craft skidded up and onto the rocky slope so that the nose is pressed against the highway guard rail.
With a boat going that fast, we have to wonder how far it would have made it if there was no guard rail. We typically think of those rails as protecting cars from going into the water, but in this case, it was a boat protected from the street.
The Boat Didn't Want To Leave The Water
This guy was trying to bring his boat out of the water with a trailer. Though he was at first successful, the boat's weight ultimately dominated and it slid right off its carrier.
We love how the guy is sitting there puzzled, just trying to figure out how in the world this happened. It's clear that he isn't the most experienced when it comes to hooking up a boat to its trailer. That or the equipment had a serious malfunction.
Straight Into The Rocks
If you've ever had a current pull you toward the rocks while swimming, you know it's not a fun place to be in. That's why people who are piloting yachts should be particularly careful when it comes to rocky areas.
Still, they have a motor engine to help steer clear of dangerous areas. That's why this image makes absolutely no sense. What did they do, let the boat steer itself for hours while the passengers blindfolded themselves?
A Boat Jump Gone Wrong
At first glance, you may be wondering how in the world this boat landed on the vegetation several feet above the water. The only logical explanation that we can think of is that someone was recklessly driving when they lost control and the boat flew up and onto this slope.
Just imagine how intense that moment would be when you go from controlling the boat, to the boat controlling you. Hopefully, the thrilling moment was enjoyable while it lasted.
Catch Of The Day
Just another relaxing day on the water! This gentleman appears to have been sitting on the side of the boat and decided to jump off into the water to cool off. However, he didn't realize that his trousers were caught on the cleat of the boat!
As if the situation weren't bad enough, someone had a camera to capture the scene before helping free him. You'd expect this from a kid, sure, but not an adult man!
Boats Aren't Jumping Horses
The driver of this boat must have been a horseback rider, becuase they treated their boat like a jumping horse. Last we checked, a boat doesn't have the capability of leaping over tall items like ramps.
Just imagine if a person had been walking down the ramp when this happened! This scenario is like in a movie when a speeding chase leads to a car leaping off a cliff and landing on the other side. Most of us know those things aren't realistic, but this person clearly did not.
That's One Way To Transport An RV
You know you're a diehard camper when you take your RV onto the river. We can't imagine that this ended well. You have two large canoes carrying a giant RV that already appears to be tilting to one side.
Just imagine if they hit some rapids! The craziest part is that one guy is just casually walking on top of the RV like he's fall-proof. He could at least get down on all fours and grab on to a rope!
They Went A Little Too Far
This boat driver went a little too far when trying to park their boat at the dock. The point is to keep the boat in the water and tied to the dock, not on the wooden walkways!
The most embarrassing part is that every boat owner who comes through is going to have to squeeze past this haphazardly-angled boat to get to theirs! On the bright side, at least this yacht won't get lost at sea.
Perfectly Stuck
Have you ever gotten into a spot that you can't get out of? That's what happened with this yacht. We can't imagine how someone drove this boat into this position, but they're certainly in a pickle.
The yacht is not only stuck between two docks, but is also wedged between two of the wooden beams that support the dock! The spot they had to pull into was so obvious, how did they get it so wrong?
Sea Lions Taking Over The Ship
Well, we hope the owner of this boat wasn't too attached to it because it doesn't look as though these giant sea lions are giving it up any time soon. The best the former captain can hope for at this point is the sea animals loving his ship as he once did.
Because, clearly, this is their new home away from home and they are ready to sail the seven seas. All these two need are white captains hats and they're good to go!
Still Riding
This speedboat may be rapidly flooding with water, but that didn't stop this guy from posing in it for a photo. He has his life jacket on and everything, prepared to go down with his sinking ship.
Despite the circumstances, he's wearing a big smile on his face, happy as a clam. They must have some incredible insurance to be unfazed by the fact their boat is going down. To be fair, they do have it roped to a dock, so at least it won't be lost.
A Boating Fail Nowhere Near The Water
We've all been in that scenario where you're stuck in traffic on a highway all because a car accident blocked the road. Just imagine if you finally get to the accident spot to see it's not a car with the problem at all, but a boat in the middle of a highway!
The yacht must have fallen off of its trailer when it went over that small bump in the road. This is why they say it's better to be safe than sorry.
Cargo Overboard!
If you think you're having a bad day, just think about the day the captain of this huge cargo ship is having. We're going to take a wild guess and say someone is definitely fired! Just look at all of that cargo about to tumble off the ship.
We wouldn't want to be on the other end of that crew when the higher-ups get word of the about-to-capsize ship. Grab a dingy and get out of their way, mates!
