Kubota Acrobatics & Survival

[Stradbash]

OK, so I think I'm getting close to the purchase of a BX25.

I've read various threads about safety and those about and by people who rolled and or flipped their tractors and so far have only read about minor injuries and educational outcomes for their operators. It seems as though the Kubota ROPS are quite effective!

It occurs to me however that those who had more than minor injuries might not be able to contribute their experiences directly to this forum...

So I'd like to ask for reports of roll overs or flipping of tractors where ROPS and seat belts WERE being properly used and where there was more than just minor injury suffered by the operator. Information about how the accident happened and what mistakes might have been made by the operator would be appreciated and I think valuable to us all.
I suspect the dealers among you would be a good source of this information.

A good part of the reason I'm asking about this is that I have a significant family history of tractor induced trauma and hope to prove that it is not a genetic defect that I have inherited. My wife would never forgive me if I have!


I'll start with the educational bit, though neither tractor had a ROPS.

First incident;

A moderately experienced operator was pulling a mower straight down a mild hill mowing a path in a 30" high meddow down to his pond. There was a 2" diameter tree that had been cut down but whomever did the cutting left it about 18" high. I do not know how fast the tractor was going, but it was pretty clear that he caught that 18" high stump straight on with his right rear tire which climbed the thin stump and dumped the tractor right over, pinning the operator underneath.

Second:

The operator was not very experienced but quite aware of physics, machines and their inherent perils.

This incident was less clear to me. He was either going up a fairly steep road (he had been up this hill many times) with his loader to high and flipped over backwards or he was traveling down that same steep road and drifted off to the side and into a 70 or so degree bank that caused the tractor to roll. I've often had the thought that this happened while he was lighting a cigarette... Either scenario would have resulted in the tractor being in the position it was found in.

I made urns for both operators...

Looking forward to your replies.

 

[Harvest Moon]

Fortunately I don't have any personal stories to share but just wanted to make sure you've found the safety forum on TBN.

Safety - TractorByNet.com

I don't like to read the horror stories. Someone in my town once lost their little girl off the back and through the disk. It's so easy to take safety for granted. Be safe.

 

[timswi]

Fortunately I don't have any personal stories to share but just wanted to make sure you've found the safety forum on TBN.

Safety - TractorByNet.com

I don't like to read the horror stories. Someone in my town once lost their little girl off the back and through the disk. It's so easy to take safety for granted. Be safe.

I've almost flopped my BX23 a couple of times...I now leave the stabilizers at half mast, just in case...ALWAYS wear the seat belt..I know some people feel stupid doing that on a tractor, but they also look pretty silly pinned under the ROPS.

Also keep the FEL low when working in muddy, rutted areas, that takes some of the isses away.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

There were no tractors when genes were created so I don't think it can be genetic. Now carelessness can be learned or genetic. When I get tired I get careless. At 61 when I get tired I quit when it's something that carries some extra hazards. Machinery, guns, cars, chain saws, women, lawn mowers, etc misused or carelessly used are dangerous. In 5 years of tractor use God has spared me a few times through some thoughtless actions, course that applies through my whole life but I can't hide. I just have to be thoughtful with what I am doing. I found out to not drive across a steep hillside when it's wet grass when driving across it when it's dry is no problem. I'm sure we all have some of those but they are probably to many to list. Just pay attention to what you are doing. Keep the FEL as low as possible at all times. I have known people that are so lost in their surroundings that they should never be left alone and they should not own a tractor or a car or even a lawnmower but if your not that clutsy then you may be safer than others that own tractors. Ky has coal mines which is considered dangerous but there are more deaths in Ky on farms than in coal mines so yes tractors can be dangerous as guns can if improperly respected and foolishly treated. If you take any medicine never read the possible side effects that can effect one in 20000 people or you'll never take it. How many hours have people driven tractors and never had an injury accident? Same with guns, cars, etc. I've never gotten hurt other than a limb across the face that caught on the rops on my tractor which mostly surprised me. I have scared myself a few times and realized that I shouldn't do some things they way I was doing them. If your normally careless, don't get a tractor. If your normally careful and thoughtful at what you are doing and aware of your surrounding then you may be a tractor owner candidate.

 

[timswi]

There were no tractors when genes were created so I don't think it can be genetic. Now carelessness can be learned or genetic. When I get tired I get careless. At 61 when I get tired I quit when it's something that carries some extra hazards. Machinery, guns, cars, chain saws, women, lawn mowers, etc misused or carelessly used are dangerous. In 5 years of tractor use God has spared me a few times through some thoughtless actions, course that applies through my whole life but I can't hide. I just have to be thoughtful with what I am doing. I found out to not drive across a steep hillside when it's wet grass when driving across it when it's dry is no problem. I'm sure we all have some of those but they are probably to many to list. Just pay attention to what you are doing. Keep the FEL as low as possible at all times. I have known people that are so lost in their surroundings that they should never be left alone and they should not own a tractor or a car or even a lawnmower but if your not that clutsy then you may be safer than others that own tractors. Ky has coal mines which is considered dangerous but there are more deaths in Ky on farms than in coal mines so yes tractors can be dangerous as guns can if improperly respected and foolishly treated. If you take any medicine never read the possible side effects that can effect one in 20000 people or you'll never take it. How many hours have people driven tractors and never had an injury accident? Same with guns, cars, etc. I've never gotten hurt other than a limb across the face that caught on the rops on my tractor which mostly surprised me. I have scared myself a few times and realized that I shouldn't do some things they way I was doing them. If your normally careless, don't get a tractor. If your normally careful and thoughtful at what you are doing and aware of your surrounding then you may be a tractor owner candidate.

