No rear guard, mowing along the roadway.

[RalphVa]

Yesterday, I was behind a car that came to a stop behind a tractor mowing the grass alongside the roadway with a regular bush hog. I noticed he had absolutely no guard on the back.

He stopped the machine to let us go by. I thought the car in front of me had gotten entirely too close to the thing though. I stopped beside him and said, "You don't have a rear guard on that thing!"

He replied, "I know."

I said, "You're going to kill someone!"

He said, "I didn't hit your car did I?"

I took off at that point. No point talking to an idiot.

I kept seeing people mowing with discharge chutes on ZTR mowers in the center divider or beside the road in the mornings here. I'd call up their supervisors and tell them that it was very dangerous, that I'd had a looks-like-a-bullet-hole made in my car door by a bush hog on a highway median in Florida due to faulty chains (none in some places). Finally even wrote the local newspaper about it. They published my article. Guess there's no law regarding the use of guards around here.

Tried finding some statististics on the internet about it but struck out. Anyone seen any stats?

Ralph

 

[beenthere]

The chains may limit the debris thrown from the mowers, but I doubt, IMO, that they eliminate it all together.

I make sure my car windows are up when I pass them by, and have thought about stopping, but most often just wince when I see it. Bothers me more to see people mowing their lawns with children playing nearby, and did stop once to talk to a guy who had a very small child in a little red wagon being pulled behind his big garden tractor while mowing. He didn't like it when I pointed it out, buy hopefully he gave it some serious thought after I left.

The statistics along the roadways must not indicate much of a problem, or there wouldn't be so many rotary mowers out there mowing, IMO. But that in itself isn't much of an excuse.

 

[Soundguy]

While there may be no law about it.. doesn't mean they don't have laibility if they do cause property damage.. course then.. ya probbaly got to sue them to squeeze your money out.. etc.

That said.. I like truck mudflaps for rotary mower shields I made a set for my 5' KK for about 15$.. works great.

I was thinking about adding a set to my 10' howse.. but I'm always in remote pasture when that thing spins up.. etc..
Still.. I may sacrifice some mud flaps to it as well one day..

Soundguy

 

[DmaxEter]

If you notice now, most states have adopted the technique of mowing the high ways facing oncoming cars for this very reason. Less likely to hit a car with something thrown from a mower.

 

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Guess there's no law regarding the use of guards around here. )</font>

Yeah, Ralph,
and no law about hiring an idiot! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DmansPadge]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That said.. I like truck mudflaps for rotary mower shields I made a set for my 5' KK for about 15$.. works great.)</font>

Thats a great tip Soundguy. I don't have any shields on mine, but, like you with your 10 footer... I really only use it in remote areas where the worst thing I would hurt is a tree! We have a bunch of old mudflaps at work that where ripped off dump trucks and such. I think I'll make me up some shields when I have time.

 

[RalphVa]

I don't have a rear shield on mine either, but I'm not going to take it out on the highway to mow with it. I only use it down below the house along the creek.

Guess no one has a source of statisitics on stuff being thrown and damage done by people mowing along roadways?

Ralph

 

[Soundguy]

Here's a pic of my 5' with mudflap guards.

I used that perfed angle iron.. got it at a hardware store.. has pre drilled holes.. than a truck mudflap cut in half.. used 1/4" bolt hardware to bolt it on after using a drill to drill the flap for the holes. Used some larger bolt hardware to bolt the fram to preexisting holes/bolts on the cutter. perfed angle iron made a good framework for the guard.. easy.. cheap.. etc..

Soundguy