"The" Un-Safe Tractor Operation Thread

[Reverend Blair]

The Rhino thing makes for some very interesting reading. I won't go into it, but it was never proven there were safety issues though Yamaha agreed to a retrofit on doors and sway bar as well as spacers.

I am pretty old too at 63, but still like my Grizzly ATV and Rhino though I finally had to park my Harley last year. I gotta admit I ride a lot slower now though.

I have crashed just about everything on wheels and on only two occasions was it a mechanical issue. Once I threw a primary chain on my Triumph T110 and another time the engine seized on my Honda. When I was still able to ride dirt bikes, I always said if you weren't crashing, you weren't really trying.:laughing:

I'm only 46. My body has that lived in look though...like it spent a couple or three decades possessed by a really bad tenant.:

We never had motorcycles etc. though. My parents were against non-work related items. We mostly crashed trucks and sometimes cars. I'm of that age where over-powered muscle cars were the cheap clunkers, and the hippies left their hobbies laying about for us to play with. Now there's a good mix... thumbsup:

I don't think I've ever seen a crash that wasn't caused by stupidity, booze or drugs, or some mix of the three. Not that I've become all innocent or anything, but I recognize that there are consequences so I've become careful.

I've took the seat safety switch off my riding mower. I hated that whenever I would hit a bump it would shut off.

My dad took his off too.

Yeah, they need to figure out a better system for that. I've heard of too many people getting hacked up by mowers that rolled, but the switches are such a pain that everybody bypasses them. There's got be a better solution out there somewhere.

 

[beppington]

Yeah, they need to figure out a better system for that. I've heard of too many people getting hacked up by mowers that rolled, but the switches are such a pain that everybody bypasses them. There's got be a better solution out there somewhere.

How about a steering wheel sensor - Take your hand off the wheel & it cuts off. The idea being, "Nobody should be operating their tractor without at least one hand on the wheel." Of course I myself do that often, but that could be the designers', attornies', insurance companies' & politicians' argument in favor of it. Similar to their current logic, "Nobody should be operating their tractor without their butt in the seat."

 

[SandburRanch]

aka "Tractor As I Say, Not As I Do"
aka "Confessions of a Tractor Dare Devil"
aka "I Know This Ain't Smart, But I'm Doin' It Anyway"
aka "I Did _____ & Am Surpisingly Still Alive To Tell About It"

I couldn't find where one already exists, so maybe it'd be good to list what you've done with your tractor that isn't safe ... Maybe you still do it; Maybe you learned a lesson - Tell your story here!

Mine:

1) I was pulling out a bunch of close-together saplings (a little too big for the rotary cutter) with a chain by myself. Rather than jump back & forth on & off the tractor every time I yanked one out to un-hook the last one & re-hook the next one, I realized that while I'm standing beside the tractor I can just reach my hand over & press the HST pedal to back it up to the next tree to be yanked. (Yes, I have my seat safety switch bypassed (jumpered) ... which should probably be #2 below ) I am aware the tractor could run over me when I do this.

2) I have a ROPS but have never once even tried my seat belt :shocked: I assume it's under the seat somewhere

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If you are interested I can tell you how to pull several at once to eliminate getting off and on the tractor until you are worn smack out and be safe too. The number just depends on how much chain you have

 

[TripleR]

I'm only 46. My body has that lived in look though...like it spent a couple or three decades possessed by a really bad tenant.:

I don't think I've ever seen a crash that wasn't caused by stupidity, booze or drugs, or some mix of the three. Not that I've become all innocent or anything, but I recognize that there are consequences so I've become careful.

That is why most reporting agencies no longer use the word "accident" when referring to vehicular collisions. In almost every case, there is a causal factor. I have wrecked due to mechanical failure, but this is not often the case and even then, it can often be traced to poor maintenance.

 

[beppington]

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If you are interested I can tell you how to pull several at once to eliminate getting off and on the tractor until you are worn smack out and be safe too. The number just depends on how much chain you have

Yes ... Do tell! I can buy more chain! :thumbsup:

 

[jonyyuma]

Well now that I have stopped laughing, i don't feel nearly as bad for jumping out my mower seat switch. I could not even duck a limb while mowing, without nearly killing the engine. But to not even EVER have used a seat belt on a tractor with rops, man ? Cutting limbs and riding in the bucket, I am glad it is Friday..I must have completely missed the boat about lawsuits on someone for my own mistake. Jy.

 

[chad22]

How about a steering wheel sensor - Take your hand off the wheel & it cuts off. The idea being, "Nobody should be operating their tractor without at least one hand on the wheel." Of course I myself do that often, but that could be the designers', attornies', insurance companies' & politicians' argument in favor of it. Similar to their current logic, "Nobody should be operating their tractor without their butt in the seat."

I take my hands off the steering wheel at times too.

I also remember when I was 5. My dad would put me in his lap on his riding mower while mowing grass. He was clearly ignoring the no riders warning sign :laughing:

Chad

 

[Reverend Blair]

How about a steering wheel sensor - Take your hand off the wheel & it cuts off. The idea being, "Nobody should be operating their tractor without at least one hand on the wheel." Of course I myself do that often, but that could be the designers', attornies', insurance companies' & politicians' argument in favor of it. Similar to their current logic, "Nobody should be operating their tractor without their butt in the seat."

Well, I handroll my cigarettes, and you always need two hand to light one on a windy day, so that would be a bad thing.

 

[SandburRanch]

Yes ... Do tell! I can buy more chain! :thumbsup:

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Check a thread titled Pulling Trees and Saplings.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Place pole saw in loader bucket. Raise loader all the way up with the bucket level. Climb up the loader arms into the bucket . Extend pole saw. Start it up and trim the branches I couldn't reach before. Hope the branches don't knock you out of the bucket.
Bill