DesertRose
Bronze Member
bandit67 said:Also, on any type of jobsite situation, where there are laborers of some sort, whether it's paid laborers or family laborers, the horn is very often heard better than you trying to yell over the noise of the engine. It's also a useful tool to get the attention or communicate in some way with someone in another vehicle or on another tractor either crossing your path or working in conjunction with you.
I've always had a horn on my tractors, and if I were to buy one that didn't have one, I'd put one on in short order. There is a reason why all the construction equipment have horns, and a horn on a private owner's tractor can be just as useful.
I have no problem if someone feels they need a horn. I just don't consider them a safety device. But since you mentioned using the tractor on a jobsite you better look at putting a back-up alarm on your tractor. That's not just my thoughts or yours, that's the law when the tractor is used on a jobsite unless you have full unobstructed view from the seat and don't have a cab or back-hoe causing blind spots. If you use the horn to communicate with other operators then it becomes a convenience device not a safety device.
Tractors are equipped with ROPS, seat belts, lights, turn signals and interlocks and if horns were indeed a safety device I have no doubt you'd see them installed as standard equipment on all new tractors. I think we all know why these safety devices are installed on all new tractors now. You can bet if there was a case history of accidents that could have been prevented if a tractor had been equipped with a horn they would be a required safety device also.
Who knows, some day I might install a horn on my tractor. I don't fault anyone who wants to install a horn. They can be handy for signaling. I just don't consider it a safety device.
Tom