Another death by DOT Bush-hog

[Scooby074]

Unfortunately most governmental entities simply cannot afford to go to flail mowers.

When this is all said and done, and the lawyers are through, they would have been able to afford 100's of flails.

The lawyers are salivating. Its a slam dunk considering they had a history of essentially this exact accident happening. The fact that the state didnt change their practice to something "safer" makes them even more liable. They didnt learn from the first death (or even the others in other jurisdictions).

Personally i hope theyre reamed over this. It could have been anyone just driving by who lost their life as a result of their negligence. Not like their bush hogging in a field where you can control access, this was beside an active highway.

 

[TripleR]

When this is all said and done, and the lawyers are through, they would have been able to afford 100's of flails.

The lawyers are salivating. Its a slam dunk considering they had a history of essentially this exact accident happening. The fact that the state didnt change their practice to something "safer" makes them even more liable. They didnt learn from the first death (or even the others in other jurisdictions).

Personally i hope they're reamed over this. It could have been anyone just driving by who lost their life as a result of their negligence. Not like their bush hogging in a field where you can control access, this was beside an active highway.

I worked in government and that is not how it works. You can only spend the money the legislators approve and for items/services allocated.

Right now most states are broke and prohibited from deficit spending with the only way to raise money not appropriated through bonds and that is not always easy or practical.

If you have $200 in the bank, you can't really write a $300 check just because you need it or it will save you money in the long run.

 

[Scooby074]

I worked in government and that is not how it works. You can only spend the money the legislators approve and for items/services allocated.

Right now most states are broke and prohibited from deficit spending with the only way to raise money not appropriated through bonds and that is not always easy or practical.

If you have $200 in the bank, you can't really write a $300 check just because you need it or it will save you money in the long run.

I understand. But.... They had lots of time since the last accident to do planned and budgeted upgrades. The dangers of Rotary vs Flail have been well known for a long time. Even upgrading the machines that are responsible for the major highways would help. They CHOSE to do nothing and spend the money elsewhere. Now its going to come back and bite them you know where.

We havent gone to 100% flail either. But theyre working on it. Id say theyre at 75%. Also i believe that any contracts to contractors spec flail mowers now. I know for a while there was a bunch of right angle BH's for sale as contractors tried to unload them in favour of flails.

 

[TripleR]

I understand. But.... They had lots of time since the last accident to do planned and budgeted upgrades. The dangers of Rotary vs Flail have been well known for a long time. Even upgrading the machines that are responsible for the major highways would help. They CHOSE to do nothing and spend the money elsewhere. Now its going to come back and bite them you know where.

We havent gone to 100% flail either. But theyre working on it. Id say theyre at 75%. Also i believe that any contracts to contractors spec flail mowers now. I know for a while there was a bunch of right angle BH's for sale as contractors tried to unload them in favor of flails.

I don't know their situation, only that of my state and we are beyond broke, so any additional budget items are going no where. Many agencies are understaffed with hiring freezes.

I am not opposed to changing to flail mowers nor do I think it is a bad idea. All I am saying is that in some cases it may not be economically feasible. The way your state is going about it seems to be working well and may well be a good model for others.

Flail mowers in general have not caught on in my area even with private individuals. I only know of one in use and it is a large agricultural unit used for cutting stalks. Some farmers who tried them some years ago have gone back to rotary cutters, but I don't know why.

 

[Scooby074]

. The way your state is going about it seems to be working well and may well be a good model for others.

.

Nah.. My province is broke too I think that theyve just realized the risks and have acted accordingly. Both through bidding contracts and worn equipment replacement.

I dont see too many flails other than government (or blueberry farmers) either. Not even on dealer lots. Local dealer had a couple Caroini's(?) last year, and they sat all summer. Gone now with no replacements brought in this year. As mentioned alot comes down to price. And the cost of ongoing maintenance.

Dont discount the fact that flails are "different" compared to what weve known. That counts for a lot as well.

 

[TripleR]

Nah.. My province is broke too I think that theyve just realized the risks and have acted accordingly. Both through bidding contracts and worn equipment replacement.

I dont see too many flails other than government (or blueberry farmers) either. Not even on dealer lots. Local dealer had a couple Caroini's(?) last year, and they sat all summer. Gone now with no replacements brought in this year. As mentioned alot comes down to price. And the cost of ongoing maintenance.

Don't discount the fact that flails are "different" compared to what weve known. That counts for a lot as well.

Trust me, I know all about that as I was the same way until leonz educated me and I read a lot about them on these forums. If I could afford it, I would have one in addition to my rotary cutters. I need the reach of the rotary cutters on pond banks, ditches and under trees, bushes and over ledges, but really like the safety of a flail mower and improved quality of cut.

 

[BlacknTan]

Life has it's hazards..

None of us are getting out of here alive!

 

[eastexan]

Flail mowers in general have not caught on in my area even with private individuals.

Nor here, either.

I have a tractor that was once one of a fleet of county owned equipment used in roadside maintenance.
Like many other counties and states, they decided they could save money by giving the work to private contractors.

So now that private contractors do the work, I would think any states/counties that have given the work over to the contractors, would require that they provide their own insurance, thereby holding the state/county innocent of any mishap caused by the contractors and their employees.

Lawsuits could be one of the reasons that many states and counties are going toward private contractors.

 

[dmccarty]

The mowers I see cutting the highway grass are private contractors. I know the tractors mowing the side of the roads are using flails. I THOUGHT the big gang mowers in the center of the highways have been flails as well.

Even with safety guards there is no way to stop a rock from being shot out of a rotary cutter. I have guards on my MX 6 and I have seen rocks and wood go 50-100 feet down the road. Stuff has been gone under the tractor to the front and to the back. The stuff has always stayed low to the ground but if the rock hit the ground, tree, stump, curb it could easily go higher and into a car.

I carry a big umbrella policy and one reason is for the MX 6.

I read of a kid, I think it was in TX, that was going to WDW, when she was killed by material thrown from a rotary cutter on mowing on the ROW.

Later,
Dan

 

[JD15302155870]

I saw this report on the local news the day it happened. The mower was equipped with chains. The rock was bowling ball size. I'm surprised it went under the bush hog or it may have been pushed along the ground until it got to a low spot. The rock crashed through the windshield of a mini van and ricocheted off the arm of the front passenger then into the passenger in the back. Two sisters were in the front and their mother was killed in the back. A very tragic accident.