A simple safety question?

bota7800 · Aug 22, 2009

If my midnight math is right, 1 mile per hour is about 1.5 feet per second. If a child climbed off, fell off or got pitched off it wouldn't take very long for the tractor to hit him or her. If you go 5 mph (my swag for a real speed) that is 7 feet. Stop in a half second, you still have a potential tragedy.

mcd176 · Aug 22, 2009

I am glad that most of you agree with me I was starting to think I was crazy for feeling the way I do about this subject!

BXRICK · Aug 22, 2009

I once put my 6-month-old int the bucket for a picture. Tractor not running.
But it never occurred to me to give anyone a ride there.
That can't be nearly as safe as giving someone a ride on their lap.
The bucket jerks up and down a lot more than the operator's seat, and as others have said, if someone does fall out, it's a pretty near certainty they'll be at leats partially run over.
It just seems like a bad idea.

Life is a series of calculated risks/rewards. Nothing is 100% safe. Unless it's a propane tank nanny...
I can't see really any reward here, and a whole lot of risk.

carpenter383 · Aug 22, 2009

I would say it's not safe to travel (go from point A to point B) with a child in a fel bucket If it was just a few feet in low gear at idle on flat ground and if the child was old enough to know not to try and stand up or jump out or anything, then I see no harm in it. I'd say that would be safer than riding a dirtbike, climbing a tree, riding in the back of a pick-up, etc.

Bedlam · Aug 22, 2009

Ill add my experience and views. I think tis perfectly acceptable under the right circumstances and one is frame of mind,(paying attention) the next is maturity.
Years ago my son now age 25 was about 6 to 10 id say. Well I had stopped the tractor in the yard out back and didn't notice him come down the pathway and lay inside the bucket. I'm sure he was thinking he was playing and having fun with me.
Well I hopped on and started to drive forward, and dumping the bucket at the same time to drop loose soils from it and then I saw him roll out of the bucket.Yep scare the heck out of me. I believe I was mature enough ,but just to complacent .
Point is had i been looking somewhere else I could have run over him.
I do think that this gave him some insight to the dangers that he caries to this day.
So to each their own, we all take chances , but have to be cautious.

Oleozz · Aug 22, 2009

NEVER.

zman007007 · Aug 22, 2009

INMO I think the only way it would be safe for anyone at all is if you was driving the tractor in reverse, but even then with your head turned around backwards if they fell over the backside of the bucket they could still get hurt or killed. zman

tugboat-2 · Aug 22, 2009

NOPE ! ABSOLUTELY NOT,...NEVER UNDER "ANY" Circumstances!!!!!!

But after all my safety lectures,..what did you expect from the "tugboat"?

From my experience, I'd think there would be some pretty terrible "stories" out there,...but anyone going through one may not wish to bring back memories!!

Once it's done,....it's too late,..."Ooops, sorry",...doesn't count!!

Be careful out there!
. . tug

PS: Just MHO,....but I'd say anyone who "thinks" it's OK,...has NOT seen the sad, sad, sad, things "some" of us old-timers have, seen, heard of, or experienced! There are some terrible accident sites for tractor related incidents,...there must be some concerning "this" topic?
..........ALSO: MCD176: yes perhaps you are "a little **** retentive",....SO should we all be when it comes to mixing Children-with-Tractors!!! Tractors "ARE" Dangerous,...NOT "toys"!!

coobie · Aug 22, 2009

Lets take it one step more,has anyone had someone lift them up in the bucket to do some work?I think most of us has done some work out of the bucket instead of getting a ladder.coobie