Riding mower RIO (Ridiculous Idea On the Onset)

[Tony H]

The whole idea of this 'safety mandate' it to make one more attentive when operating your tractor. What clown came up with this? Now, instead of turning my head prior to backing up, I'm looking down to find either the left hand button or right hand pull knob. How is that safer? Leaning forward to push Button makes it harder to straighten up to look behind the tractor. At least the older tractors had a button you pushed just once when starting the tractor and it stayed. The JD x758 is totally backup unfriendly. Of course bypassing it is easy enough but why must we all buy machines that had this added cost mandated just so we spend more money/time to dismantle? AND does it really add safety?

 

[Norm W]

That's what happens when lawyers get into the design of the machine.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Because there were some idiot people that did something stupid, that was their own fault, who decided somebody else was to blame for their own mistakes, then got the lawyer on board to get a massive settlement.

 

[jaxs]

The whole idea of this 'safety mandate' it to make one more attentive when operating your tractor. What clown came up with this? Now, instead of turning my head prior to backing up, I'm looking down to find either the left hand button or right hand pull knob. How is that safer? Leaning forward to push Button makes it harder to straighten up to look behind the tractor. At least the older tractors had a button you pushed just once when starting the tractor and it stayed. The JD x758 is totally backup unfriendly. Of course bypassing it is easy enough but why must we all buy machines that had this added cost mandated just so we spend more money/time to dismantle? AND does it really add safety?

"What clown came up with this?" The simple answer is lawyahoos concoct this sort of stuff to line their pockets. First they are paid by mfgrs to supposedly protect mfgr from liability. When someone is injured while backing up because they were to distracted to watch what they were doing,another lawyahoo sue's,another lawyahoo is paid to dance with the personal injury lawyahoo and afterwards they all meet at the country club for drinky-poos,back slapping and celebrating. Say what? You want to know if injured party was compensated? No money for him,he was found negligent by not having proper inflation in one of the tires.
How's your safty certified and EPA approved gas can doing these days?

 

[Doughknob]

So, OP you are just ranting right? Asking us consumers here does no good. It is like anything where some company gets sued by some tard who hurt theirself and they change the design so as not to get sued again......

Like McDonalds making their coffee cooler because some dingas was drinking it in a car and spilled it on herself and then sued. So now we all get colder worse tasting coffee.....

Nothing new under the sun.....

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

For what it's worth. There was a man in my hometown that was out mowing and his best buddy grand child was brought over to the house. He did not know that the grand child had run up to him to get on the mower with him. Backed up without looking. Worst possible outcome happened. I have no idea if his machine had a RIO or not, but it's there to make a person think.

I get annoyed with safeties also. But sometimes, it helps to think about some things like that to humble a person and get things back in perspective.

 

[dodge man]

I agree, the concept is valid so you don’t back up and hit someone while mowing. The problem is just like you describe, you are looking at the dash for the button instead of looking backwards.

 

[jaxs]

For what it's worth. There was a man in my hometown that was out mowing and his best buddy grand child was brought over to the house. He did not know that the grand child had run up to him to get on the mower with him. Backed up without looking. Worst possible outcome happened. I have no idea if his machine had a RIO or not, but it's there to make a person think.

I get annoyed with safeties also. But sometimes, it helps to think about some things like that to humble a person and get things back in perspective.

That's horrific and should never happen to anyone but fact is THAT was 100% lack of supervision by whom ever brought the child to the house and turned it loose without homeowners knowledge. All the wiz bang safty devices on earth wouldn't have prevented child running out into public road,into corral with dangerous cattle or countless other things.

 

[oldnslo]

Why are they not required on zero turns? I know would make machine inoperable but I see people using zero turns and they never look over their shoulder before backing up.

 

[Oaktree]

OK, I had to Google RIO, had no idea what you were talking about.
My mower is 8 or so years old, there are 2 "run" positions on the key. One will shut off the engine if you put it in reverse with the blades engaged, the other over-rides this. I just leave it in the over-ride position all the time. Are you saying they made this more complicated?
I also bypassed the seat switch...my yard has rough sections that bounce me up out of the seat, and the almost shut off drove me nuts.

When I Googled RIO, most of the hits were on how to disable it, didn't sound like it was a big deal to do.