For your own peace of mind

[BTDT]

For those that mow slopes on a continuous basis, I can see where a tilt meter would be handy, and your own judgement should be your guide as to what "you" can safely mow. But, if I were doing this on a continous basis, I would install a switch in the run/kill circuit hooked up to a device (mercury switch in a/c thermostat type) that if I reached a certain % of slope, it would sound a buzzer, light a light, or even kill engine before a critical percent of slope could be attained. For some so inclined (no pun intended), it would be just another switch to find and bypass. So what do you think?

 

[3RRL]

No, I don't think so.
Although I have a tilt meter, I don't think any device is going to prevent a roll-over short of a stabilizer shooting out for support. Even with the tilt meter, it's still up to you to react to it. That is, when you find out at what angle your tractor tips over, you need to stay shy of that. And how do you know what that is unless you get to that point? My personal feeling about this is use your better judgment and internal gut feeling. With that in mind, the tilt meter is enough warning for me.

For sure, I would not want anything to shut my engine off. If I ever got to a point where the engine was shut off automatically, how would I get it off of there once it's shut down? I'd want the ability to maneuver my tractor out of the slope.

 

[Soundguy]

I agree with Rob.. no way I'm putting a 'big brother-think for me' kill device on my tractor.. I may just need that 1 extr degree to get out of a bad situation, vs having the kill switch go off at an inopertune moment. The buzzer or blinking lamp? ok.. that I'd considder.. etc..

BTDT.. the device you reccomend would be akin to a device that shut your car's ignition off at 56mph.... that's be a real bummer while you were rushing to the hospital .... fleeing danger.. etc..

soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

For those that mow slopes on a continuous basis, I can see where a tilt meter would be handy, and your own judgement should be your guide as to what "you" can safely mow. But, if I were doing this on a continous basis, I would install a switch in the run/kill circuit hooked up to a device (mercury switch in a/c thermostat type) that if I reached a certain % of slope, it would sound a buzzer, light a light, or even kill engine before a critical percent of slope could be attained. For some so inclined (no pun intended), it would be just another switch to find and bypass. So what do you think?

Power steering....hydraulic brakes.....the ability to get the tractor off the slope......

Things you'd be without if the kill switch did it's thing.

From someone who's spent the last 35 years farming on steep hilly ground, the best saftey device you can have is GOOD SENSE. MAYBE a warning light, but even that would minimize THINKING.

 

[BTDT]

Kill engine. I'm glad you all seen that part, but the rest of the sentence says "before" critical % slope reached. I realize majority of folks operate their own machinery and are familiar with it, I'm thinking of wife or son who is not that familiar. I would rather them come tell me the tractor quit on the pond dam/levee, than me go looking for them and find them pinned under the equipment. As in a thermostat, you would still have ability to adjust left or right to get it started back up and off of slope. Just trying to think outside the box.

Some people have something to say, some people have to say something. Still trying to figure out which group I'm in.

 

[Willl]

I'm thinking of wife or son who is not that familiar

I'm thinking they shouldn't be on it.


Don't just feed me fish, teach me to fish.

 

[Soundguy]

I'm still thinking that that wildly bouncing mercury switch just might kill the engine at an inopertune moment when you could be saving yourself.. vs having the tractor shut down.

And as another poster said.. There shouldn't be any inexperienced ops onthe tractor without supervision anyway. I fthe wife or kid can't safely op the tractor.. then they wouldn't be driving it....

Soundguy

Kill engine. I'm glad you all seen that part, but the rest of the sentence says "before" critical % slope reached. I realize majority of folks operate their own machinery and are familiar with it, I'm thinking of wife or son who is not that familiar. I would rather them come tell me the tractor quit on the pond dam/levee, than me go looking for them and find them pinned under the equipment. As in a thermostat, you would still have ability to adjust left or right to get it started back up and off of slope. Just trying to think outside the box.
Some people have something to say, some people have to say something. Still trying to figure out which group I'm in.

 

[BTDT]

I agree. But we can't be everywhere at once. People do things they aren't supposed to do, and they get hurt. That's why the gun lobby wants to ban firearms, install trigger locks, register guns, etc. etc. It was just an idea, maybe a bad one, but maybe at least it will make someone think. I had a mechanic friend that lost an eye due to not wearing safety glasses (hit chisel with hammer and piece hit him in the eye). I'm sure he has thought about his safety glasses being in his tool box in his truck over and over since his accident, and wondered why he didn't take the time to put them on.

 

[Soundguy]

Maybe if his chissle would have had a safety glasses lockout device he's still be able to see. Perhaps hammers ought to be fitted with safety interlock devices too?

See where this is going? Consumer safety protection laws, and loss of rights...

Soundguy

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I think an engine kill feature could actually initiate a rollover. A sudden deceleration would shift "weight" to the front axle which is on a pivot and has no roll stiffness. Maybe a more sophisticated system like the stability control they put on cars would be helpful.