Neutral gear start bypass

[Kiowner]

I know I shouldn't, but can the requirement to have my CK3520HST cab tractor in neutral to start it be bypassed? I really don't like having to put the tractor in neutral to start it, then having get the lever to go into gear. Having the brakes on is enough of a safety requirement for me.
Don't worry, I won't sue anyone that can tell me how to do this.

 

[anomad]

I know I shouldn't, but can the requirement to have my CK3520HST cab tractor in neutral to start it be bypassed? I really don't like having to put the tractor in neutral to start it, then having get the lever to go into gear. Having the brakes on is enough of a safety requirement for me.
Don't worry, I won't sue anyone that can tell me how to do this.

I haven't disabled the neutral or brake safety on my CK3510 variant. But I have done the seat. It was really easy and in plain view in the cab. I think you will have to be nimble enough to crawl under the tractor and dig around in the wiring from there. I'll get my moving blanket out and crawl under there tomorrow, I am curious myself, although I don't plan to eliminate the neutral safety right now. I grew up on old tractors with no safety anything and kinda laugh at the modern stuff.

 

[34Willys]

I read that the CKxx20 series have a computer interphase for some electronics/safety stuff, even the CK2620. Maybe not so easy as a paper clip anymore?

Patrick

 

[Robin Veerman]

Does pushing the clutch in allow it to start regardless of gear lever position? Is what I do with my older CK30HST…

 

[Midniteoyl]

I know I shouldn't, but can the requirement to have my CK3520HST cab tractor in neutral to start it be bypassed? I really don't like having to put the tractor in neutral to start it, then having get the lever to go into gear. Having the brakes on is enough of a safety requirement for me.
Don't worry, I won't sue anyone that can tell me how to do this.

A quick and light tap on the fwd/reverse pedal lets it slip right into gear.

 

[Kiowner]

Does pushing the clutch in allow it to start regardless of gear lever position? Is what I do with my older CK30HST…

In my case it is HST and no clutch pedal. Maybe that's why it is required to be in neutral to start.

 

[34Willys]

I didn't like the idea of an electric bang into gear PTO on the SE model. I got a standard CK2610H with a clutch. My old rotary cutter takes a few revs to get the blades to swing apart.
The clutch is the only 'safety' switch feature mine has.
I can stand next to the tractor, depress the clutch with my hand, then reach over, turn the key, and start. It's really nice being able to wiggle the tractor back and forth using the FWD/REV pedals while hooking up implements, backhoe, Logging Winch, etc.
My first tractor was gear, and I was on and off constantly for same procedure.

Patrick

 

[RayIN]

Imagine my surprise when I went to start a used tractor at a dealers; I turned the key, engine fired and the tractor ran over a new implement sitting just in front of the tractor.
The dealership owner was just as surprised as I. He said the previous ownerr must've wired around the neutral safety at some point and forgot about it.
For the dealer it was an expensive lesson. He had to fix the tractor and the new implement was now junk..
That tractor had the neutral safety switch on the shuttle levers neutral position.
I would not advise disabling the switch, how much is 60 seconds gonna cost you?

 

[Midniteoyl]

OP, just apply a little pressure to the gear lever and 'burp' one of the foot pedals, it'll slip right into gear.

 

[Kiowner]

Manual stated that I had to have my ass on the seat or engine would not start or shut off if I got off the seat. Well, that wasn't working that way. I could start without that and also get off the tractor while having the PTO engaged.
Did some investigating and found that the previous owner had unplugged the seat safety switch connector and installed a bypass jumper.
I appreciate his choice with this, and I will leave the jumper as is.
Now if I could figure out the neutral switch requirement.
I've been tractors forever long before all these safety features and know how to run one without all that stuff. I would like to get this tractor starting like it was in the good old days

 

[RayIN]

Manual stated that I had to have my ass on the seat or engine would not start or shut off if I got off the seat. Well, that wasn't working that way. I could start without that and also get off the tractor while having the PTO engaged.
Did some investigating and found that the previous owner had unplugged the seat safety switch connector and installed a bypass jumper.
I appreciate his choice with this, and I will leave the jumper as is.
Now if I could figure out the neutral switch requirement.
I've been tractors forever long before all these safety features and know how to run one without all that stuff. I would like to get this tractor starting like it was in the good old days

You realize if someone else uses the tractor with safety switches defeated, it opens a legal window.
That's what happened with my tractor, previous owner forgot or neglected to return switches to normal function.
My tractor has no seat switch or wires thereto, so I don't have those concerns. I just have the PTO switch that prevents an engine start with PTO engaged.

 

[tacticalturnip]

You realize if someone else uses the tractor with safety switches defeated, it opens a legal window.
That's what happened with my tractor, previous owner forgot or neglected to return switches to normal function.
My tractor has no seat switch or wires thereto, so I don't have those concerns. I just have the PTO switch that prevents an engine start with PTO engaged.

This is certainly something to consider if others will be using the tractor.

 

[grsthegreat]

I friend of mine added a auto start to his manual truck. I guess he screwed it up because he bypassed a neutral switch. He went to start it , it was in gear. It drove thru his garage door and ran into his harley.

I would NEVER disable a neutral interlock.

 

[34Willys]

The clutch is the only 'safety' switch feature mine has.

Just remembered that it also has a PTO engaged no start 'safety' switch.
OK, so 2 safety switches. I can deal with those.

Patrick

 

[Kiowner]

Only other person that drives this tractor is my wife and she also has driven tractors for many years and is aware of the bypass. I would remove any safety bypass if I were to sell the tractor.
Tractor is HST so could do without the neutral start requirement.
I would not disable the PTO safety feature.

