Seat safety Switch? What is the point?

[Henro]

Hi All,

I was viewing a thread where the seat safety switch was the focus.

I guess I am thick headed, but I do not have seat safety switches on either of my tractors and really cannot see an advantage to having one, other than perhaps a quick shutdown should one tip the tractor on its side, or worse.

What am I missing? It sure seems like the seat safety switch causes a lot of grief to those whose tractors have them, and not having one brings no grief to those of us who do not have them.

I guess I would install seat safety switches if they are a real benefit, but I just can not see what the real benefit is!

** OK, perhaps such a switch prevents one from starting the tractor(with the key) while standing next to it. I get that. But with a hydrostatic tractor, the directional pedal must be centered to start it, so there is some protection there...

 

[fried1765]

Hi All,

I was viewing a thread where the seat safety switch was the focus.

I guess I am thick headed, but I do not have seat safety switches on either of my tractors and really cannot see an advantage to having one, other than perhaps a quick shutdown should one tip the tractor on its side, or worse.

What am I missing? It sure seems like the seat safety switch causes a lot of grief to those whose tractors have them, and not having one brings no grief to those of us who do not have them.

I guess I would install seat safety switches if they are a real benefit, but I just can not see what the real benefit is!

** OK, perhaps such a switch prevents one from starting the tractor(with the key) while standing next to it. I get that. But with a hydrostatic tractor, the directional pedal must be centered to start it, so there is some protection there...

Neither of your two Kubotas was delivered new with a seat safety switch?
Must have not been a requirement 15+ years ago.
The original owner explained that my L48 Kubota TLB seat safety switch had failed, and I have just never found time to repair/replace it.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Product Liability...

John Deere had a class action lawsuit quite a few years ago because in their bulldozers with reversers, some machines never had a neutral for the main transmission. If you left the seat, and swiped the reverser which was VERY easy to do, you could easily get run over.

About a month ago, on another forum, a guy did just that and was nearly killed by his bulldozer. A safety switch on the seat would have saved him from being in the hospital for four months.

(I could be wrong on this, but I believe defeating safety switches of any type is really frowned upon on here. I know many people do it, but it is a "remain mum about it" approach.)

 

[Gary Fowler]

My tractor has a seat safety switch but can still be started from the ground. You have to be in the seat to move more than a foot (it takes that long for the kill switch to kick in when you touch the HST pedal). Even in the seat, it wont start without the HST pedal in neutral position.'
I disconnected it on my lawnmower so I can get off without it going dead. I have to move hoses etc while mowing and dont want to restart the engine every time.

 

[Thomas]

At first I wasn't big fan seat safety switch more so starting off on Farmall H as tadpole,but now mostly do to age glad the device comes standed...just never know what kind of jam one might get into with seconds.

 

[fried1765]

My tractor has a seat safety switch but can still be started from the ground. You have to be in the seat to move more than a foot (it takes that long for the kill switch to kick in when you touch the HST pedal). Even in the seat, it wont start without the HST pedal in neutral position.'
I disconnected it on my lawnmower so I can get off without it going dead. I have to move hoses etc while mowing and dont want to restart the engine every time.

^^^^ OF COURSE!!!!!

 

[CADplans]

Being from Pittsburgh, this might explain it better.

Hi All,

I was viewing a thread where people eat fish on Friday

I guess I am thick headed, but I do not eat fish on Friday and really cannot see an advantage to doing so, other than perhaps a quick intestinal change,,.

What am I missing? It sure seems like the fish causes a lot of grief to those who eat them, and not eating one brings no grief to those of us who do not .

I guess I would eat fish if they are a real benefit, but I just can not see what the real benefit is!

** OK, perhaps there is some protection there..

If you do not want to believe in safety switches, nothing I say will change your mind,,

I have them,, on the tractors that came with them,

 

[fried1765]

At first I wasn't big fan seat safety switch more so starting off on Farmall H as tadpole,but now mostly do to age glad the device comes standed...just never know what kind of jam one might get into with seconds.

Should I be wearing a hard hat for falling meteorites?

 

[fried1765]

Being from Pittsburgh, this might explain it better.

Hi All,

I was viewing a thread where people eat fish on Friday

I guess I am thick headed, but I do not eat fish on Friday and really cannot see an advantage to doing so, other than perhaps a quick intestinal change,,.

What am I missing? It sure seems like the fish causes a lot of grief to those who eat them, and not eating one brings no grief to those of us who do not .

I guess I would eat fish if they are a real benefit, but I just can not see what the real benefit is!

** OK, perhaps there is some protection there..

If you do not want to believe in safety switches, nothing I say will change your mind,,

I have them,, on the tractors that came with them,

If you study up on the history of the Catholic religion you will find out why many people eat fish on Friday (I am not Catholic).
This obviously has NOTHING to do with tractor safety devices, but is just to answer the above example/question.

 

[k0ua]

Say you are mowing, a low branch knocks you out of your seat, or like a post a few years ago, a female operator run her tractor up on a guy wire of a utility pole, she fell out of the seat, mower continued run her down and chop-chop. That's the idea. a once in a million thing. BUT it happens. It has happened, and if it saves just one life etc etc.