John,

That, my friend, was a literary masterpiece!!!!

 

[tommu56]

from timswi
I've almost flopped my BX23 a couple of times...I now leave the stabilizers at half mast, just in case...ALWAYS wear the seat belt..I know some people feel stupid doing that on a tractor, but they also look pretty silly pinned under the ROPS.


I do the same thing after I did a slow roll over once if I in a high pucker factor angle. When I did roll it loader was up dumping it tire went in a hole that was a bad combination. It was like really sloooooooooow going over I didn't even think to lower the bucket the first time. rps up and seat belt were on

tom

 

[timswi]

from timswi
I've almost flopped my BX23 a couple of times...I now leave the stabilizers at half mast, just in case...ALWAYS wear the seat belt..I know some people feel stupid doing that on a tractor, but they also look pretty silly pinned under the ROPS.


I do the same thing after I did a slow roll over once if I in a high pucker factor angle. When I did roll it loader was up dumping it tire went in a hole that was a bad combination. It was like really sloooooooooow going over I didn't even think to lower the bucket the first time. rps up and seat belt were on

tom

Yup, that's exactly what happened to me when I was moving a tri-axle load of gravel into a muddy mess in my driveway..Got the FEL down in time. All I could think of is $17 large down the drain.

 

[timswi]

from timswi
I've almost flopped my BX23 a couple of times...I now leave the stabilizers at half mast, just in case...ALWAYS wear the seat belt..I know some people feel stupid doing that on a tractor, but they also look pretty silly pinned under the ROPS.


I do the same thing after I did a slow roll over once if I in a high pucker factor angle. When I did roll it loader was up dumping it tire went in a hole that was a bad combination. It was like really sloooooooooow going over I didn't even think to lower the bucket the first time. rps up and seat belt were on

tom

Tom,

I'm assuming you weren't wounded through that debacle?...How much damage to the machine?

I agree with John, above. I got too comfortable with the table saw, Now I'm the only one at work that can count in fractions

 

[BigD23]

Whenever I'm doing my tractor thing, I keep the FEL bucket as close to the ground as possible...It's a habit and I think it's a good one to remember.

Don

 

[PUSHINDIRT]

I always get in trouble with a bucket full of gravel hoisted a bit too high on unlevel ground. For some reason I never have enough counter weight!

 

[tommu56]

Tom,

I'm assuming you weren't wounded through that debacle?...How much damage to the machine?

I agree with John, above. I got too comfortable with the table saw, Now I'm the only one at work that can count in fractions

The only thing hurt was my pride
I tipped her back upright with a comealong from the frame over the outrigger to a tree checked al the levels after letting her sit an hour or so to get the fluids back were they belong and rinsed off the battery compartment with baking soda just n case some juce got out.

tom

 

[IdahoTractor]

Another good and useful thread that should be read by all.

Unfortunately, I've personally known four people that were killed by the use of their tractor. Here were the situations.

1. A kid was driving his car down an old abandoned railroad grade and got it mired down in muck. My neighbor (a farmer) took his tractor to help yank the kid's car out. Rather than wrap the chain around a bar on the 3PH, my neighbor wrapped the chain around the rear axle. When tension was put onto the chain the tractor flipped over and pinned my neighbor, crushing him.

2. A classmate of mine, another farmer, was driving a large tractor down a grade at an angle. The grade was not terribly steep. The front left wheel apparently hit a soft spot or rut causing the wheel to suddenly spin more than 45 degrees to the right. The tractor flipped, instantly killing the driver. It's speculated that the tractor was traveling too fast and the operator could not maintain adequate control of the steering.

3. A co-worker's father was using the front end loader to push over a 8- to 10-inch diameter tree. The tree was probably somewhere between 40 to 50 feet tall. The top quarter of the tree snapped off and fell onto the operator. The operator died of blunt force trauma.

4. A distant relative was also pushing over a tree with a front end loader. Same thing happened as the previous example.

Examples 1, 3, and 4 were all preventable.

Our Kubota tractors are not designed to push over trees. I shudder every time I see someone post a photograph of themselves (and their tractor) pushing over a tree. It's CRAZY! If you're going to be pushing over trees taller than your tractor, then have a safety cage built around your cab. You're putting yourself at extreme risk if you do not cage your cab. Frankly, a chainsaw is much more efficient in removing timber -- and safer.

Anytime you feel unsafe or unsure while operating your tractor you should stop what you're doing and critically assess the situation. I can guarantee that your family cares infinitely more about you than they do about your tractor or the job you're doing on the tractor. A tractor can be replaced.

 

[Travelover]

...............................................Rather than wrap the chain around a bar on the 3PH, my neighbor wrapped the chain around the rear axle. When tension was put onto the chain the tractor flipped over and pinned my neighbor, crushing him................

I think you meant to say that he wrapped the chain around the 3 PH rather than attach to the draw bar. Any chain attachment above the center line of the rear axle is dangerous.