BX SNOWPLOWING SAFETY

[WALT]

I thought I would share with the group an incident that happened to me, and how to prevent future occurences.

When plowing my 450' driveway, I use a combination of the loader and my Woods LR106 6' rake with graderblade down.
I set the wheels to keep the blade 1" off the gravel.

The end of my drive, where the snow is pushed, is an approx. 70' drop to a brook, at a 60 degree angle. While dragging the snow with the rear blade near the edge, I moved the 3 point lever to raise the rear blade. Due to the large gloves I had on, I also knocked the transmission from low range to neutral.
The tractor rolled forward towards the abyss 2' until I realized what was happening and slammed on the brake. I had about 4' left before going over the edge. After identifiing my stupid error, I was much more careful completing the job.

I am not new to tractors or operating machinery, (650 hrs on the BX 2200) but as has been posted before, a few seconds of inattention can get you mentioned in this forum.

After some thought, I decided to somehow secure the transmission lever from being knocked into neutral again.
The solution was to make a T-shaped insert, that drops into the lever slot, easily removed, that secures the lever in high or low range. Using 1/2" plywood, the piece that drops in the slot is 7" long by 3" wide. A 1 1/2"
wide piece screwed on top keeps the insert from falling down.
Adjust the sizes to fit your tractor.

Hope this prevents any of you repeating my seat stainer.

HAPPY TRACTORING

WALT

 

[PineRidge]

Walt I'm glad the story turned out well for you otherwise it may have been a wild ride indeed. Sounds like you have the right fix for your problem as well.

I am also thankful that some of the manufacturers choose to place the 3-point position control lever on the opposite side of the tractor from the range selector. Maybe they should all be like that? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[RonR]

The other nearly safety issue in my mind it the PTO level is on the left on the BX with the 3PH on the right.

If you are running a Post Hole digger, you have your right hand on the 3PH, looking over your right shoulder.

Need to stop the PTO--turn all the way around to the LEFT to reach that handle. I don't like it, but haven't
figured how to change it yet.

If anyone else know, please let me know.
Ron

 

[Rick Jay]

WALT,

Glad to hear you're O.K.. It sounds like you've got a good solution to the problem as well. My B2910 has the 3 pt. lift on the right side with the range selector on the left. I never thought of that as a "safety feature", but I guess it almost is.

Be safe /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

~Rick

 

[Pks]

Does pushing in the clutch disengage your PTO?

 

[keeney]

I am not a huge fan of the neutral position on a HST tractor. I only intentionally put it in neutral because I have to to start it.

I have more than once found myself free-wheeling, unintentionally in neutral after first starting the tractor. Usually happens when I raise the FEL and weight block.

It takes a scary second to figure out what is going on and find the brake pedal again!


- Rick

 

[RalphVa]

We had a fellow to dinner here not long after I'd just bought my Gravely (1987, like new with 104 hours on it). He told about mowing with a Gravely on a hill with wet grass. He was on the sulky. Seems it went to skidding down hill (him with his hand on the reverse bar) and kept going. This was on a golf course. He had an audience. Seems there were a couple trees at the bottom of the slope, just wide enough apart. He made it between them and finally came to a stop.

I had a similar experience going up hill not long ago that kinda prompted my desire to pursue getting a BX or similar for my birthday next April. I was climbing my 30% hill out back in high range with the Gravely on the sulky with cart hitched behind the sulky. It started spinning. So, I had to gear down to low range. Instead of just popping the lever in, I went through neutral on the other lever and didn't get my hand brake on. The sulky pitched me off on my back side, and the Gravely proceeded to look as though it was going to run me over. Fortunately, the whole thing jackknifed and just sat there sideways on the hill. I put it into 1st low and walked it up the hill.

Ralph

 

[RonR]

PKS,

No clutch--it's HST. Even if it had a clutch, it should be live PTO, so that shouldn't affect stopping it.

THKS,
Ron

 

[Rick Jay]

Ron,

Maybe I'm missing something here, but are you sure about the "no clutch" statement? How do you change gear ranges or engage the PTO without a clutch?

On my B2910, the clutch stops the PTO from spinning and I bet it does on your BX too. When using the post hole digger, I will admit that the body is in a bit of a twist with my left foot ready to engage/disengage the clutch while my head is turned over my right shoulder watching as the bit is lowered. At the first hint of an obstruction, I step on the clutch to kill the PTO.

~Rick

 

[RonR]

Rick Jay,

No clutch on the BX2200 HST. PTO engages with a lever on the left side. Right foot operates the HST pedal and the one brake pedal.
Left foot can depress the diff lock. Shift from Lo to Hi range by stopping (HST pedal to neutral), manually move Lo-Hi level to other range.

Works slick. To me a clutch would only be in the way (except for this PTO issue).
Ron