Need for tractor operation Safety especially on Friday 13th

[aczlan]

Looks like the tractor has a double bale spear mounted on it wonder how it happened

I would guess that he had the bale between the spears like one would do with forks rather than spearing it with just one.
Does that look like it was a bale of cornstalks to anyone else?

Aaron Z

[TomSeller]

I am confused. The exhaust pipe is still upright so how did the bale roll back? Maybe the loader lowered by leak down after it was shut off? What is the trailer on it's side for? Tractor hit it after the accident while still in gear? Tires are not dug in.

[aczlan]

I am confused. The exhaust pipe is still upright so how did the bale roll back? Maybe the loader lowered by leak down after it was shut off? What is the trailer on it's side for? Tractor hit it after the accident while still in gear? Tires are not dug in.

My guess is that the loader was way up to dump the bale into the grinder and the operator was using the clutch to ease up the grinder. Bale rolled backward, his foot slipped after the bale hit him (or his foot slipped which caused the bale to come off), the tractor lurched forward and it pushed the grinder over. After the fact someone (other operator, firemen, etc) lowered the loader so that it wasn't a hazard.
Too much hay on the ground to see if it dug in much, but if the spear or the frame hit the top of the grinder, it could lift the front end off the ground and transfer weight to the rear wheels giving it more traction until the grinder flipped onto its side.

Aaron Z

[roush9799]

Looks to me as it was a stretch for that tractor to get the bale over the top of the grinder. Possibly had the bale tipped back as far as he could and tried to use the grinder to slide it off the spears as he backed out and hopefully it tipped into the grinder? Be careful guys, match the equipment to the job at hand.

[Tx Jim]

Update: Tractor loader would lift just barely high enough to get over the side of the mixer wagon. Yes the uncontrolled tractor knocked the big mixer wagon over on it's side. The reason my neighbor was trying to use the shorter lift tractor is that his larger tractor is at a dealership waiting to be repaired as it suddenly won't move in any gear.

No for the good news: my neighbor came home from hospital yesterday afternoon late. He sustained multiple broken ribs & collarbone but no apparent nerve damage. That's to all for prayers & concerns.

[Zebrafive]

Thanks for the update. I too was thinking the tractor looked too small to put a bale in that grinder. He's very lucky his back was not broken.
Even though I do not handle round bales, makes me want a four post ROPS.

[bigbull338]

ROPS wont protect you that much if any if a bale rolls off the hay forks.not really sure how much a cab would protect you.

[aczlan]

ROPS wont protect you that much if any if a bale rolls off the hay forks.not really sure how much a cab would protect you.

A 4 post ROPS would. It has uprights in front of the steering wheel which would stop such a bale.

Aaron Z

[TomSeller]

A 4 post ROPS would. It has uprights in front of the steering wheel which would stop such a bale.

Aaron Z

Right. I am actually surprised you don't see more 4 post ROPs. Mostly you see them just on backhoes.

[TomSeller]

Update: Tractor loader would lift just barely high enough to get over the side of the mixer wagon. Yes the uncontrolled tractor knocked the big mixer wagon over on it's side. The reason my neighbor was trying to use the shorter lift tractor is that his larger tractor is at a dealership waiting to be repaired as it suddenly won't move in any gear.

No for the good news: my neighbor came home from hospital yesterday afternoon late. He sustained multiple broken ribs & collarbone but no apparent nerve damage. That's to all for prayers & concerns.

IC. It also explains why the bales would not have been speared with the spears, but likely used like pallet forks, underneath the bale to get more height.