Driverless tarctor in wally world parking lot.

[Gale Hawkins]

I was a bit intrigued that the tractor kept circling like that. Admittedly, I don't drive my tractor hands-off, so I can't say how it steers by itself, but wouldn't it tend to straighten out like a car? Or is this from really bad wheel alignment or maybe the asymmetrical effect of the plow?
BOB

The steering just pulled to the right and the operator normally corrects for this by how the steering wheel is held.

 

[podagrower]

It looked like the Police was going to finally get mashed too as they spun around and arrived at the scene. I am surprised that the light standard was strong enough to stand the impact of the tractor. The concrete sonotube is usually not very deep in the ground or asphault.

As bad as I hate W mart, I have heard that their construction specs are pretty harsh. I haven't seen what they spec for pole bases, but I'd bet it's about 3' deep, 24" diameter, one solid poor with #5 rebar.

 

[dmccarty]

Sure would like to know how the tractor got away. That is a newer tractor and the engine should have shut off as soon as the operator was out of the seat or the tractor was put in gear with no operator in the seat.

My tractor is going on 11 years old at this point, and without a failure of some kind, it would not do what that tractor is doing.

Later,
Dan

 

[jonyyuma]

I wondered, just who started it, or put it in gear? The guy taking the phone-shot??

 

[dmccarty]

On some tractors, that only works if the PTO is engaged.

My guess with this incident, the tractor may have had the key in the switch or had been idling and someone jumped in and put it in gear (then jumped out). Although an operator error (most likely), I doubt it was an authorized operator error.

That tractor is a JD. Almost certainly it has a PowerReverser tranny which is what I have on my tractor. I cannot see how that tractor was running without an operator unless the safety devices failed or where disabled. I can leave the engine running and get off the tractor. However the tractor cannot be in gear. If it is in gear and I get off the seat, the engine turns off. Usually this happens in the winter when I have a long heavy coat...

The PowerReverser tranny has THREE different levers to engage the gears. One is for the range, A, B, or C, and another is for the actual gear, one to four. These two levers are to the left of the operator below the seat. The other lever is on the dash. It puts the tranny in neutral or tells the tractor to go forward or back. The operator uses the third lever all of the time. The other two are not usually used that much.

All three levers have to be in "gear". Any one of them in neutral will prevent the tractor from moving.

I know that the engine turns off if the operator is not in the seat and the tranny is put in gear, because every winter, when wearing a long, heavy jacket, it is easy to knock the dash tranny lever from neutral to forward or reverse. At which points the engine starts to stall.

If the tranny is put into gear, with no operator in the seat, the engine stalls. If the safety devices are working.

I searched for more information about the incident but did not find anything.....

Later,
Dan

 

[ray66v]

I was a bit intrigued that the tractor kept circling like that. Admittedly, I don't drive my tractor hands-off, so I can't say how it steers by itself, but wouldn't it tend to straighten out like a car? Or is this from really bad wheel alignment or maybe the asymmetrical effect of the plow?
BOB

What makes the wheels straighten out on a car is caster, an offset of the vertical alignment of the top and bottom ball joints. This causes the wheels to want to swivel in line with the rear wheels, just like a shopping cart front wheels do.

Slow moving vehicles like tractors, have little or no caster. So, the wheel lingers in the position you put it, if you let go. Terrain and obstacles such as the glancing blows to the curb and the building, also turned the wheels each time.

 

[RoyJackson]

That tractor is a JD. Almost certainly it has a PowerReverser tranny which is what I have on my tractor. I cannot see how that tractor was running without an operator unless the safety devices failed or where disabled.

I know what you mean about the reverser (my 4400 has a sync-reverser). I know the engine dies when the PTO is engaged, but I don't know if it stops when just in gear. I'll be on it this afternoon or Friday and try it...see what happens. Remember, my 4400 does not have all the electronics your tractor has.
I'll post my findings after I try this little experiment.

But we don't know for sure what transmission that tractor has (other then it's not an HST).
I did look in one of the large Deere Ag tractor manuals and didn't see anything about the "Operator Presence System" (meaning seat switch). The CUT manuals do have a section on that, IIRC, as that's one of the things we're supposed to test on occasion. Maybe the big machines don't use those systems.

So, we don't know much...other then that Deere ran without an operator (although when I first saw that video, I thought someone was ducked down in the cab...seemed like just turning to the right was odd...especially after jumping those curbs. I would have thought it would have gone straight or to the left at some point.
I really do doubt the seat switch (if it has one) was bypassed though.

 

[dmccarty]

From just looking at what the dealer had in stock over the years and a quick look at the JD website, it seems must of the smaller Ag tractors, 5000 and 6000 models all have PowerReverser trannys. The tractor in the video looks like a 5000 or 6000 sized tractor. Kinda hard to believe they would be using something bigger. The other JD trannys sound like bigger and better PowerReversers. :laughing:

I would really be shocked and surprised if JD does not have a seat sensor on the bigger tractors. If they do have the seat sensor then they odds are that the owner disabled it.

I searched the Internet for more information on the incident. Other than it happening in Canada, verifying that the tractor was a JD, AND that people really think it is a good idea to run and jump on an out of control tractor, the stories did not help.

Later,
Dan

 

[beenthere]

I don't believe the larger tractors have the seat sensor. Just the smaller ones that are CUTs. Just wouldn't want a big engine shutting down every time an operator stood up or left the seat. I don't even like it on my CUT, so the switch has a jumper in it. Saves wear and tear on the starter system.

 

[BrentD]

I may be completely off base, but the first thing that popped into my head was "this is what happens when a GPS-automated tractor fails to realize it's not where it's supposed to be."