An unseen fox-hole tipped this Ford 8240 and Spearhead hedge-trimmer into the ditch.

With all its weight resting on the trimmer arm, the tractor held steady until, as part of the rescue effort, the boom was lifted, resulting in the cab burying itself deeper in the vegetation.

The first recovery attempt was made with a brand-spanking New Holland TM130. The idea was to pull the Ford out of the ditch backwards but, buried up to its belly and with all four wheels spinning, it wasn’t going anywhere.

So an old Massey Ferguson 3120 was called to the scene to pull on the 8240 from the side while the TM130 continued backwards.

With a couple of attempts she arose from the dry hole, surprisingly undamaged.

Putting the humiliation of the mishap behind him, driver George Mook was back in the saddle within half an hour with just a sore head to show for it.

Not a great start to his first year’s contract hedge-cutting!

Combine Catastrophe

Just finishing the headland on the North Yorks farm’s first field of rape, the New Holland TX36 combine lost its straw-chopper.

Swinging round on the headland, the mounting bolts at one end sheared off and the chopper dropped onto the deck, twisting the rear of the machine and completely writing off the rear hood.

That harvest was finished without the chopper and a complete rebuild took place.

Harvest kicked off the next year and just as George’s father finished the first field of rape, the chopper dropped onto the deck again. That’s either really bad luck or some shoddy workmanship somewhere along the line!

Thanks to George for sending these shots in. If you’ve caught any amusing machinery mishaps on camera email them to us.

More Wreckers Yard pictures