Would you do this?

[DAP]

Yesterday, while making a stop at a neighbors barn, across the road in a 2 acre hay field, I observed the following:

New MF 45hp with loader pulling a 6 foot Squealer cutter. A older teen was behind the wheel and an older adult STANDING ON THE DECK of the cutter.

He couldn't have been more than 10 inches from the PTO and gear box.

To round it all off, they had a standard deck umbrella for sun and rain protection duct taped to the ROPS.

Kept thinking about shoelaces and pant cuffs.

They're insane, right?

BTW, when I left, it was clear they were contractors. A large Dodge ram with trailer and a Logo'd door told me they weren't locals, and not farmers.

 

[shvl73]

I would think if he needed lessons on operation, it would be better to walk beside with the pto off. That person may get a lesson on what not to do & it may be permanent.

 

[markie61]

Before I got my sunshade, I used to bungee a golf umbrella to the ROPS. However, I would NEVER stand on the deck of an operating bush hog or any other implement!
Mark

 

[markct]

thats gota be the dumbest thing i have heard of, riding double on a tractor isnt the safest but i admit that around here many times during haying we do it, but never when operating an implement and of all things not a brushog. often when towing something to a field my father or myself will ride on the fender or in the cab of the tractor, but never ever when we are using something like a brushog. some people just have no sense about that stuff, but i suppose everyones idea of safety is different, i have had people yell at me on here about how riding two people on a tractor should never be done under any circumstances, but each to there own.

 

[beenthere]

I don't see anything 'brilliant' about it, but not knowing what they were doing and why, I wouldn't pre-judge their actions. As per the PTO, if the safety shield and covers were in place, there would be no danger. If the PTO shaft was bare without the shields, then danger is there and they were nuts.

You didn't say if the machine was operating, just that they were 'pulling' it, but I presume it was by your alarm.

What would be the problem with an umbrella 'taped' to the ROPS? Didn't look good? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[riptides]

I view tractors as a one person operation.

I try to stay away from them when they are running, unless of course I am the one running it.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[slowrev]

I don't see any problem with the umbrella. And as others have posted was the Cutter running or not ? Many people push the safety envelope for years without getting caught, but some don't.

 

[markct]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( As per the PTO, if the safety shield and covers were in place, there would be no danger. If the PTO shaft was bare without the shields, then danger is there and they were nuts.
)</font>


well assuming it was running you still shouldnt trust a pto shield to keep you safe, never ever get near a running pto thats protected by just a plastic or metal safety shield, theres still plenty of places that can wrap up a loose shoelace or whatever, safety shields are definatly helpful but they do not make a pto harmless, and on a rotary cutter there is usualy a slipclutch or sheerbolt that is partly unprotected since it needs to be easily accesible for replacement or adjustment. also there is more danger than the pto, one brushcutter we have has a couple spots where the blades came up and chopped thru the deck at different times, not a place i would want to have my foot on. and another thing is, what if he slips off and his foot goes under the edge of the deck, sure isnt that impossible to have happen, now this is all assuming it was running, if not then yea its a pretty safe place to ride, big flat standing area and decent handholds to hang onto, not the safest but definatly not too unsafe either, that is again if it wasnt running

 

[DAP]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't see anything 'brilliant' about it, but not knowing what they were doing and why, I wouldn't pre-judge their actions. As per the PTO, if the safety shield and covers were in place, there would be no danger. If the PTO shaft was bare without the shields, then danger is there and they were nuts.

You didn't say if the machine was operating, just that they were 'pulling' it, but I presume it was by your alarm.

What would be the problem with an umbrella 'taped' to the ROPS? Didn't look good?)</font>

Last first - yes .. the umbrella looked bad. Real bad. I didn't like the pattern at all. And the drawstrings weren't secure. And the wood finial on top seemed out place. Yea, it didn't look good. Would look worse once it fell forward, konked the drive in the head as he went over it with the cutter.

No presumptions. The were cutting a weeded hay field that was bout 5 feet high, approximately 2 acres of it. Teen driving in low range and adult standing on the cutting deck next to the gear box.

When I saw them, the had only about 20% left to cut. This made the operator take wide row-end turns (for some reason) and he not only did those U-turns but raised the cutter UP during the turn - presumbably to keep it from digging a corner in or whatever.

Clearly, with the umbrella, and the passenger, the sight caught my eye - as in they didn't appear to be fish in water.

Now ifin you wanna hang patio furniture on your tractor and take uncle Joe for a ride on a 6 foot rotary cutter and hog a field at the same time and tell me it looks OK and is safe then - then .... well .... then ... Ok by me.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( on a rotary cutter there is usualy a slipclutch or sheerbolt that is partly unprotected )</font>

I can't say for others.. but on my KK.. the cuff of the pto shield fully covers the shear bolt.. almost all the way to the face of the gar box. The cuff has to be rotated to be slid back to access the shear bolt.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( one brushcutter we have has a couple spots where the blades came up and chopped thru the deck at different times )</font>

My stepfather has a 6' howse that did that. At first glance I figured either the stumpjumper was loose on the gearbox drive shaft /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.. or the blades were loose /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.. it was neither. The metal frame of the howse cutter would deform enough to let the blades contact the sheet metal in certain situations.. like if a front corner hung on a stump or big rock.. the whole surface of the cutter warped.. pretty spectacularly.. almost 3" in some areas.. but then popped back into shape when the obstruction was cleared.. but not before the blades ate a semi-circle in the deck!

I thought this might have been a limited problem.. But I see that it isn't...

Soundguy