Slow Moving Vehicle Sign

[glgeek]

greetings,

i have to drive down the street in our neighborhood to blow out the driveway of a neighbor. it is about 1/4 mile away.

i would like to put a slow moving vehicle sign on the back of my tractor.

i have a x728 with weights on the rear.

has anyone figured out a good way to do this?

this is not for commercial use or business. i just don't have a trailer to load it on and go there. i wait for the plow to go by and then drive there. sometimes in the dark. i like that i now have lights in the rear. i know that non of this is "legal" but i am going to do it anyway. i at least want to make an effort at being safe.

TIA
ba

 

[powerpace]

A bracket mounted on the back of the seat. or plain old wire looped around the weights and through the sign.

 

[mjw357]

Magnet mount?

 

[WM75Guy]

I took a quick glance and Minnesota law looks similiar to Texas slow moving vehicle laws. You need the slow moving sign, at least 1 headlight, one red tail light and hazard flashers. With those you can operate on the street legally.

 

[scollins]

I would screw the slow moving vehicle sign onto the back of the seat, get a little yellow strobe light that plugs into the cigar lighter with a mag mount, and wire under the deck a tail light if it does not already have one. In Minneapolis, they might hassle him, but in a small rural town, if he has the emblem and a flasher, I don't think they will bother him.
Doesn't the X700 series have real tail lights instead of just reflector's?

SC

 

[smilingreen]

If he has all the required safety equipment, then he should be legal on the road. If in doubt, talk to one of the Police or Sheriffs officers. They can probably tell you.

 

[glgeek]

I took a quick glance and Minnesota law looks similiar to Texas slow moving vehicle laws. You need the slow moving sign, at least 1 headlight, one red tail light and hazard flashers. With those you can operate on the street legally.

i have the headlight and red tail light covered.

it looks like i can make a bracket for the sign using the hitch ball hole as a mounting point.

what do you think of this?

John Deere X748 Modifications - YouTube

i also thought about battery operated stobes like they use on bicycles. but, i like the hardwired option.

i sure appreciate your suggestions.

i am going to try to meet all the requrements although i don't plan on driving down Hennepin Avenue. they have big machines for that.

it will be a project.

thank you all

ba

 

[PILOON]

I had a 10" or so length of very stiff coil spring (think it came from a retractable awning) to which I welded a 1/2" bolt at one end and a suitable length of rod (16-18") at other end.
The SMV triangle is fastened to long length and 2 nuts&washers take care of the fender mounting.
The spring action prevents breakage and has the neat effect of having the SMV triangle waving side to side as I drive. Sure catches the eye!

If you wanted it detachable a wing nut could be used.

On a friends open station tractor we mounted his rotating beacon in a similar way and used a lighter socket to provide power when the beacon is installed.

 

[bigtiller]

When driving a garden tractor down a slick street after dark I would put a big strobe light on each fender and a SMV sign on the back of the seat. I think I may even clip the battery operated strobe light from my bike onto the back of my hat. :laughing:

 

[glgeek]

great suggestions.

i am forming a bracket in my mind and have a question

JD provides a couple convieient holes in the rear brackets for a rod.

what is this part called?




ba

 

[jenkinsph]

I don't have a weight bracket on the rear of my mower but would suggest you try to find a place to add on a piece of square tubing to act as a socket. Then get a second piece of tubing to drop in as a mast to support the smv sign with the strobe light on top. Plug the strobe into the 12v socket on the right fender. Make sure the sign and strobe light are mounted high enough to be seen for your safety. It would seem the easiest way to do this is to weld the socket in place and drop the mast into it when needed and plug in the strobe so easy on and off.

FWIW, you won't see me on the road at night with my x749 just to dangerous imo.

 

[mjncad]

Glgeek:

I'd mount the SMV to the back of your seat using those square plastic license plate mounting nuts one can get at almost any chain auto parts store. You'll have to cut a couple of holes in the plastic seat back; but that's no big deal to do. If you want a strobe or other flashing light, get something you can power off the cigarette lighter style power port until or unless you want something more permanent.

Now my other question to you is how busy is the road you want to drive on? A 1/4 mile isn't that far, and if it's as quiet as my 1/4 mile dead end street, I'd just go for it. But if that 1/4 mile has tons of traffic, then by all means make sure you are seen...providing the drivers of cars aren't yammering away on their cell phones.

Cell phones...the new opium.

 

[glgeek]

Glgeek:

Now my other question to you is how busy is the road you want to drive on? A 1/4 mile isn't that far, and if it's as quiet as my 1/4 mile dead end street, I'd just go for it. But if that 1/4 mile has tons of traffic, then by all means make sure you are seen...providing the drivers of cars aren't yammering away on their cell phones.

Cell phones...the new opium.

still working on this.

it is a quiet street. i snuck there during our last snow (twice).

going to buy a sign this weekend and see if i get some inspiration. since it is so short of a distance, i might check out the bicycle strobes. since i only do this in the winter, i am thinking something that bolts to the weights.

thanks for the ideas.
actually, this is kind of the fun part of owning, making it my own !

geek

 

[mjncad]

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Since the street is generally quiet, just go for it.

 

[ghbick]

Attached is a picture of my X595, which is identical to the X748. All you need is a L bracket about 3' long with holes drilled in it (available at any hardware store) and a slow moving triangle. I bolted the bracket on the bottom to existing holes in the frame of the tractor and the sign had 2 predrilled holes which I used to attach it to the top of the bracket. Works with either my cab on or off.