ALWAYS set the parking brake when getting off the tractor and carry a cell phone

[aczlan]

A friend's father (in his 70s and has farmed all of his life) was rolling a field and the roller got jammed. He got off without setting the brake, got the jam loose and the tractor started rolling. The roller ran over him crushing his pelvis and breaking his leg. He had his cell phone on him (abnormal for him), so he called 911 and got taken to the hospital.
He is now in the ICU and they are trying to find where his internal bleeding is coming from...

If you get off, set the brake and ALWAYS have some way to communicate with someone else. It only takes a few seconds to set the brake but it could save you from a world of hurt (or worse).

Aaron Z

[creekbend]

Sound advice. I, sincerely wish the best for your Friend's Father.

[s219]

Yep good advice! I hope the poor guy pulls through OK.

[Wesdor]

Sorry to hear about your friend. Very good advice that I try to always use.

We all need to remember that using tractors and equipment are dangerous.

[orezok]

I've taken to always carrying my cell when working alone, even in the garage which has a phone. You never know when you might be trapped by a heavy object.

[dmccarty]

How is the friend's father doing?

I don't always set the parking brake. But I do set the fore and aft anchors, i.e., the 3PH implement and the FEL bucket get placed on the ground. The tractor ain't moving with those anchors.

If I only have one anchor, or no anchor, the brakes get used.

I hope the ol' farmer is recovering....

Later,
Dan

[aczlan]

How is the friend's father doing?

Doing ok, has had a surgery to put his pelvis back together which will allow them to put his legs in traction and such. Apparently after his surgery the docs were planning on weaning him off of the ventilator, but he removed the ventilator on his own as it annoyed him and no longer served a purpose.
Now in an intensive PT program and says that he WILL be walking in less than 3 months (no matter what his doctors think).

Aaron Z

[dmccarty]

Doing ok, has had a surgery to put his pelvis back together which will allow them to put his legs in traction and such. Apparently after his surgery the docs were planning on weaning him off of the ventilator, but he removed the ventilator on his own as it annoyed him and no longer served a purpose.
Now in an intensive PT program and says that he WILL be walking in less than 3 months (no matter what his doctors think).

Aaron Z

Sounds like a tough man. He certainly has the right attitude!

Later,
Dan

[SHORT KID]

Several years ago a good friend of mine was working a field and ran out of gas, went and got gas, put it in and went out front to crank the tractor.....................it was in gear, started and ran over him!!!!!!!!!!! His son found him laying on the ground unconcese and the tractor against a tree, it tried to bury itself and stalled. Bob never made it!!!!!!!!!

[Poncho]

IF i leave my tractor running, both gear shifts are in neutral and the parking brake is set with implements down. Most time I shut off the tractor. hadn't got used to parking brake on MF431 as old 135 had no brakes at all.