Allenport,
About five years ago I bought a tractor after I discovered I really, really needed one. Dealer was helpful in selection, delivered the tractor, unloaded it, and then I was pretty much on my own.
I discovered that there are NO books (that I have ever found) on "tractor operation and safety", most of what I have learned came from asking questions here on TBN and to a lesser extent from you-tube videos. A few midwest states offer tractor operation courses in some high schools, but these seem to be mostly aimed at keeping kids from getting run over or flipping the tractors in transit on public roads.
I also discovered that 99.99% of the people on TBN are honestly helpful and the "snark" factor is very, very low here.
So, at the risk of stating the obvious, here are some of the things I have learned about tractor safety. (My wife is a lawyer and she always tells me to state the obvious ;-)
Be careful and think - tractors are slow but inexorable. Be VERY aware of your surroundings, kids, animals, mud/water/holes, tree limbs, how far the front attachments and rear attachments stick out and how far they will "swing" in a turn. (I came *this* close to taking out my A/C compressor once while I was mowing my lot.) I can destroy almost anything I can drive over, which is just about anything.
Keep the ROPS roll bar up at all times and always wear your seatbelt. If you NEED the seatbelt, you won't have time to put it on.
Wear gloves, use ear protection (shooter's earmuffs from WalMart, $12), eye protection, wear a big hat, and wear sunblock. Stay hydrated.
Never, never, never step over a rotating PTO shaft. If you catch your clothing in or on it, you can be seriously injured or killed in an instant.
When getting onto a tractor or getting off a tractor, remember the rule of three - stabilize yourself with two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand. Sometimes where you step or grab may be slippery, and you'll be able to recover with two points of contact, but likely not with only one.
Don't drive, mow, or operate ON a slope, but ACROSS it. Pay attention to your pucker factor, if you think you are getting close to rolling the tractor, you probably are. Tilting to right or left, bad, tilting fore or aft, OK (within reason).
(Now this one will start a debate.) I like to run my tractor in 2WD so if I get stuck, I can go to 4WD and probably extricate myself. If I get stuck while I was in 4WD, I have no options left. Note that steering response and braking characteristics can be different between 2WD and 4WD. (If I'm stuck in 4wd, there's also a differential lock lever as a last resort - if THAT doesn't work, it is time to call for help.)
When you leave a tractor, shut it down (don't let it sit there idling), lower all attachments to the ground, and set the parking brake, THEN get off, not while anything is still operating or moving. Take the key with you, put it into your pocket.
Sit down next to the tractor with the manual and read it slowly and carefully. You'll be amazed - "Oh, so that's what this does!" You'll want to do this more than once ;-) When all else fails, read the instructions, but be aware that some of it may have lost a bit in translation. Most of them are pretty good, but I have seen a few rather cryptic items from time to time.
Keep up with maintenance. There's someone here on TBN whose sig line reads "Make the time to maintain your equipment or it will make the time for you." Very very true, and far less expensive in the long run. (Covers more than tractors, too.)
I always try to remind myself that the larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of ignorance. Always keep learning.
Best Regards,
Mike/Florida
Hopefully, some of this will be useful to you.
