child add on seat

[goodoleboy]

Found this on another forum and it is on ebay also.
NOTE:
I have no affiliation with this product nor do i endorse it use.

I think it dangerous to have children anywhere near a lawnmower. I wonder if an engineer approves that design? Looks like danger for the whole family if it tipped or rolled over. What about flying debris from under the deck?
SCARY...

See LINK
ebay

 

[MikeFromVA]

I was going to say that I'm sure that they did not intend for it to be used while mowing until I saw the pictures which show it being used while mowing. I hope that there are warnings about using it on level surfaces only (it might change the COG sitting up so high). I don't think that flying debris would be too much of a problem as it does sit up pretty high, pretty close to the tractor. I think that the overall design is alright but not for use while mowing - maybe for a visit to the neighbors or something...

 

[Junkman]

I can see one danger already. The lawn mower is already overweight in the rear and going up a incline may cause it to tip over rearward. Wonder if they have product liability insurance on this design.

 

[rdln]

I like to have my boy sit on my leg when mowing its not the safest thing to do, even though my arm is around him.

I would not use this product.

It needs a wheelie bar, or at least 150lb of front weights, something to prevent legs from being crushed between the seat and ground.

Notice his lack of foot protection, dont think he is dealing with a full deck to begin with.

 

[Soundguy]

Well. here are my observations... The use of a seatbelt without a rops structure is generaly a no-no.. with the seatbelt on.. the passanger has no way to dive off the tractor in case of a flipover.

Also.. there should have been footpegs or a footboard, instead of relying on feet resting on the rear fenders of the tractor.

The attatchment points on most lawnmowers will be limited to a small tounge, and/or perhaps some small area made ofr a bracket for a sun shade. That IMHO will be the limiting factor for carried weight.

At least with the mower pictured.. it looks like there is little chance for a backflip on level ground.. that mower has good weight forward, and low profile. However a mound or hill may cause problems on that mower.. or another mower with different geometry may also have problems from the getgo.

I made a similar kind of buddy seat for my 66 IH cub.. it was a plain pan seat, braced to the fixed drawbar, and to the rear of the tractor.. it has foot pegs, and a fixed 'joystick' for the passanger to hold on to. Geometry of the tractor is more than sufficient for ballance, as there is a belly mower and front blade on that tractor. I copied the design from one i saw on a massey harris pony, which looks very similar to a IH cub. It was at a FL flywheelers tractor show and was used as transportation. Many of the shows allow golf carts, lawnmowers, and tractors under a certain size to be used as intra-show transportation, with the rule that you must have a seat for each passanger.. no pasangers standing or 'clinging' to the tractor.

Soundguy

 

[PineRidge]

One good liability suit and he won't be making those any longer.

That's putting children in harms way, he can't even keep an eye on them while he is mowing unless he has eyes in the back of his head.

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> One good liability suit and he won't be making those any longer. </font>

Once again, I'll take the minority viewpoint -- please be gentle.

They still make these type of seats for kids on bicycles designed for one person.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Dave, I agree & disagree.

There is an issue of reasonable safety with the child seat for the bike, it shows a full harness type seatbelt, a helmet, full height backrest, a padded lap bar, leg guards, etc.

Then there is the open concept of the tractor seat for the kids. Sure there is a seatbelt, but not much else.

The legal team I keep on retainer would probably consider the tractor seat a goldmine in liability issues. The libertarian leaning realist in me looks at it and thinks it would be great fun for a kid to sit back there. Then again riding in the back of a pick up truck used to be considered fun, but now is considered down right dangerous, and when I was a kid I never knew anyone who injured his head riding a bike but now everyone (except me) seems to wear those silly bike helmets . . .

Thank goodness we have lawyers to protect us from ourselves.

 

[PineRidge]

Well said Bob!

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue">Once again, I'll take the minority viewpoint -- please be gentle.

They still make these type of seats for kids on bicycles designed for one person.
</font>

10 speed bike ~30#
Lawn Tractor ~400#+


I wonder what Deere thinks about it's product being used to showcase this accessory...

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> 10 speed bike ~30#
Lawn Tractor ~400#+
</font>

It's obvious many of the dangers are different. I wouldn't expect the Deere to slip on some loose rocks and fall into a lane of traffic and the child get run over. Both have their 'potential' dangers.

I don't see any more liability suits brought forth in that tractor seat as I do a bike seat. In fact, it would probably be less.

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue">It's obvious many of the dangers are different. I wouldn't expect the Deere to slip on some loose rocks and fall into a lane of traffic and the child get run over. Both have their 'potential' dangers. </font>

Good point. As the saying goes, "Low risk, low reward"...

