Newbie or Veteran Tractor Safety - Please add your experience!

2ndhalf · May 6, 2017

I don't know if such a thread already exists for a new person to tractoring to read tips on tractor safety.

Here are my tips for a new person to tractors but I have left many out so feel free to add your.

First: If you have a manual read it and if you don't have one buy one.

1. Understand your tractor and it's limitations
2. Don't make sharp turns with your loader high in the air even empty.
3. NEVER let anyone come around an implement that is running off the PTO - Get your kids out of the yard not even close to you.
4. Use Ballast when doing loader or grapple work or at the very least understand your tractor's lift limitations.
5. Never use your bucket to lift anyone without proper safety harness and a platform designed for this. I have a relative paralzyed from trimming a tree out of a bucket and fell out.
6. Never let anyone ride in your bucket
7. Don't trust the hydraulics on your tractor to jack things up and work under them (use blocks or jack stands)... if a line blows you are toast.

That's all for now....

dmccarty · May 8, 2017

I do not know of a safety thread but there is the TBN safety forum which is very educational.

I was reading a Northern Ireland online newspaper over the weekend and one of the big stories was a man being killed while on a riding lawn mower. No details at all in the story but my guess was he rolled the machine and got trapped.

Later,
Dan

MF283 · May 10, 2017

ROPS aren't worth a dime if you aren't wearing a seatbelt.

redman135 · May 10, 2017

A folded down ROPS can't do it's job - RAISE it, you may save your life.

coldsteelva · May 10, 2017

Do not push over 'dead' trees - inevitably the top portion will shear and fall back towards the pusher and ROPS won't save you.

Looking4new · May 10, 2017

coldsteelva said:
Do not push over 'dead' trees - inevitably the top portion will shear and fall back towards the pusher and ROPS won't save you.

Nor will the cab if you have one.

If your FEL is loaded carry the load low. No more than 2' off the ground.
If you are traveling anywhere carry your bucket less that 4' off the ground.
Slow down turning corners, way slower than you do in your car/pickup.

2LaneCruzer · May 27, 2017

Many years ago I used to help my Grandfather with his plowing; he liked the Graham Hoeme for some reason, so I had some experience with it, especially smoothing my rather amateurish turn rows. He had an old M&M model U that he farmed with, so that's what we used.

I was pulling the Hoeme down into a low area, and when I started up the other side... the low area was wet and the old Hoeme sank down nearly to the beams. The front wheels of the old tractor came off the ground and started over backwards...thank goodness it had a hand clutch and I was able to grab it in time, but another second and it would have been over on top of me. That happened to me another time, with an identical tractor, in the identical situation, but on another man's farm. I was waiting for it that time.

Al 2 · May 27, 2017

Here's a couple. Don't reach over or in front of the wheels to start the tractor . It may not be in neutral as you think. Always be in the seat when starting. Also, if you are stopped and running the tractor and someone comes up to talk, don't let them stand in the path of the wheel.
Al

RNeumann · May 28, 2017

We all focus on the machine and operator but that misses one of my biggest. Anyone around the machine MUST make eye contact with operator and BOTH MUST know what each other is doing. The two deaths I've witnessed have been folks around the machine- not the operator themselves. Take the time to educate and make clear your expectations of anyone around the machine. A lot of the accidents involving others was someone moving to a place the operator didn't expect someone or something to be.

I also take the time to drive a t-post or snow stake next to all my obstacles and utilities before I start a project. A "little" tap or dig-even on something stupid like a sprinkler- can eat up part of day repairing.

If a mod sees this it would be great to have this in the safety section.

GAFarmer2 · May 28, 2017

RNeumann said:
We all focus on the machine and operator but that misses one of my biggest. Anyone around the machine MUST make eye contact with operator and BOTH MUST know what each other is doing. The two deaths I've witnessed have been folks around the machine- not the operator themselves. Take the time to educate and make clear your expectations of anyone around the machine. A lot of the accidents involving others was someone moving to a place the operator didn't expect someone or something to be.

This. This right here could save so many lives. I have seen way more accidents and near misses caused by those around equipment who have no business being there, than accidents on actual equipment.