Seat safety switch

[CMV]

So it's been about a year, a little over 100 hrs with the NX now. And have never once thought "I sure am glad it has that seat safety switch!". But can't count the # of times I thought the opposite and I muttered curses under my breath at it.

I'm really trying to think of some beneficial reason to leave it enabled but can't come up with anything. Is there a valid reason to not disable that?

I wanted to do it on day 1 but figured I better wait "just in case". I think it's been long enough now & should get rid of it. As far as I can tell it slows down or outright hinders operation way too often for any safety benefit it might provide (and am unsure exactly what safety benefit it offers at all). The biggest drawbacks/gripes having it:

1. Mrs CMV weighs a lot less than I do so every time she hops on has to adjust the seat tension for a minute so she engages the seat safety. The way I set it for me (190 lbs) she can't even get it to start.

2. Using pallet forks by sense of smell is getting real old. Almost feel like basic training when you were learning movement to contact - "I'm up, he sees me, I'm down". Same type of pop up, hurry & get back down just to get pallet forks under something.

3. Same for digging out a half buried rock or something where I want to see the tips of bucket teeth or just need some finer/more precise movement/location of the bucket lip.

4. Jumping off to grab a branch/stick/rock/trash/anything I don't want to go over with the bush hog. I have a LOT of baseball-softball sized rocks and the ground just spits up more every month it seems. Turn off PTO, put in N, set parking brake, hop off for 3 sec to toss whatever, release brake, hunt around to find M again, reengage PTO, repeat every 25 yds for next debris.

5. Filling berms from rear - I need to get the bucket edge as close to the side as possible and then raise up next to a rear support beam. Not difficult, but need to lean way to the side to see side of bucket vs the fixed object I don't want to hit. Just that leaning triggers the seat sensor.

I'm sure there are other one-off times it has annoyed me, but those are all frequent things I do that make me dislike it continually.

 

[CobyRupert]

A safety device that prevents you from seeing what you're doing, and results in a more unsafe operating mode is NOT a safety device.

Sort of like anti-lock brakes that don't stop you as quick on ice, and result in crashing when you otherwise could of stopped w/ locked up the brakes.

 

[DK35vince]

None of the tractors I've owned even had a seat safety switch.
If I had one and it wasn't an issue I would leave it alone. If it was a nuisance, I wouldn't hesitate to remove it from my machine. My opinion. My tractor.

 

[rgr33]

I disabled my seat safely switch on day number 2 of ownership.

I have never regretted it, it was just too darn irritating. I have left it alone on my zero turn mower though, as it makes more sense to me on that particular machine.

 

[Ritothebull]

I disconnected the switches on a tractor I had a few years ago but reconnected them before I sold it and after spending some time going over the tractor with the buyer who never owned a tractor I'm glad I did. After seeing some of the stupid stuff people do with their equipment nowadays I think they need to make these things as idiot proof as possible.

 

[Oaktree]

I disabled my seat safely switch on day number 2 of ownership.

I have never regretted it, it was just too darn irritating. I have left it alone on my zero turn mower though, as it makes more sense to me on that particular machine.

I have no problem with having a clutch safety switch on my tractor, glad it doesn't have one in the seat. If it did, it wouldn't for long.

I also bypassed the one on my rider mower. My yard is rough enough that you bounce going over some sections. It also has an interlock where it shuts off the engine if you put it in reverse with the blades engaged, fortunately there's a position on the key switch that bypasses that "feature".

Maybe we need a law that requires government officials that make rules like this to have actual experience operating equipment they rule on.

 

[paulfun9]

So it's been about a year, a little over 100 hrs with the NX now. And have never once thought "I sure am glad it has that seat safety switch!". But can't count the # of times I thought the opposite and I muttered curses under my breath at it.

I'm really trying to think of some beneficial reason to leave it enabled but can't come up with anything. Is there a valid reason to not disable that?

Simple answer is NO

 

[oosik]

The safety seat buzzer on my M6040 is the way it should be on all tractors. I hook up my Wally chipper. I engage the PTO. I stand up - the buzzer activates. It will buzz for about ten seconds and then turn off - all by itself.

 

[Tigershark]

Is it just a plug to unplug? I hate mine, I am constantly having to put it in Neutral and locking the brake in order to move a rock or large stick. My foot hurts some days from pressing in and locking the brake just to jump out . let me know If it is simple disconnect I would do it. My CK never had one and I loved that machine

 

[CMV]

It is not quite that simple. IIRC it is removing the harness connector and grounding a pin or 2. Someone (Eric?) posted instructions a while ago in this section but will have to dig back to find. Didn't sound overly complicated, but not as simple as just unplug it like some riding mowers.

