Tractor fatalities

[Harvster]

I'm new to tractoring and I always wear my seatbelt. Maybe its just instinctive from putting it on anytime I get into a car or truck. I didn't wear it the first time I drove it (so excited I forgot I guess) and after about 1 minute I put it on because the sliding around and bouncing around reminded me. And that was on relatively level ground at low speed.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have investigated 2 separate fatalities in the last 4 years at landscape/nursery supply centers where loaders were equipped with material buckets to load mulch, but were also used for topsoil. Both operators accelerated out of the topsoil pile in reverse with the loaded bucket raised which caused the tractor to stand on it's nose, flipping the operators out of the seat into the path of the front wheel. Crushed skulls were the cause of death in both instances. Just an FYI. Know your tractors limitations and wear your seatbelt.

Grape

I worked for several landscapers throughout this state back in my younger days; there was only ONE company that gave a rat's hind about worker safety.
Just out of curiousity, were either of those tractors equipped with seat belts?

 

[N80]

I wear seatbelts in my car/truck purely out of habit. Do it without thinking. Not so with my tractor. I don't use it enough for it to be habit and for some odd reason it pulls from the right, which is opposite a car.

However, I _make_ myself remember and I always wear it. Quite often I start to rationalize that I don't need it for this or that little chore and I literally have to discipline myself to do it.

Last weekend the seatbelt folded in on itself and retracted that way and now it won't work. I'm going to fix it this weekend or have Kubota replace it, I think it is still underwarranty and even if not, my guess is that they'll replace it anyway.

 

[davemhughes]

It might just be me but I think some tractors are better suited to loader work than others. Meaning some seem more stable with the loader loaded up. I recently had 2 encounters with tractors with the loaders weighted down that just felt unstable, one of which up ended the tractor very sightly. Yes I have heard....put lots of weight on the rear. Looking to up grade what I have to something bigger and a key issue for me is basic stability. Been testing a bunch of different ones and there is a difference in this area between models and manufactures. Just think there is something to be said for a tractor with good weight and balance by design verses one that has to have "a lot" of weight added to make it stable with a loader. Plus it seems like a well designed weight and balanced tractor is more forgiving in just about all areas of operation.

A seat belt is key to surviving a rollover on a tractor......working hard to force myself to always wear it. Plus a healthy dose of self preservation doesn't hurt either.