Freak Tragic bushhogging incident killed a local farmer

[Birdhunter1]

The guy was about 40, I knew him fairly well, know his mom and dad and brothers. He was bushhogging and a piece of debris came out from underneath about the size of a .22 bullet and right into his brainstem. Guessing near a 70-100 hp open station tractor, front chainguards on the mower, don't know very many more details but the guy was fairly safe around equipment and had been on it all of his life.

One of those thing that sitting here thinking about it it is totally unpreventable.

 

[BungeeII]

Sorry to hear that. The older I get, the more shaken I am by stories of friends, neighbors or loved ones losing life or limb working out outside with power/ag equipment.

 

[BigD23]

Sad story.

 

[SnowRidge]

Every now and then I think about fitting a sheet of clear Lexan to the ROPS for just that sort of event. I always talk myself out of it, because the chance of anything happening seems so remote.

Make that seemed so remote.

 

[N80]

That is bizarre. I don't think I ever recall anything coming out from the front of my cutter. It does have chains and I do keep the front lower than the rear but man, that is scary and sure makes you think. How do you prevent such a thing. Bottom line is that you probably can't. Sounds like everything was as it should be.

Makes you wonder if the coroner is right about this object coming out from under the mower.

 

[jbrumberg]

What a tragic event. Makes you wonder about your own safety while operating rotary cutters. My condolences to those he left behind. Jay

 

[N80]

I would like to know more about this accident. Look at this picture of my mower and tractor. Look at the relationship of the front of the mower to the tractor. The angle from the front of that mower to where my head would be is quite extreme and the blade tip is a good way aft of the front edge of the mower. In addition to that there is all sorts of stuff in the way of a projectile including tool box, warning sign, top link, etc. A line from blade tip to the driver station seems almost impossible.

Makes me wonder if he was using a pull type mower that stood off behind the tractor a little further.

 

[john_bud]

or did it come out the back and rebound off of something?

jb

 

[McCaskey]

Last summer I added a 3/8" Lexan (polycarbonate) shield to the rear of my NH TN65. I was getting pinged frequently while brush cutting. Since I added the shield, it's already full of pot marks. It also helps catch the dirt from the rototiller, harley rake & snowblower.

Next summer I intend to make another shield that wraps forward around the seat to protect me from tree branches. Polycarbonate can be bent on right angles at room temperature with a metal brake.

The steel bars simply clamp the sheet to the ROPS using U bars with no tractor modifications.

The steel top in the middle picture is 1/4" steel plate. I smashed the instrument panel with a branch falling out of a tree while in the woods.

Total cost was less than a single ambulance ride.

 

[tallyho8]

I have been hit in the back, lightly, several times while bushogging and have not been able to figure out how the debris shot up and hit me. For this reason I never turn my head around and face rear while bushogging backward for fear of getting hit in the eye.