Show your fire extinguisher

[scootr]

So what type of extinguishers are you guys carrying (CO2/foam/water)? And what is your biggest threat?, brush fire, hay baler fire or a fuel/oil/electrical on your tractor?

Yes. All of that.
I chose an ABC type extinguisher

 

[notaz3]

So what type of extinguishers are you guys carrying (CO2/foam/water)? And what is your biggest threat?, brush fire, hay baler fire or a fuel/oil/electrical on your tractor?

I carry ABC type. Never know when you might have brush, fuel, oil, or even an electrical fire.

 

[Hay Dude]

I carry pressurized water for hay/brush and a marine/auto for mechanical/grease/fuel/electrical

 

[Smokeydog]

Having a good bracket to securely hold your fire extinguisher important. Open station tractors are particularly vulnerable to damage. These are easy to attach by U-bolts to the ROPS. A little rubber plug on the pull pins makes them rattle free.

 

[WinterDeere]

Here's another one... how often do you guys have them inspected and tested? Coming from three generations of fire fighters and fire inspectors, I bought a half dozen good (not Kidde crap) fire extinguishers from the local company that supplies all of our fire co's, and added them to the few I had already inherited... all in 1998. They are still showing exactly the same charge they started with, or very nearly so, on their gauges. Assuming the gauges still work, that is.

Not a great practice, but since it's now more than an hour round trip to where they're serviced, and I'd not want to be without more than one or two of them at a time, I haven't found a great solution for getting them tested and serviced.

Oh, and the few I inherited? There's two Halon's in that group! I also have the same water extinguisher Hay Dude carries on his tractor, I use it while welding. Do be sure to check the charge on those frequently, as mineral deposits can cause slow leaks on those.

 

[freedomlives]

I've always had an extinguisher mounted to my ROPS... it was the first 'modification' I performed on my tractor when it arrived.

Over the years I've (thankfully) never had to use it but I've had to replace it twice. Vibration, over time, will render them inoperable so periodically check the gauge.

Tree branches also will render them inoperable. I was mulching brush, heard a funny noise, and saw what I thought at first was smoke coming from the mower. Stopped, quickly realized a branch had knocked the extinguisher off the ROPS and it met its demise!

 

[ray66v]

Fire extinguisher points of interest- (Things I have learned from experience)

A fire extinguisher is only too big, if you can't run with it.

Small units are only useful, if you happen to be at the point where the fire originates, when it happens. Like a fire on the stove.

You can't put the fire out, unless you get in there close. No hand held dry chemical extinguisher will work from more than a few feet way.

If the fire is involved, electrical, or as a result of very high temperatures, as often the case with a vehicle, or piece of equipment, a dry powder fire extinguisher isn't the best tool for the job. Even if it seems like it did something, the heat that started it is still there, and it will often reignite. Water is the best way to reduce the temperatures and, be assured of it not reigniting.

And the most important rule they never tell you- Before you discharge a dry powder fire extinguisher, take a few deep breaths, and hold it. If you just ran to the fire, you are often gasping for breath, and you end up inhaling the dry chemical powder when you discharge the extinguisher. If this happens, you can forget about fighting the fire, because you will be coughing your head off, for about the next 10 minutes.

 

[scootr]

20 yrs ago I was tractoring around our then new ranch. I saw the wife waving at me and I thought "oh yeah - I look sexy on my tractor"
But her waving became frantic and I turned around to see a fire behind me on the neighboring property ! The lack of rain had left that whole property covered in 2 ft brown weeds and grass. The afternoon breeze was coming our way as is does every day.
I drove over there as fast as the little MF 30b could go which was scary fast for the old machine... I hit that fire edge at a full run and dropped the scraper box Throwing dirt and sparks everywhere. Turned around and hit it again and again. Plowing down the fire and the old wire fence.
It was out in a few minutes . My tractor saved the day. minutes later the fire dept showed up. Said they couldn't get down to the fire and I had done a great job. Turns out another neighbor had a kid who was later charged with setting that fire and others.

Couple years ago a new neighbor dug up a high tension electrical service. The short blew up a sub panel in the 10 acre pasture behind us which started a fire that quickly spread. That accident started fires in 3 locations all with similar standalone power panels. The fire dept was spread thin.
The call went out and tractors from every ranch came out to smother the fire. It was a sight to see half a dozen different tractors working to turn the weeds to dirt as fast as possible in front of the fire.

 

[Smokeydog]

Nothing beats being prepared and practice. We had yearly hands on fire extinguisher training at ORNL.

Take advantage of low charged fire extinguishers to do a family practice and training session. Reward your children if they notice a low pressure extinguisher. Working safely takes practice and awareness woven into our daily activities. The act of mounting and caring for fire extinguishers have benefits well beyond fire suppression.


We hope we never have to use them.

 

[WinterDeere]

It was a sight to see half a dozen different tractors working to turn the weeds to dirt as fast as possible in front of the fire.

So, you know what we're all thinking, given the nature of this forum: Who put out more fires, Deere or Kubota?