Please give me safe bushhogging advice
- Thread starter suttles
- Start date
- Views: 4512
I learned a long time ago that you can't force someone to be safe. Working safely is a personal decision that each individual must make. The best you can do is let them know how much you care for them and how much you are concerned about their safety. Even after showing them videos and such detailing the possible results of unsafe acts, many still take the attitude "that won't happen to me."
Good luck. Don't give up.
BR
Good luck. Don't give up.
BR
JoeinTX
Platinum Member
Yes, it's difficult to force someone to be safe. I'm probably a little over-cautious, but I worry about my equipment and others as much as myself.
-PTO override and safety chains all around.
-Seatbelt and ROPs since the tractor has them.
-Never leaving the seat with the implement engaged.
-Never crawling under a raised implement or the front-end loader.
Quite honestly, as worried as you sound about this, the idea of "taking away the keys" may just be your most logical option. Sure, I understand the heat it would create, but it sounds like your husband is endangering himself, the investment in the equipment, and the well-being of others like yourself with this mindset.
Also, it sounds like your husband might need a "good influence" or example to spend a little time with him about this. Any neighbors or family willing and knowledgable with equipment? How about the dealer you purchased the equipment from? A sales rep demo of proper procedures and a little sobering instruction in safety and warranties from someone official might get his attention...???
-PTO override and safety chains all around.
-Seatbelt and ROPs since the tractor has them.
-Never leaving the seat with the implement engaged.
-Never crawling under a raised implement or the front-end loader.
Quite honestly, as worried as you sound about this, the idea of "taking away the keys" may just be your most logical option. Sure, I understand the heat it would create, but it sounds like your husband is endangering himself, the investment in the equipment, and the well-being of others like yourself with this mindset.
Also, it sounds like your husband might need a "good influence" or example to spend a little time with him about this. Any neighbors or family willing and knowledgable with equipment? How about the dealer you purchased the equipment from? A sales rep demo of proper procedures and a little sobering instruction in safety and warranties from someone official might get his attention...???
RayH
Banned
A good start is to get him to read the manual (both the tractor and the implement) and take it seriously. It is full of suggestions on how to do things correctly and safely. Even if he doesnt follow the suggestions in the manual to a tee, they will at least give him something to think about. If hes not willing to read or listen to you, safety classes are a waste of time, hes going to do what he wants anyway.
JJT
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2001
- Messages
- 1,945
- Location
- Upstate NY, USA
- Tractor
- Kubota L3710 HST and a Kubota ZD21 60Pro
Others have posted some good advice. You husband needs to slow down, he's an accident waiting to happen.
The stumps need to be cut flush with the ground.
Any chance you can do the brush hogging while he's out of the house? After you get it knocked down the next time it will be easier, (cut it again before it gets too high).
The stumps need to be cut flush with the ground.
Any chance you can do the brush hogging while he's out of the house? After you get it knocked down the next time it will be easier, (cut it again before it gets too high).
jimmysisson
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 2,358
- Location
- W.Mass
- Tractor
- 1993 NH 2120 (the best), 1974 MF 135 (sold, but solid), 1947 Farmall A (bought, sold, bought back, sold again), 1956 MH50 lbt (sold, in 1980, darn it)
I'm with BamaRob on this one. Advising someone who "thinks he's safe" to pay attention to safety warnings and read the cautionary tales probably won't work. I agree, express your concern, and give him a cellphone and go somewhere else when he's mowing. Maybe if he knows you aren't watching it'll curb his attitude. Many of us learn from "almost..." incidents on tractors, where you get scared by something that was about to happen bad and didn't.
Best wishes, though. This is a tough one.
Jim
Best wishes, though. This is a tough one.
Jim
JerryG
Super Member
suttles,
I don't know if it would help or not, but if you do a search on the net for tractor rollovers you will find a lot of information. There is even a place or two that has short films of tractors rolling. You could show him the films where the incline is very slight.
I don't know if it would help or not, but if you do a search on the net for tractor rollovers you will find a lot of information. There is even a place or two that has short films of tractors rolling. You could show him the films where the incline is very slight.
rox
Veteran Member
Suttles,
My hsuband tends to be what I consider careless as well. However for some strange reason with the tractor he really operates it as safe as our conditions allow. Even in some areas he doesn't take the tractor because he doens't feel it is safe. With guys like this sometimes they jsut palin learn their lessons the hard way. The only thing that stops them is a near miss or activity that severly hits their wallet.
What I am doing is working with my husband to improve the tippy tractor paths he drives. He didnt' want to do it, but now that I started we are doing it together.
