Hydraulic fluid injury

[mjncad]

Good lord!

 

[Reg]

Thanks for the post.
I think it is "a problem better avoided than solved", e.g. by regularly inspecting fittings - and NOT when they are under pressure.
I admit to not wearing gloves recently as the weather has been warming.
No excuse; other than I focus on what I am doing with the tractor and pay (too) little attention to the fact that I am doing it with a high pressure hydraulic system.

 

[jimmyj]

Are there tips to minimize pressure before inspections?

 

[J_J]

Are there tips to minimize pressure before inspections?

In general, look at your hoses and fittings with the engine off as routine operation. With the tractor running, activate all the systems, and get off and check for leaks, etc.

The above injury was a blow out and nothing could be done. Perhaps the hose needed replacing, but who knows.

 

[Reg]

Are there tips to minimize pressure before inspections?

a) Do it before you start up, e.g. after the tractor has sat all night and (hopefully) pressure has bled off.
b) After switching off, lower the 3PH, lower the FEL and put the joy-stick forward/back, left/right 3 or 4 times, then put it in float.
This should be part of your shut down routine anyway, in case kids or someone else fiddles and twiddles with the controls while a different kid/someone crawls around under a part of the tractor.
Always check hoses if you snag a branch or something else gets close to tangling up.
Check regularly for signs of leaks, investigate any oil on hoses or around fittings, etc.
Mostly just common sense stuff, but checking for it needs to be a habit.

 

[huffy34]

If you HAve to check your hydrulics while under PSI, use a piece of cardboard or paper to find any leaks. This also works for inspections of diesel fuel injection lines which are also under high pressure and will penatrate skin or eyes faster then you could possibly react.

 

[Charlesaf3]

a) Do it before you start up, e.g. after the tractor has sat all night and (hopefully) pressure has bled off.
b) After switching off, lower the 3PH, lower the FEL and put the joy-stick forward/back, left/right 3 or 4 times, then put it in float.
This should be part of your shut down routine anyway, in case kids or someone else fiddles and twiddles with the controls while a different kid/someone crawls around under a part of the tractor.

This is a REALLY good point I hadn't thought of. I bleed down under the theory that it stresses the hydraulics less, but hadn't thought of potential injury. I'm going to get really religious about this now, I'm really glad you said that.

The backhoe and the bucket come down HARD even with the tractor off.

 

[mjncad]

It's easy to become complacent, so I just printed that picture out and intend to post it in the garage as a reminder of what hydraulic fluid injuries can do.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Yep as bad as some of these accident pictures are hard to rad and see they're like a warning ticket from a cop telling you to slow down.

I know I get a little cocky at times but then I take a step back and slow way down. Some of the most simple things can be a life or death situation dealing with machinery.

Even with rigging, I took a certified rigging course and thought during the whole course I kept thinking how lucky I am because everything they were teaching me I was doing wrong for years.

 

[JB4310]

I'm hoping our machines don't produce the kind of pressure that caused that accident ??

I had a damaged fitting and it did spray out but didn't seem that powerful, didn't try to feel it though.

JB.