 

[grsthegreat]

I guess i dont understand the issue. I shift constantly between med and low, and occasionally into high. I just bring tractor to stop and can shift without much issue. Just go slow. I shift it alot while using my hst. Never been an issue

 

[WinterDeere]

I grew up on old tractors with no safety anything and kinda laugh at the modern stuff.

Same... 99.9% of the time. Then there's that 0.1% who forget to put their shifter into neutral and run themselves over starting the tractor from the ground.

Two personal experiences:

1. I used to build hotrods, street/strip cars, and off-road trucks. We had a party at my house one night, and some random guy was sitting in my street/strip car playing with the Pro Stick, as he'd never seen a manual valve body transmission or a pro stick. I'd never gotten around to hooking up the neutral safety switch on the pro stick, and hadn't noticed that he'd left it in first gear when I went to start the car the next morning.

Unfortunately the front end was up on jack stands, I'd been in the middle of some exhaust work, and this launched the car off the stands. One punched up thru the passenger side floor board, the other went right thru the transmission pan. Thankfully, nothing critical in the transmission valve body was hit, but the car almost crushed a buddy of mine up against the wall of the garage, as it teetered toward where he was standing next to the car. And of course, I'd just bought myself an extra week of floor pan and transmission pan repair, and a concrete floor that never smelled right again.

2. A friend of mine was mowing on his ZTR, when he stopped to take a drink or adjust his hat, right atop a yellow jacket nest in the ground. He started getting stung by the swarm pouring out from under the mower, and went to jump and run. Unfortunately, his boot lace caught on the mower deck lift pedal, causing him to trip and accidentally throw one of the ZTR levers into reverse as he tried to catch himself.

Because he'd disabled his seat safety switch, the mower just kept running, going in circles in reverse with the blades still spinning, dragging him along behind it by the heavy-duty shoelaces on his boot. He got dragged over that yellow jacket nest, probably a few dozen times, before a neighbor saw what was happening and ran over to jump onto the running mower swarming with hornets and shut the rig down. Both ended up in the hospital, my buddy having literally hundreds of stings and in shock from the venom load.

So, think long and hard of the stupid and ridiculous things that can happen, when safety switches are left disconnected or intentionally defeated!

 

[WinterDeere]

I guess i dont understand the issue. I shift constantly between med and low, and occasionally into high. I just bring tractor to stop and can shift without much issue. Just go slow. I shift it alot while using my hst. Never been an issue

My tractor isn't happy shifting when moving at all. It's one of my only complaints about this machine, but really not a unique complaint, as I've never had a tractor that could range-shift in motion.

 

[Coyote_CS2220]

Same... 99.9% of the time. Then there's that 0.1% who forget to put their shifter into neutral and run themselves over starting the tractor from the ground.

Two personal experiences:

1. I used to build hotrods, street/strip cars, and off-road trucks. We had a party at my house one night, and some random guy was sitting in my street/strip car playing with the Pro Stick, as he'd never seen a manual valve body transmission or a pro stick. I'd never gotten around to hooking up the neutral safety switch on the pro stick, and hadn't noticed that he'd left it in first gear when I went to start the car the next morning.

Unfortunately the front end was up on jack stands, I'd been in the middle of some exhaust work, and this launched the car off the stands. One punched up thru the passenger side floor board, the other went right thru the transmission pan. Thankfully, nothing critical in the transmission valve body was hit, but the car almost crushed a buddy of mine up against the wall of the garage, as it teetered toward where he was standing next to the car. And of course, I'd just bought myself an extra week of floor pan and transmission pan repair, and a concrete floor that never smelled right again.

2. A friend of mine was mowing on his ZTR, when he stopped to take a drink or adjust his hat, right atop a yellow jacket nest in the ground. He started getting stung by the swarm pouring out from under the mower, and went to jump and run. Unfortunately, his boot lace caught on the mower deck lift pedal, causing him to trip and accidentally throw one of the ZTR levers into reverse as he tried to catch himself.

Because he'd disabled his seat safety switch, the mower just kept running, going in circles in reverse with the blades still spinning, dragging him along behind it by the heavy-duty shoelaces on his boot. He got dragged over that yellow jacket nest, probably a few dozen times, before a neighbor saw what was happening and ran over to jump onto the running mower swarming with hornets and shut the rig down. Both ended up in the hospital, my buddy having literally hundreds of stings and in shock from the venom load.

So, think long and hard of the stupid and ridiculous things that can happen, when safety switches are left disconnected or intentionally defeated!

Like all 'safety' add-ons in the auto/ag sector it is a trade-off from the consumer POV. A little can be good, but alot can be more of a head-ache than value.

For the manufacturer they add built-in maintenance/troubleshooting for their dealer network and built-in e-failure points to enhance a 'sell-the-old' and 'buy-the-new-and-better-and more-$' stuff sales
model.

Safety wisdom is gained thru survived experience and there is NO way to e-safety all possible hazards when operating equipment. If you try to make things so e-safe no one can ever get it wrong, then they cease to function, but who wants that?

The fact is that some people should just not use machinery!

They have insufficient mechanical awareness/instinct! The best operators grew-up watching their fathers who instilled the knowledge and safety skills to get the most from equipment without a high risk of being hurt.

Operating machinery is not like a video game where you get endless no-risk do-overs.

For those who are good machinery operators, there will come a point where adding new safety 'features' will reach its' limit.

Just wait for the next generation machines that will incorporate AI into the system - boy will that be fun! ;-((((

 

[RayIN]

If it weren't for lawyers, no safety devices would be installed on anything.