Only major difference I see between the 2 are engine protection systems like low oil shut down and such.
And a seat.
And generally there is not an exposed shaft. Nor do they have wheels and a way to propel themselves.
The big risks I see would be the spinning PTO shaft, even with a shield. People are idiots, they would still find a way to get tangled in it. I see it as Darwin in action, lawyers see it as my fault.
Other big risk would be someone disengaging the parking brake or attempting to drive it. I would rate this as a bigger risk than entanglement. Not so much with pre-teens, but with teens and adults. Again, they should know better.
I know that tractors get used as stationary power sources all the time. To a degree, they are designed for this. But, I am going to go back to them being unattended. Using one to run an auger all day while you are around doing other things is not the same as unattended. You would likely see or hear it if something happened. Your presence would also deter others from monkeying with things.
If you need to have something run a pump all day out in a field, a tractor is probably not the best choice. If it is all you have, or the situation demands it, then you make do with what you have. But, there is also a significant difference between that and doing this next to your house.
Here is my take on the whole situation. If you have to consider what steps to take to prevent accidents so you can use your tractor as an unattended power source, you should consider using another power source. If there is an accident, the first thing that someone is going to ask is if you took reasonable and prudent steps to prevent the accident. Unless you plan on putting it inside a cage, the likely answer is going to be no. Putting a chain on the wheel or a club on the steering wheel does nothing to prevent someone from getting tangled in the PTO. Nor does it prevent the tractor from being knocked into gear and effectively becoming a runaway. Even if it does only go in circles because one wheel is chained.
Not saying I agree with this mentality at all. I think it is dead wrong. The first question should be "Why was whomever messing with it in the first place", but unfortunately, our legal system doesn't work like that anymore. You will be painted as the evil tractor owner who intentionally left it running to tempt small children into wanting to play on it so you could take pleasure in their injuries. If you put a security camera on it, you were planning on putting it on YouTube for your amusement. Nobody will care if that is the truth or not. Judges let attorneys manipulate juries this way and we all suffer because of it. Stupidity is rewarded and even if you do take reasonable steps, you will be at fault for not being able to think of every possible thing the idiot could do to get hurt. Also, remember "beyond a reasonable doubt" only applies to criminal cases. Civil requires "a preponderance of the evidence".
At the end of the day, is it really worth the risk to not have to maintain another engine?
