Do you wear your seat belt on your tractor?

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> ( I find this thread quite scary when I see the number of people saying that they do not wear their seatbelts on their tractor ) </font>

Don't be scared for me. It would take some freakish event to cause my tractor to overturn. All I do with mine is mow -- I have no FEL on it. I do however wear my seat belt all the time when running my Skid Steer -- now there is something that can tip over with ease, plus keeps me planted in my seat while being bounced around.

I know there are many TBN members that are **** when it comes to safety -- to each their own.

What scares me are the motorcycle drivers that refuse to wear helmets -- but that's THEIR choice.

 

[Boomerang1]

Maybe the people that don't wear their seat belts think they will look like a sissie if they wear it. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue">( Maybe the people that don't wear their seat belts think they will look like a sissie if they wear it. ) </font>

Uh, yeah, that's it ... mystery solved.

 

[riptides]

We get these kind of questions from time to time, it usually generates into what people choose. The one thing we all know and agree upon is when something happens there is always -
IF

If I had been more -
If I had been -
If it would have -
If not for -
If this, IF that...

I try and limit my IF's. Seatbelts help me. Wish I would have had one many years ago. Notice I said wish and not IF.

After a quick visual inspection, I hop on my tractor, the seatbelt comes on. It is almost a reflex now...

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Maybe the people that don't wear their seat belts think they will look like a sissie if they wear it. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )</font>

======
Wonder what they think they will look like stone cold dead under a tractor?

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Seat belt on - Always.
Rops up - Always.
Reason... Tractor fell over once.
Unhurt due to rops and belt. )</font>

== <font color="red">==== </font> ==
What feels odd to me is getting on my Bolens and Power craft tractors and no ROPS or seat belts.
Gives me that feels like something's missing feeling.

 

[mboulais]

<font color="blue"> </font> ( Once, Moving tractor on highway from one property to another 10 miles away. Otherwise, no. )
Interesting in that this brings up the question:
Do most tractor accidents occur on the highway or on private property?
<font color="black"> </font> I didn't do it to save my life, If even something as small as a midsize car his my 41 hp mahindra I expect to be maimed or more likely dead. I did it because I'm not sure how far a state trooper would stretch the NYS seatbelt law

 

[ptfarmermd]

I think that like cars, wearing your seatbelt on your tractor is a preference. I think that I am safer on the tractor wearing the seatbelt almost anywhere I go on the farm. I stated earlier that I do not wear it on level ground, or if I know I will be getting off very soon to do something like opening or closing a gate. My farm is very hilly, with lots of rock breaks, trees, washed out areas from water channels, and assorted other hazards. The seatbelt will hopefully keep me from getting killed if something bad should happen, even though I try to be as careful and cognizant of hazards as I can be.
My old tractor, a 1949 Ferguson TO-20, did not have a ROPS or seatbelt, so this was not an issue. My NH TC35A has both, so I use them.
There is one other situation, besides a rollover, where the seatbelt can help keep you safe. What happens if you hit or catch something solid like a tree, rock, tree stump, etc.; or get bounced around running over rocks, tree stumps, etc.; and your seatbelt is not used? You could go off of the operator's platform and under a wheel or implement. Not a good place to be.
Again, it is a preference, and not everyone wants to use a seatbelt. I live in Maryland where we have a seatbelt law requiring you to have it buckled in your vehicle or be fined. My best friend never buckles his seatbelt. His reasoning is if there is a fire, the seatbelt could delay you long enough for the fire or explosion to kill you. My argument is it takes you two seconds or less to undo a seatbelt, so if the car is going to explode or burn that fast, it would not matter. If it does, it is a very, very, very small chance. Up to you.

End of diatribe. This is my two pennies contribution to the discussion.

 

[mffarmall]

I wear my seat belt. I was running in 1st and hit a 2" dip outside my front yard and the wheele went right and almost pulled me out of the cab.

 

[1bush2hog]

I feel more comfortable wearing my seatbelt as well, mainly because I have always done it since purchasing my tractor.

However, due to the fact that I work my tractor in the woods, as well as pastures, I have often thought about a tree pinning me against the seat if I rolled over on a wooded slope. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Flat ground - no doubt about it - a ROPS/seatbelt combo is the way to go. I'm not so sure that it is a good idea in the woods, even though I still wear mine regardless. A full cage would be ideal /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Just curious what others who are more experienced think about wearing seatbelts in the woods and arguments for/against?