$27 or $2000 ???

I was using my Kubota 2500 series to plow up some corn ground that had just been pressed into service this year. Being virgin soil (trees harvested and stumped in May), the corn did not do so well so I figured it was a compaction problem and planned to use a single bottom plow to help deep-till and to roll the big rocks out of the ground.

All was well until I noticed the plow was rolling up black ribbon. For a second I ignored it, then I thought better and shut off the tractor and it was a good thing I did. In this really rocky ground, my tractor had hit a rock and jarred the oil pan drain plug loose and it vibrated out. Because I was plowing and looking back, I saw the oil on the ground and was able to shut the tractor off before it starved itself of oil. In fact as I knelt to check the plug, the last of the oil came out. 10 more seconds later and the engine would have been shot.

A drain plug, copper washer and 6 quarts of oil later and I was up and running and finished the field. Now that was lucky!