Here's a good one

notjustair

Well-known Member
My back is in a mess. I've got a herniated disk and arthritis on the wear plates so it's all going sooner rather than later. The last two surgeons I have seen told me they would only make it worse and come back when I am no longer mobile. Seriously. The last six weeks they have been doing shots in my spine to help. I've had 8 so far and four more a week or so from now. I'm fairly certain Dr Mengele is alive and well.

EVERY SINGLE TIME I go in for torture the young doctor tells me about needing to get Cadillac tractors because the bumping is ruining me. I'm in the wrong line of work, blah, blah. Each time I ask him if he's priced a "Cadillac" tractor lately - he could never afford a new machine. I did price a new seat and air ride pedestal for the worst offender - $1800. If I had that extra I'd replace the tires on the old truck, thank you! Oh, and no more jumping rope he says. He didn't mention fences.
 
I don't understand what the problem is? It's just money? Just buy one! If you love it buy a 2nd just cause! ;)

HEY! Use a creditcard! That's like free money! :p
 
Sometimes a person needs to change careers or hire someone to do the hard work. I'm getting there myself. I do fairly good myself during the day when I'm working but after I get home if I sit down for even 15 minutes I can barely walk or do anything. Then if I work especially hard during the week I'm bed ridden the entire weekend. The only help I have is my daughter and she can't lift hardly anything.
 
Yes the youngster had to chime in!!!! LOL We will not be around in 50-60 years to hear your story.

Actually age is not the only cause. My youngest used to ride motor cross. He jammed himself up a few times. HE already has back and knee issues. He is not even 30 yet. I often wonder how he is going to age.
 
Age catches up with everyone, some sooner, some later. Even John Glenn. I can't fathom putting my body through the rigors of space flight at 63, let alone 77.
 
You or someone else is paying around $150 for each time you visit your doctor and several hundred dollars for each shot into your back. At that rate it won't take long to justify a better seat or a different tractor if it will eliminate your pain and eliminate your doctor visits.

The reality is you will probably get a $500 plus doctor bill every time you run one of the old tractors or climb over a fence. You should be able to hire your work done for much less cost. Another alternative is to trade all the old tractors for just one that you can use without messing up your back. Getting older isn't as much fun as being young, but it still ain't too bad.
 
I have a herniated disc that hurt all the time. Sometimes it got so bad I couldn't walk. I now use an inversion table when ever there is ANY pain, After 5 to 10 minutes on the table and some rest, the pain goes away. It's the best $300 bucks I've spent. My wife had lower back pain for as long as I've known her. She went on the machine twice and the pain went away. It hasn't worked for everyone who has tried it, but I have few friends that now one regularly.
Dave
 
If you truly want to keep farming either trade the bad ones in or get an air ride seat for a tractor you use the most. Yes it's expensive. You probably could have paid for one already with the money spent on doctor bills. Had a buddy in the same situation. His is so bad he can't wear a hat because it puts too much pressure on his back. He broke down and bought a newer Deere and cannot believe how much better it is. That tractor gets a lot of hours put on it but he no longer has the fear of having to find a different career. I wish you the best of luck with your back
 
(quoted from post at 12:42:32 12/10/16) I have a herniated disc that hurt all the time. Sometimes it got so bad I couldn't walk. I now use an inversion table when ever there is ANY pain, After 5 to 10 minutes on the table and some rest, the pain goes away. It's the best $300 bucks I've spent. My wife had lower back pain for as long as I've known her. She went on the machine twice and the pain went away. It hasn't worked for everyone who has tried it, but I have few friends that now one regularly.
Dave

Yes, this! I can't say enough good things about inverting. It unloads your skeleton from your ankles to your neck and lets everything kind of creep back where it belongs. If you have disk trouble it will allow the disks to re-hydrate.

Nearly all my friends are also retired cops and all have bad back from sitting crooked in the patrol cars for years (you sit sort of crooked due to the gun barrel hitting the seat). We all invert and all avoided back surgery.

It even has cleared my chronic sinusitis as it lets the sinuses drain and stay clear.
 

Sounds like you have a choice between giving up a few things to get the seat, or give up your life.
 
I have to agree! You know you have an extremely limited amount of time you are going to be able to get on and off of tractors if YOU don't do something! You want to wake up one day and can't get on any tractor? That's exactly where you are headed if YOU don't do something! If you have to take on debt to do it so be it! That or change what you are doing and how you are living! And I'm not talking through my hat. I have compressed disc in my neck. I'm at a point that my doctor says I can have corrective surgery (fusing my neck is corrective surgery) anytime I wish to call! I've changed some of the things I do.

Rick
 
I"ve had back issues for years- stenosis in L3,4,5. Surgery is scheduled for Dec 19. I had 30,40,50 series JD tractors for field work. They are from the 70s and 80s. Always felt better coming out of them than when going in. Even that "old" technology is great when it comes to seat design.
 
I had that same thought the other day. I was laying on the floor after a long day, back was sore, legs were sore, everything just kind of hurt. Mom laughed and said, well if you feel like that now, wait until you are 50! Hmmmm.... Lesson learned I think? There are reasons why we have tractors with loaders! ;)
 
I run heavy equipment everyday at work usually over rough ground. Most if the new equipment has air ride seats and they do a decent job of taking the jolts out of the bumps. I have a bad lower back meaning if I don't watch what I do I get bad pinched nerves. I have deformed vertebrae. One side is much taller than the other. Spine is crooked like a snake. I would spend the money and keep on doing your thing. I also found if I take small breaks and get out and walk or stretch for a few minutes it really helps. Periodic chiropractor visits help me too. Last time I went one leg was an inch and a half longer than the other.
 
If it costs $1500 to buy a seat that will keep you in the saddle, it's cheap in the long run. Like what was said you can get a seat with a self contained compressor. It's slower to pump up than an air seat in a truck but it works nonetheless.

My 38 year old son has several bad vertebrae and has had a ruptured disk repaired once. The doc has told him to get another occupation. He spends 60 hours a week in the saddle driving a truck but to be able to stay in the saddle he has had to spend big money on a better than average seat, a Cadillac seat if you want to call it that. He also has plans to be completely out of the saddle if future plans work out. He likes to drive a truck but his back is ruling the roost so to speak.
 
My neighbor has been going through the same thing. He has had multiple surgeries. He got air ride seats on all his tractors which helped a lot. The following summer he again almost became disabled clutching his IH 1066, 756, and MF. The clutching for round baling, etc. was too hard for him.

He was able to get two tractors with air ride seats and power shift transmissions (includes Power Reverser). He did a lot of tractor driving this summer and is doing well. He cannot lift more than 35 lbs so he both did all he could to eliminate lifting and twisting and where he could not, he gets family help.

My point, you might want to consider a tractor with both Power Shift Transmission and Air Ride Seat. You might want to evaluate all your tasks to eliminate/minimize lifting and twisting.

Paul.
 

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