F.E.L failure and fatality......06/06/2015 Tennessee

MotorSeven · Jun 9, 2015

This one has hit close to home....I only met Josh a few times, but know his father through his local business....great family. I am only posting this because I want every one of us here to stop and think next time we even consider getting under anything on our tractors or implements with hydraulics. Last year another member of our community was killed when a hydraulic line burst on a round hay baler and the open lid fell on the man cleaning out a blockage of hay....this time it was a Front End Loader.

I admit, I am guilty of going under the raised FEL to hook a chain on something I want to lift. Until last year it never really dawned on me that even with two hydraulic lines to two different cylinders, if either line bursts, the FEL falls so fast you cannot react in time. This is what happened to Josh and it is really tragic. He was loading round bales and one FEL line developed a leak. The FEL was raised and he was trying to determine the location of the leak when the hyd line burst and the FEL fell striking him.

Here is the news report....:
http://www.claiborneprogress.net/ne...s-Sgt.-Joshua-Mabe-killed-in-farming-accident

roadhunter · Jun 9, 2015

Wow. Thanks for posting.

Fawken · Jun 9, 2015

Sorry to hear such sad news. I never go under my FEL, not because I built it, but because the joystick, lines, fittings, and cylinders I did NOT build. And truth be told, I have no idea who built those things. It's a Prince valve and Chief cylinders and the hoses are from DHH. Even if everything was American made you're tempting fate.

buickanddeere · Jun 9, 2015

Probably the first words I remember my Father saying."Don't stand in the line of fire."Then usually getting grabbed and tossed to the side out of the way until we learned to look and think. Long before it was popular he would place a block of wood, post, chain etc as backup if the main lift ever failed.

MHarryE · Jun 10, 2015

I've never understood why Caterpillar and Deere backhoe loaders have safety stops on the loader cylinders but ag, CUTs and SCUTs don't have them, even those built by Deere. On both Cat and Deere the safety stops are painted bright red. They could even provide a hydraulic safety lock be providing a ball valve at the piston end of one cylinder. By turning the valve a person would lock the cylinder so any failure up the circuit wouldn't let the loader drop.

Egon · Jun 10, 2015

Not a nice occasion.

Early in my immature life stage the company I worked for had very strick guidelines on raised hydraulic equipment. Ie, termination for getting under it.

On this site I always wonder about those who build man platforms for their loader and cannot visualize a failure happening to THEM?? Many even get annoyed at the mention of hydraulic failure occurring in their sphere of dominance!

MotorSeven · Jun 10, 2015

Egon, I did visualize it before I built my man platform, but being on top of something falling down 8-10' is mucho different from being under it. For me the need out weighed the risk. I do agree with the others here, all FEL's should have cylinder safety locks.

Fawken · Jun 10, 2015

Well, I've seen people use FEL's as a man lift and I won't lie, I've given the granddaughters an up and down giggling experience, but never more than 3-4 feet off the ground. One of my customers uses a gigantic, shipping container forklift to lift me into position for working on a pole camera. Only way to reach it actually.

Wagtail · Jun 10, 2015

Thank you for posting and for all of the comments. I've learnt something today.

Electronics is my background and, although I treat working around my FEL & 3PH with respect, I didn't consider the results of a catastrophic hydraulic failure.

Ta again.

nebraskasparks · Jul 12, 2015

My condolences on the loss of your friend. Thank you for posting this because we're all very human and I believe we're all guilty of this one. I'll try and spread the word here.