Dismounting a running tractor ?

[Qapla]

YOU can disable your safety devises,I will not.........we just had a farmer down the road from us LOSE AN ARM to a corn chopper that he had disabled the guards and safeties...

There is a big difference in disabling a "safety device" that was designed for the safe operation of the machinery and a "safety device" that was installed to protect the manufacturer from law suits due to operator stupidity.

The safety guards that prevent someone from putting their hands, arms, feet, etc. into running equipment (especially something made to chop, grind or mutilate) were not put there simply to protect the manufacturer. They are there to protect the operator.

Things like seat switches were not really intended for the "protection" of the operator, they are for "law-suit-avoidance" for the manufacturer. Far to much riding machinery has switches that shut down the equipment when being properly used simply because the switch is either too sensitive or poorly installed.

We have a riding mower that has a seat switch. When we first got it, the mower would die when you changed directions or mower height. This was because the seat switch was installed at the wrong angle. When either lever was operated, the movement on the seat was enough to trip the switch.

When we lifted the seat to check, the switch was not even in the "alignment" de-tentes. When repositioned, the switch worked as it should.

A seat switch on a tractor that does not allow the user to turn in the seat to look behind, like is needed when backing up to hitch up to something, without killing the engine is not a safety switch. It is actually a hazard, as it tends to motivate the user to not only defeat that switch, but any other device that becomes inconvenient.

Remember, the best safety device we can have is common sense.

 

[Jaylegger]

The primary safety issue I've faced while dismounting either a running or one shut off is the cuff of my shorts catching on a lever. When wearing shorts in the summer I take extra time to ensure the brake is properly engaged, 3pt is dropped assuming something's hanging off it and both pto selector lever and clutch lever are not engaged. Would hate to have shorts catch one of the engagement lever starting the mower blades spinning, or dropping a boxblade on my face or fingers immediately after doing a face plant.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Qapla say "Remember, the best safety device we can have is common sense."
That about sums it up for safety, however there is nothing requiring a tractor owner to have that, only money or good credit is required, therefore lots of safety buttons and devices are put on at much expense to those who have common sense and use it but still have to pay for the idiot devices that are installed. I agree with others here, use what devices you want, disconnect the ones you dont want. You paid for them, use them or dont it is your choice. If someone wishes to keep all their's active, so be it, they know how smart they are so perhaps they need to have those seat switches so they dont get off the tractor with it running down the road like the woman in the RV who put it on cruise and went in back to make a sandwich and was astonished when it crashed. I was astonished to find that jurors awarded her money for being so stupid. That kind of action is why we spend an extra thousand (maybe more as lawyer fund is likely added to each price) on each tractor. For me, the simple clutch to start is all that I need on my tractor because most of the time if I am on a hill, I will leave it in gear when I stop so that is a good device that I will keep.