So what you might do is go out there and scout the area before he starts cutting. Why should you have to, when the better solution is for your husband to operate the tractor more safely? Well becasue he jsut won't (until he get that near miss or $$$ issue), and for your piece of mind suggest you just go out there and walk the area first and take a can of spray paint, preferably marking paint like the contractors use for marking roads, and paint up the areas that are of risk. Yeah a PIA but I think that is what I would do.
Once it is cut and your markers are there you will feel more secure. I think men who act that way are not so much careless as impatient. Their impatiance leads to carelessness. I guess I should correct what I wrote above, my husband isn't so much careless as impatient. However when he see a real risk he will respect it. He will try a slope that is to tall that nobody else would even try, but once he tries it he'll back off and realize it is just to dangerous.
Good luck to you Suttles!
My hsuband tends to be what I consider careless as well. However for some strange reason with the tractor he really operates it as safe as our conditions allow. Even in some areas he doesn't take the tractor because he doens't feel it is safe. With guys like this sometimes they jsut palin learn their lessons the hard way. The only thing that stops them is a near miss or activity that severly hits their wallet.
What I am doing is working with my husband to improve the tippy tractor paths he drives. He didnt' want to do it, but now that I started we are doing it together.
So what you might do is go out there and scout the area before he starts cutting. Why should you have to, when the better solution is for your husband to operate the tractor more safely? Well becasue he jsut won't (until he get that near miss or $$$ issue), and for your piece of mind suggest you just go out there and walk the area first and take a can of spray paint, preferably marking paint like the contractors use for marking roads, and paint up the areas that are of risk. Yeah a PIA but I think that is what I would do.
Once it is cut and your markers are there you will feel more secure. I think men who act that way are not so much careless as impatient. Their impatiance leads to carelessness. I guess I should correct what I wrote above, my husband isn't so much careless as impatient. However when he see a real risk he will respect it. He will try a slope that is to tall that nobody else would even try, but once he tries it he'll back off and realize it is just to dangerous.
Good luck to you Suttles!
midlf
Platinum Member
You have said he wears the seat belt and you have a ROPS so that is a good start. Have a talk with him about increasing his life insurance. Also work with him to locate all your important paperwork you will need to have when he dies. Also insist the his will and medical power of attorney are up to date. It may change his attitude. I do not say this as a joke. Several years ago it was HIGH STRESS at work. Stress counseling said at the rate I was going I would have a heart attack within 6mos. Told this to spouse who then implemented above plan, demanding all this be done. It got my attention. I changed jobs.
Well it looks like my nagging is going to pay off.
We are almost finished with all the bush hogging and today he was slow and careful.
I actually went faster than he did. This was a clear area and needs some grass.
I found some pictures on the internet of people that had been killed.
They were pretty awful to see. That kind of image stays with you. ( I feel so awfu for anyone that had a loved one that happened to).
So it was a great 4th of July getting out to do some tractor mowing.
I just love doing this.
I don't know if it the tractor or looking at the pasture after it has been mowed. There is some satifaction in doing a job like that.
Thanks for listening to me.
What is a good machine for mowing in places where you cannot get a tractor safely?
All of the land we have owned in the past was all safe to get a tractor over.
The places that we will not be able to mow will be the other side of the fence. There will be places that we will have to build the fence inside us a few feet in order to mow. A couple of those areas are grown up on the other side. It will be hard to keep the weeds from growing up on the fence.
The areas where the rock outcroppings are.
Is one of those large weed eaters better, the kind that looks like a lawn mower, or some type of walk behind mower?
Thanks,
travis
We are almost finished with all the bush hogging and today he was slow and careful.
I actually went faster than he did. This was a clear area and needs some grass.
I found some pictures on the internet of people that had been killed.
They were pretty awful to see. That kind of image stays with you. ( I feel so awfu for anyone that had a loved one that happened to).
So it was a great 4th of July getting out to do some tractor mowing.
I just love doing this.
I don't know if it the tractor or looking at the pasture after it has been mowed. There is some satifaction in doing a job like that.
Thanks for listening to me.
What is a good machine for mowing in places where you cannot get a tractor safely?
All of the land we have owned in the past was all safe to get a tractor over.
The places that we will not be able to mow will be the other side of the fence. There will be places that we will have to build the fence inside us a few feet in order to mow. A couple of those areas are grown up on the other side. It will be hard to keep the weeds from growing up on the fence.
The areas where the rock outcroppings are.
Is one of those large weed eaters better, the kind that looks like a lawn mower, or some type of walk behind mower?
Thanks,
travis