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It's obvious many of the dangers are different. I wouldn't expect the Deere to slip on some loose rocks and fall into a lane of traffic and the child get run over. Both have their 'potential' dangers.

I don't see any more liability suits brought forth in that tractor seat as I do a bike seat. In fact, it would probably be less.
)</font>

Dave,

Many of us have been looking for jump-seats to go in the back of our UTV's. So far, haven't found anyone who will make one due to liability.

I know someone who strapped one of the bicycle seats you pictured to the rear rack of an ATV for to give his 2 year old slow rides. He wasn't on his property and someone saw it and called the police. Police came and screamed at the guy for awhile, confiscated the ATV, threatened the guy with some sort of endangerment of the child and was going to call Youth Services (or whatever the government agency is called) to see if they should take custody of the child.

I guess the police chief calmed the officer down. He got away with a warning and they towed his quad home. He had to walk home 1 mile carrying the child.

The Dad's question/issue was, "Why are these seats safe when strapped to a bicycle with 1" wide tires, that can easily be tipped or wrecked and are driven at higher speeds? This seat is properly secured, sitting on 4 fat tires, going 2 mph...".

I agree with Bob. The things we used to do as kids are no longer allowed.

Brian

 

[RobS]

<font color="blue">I wonder what Deere thinks about it's product being used to showcase this accessory </font>

I don't think Deere would be too happy about it. We have product liability training for work and one example given was a third party modifying one of our products for later sale. A suit was brought against us because our name was on the product, and more likely, because we were a much larger (richer) company than the other. I don't recall the outcome but it was clear to me that an innocent company can be implicated in the doings of a third party /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

I wonder if there is nothing in the Deere manual about this "Add on". Also if any "suits" can be addressed to the manufacture if (when) something happens?

What is ever worse is that someone patiented this item. It is not easy to do this process but one must ask, "why"..are you that bored?

I love the words "...heavy steel..." in the auction. Heavy? Compared to what?????

 

[keeney]

two issues:

1. There are design issues with the seat that could make it safer. If you are going to do something like this, a little bit better of design would be called for:

a. Should have handles for the kids to hold onto.

b. Should have something to prevent kids feet from getting wedged between back tire and fender. Also, some kind of foot rests would help prevent kids from sliding off.

c. As mentioned, should have a roll-bar with those seat belts to be complete ROPS.

d. How to prevent kids from un-buckling and jumping off while running? Maybe add their seats to the operator presence system? Maybe tamper-resist buckles on a five-point harness like a car seat?


2. The philosophy here gives me mixed feelings.

Pro: Purchasing this type of equipment indicates that the parent is trying to be safe.

Pro: I am a firm believer in giving children as many opportunities to observe and learn things from adults as they can (safely), so having a good way to show an age-appropriate adolescent how to safely operate the riding mower is a good thing.

Pro: Its better than having them ride without the seats

Pro: They are not running around the yard randomly.

Con: The age of kids shown in the photo will not understand the seriousness of the safety issues involved. They are not ready to learn how to keep from getting their toes cut off or prevent a life-threatening roll-over because they have no appreciation of the consequences of failing to be safe.

Con: Its not as safe as keeping them in the house, well away from power equipment, under supervision of another adult.

Con: Some other people will definitely think the parent is nuts for even thinking of using such a thing.

- Rick

 

[RobS]

One more issue:

Some mush-for-brains is going to put one of these on his machine, the holes won't line up quite right so he'll use half stripped 1/4-20s from his junk drawer. He'll put his ADD kid in there and not buckle him because "he's too macho for that". He'll mow along then hit reverse, kid slides out of the seat, gets run over and chopped up. Probably maimed for life, not killed. Lawyers see the headlines and go after every name on every piece of consumer material within 100 feet of the accident site. Parents lose, kid looses, companies lose, lawyers win.

Bottom line, this is just a bad design. I wouldn't let my kids anywhere near it.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Then again, maybe we should simply allow things like this to be made more often. Allow Darwin to judge who should reproduce.

 

[keeney]

Yes, its hard for a design to be mush-for-brains and lawyer proof.

 

[keeney]

I forgot my bottom line:

A: I'd rather see my little girl cry because she has to stay in the house while I use the tractor than ever cry because she broke her leg getting run over. Part of being a father is being the one who has to say no for her own good.

B: Ask the kid's mom what they think. I know I would be a dead man if I ever suggested such a thing.

- Rick