Brush hog accident(s)

[h53mechanic]

I've run over a lot of hidden stuff with a brush hog. Just this year I ran over a HD 4ft T post securely in the ground in 5-6ft weeds.
Made one heck of a racket. Luckily I was riding with one hand on the draft lever and damage to the machine was minimal.
The reason I'm bringin this up is a news story I just read here > California homeless woman killed in gruesome lawnmower mishap, family demands answers

I always wonder about what is in those weeds, brush, bushes and trees. I always have someone’s property to mow and it usually is a new property to me. Yes the T post, short stumps, rocks, cement chunks, rebar, tires, rims, cable, barbwire, beehives. Wasp nest, snakes and manhole covers. You name it it is out in that field that has nothing in it according to people that own it but have never cut it. This subject gives a me a wow factor. Humans are not that sound of sleepers. She had to be there for some time before. 1. There would have been a trail. 2. The grass around where she slep would be pressed and the operator would have seen this and become very cautious. I know I do. 3. The operator has the responsibility of operating the tractor. 4. Impossible to know the conditions of this person before the accident 5. As said the family is using this as a paycheck 6. No reasonable responsible person would sleep there 7. Today they will find the operator and company liable for something. It happened in California.

 

[lilranch2001]

I agree, there's a lot of untold facts about that accident. The woman/lady had been sleeping during the day and that going on for 3 or 4 years?
I can see someone mowing, especially in high grass, not seeing someone lying asleep in the grass, and then running over her. That happens a lot with animals, even as large as deer.
As far as I can see, there's no basis for liability on the operator's side.

I am quite sure there is a lawyer who will disagree with you on the liability issue…..

 

[alpha&omega]

on the same subject, i fear those homeowners who incessantly mow their highway frontage feet from the traffic slipstream @ 55...i don't fear for my own safety, but theirs when i pass them

I feel the same way, especially when you pass them in a motorhome.

I live on a dirt road which used to have about five cars max each day (including mine). That recently has changed and the way some of these kids drive down it makes me want to dump out a bucket of golf balls next to the road and mow them over.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Guys,
Scootr, I never ran over any animals with my bush hog, but almost ran over a fawn sleeping in the high grass and weeds ! Fortunately, he took off just before I got to that spot !

But what I did do might be worth mentioning! I was weed wacking around the perimeter of the barn with the tail gate of my brand new F-150 in the down position. As I was doing this I heard a pheww, or something like that, and I managed to shatter the rear cab window !
So now I try to stay a little farther away from any parked vehicles when running that thing. I always wear safety glasses but that doesnt help the vehicles !

 

[bm3]

I've run over a lot of hidden stuff with a brush hog. Just this year I ran over a HD 4ft T post securely in the ground in 5-6ft weeds.
Made one heck of a racket. Luckily I was riding with one hand on the draft lever and damage to the machine was minimal.
The reason I'm bringin this up is a news story I just read here > California homeless woman killed in gruesome lawnmower mishap, family demands answers

Reading some of the replies brings up something that really jerks my chain Assholes mowing and blowing it on the streets, right toward traffic .All states need to make it illegal. I remember a woman getting a eye knocked out while sitting at a traffic light.

 

[Jallcorn]

Mowing, I thought it was a limb... 2 snakes apparently engaged in love making and ignored the 51" lawnmower!

 

[ManUpNawth]

I brush-hogged a lot of stuff and it always amazed me from year to year how a field I had CLEARED and cut previously could somehow end up with something else to tear up the deck (my brush hog looks like it was used for clearing land mines) or generate a deadly missile. I switched to a flail mower. Best choice I ever made for safety from rocks and other objects. BUT - wouldn't have helped one little bit to protect a person lying hidden in the weeds if they were too messed up and out of it to NOT to hear the tractor and mower and hightail it outta the way.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

About the woman's family, sometimes you do what you can for someone who has made poor choices and that "help" can actually prevent them from getting the real help they need. I have seen where family members had to resort to tough love and say "no more, don't come around my home or my kids until you figure it out". Between stealing to support their habit, coming home plastered at all hours (with children in the home), cursing out those who are trying to help... it is often the only choice that can be made. The addict has to make the choice to turn their life around. Some people can't make that life saving decision until they hit absolute rock bottom. Sounds like she was there, she just hadn't made that next step. Sad story for all involved.

True. Change has to come from within, it can't be imposed from without. And sometimes even hitting rock bottom isn't enough of a wake up call for some people.

 

[Hermio]

Massey, it sounds like your brush hog needs safety chains to stop the rocks.
I took one in the chest one time from the guy across the street mowing with a brush hog without chains, it hit me like a golf ball.
I had a huge welt and hurt like the dickens for a while.

