I thought I would share an experience from yesterday. No harm done but food for thought along the safety theme..... Sometimes we do things for years and practice makes it all seem right.....
While pushing snow in reverse up a large pile and reaching that 'hairy' point at the top where the backblade falls over the cliff, I lifted my foot off the hydrostat pedal and the tractor kept moving. Instant 'total panic' from blissful sunny afternoon plow operator. Visions of a flipped over tractor in the river behind this snow pile....
I tried to jam on the brakes but the tractor simply loaded up and the rear wheels keep trying to move (low gear and 4x4)).
I stood up from the seat but the rear wheels keep trying to move and the engine hummed along.
Finally I pushed the hydrostat pedal forward and the tractor started to move away from 'the cliff'. (that might have seemed obvious but at that moment it was not)
Now all this took place in probably two seconds but it was enough to really rattle me.
For 5 years I thought if you took your foot of the hydrostat pedal that the tractor would stop moving as it always had. Not if a stick had jammed in the hole in the floor. __Lesson Learned__.
For 5 years I assumed the brake pedal would disengage the hydrostat. This was based on my impression that the brake will always drop the cruise control out. I never use the brake pedal except as a parking brake as the hydrostat pedal normally does everything for me. __Lesson Learned__.
For 5 years I thought if your hydrostat was in gear and you stood from the seat that the engine would cut out as it always had. Not if the seat switch is bound up from something and needs lubrication or replacement. __Lesson Learned__.
For 5 years I have allowed the hydrostat pedal to manage the transmission/ground movement which it always has. The clutch pedal was only ever used to ease the brush mower (pto) into motion. In this case I never even considered pushing in the clutch pedal to stop the tractor. __Lesson Learned__.
For many years I have enjoyed making this massive snow pile by backing up the pile over the course of the winter. Maybe not the safest thing to do just so I can make snow balls in July
. If I continue to do it, I need to be a bit more aware of the risks if things go wrong. __Lesson Learned__.
In closing for my example: the seat switch has been lubed and the stick removed from my hydrostat pedal floor slot. Also some internal scolding to reinforce that the clutch and range lever (N) would have been a nice alternative to stopping the tractor along with the key switch......
With a clear head, I don't think I was really at risk of going over the edge of this snow pile. The tractor had reached the point on the wet snow where the wheels were spinning due to the incline and thus were not able to pull itself over the edge. However that momentary powerless 'feeling' that it could happen was the point and source of anxiety at that moment. Both the safety switch in the seat and the self centering hydrostat pedal were defeated at that same moment and combined to challenge the 5 years of practice with this tractor and illustrate some perhaps bad habits. The result was a warning rather than something serious...
Happy New Year