 

[Kioti Paul]

I am not familiar with your particular tractor, but I have bypassed many switches and they have all been the same. You will have a small wiring harness come out of your seat bottom; (sounds dirty :laughing within a foot or two of the seat there will be a connector. Disconnect the plugs (there will be a 'tab' holding the plugs together, usually you 'lift' the tab, sometimes you 'press' it). In my experience, it is always 2 wires - I don't see how there could be any other number of wires. Verify it is 2 wires, then (with no one on the seat) check for continuity between the two wires that go to the seat. There should be no continuity (infinite resistance). As a check; have someone sit on the seat and make sure the ohm meter now shows continuity (0 resistance).

If there are 2 wires in the harness, and if the two checks above show the readings as I described, then, connect (short) the two wires that go to the tractor.

If you do not have an ohm meter; after disconnecting the plugs; verify that you can no longer start (or run) the tractor - whether or not you are on the seat.** If this is the case, then proceed to connect the two wires running to the tractor.

**If the tractor DOES start & run, it should do so whether or not you are on the seat....so you are done! Just leave the connectors unplugged (highly unlikely)

If you do need to "short" the two wires (in my opinion) you should do it in a way that can be "undone".

 

[JimR]

Unplug the seat safety switch. Make a small jumper wire and plug it into the harness. Tape it all up to keep the connector from corroding. You problems are over with now. I own the same tractor as you.

 

[PILOON]

Like my CUT had a neutral clutch safety switch that was missing when I purchased it used.
I have to say I have never started it in gear but that's me.

What I did however discover is that pulling the safety switch connector apart is one fine anti theft deterrent and I always park it in 'deterrent mode'. (as any seat switch would also accomplish)

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Since day one I unplugged the seat safety switch and jumpered the pins on the harness.

 

[Mike058]

I bypassed the switch today. I used 2 inches 18 or 20g(not sure which), solid wire. Pull the connector apart, strip both ends of the wire and plug into the connector coming from the tractor. Covered both halves of connector with some Coax Seal to keep moisture out and all is good.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

So it's been about a year, a little over 100 hrs with the NX now. And have never once thought "I sure am glad it has that seat safety switch!". But can't count the # of times I thought the opposite and I muttered curses under my breath at it.

I'm really trying to think of some beneficial reason to leave it enabled but can't come up with anything. Is there a valid reason to not disable that?

I wanted to do it on day 1 but figured I better wait "just in case". I think it's been long enough now & should get rid of it. As far as I can tell it slows down or outright hinders operation way too often for any safety benefit it might provide (and am unsure exactly what safety benefit it offers at all). The biggest drawbacks/gripes having it:

1. Mrs CMV weighs a lot less than I do so every time she hops on has to adjust the seat tension for a minute so she engages the seat safety. The way I set it for me (190 lbs) she can't even get it to start.

2. Using pallet forks by sense of smell is getting real old. Almost feel like basic training when you were learning movement to contact - "I'm up, he sees me, I'm down". Same type of pop up, hurry & get back down just to get pallet forks under something.

3. Same for digging out a half buried rock or something where I want to see the tips of bucket teeth or just need some finer/more precise movement/location of the bucket lip.

4. Jumping off to grab a branch/stick/rock/trash/anything I don't want to go over with the bush hog. I have a LOT of baseball-softball sized rocks and the ground just spits up more every month it seems. Turn off PTO, put in N, set parking brake, hop off for 3 sec to toss whatever, release brake, hunt around to find M again, reengage PTO, repeat every 25 yds for next debris.

5. Filling berms from rear - I need to get the bucket edge as close to the side as possible and then raise up next to a rear support beam. Not difficult, but need to lean way to the side to see side of bucket vs the fixed object I don't want to hit. Just that leaning triggers the seat sensor.

I'm sure there are other one-off times it has annoyed me, but those are all frequent things I do that make me dislike it continually.

That switch is pretty handy if you fall off the tractor, even more if you roll it over, so you don't burn the motor up. It also makes it harder to jump off and get caught up in a spinning PTO shaft without thinking.

Jumping off to grab a branch/stick/rock/trash/anything I don't want to go over with the bush hog.
That's how people get run over by their own tractor. I know knew a couple of people who ignored safety in favor of convenience.

 

[Tractorman46]

I took delivery of my brand new CK4030 HST in Sept 2021. In Dec it would not start. Dealer here within an hour and found that the central control unit had failed. After contacting Kioti France we got the news that it will take 6 months to replace (world shortage of chips etc) so the dealer bypassed the unit and I can use the tractor OK but some of the electronic things don't work. So far I've not had any problems other than, on the road, using the cruise control the only way to disengage it is to flip the switch. Therefore, use with caution! However, it is quite convenient being able to hop off the tractor to open a gate without going into neutral or even sometimes not engaing the brake (yes, I know but living on a slope it's obvious when that's not a good idea).

Anyway, I have confidence in the Kioti warranty and in my dealer. When the repalcemement CCU arrives I'll have to get used to it again.