I had safety chains front and rear. The wear and tear of rocks and logs broke the guard. It came off and went under the brush hog, breaking a blade. I now run without the guard. Makes me a bit nervous, but my seat is well above the ground, and the mower is close to the rear wheels, so the trajectory is unlikely to get as high as the seat (I hope!)

 

[jgmo]

Well, my worst "run over" with my old Hyco brusher was a 4'×6' piece of chain link fencing. GIANT bang and grind noise and the little B7200 INSTANTLY stopped and died...WHAT A.MESS!
It took me a couple of hours to get it all untangled. Had to jack up the mower to get under there to work.
But.....still pretty happy it wasn't flesh and blood.
Hyco didn't care either. Still out there beatin' the snot outta the weeds.
I love that old thing.

 

[ManUpNawth]

Reading some of the replies brings up something that really jerks my chain Assholes mowing and blowing it on the streets, right toward traffic .All states need to make it illegal. I remember a woman getting a eye knocked out while sitting at a traffic light.

Got the same beef with people. PLUS when they cut it and blow into the streets, they don't clean it up and it clogs the storm drains. I always cut the first 3 mower widths INWARD when going along road edges, or near cars and buildings, or cutting next to hayfields. The 4th run I cut the other way, with the engine speed and ground speed reduced to spread out all that extra cut grass back into the area just cut and keep it "in bounds". After that I just blow it outward the rest of the way "normally". No cuttings on the roads, no grass splatter (or worse) against buildings, or vehicles, and no contamination of hayfield edges. If there's anyone walking or cycling when I'm cutting, I will idle down until they pass. The OTHER thing that really burns me is the guys using string trimmers throwing junk in the streets and at cars, too.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Bush hogging 6’ fall weeds in a remote 6 acre fallowed hay field down by the pond. Started early morning so the dew would help quell the dust and heat. Working from the outside in. Made about five passes when two camouflaged poaches stood up. Never know what you might find.

Aaand that's why you want to carry a weapon with you. /sigh

Had someone do a drive by shooting of my property back in November, probably over my comments on the town blog about littering, drinking and driving, and the need for increased policing in the area. Cops can't identify the shooter, so I have to concealed carry everywhere I go now.

 

[jkbowling]

My grandfather kept a tractor rim out by the barn that had a hole through both sides of it. It was a reminder to him about how dangerous it can be. He was cutting a new field and hit a large rock that was more than 1/2 buried. The rock broke the cutter blade and it shot through the deck of the bush hog and through the tire and rim. I think about that every time I cut a field now.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

IME the safest "brush hog" is a flail mower.

I'd say a small herd of goats actually. But that does require fencing. And you can't drive them around unless you have a pair of giant ones like Thor. ;-)

 

[masseyrider]

I had safety chains front and rear. The wear and tear of rocks and logs broke the guard. It came off and went under the brush hog, breaking a blade. I now run without the guard. Makes me a bit nervous, but my seat is well above the ground, and the mower is close to the rear wheels, so the trajectory is unlikely to get as high as the seat (I hope!)

hope you have a high seat back. If I would have had an old bucket style seat I may have been badly hurt if not paralyzed by the stone the mower managed to fling at me. Good sized dent in the seat back right about the area below the shoulder blades and above the hip. Close enough to center to have maybe hit me in the spine.
Chains and all. You just never know. You're playing with significant HP driving blades at high velocity. It's all steel that doesn't care or forgive.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Unsure what a poach is?

A couple of bad eggs trying to steal game.

 

[Cocobean]

My father was clearing some pasture land back in the 70s. He was using the chain saw and brush hogging with the ford 2000. I guess he forgot where he left the saw and ran right over it. Big fireball out the back and tiny red homelite pieces everywhere. We called that pasture chain saw hill.

 

[IndyJay]

My father was clearing some pasture land back in the 70s. He was using the chain saw and brush hogging with the ford 2000. I guess he forgot where he left the saw and ran right over it. Big fireball out the back and tiny red homelite pieces everywhere. We called that pasture chain saw hill.

Predictable results of the redneck variation of the old "rock, paper, scissors" game...

 

[visitingtexas]

Rotary cutters are no joke! I’ve seen my share of objects propelled out of some machines at lightning speeds. There is a thrown objects safety standard test that some manufacturers use and abide by. It’s a pass/fail test. Some manufacturers do not test. and that’s why you pay a little more for some brands!

 

[Aggie66]

My landpride is equipped with belting guards that a couple are ripping from the bolted attachments. I’m sure chains will stand up better but for now any experience with keeping the belted style from tearing or just replace th torn ones with chains(if they come in replaceable sections) thanks.