Tractors and Lightning

[dusty3030]

I was driving a spray machine that got struck when I was a senior in high school. Pop up storm I had the booms folded up and was driving out of the field when I heard a ear shattering noise everything was a big flash and the machine died.
Fried the radio, cb and the spray control computer and its radar gun.
Paint was scorched on the cab roof.
I never felt anything.

It was a Tyler Patriot just like the picture below I found on the web.

 

[Garandman]

Raising the plow probably did nothing for you. Air is a very good insulator. Lightning will jump several miles through the air. 12 inches of rubber sure won't stop it. If it was going to hit you, having the plow in the ground wouldn't have mattered a bit. The reason you are told to stay in the car (or the cab) is because the electricity will flow around you through the metal cage. The rubber tires are not providing any protection.

Sitting on the tractor under the ROPS doesn't strike me as wise.

 

[BTDT2]

Raising the plow probably did nothing for you. Air is a very good insulator. Lightning will jump several miles through the air. 12 inches of rubber sure won't stop it. If it was going to hit you, having the plow in the ground wouldn't have mattered a bit. The reason you are told to stay in the car (or the cab) is because the electricity will flow around you through the metal cage. The rubber tires are not providing any protection.

I respectfully disagree with your assumption that having your metal plow buried in the ground won't increase the chance of a lightning strike. Yes, "lightning will jump several miles in the air" but it is looking for a good ground, and sitting on something in an open field that has metal buried deep in the ground is not helping your situation

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I respectfully disagree with your assumption that having your metal plow buried in the ground won't increase the chance of a lightning strike. Yes, "lightning will jump several miles in the air" but it is looking for a good ground, and sitting on something in an open field that has metal buried deep in the ground is not helping your situation

That was my thinking also. I certainly wasn't saying that raising the plow out of the ground was the reason I didn't get struck or that it was a 100% guarantee of not getting struck, but I figured it helped my odds. And having a plow buried in the ground would hurt the odds. Just makes sense to me.

 

[oosik]

I was out in one of my fields and witnessed lightning strike a tall pine tree about 50 feet away. It shredded the top five feet of 95+ foot pine and started a fire up on top. The sound was so loud, I was deafened for a couple hours - the "shock wave" hit me and knocked me to the ground. I'm just a little more careful now and certainly "chicken sh*t" about being out in any electric storm. I'm still amazed at the total force of a lightning strike.