Put you handbrake on

EnglishBob · Mar 16, 2005

Parked my tractor up on a slight incline the other week, lowered my bush hog and went in for my lunch. A few days later I started the engine & took a walk around to look for any leaks etc. Decided to lift the bush hog up to take a quick look at the blades. I reached into the cab through the door and pushed back on the hitch lever. The tractor immediatley began to roll down the hill, with me running alongside leaning into the cab. The rear wheel was brushing against my leg and I had to decide whether to bail out or "bail in". With the tractor rapidly increasing in speed I managed to jump in and hit the brakes. I spent the next half hour sat in the seat wondering how much worse it could have been. Obviously the bush hog on the floor was holding the tractor on the hill and I hadn't bothered putting the handbrake on the last time I'd parked up, make sure you do.

Mark4510 · Mar 16, 2005

EnglishBob,
Welcome to TBN!

Your story is a great reminder to all that safety needs to be foremost in our minds while working.

Thanks for the great reminder.
Mark

Henro · Mar 16, 2005

Bob,

Glad you were not injured in that experience!

I looked at your profile, and see you have a FEL and a topper...what's a "topper" ?

Last but not least, welcome to TBN. Lots of good people and advice here... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Mith · Mar 17, 2005

( what's a "topper" )
you call it a bush hog

Welcome bob, great to have another UK person here.

Those hills can be nasty, thanks for the reminder, and glad youre OK.

edit: looks like you have an interesting job....
I edited this post again to get the red out. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

KiotiJohn · Mar 17, 2005

top o the day to you Bob, and welcome to TBN. Isn't if strange how gravity will do that? Thanks for posting your experience. We can all use the occasional reminder that stuff happens when you're not thinking about what you're doing. John

Crabgrass · Mar 17, 2005

I've got another reason to set the brake before leaving the tractor. I parked my tractor (JD4400 w/hydrostatic trans) in the yard once on a slight grade and went in for the night.

The next day I go outside, and THE TRACTORS GONE! Oh cr*p! somebody stole it?!? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Oh so I thought... until I noticed it at the bottom of the hill. The hydrostatic trans allowed the tractor to slooowly inch its way down the slope overnight. The tractor was fine, and it probably wasn't terribly dangerous, but nonetheless it gave me one of those jaw-dropping scares the next morning.

Set that parking brake boys!

MrJoe · Mar 17, 2005

No wonder we like the Brits so much. Bob parks the tractor, goes to lunch and comes back several days later /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Now that's a lunch break /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Glad to hear you are OK, I have been in a spot like that myself with my old pickup truck. You have seconds to decide if it's worth life and limb to try to save the equipment.

GerardC · Mar 17, 2005

The FIRST thing I do when I stop is put it in park by setting the brake. I then put both levers in neutral and finally (my foot still on the clutch) I lock the clutch in the disengaged position. Gerard

btolle · Mar 17, 2005

( You have seconds to decide if it's worth life and limb to try to save the equipment. )

It is not! Last year in Silverton, CO they lost a guy who got out of a Jeep to take a picture, realized the Jeep was rolling and jumped in to stop it, not fast enough, Jeep went off a cliff with man who was killed.

You can always repair or replace equipment. Much harder to replace human limbs or whole bodies.

One of the first things they told me when I was a kid and started working construction (on a power plant) was to not try to stop anything that was falling.

Please folks, let it go, no tractor is worth risking your life or limbs for.

Bill Tolle

PineRidge · Mar 17, 2005

Only once while parking on a hill I set the emergency brake to jump of the TC-40D so I could hook up a trailer. Just as I lifted my weight from the seat the brake disengaged. I was able to quickly get back on the brakes without harm but I did learn a lesson. Now whenever I am on a hill I set my brake and bury my tooth-bar in the ground to act as an anchor before I jump off the tractor.