OK Man Run Over By His Own Tractor

MartyAnderson · Apr 3, 2006

4-1-06 – A man had to be flown to the hospital after he was run over by a tractor in Carter County Saturday afternoon. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, 78-year-old Dale Tadlock Lahman was flown to an Oklahoma City Hospital just after 4:00 p.m.

As Lahman worked to hook up a brush hog, the tractor jumped into gear and ran over his legs. It happened on private property on the outskirts of Healdton.

Lahman was in stable condition

JerryG · Apr 3, 2006

Accidents happen all too often. Sometimes it is amazing how things happen. I had an older neighbor a few years ago, that got ran over by his tractor twice before he could get away. I never did figure all of that out.

SkyPup · Apr 3, 2006

Good thing his bush hog was not running....

trlong · Apr 3, 2006

Let's all hope he makes a speedy and full recovery.

It would be interesting to know what, and how old, a tractor it was. I wonder if this is something that might have been prevented by a seat kill switch? Obviously, there are many things that would be very inconvenient to do if you had to shut off and re-start the tractor every time you got out of the seat, especially when attaching implements. However, I wonder if, in neutral with the brake on, tractor running, a seat pressure ingition kill switch would have prevented movement when it "jumped into gear". Or maybe it would have just left him pinned under the brushhog as the ignition died.

JoeR · Apr 3, 2006

I can tell you how I have almost run myself over... I had my seat switch disabled, and when hooking up my old tractor, I would hit the pedal while standing next to the tractor to move it back and forth to line up the 3pt. I did not have telescopic links, and sometimes you had to push or pull the implement to get the last link to line up. I noticed how easy it would be for that large rear tire on the tractor to hit me since I was always in front of that tire when hitting the pedal. Overall, I was too lazy to keep climbing in and out of the tractor to move it an inch or two. Now that I have a tractor with telecsopic links, I no longer have to do that.

Joe

Soundguy · Apr 4, 2006

( t would be interesting to know what, and how old, a tractor it was. I wonder if this is something that might have been prevented by a seat kill switch )

Honestly.. i hear stories like this.. and it makes me wonder... Like.. wonder how a machine 'hops' into gear. On all my gear tractors... there is -no- way without lots of fighting and grinding, and revvinf the motor and letting it come down in rpm fast and jambing the gear shift in, to get the thing to go in gear without the clutch.... No syncro's on the old ones...

The only tractor I could see that happening with is a unit with a hand clutch.. many have a detent that holds them 'out', and you can actually leave them in gear. I can see the clutch poppin 'in' and it taking off.. etc. My JD B has a hand clutch.. as wella s case DC's i believe.. I also think some old allis.. like WD and WD45 also have an axle clutch, as well as a few rare 'live pto' axle clutch kits for old fords. other than that.. hard to imagine.

I'd love to hear details, or 'the rest of the story, behind these matters.. etc.

Soundguy

dmccarty · Apr 6, 2006

Soundguy,

A friend at work has an old tractor. I think its a FarmAll. A while back he started the tractor while standind next to it. The tractor was in gear, he was able to jump up out of the way, but it ran up on a piece of equipment, his implement shifted and bumped into a barn post, and the tractor tire(s) started digging before he could turn it off.

I think the tractor ran up on a new riding lawn mower but no real damage was done. He was lucky he did not get run over or the barn post knocked down. He had a hard time getting things right since the tractor had dug up the barn floor a bit and the implement got wedged into the post. Scared the bee jeebers out of him.

Since we have a couple of thread picking on old guys he is 55 ish. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The same guy got the same tractor stuck in a wet area on his land. It took his 25 year old son to break the transmission trying to get the tractor unstuck. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

They had to get a neighbor with a JD, I think it was a 4600 or 4700 to help pull out his FA.

Later,
Dan

BobReeves · Apr 7, 2006

I have an old Ford 3000, no seat switch and the transmission safty switch was bypased long ago. Have caught myself reaching for the key to start it while standing beside it and thought how stupid a move that would be.

Does make one wonder how a tractor could slip into gear by itself. I would venture to say it would be imposible for my 3000 to jump into gear with the clutch out and engine idling. Might be able to force it with the shift lever but it would probably take out a couple gear teeth in the process.

If I get off the tractor and leave it running, I plant the bucket and lower whatever is on the 3 point. If I am hookin up an implement I use a 6 foot crow bar to nuge the implement into submission.

For me hooking and unhooking implements is the most dangerious situtation I get into, always take my time and be extra careful. If I get distracted I stop and wait until I can give it my full attention. May not keep me from being hurt but at least I do what I can to stack the odds in my favor.

Soundguy · Apr 8, 2006

( I think its a FarmAll. A while back he started the tractor while standind next to it. The tractor was in gear )

Starting a tractor in gear, and starting it, and having it 'hop' into gear are completely different things. My IH cub has no qualms about starting in 2nd gear WITH the mower engaged.. ( must have a great starter! ).

Soundguy

dmccarty · Apr 10, 2006

Bob,

I use a 6 foot long pry bar to align my implements as well. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
One day I'll buy those telescoping links. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy,
While the origional story said the tractor jumped in gear I don't buy it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm sure that is what the man said but trannys don't just shift by themselves. I'm sitting here thinkings of how that could happen but none make much sense. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I think the guy left the tractor in gear and started it up.

Later,
Dan