Is this safe?

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( she was riding on the wide sled drag behind the disc. Safe, I thought? I looked )</font>

Farm life aint safe.. Funny enough.. I've done the same thing.. neighbor was dragging his areena, and had a telephone post behind the drag as a leveler.. and we took turns riding on the phone pole using a rope from the tractor as ballance... work and fun.. dangerous? yep...

Look at horses. Many states have equine liability laws that state that if you are at an equine event ( even spectators ).. and ya get hurt.. the event/owner aren't responsible as horses are dangerous.. and if you are voulentarilly there.. its your choice..

If I had to count the number of times a horse has bit, kicked, or stepped on me.. well.. it'd be a tough job... same with cows.. Let me tell you.. 1200# of prime rib is heavy when its standing on your foot.. and doesn't really want to move...

Soundguy

 

[EddieWalker]

After reading all the good advice, I don't have anything to offer as to which is better, wagon or platform.

I did have an idea about the platform. Build yourself a set of pallet forks that attach to your 3pt hitch. They are very common and quite useful. Then build a platform with railings that you pick up with the pallet forks. A hole in the end of the forks would lock it in place.

I've seen this setup used in all sorts of construction sites, even union jobs with OSHA present.

Another advantage would be a great platform for hauling tools, equipment and materials around.

Whatever you decide, take pictures!

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue"> Let me tell you.. 1200# of prime rib is heavy when its standing on your foot.. and doesn't really want to move...
</font>

Aint that the truth--We just recently had a 17 yr old neighbor boy get his elbow pulled out of socket trying to restrain a 1200 lb Mama cow. I witnessed that and it was very, very painful. 3 months later and he is fine. --Ken Sweet
SWeet Farm Equipment lLC *New "First Choice" 5 ft double action sickle mowers for CUT tractors*

 

[slowzuki]

Hmm, some of my best memories of the farm are hay wagon rides with horses pulling. Our province banned hay rides about 15 years ago because someone in a car rear ended a wagon and killed a bunch of people.

Luckily we were still allowed to ride the wagon when actually haying /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Yup it is dangerous, even at deck level its a ways to fall facefirst to pavement.

But I could have slipped in the shower this am and become a vegtable, I could have died 3 weeks ago when I was hit by a drunk driver head-on.

Look at look risks and figure whats acceptable to you. Wagon rides in controlled conditions aren't very dangerous. Just by staying off a public road makes anything you chose to do much safer.

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Funny you should mention riding on a drag-- )</font>

Ken, I forgot to mention a horse was pulling the drag. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue">Ken, I forgot to mention a horse was pulling the drag. </font>

You must be in your upper fifties + to remember doing things like that? Ever see a horse get spooked and run back to the barn with a Drag or Double Shovel still hitched? Man, that was fun /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif--Ken Sweet

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( hay wagon rides with horses pulling )</font>

When I was a teenager, I once helped a couple of friends of mine - brothers, one my age, the other a year older, to haul corn shocks from the field to the barn using a wagon pulled by a single mule. On one trip, we had piled the shocks just as high as we possibly could on that wagon, they got up on top in the middle, and I was driving the mule. The two brothers got to scuffling up on top of the pile and the younger one threw his brother off and the wagon ran over one of his ankles. We had quite a job trying to lift him up onto the wagon again with him crying and screaming in pan to get him back to the house. Fortunately, it turned out not to be broken as we first thought; only very badly sprained.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Ever see a horse get spooked and run back to the barn with a Drag or Double Shovel still hitched? )</font>

I've never seen that; bet it was exciting. But I'll never forget watching my Dad plow with a team of mules. Those mules would simply plod slowly along all the time he was plowing, but when he headed back to the barn, they suddenly came alive and it was just about all he could do to hang back on the reins to keep them from running all the way to the barn.

 

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Those mules would simply plod slowly along all the time he was plowing, but when he headed back to the barn, they suddenly came alive and it was just about all he could do to hang back on the reins to keep them from running all the way to the barn. )</font>

Hmmmmm...... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Sounds like some of the people that I have to work with! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Laminarman]

Good Lord did I open a can or worms. I go 140mph on a race track and take precautions agains being killed. I appreciate all your posts, and you guys are all great. But there seems to be a distinct line being drawn between "don't do it, your arm could be chopped off by a buzzard flying over the wagon..." to "live life". To each his own I guess is the lesson. I hope all of us practice safe tractoring and above all else enjoy our families, because that's what it's all about.

Here in upstate NY the rain really stinks. All my two year old wants to do it ride on my lap (with a seat belt...going slow...ona flat surface...without any lightning in the air...and with insurance in place...and a waiver signed by his attorney...) but we can't get clear skies or dry ground on any given day I'm out of the office.

Thanks people.

 

[Chechnya]

Your tractor was meant for 1 driver only. So lets keep it that way.

 

[Laminarman]

Chechnya

Your post would be an example of the line I'm talking about.