Riding mower RIO (Ridiculous Idea On the Onset)

[SgtSluggo]

Like many safety devices - the point is to protect innocent people from stupid people and stupid people from themselves. Mandates for safety devices don't mean that they are well designed. The fault for poorly designed ones lies with the manufacturer who put in the minimum effort more than the government who enacts the requirement.

For all the safety devices out there we still have entirely too many children come into the ER with lawn mower and implement related injuries. It also isn't uncommon for these injuries to be related to someone defeating some safety feature of some machine.

 

[metalbender]

Love my ZT mower. Works in reverse, fwd and while doing circles if I want. Wonder if any of these have a rev cut out.

 

[4570Man]

John Deere also makes you put your HST tractor in neutral to start which seems stupid to me. A HST can’t roll away in gear but it can when it’s in neutral.

 

[Tony H]

OK, I had to Google RIO, had no idea what you were talking about.
My mower is 8 or so years old, there are 2 "run" positions on the key. One will shut off the engine if you put it in reverse with the blades engaged, the other over-rides this. I just leave it in the over-ride position all the time. Are you saying they made this more complicated?
I also bypassed the seat switch...my yard has rough sections that bounce me up out of the seat, and the almost shut off drove me nuts.

When I Googled RIO, most of the hits were on how to disable it, didn't sound like it was a big deal to do.

The older machines did have options, as you mentioned. The new ones do not. My whole rant was rhetorical, I know it's the American "L&L" problem Lawyers and Liability.
Just frustrating to pay for it then pay to undo it.
In the case of this JD, you need to lean forward to reach it and you need to be backing up before you can release. Basically you are backing up blind for a second.

 

[jaxs]

Like many safety devices - the point is to protect innocent people from stupid people and stupid people from themselves. Mandates for safety devices don't mean that they are well designed. The fault for poorly designed ones lies with the manufacturer who put in the minimum effort more than the government who enacts the requirement.

For all the safety devices out there we still have entirely too many children come into the ER with lawn mower and implement related injuries. It also isn't uncommon for these injuries to be related to someone defeating some safety feature of some machine.

If you are trying to support requiring devices be installed that prevent accidents while backing up,let's discuuss it.
If an operator never look's behind while backing an older machine without a safty device,will that same operator look behind after pressing the button on a newer machine? That's not a rhetorical question,I actually want to know if you believe pressing the button causes operators to look back that wouldn't if there was no button to press.

 

[NCL4701]

Like many safety devices - the point is to protect innocent people from stupid people and stupid people from themselves. Mandates for safety devices don't mean that they are well designed. The fault for poorly designed ones lies with the manufacturer who put in the minimum effort more than the government who enacts the requirement.

For all the safety devices out there we still have entirely too many children come into the ER with lawn mower and implement related injuries. It also isn't uncommon for these injuries to be related to someone defeating some safety feature of some machine.

I have nothing against safety devices but from the perspective of having investigated such incidents for a bit over 3 decades, CHILDREN coming into ER’s and morgues due to mower and equipment injuries is 100% related to improper supervision and care of children.

Those types incidents are emotionally charged and it’s much easier to blame an equipment manufacturer than a mother or grandfather right after their progeny has been mangled, but CHILDREN do NOT mix with mowers, farm equipment, or construction equipment. If it’s a large cabbed machine with a buddy seat; fine. Riding on grandpa’s knee on the old Farmall M or sending a little kid out to see dad while he’s mowing and knows his little kid is inside with mom is a recipe for disaster.

 

[duffer]

I know this will pi$$ a lot of you off, but I believe that if we took all the warning labels off, eliminated all of the safety switches and the EPA/OSHA/Gov't regs on equipment/tool operation, and let nature run it's course, we'd have a much smarter country in 2-3 generations.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

For what it's worth. There was a man in my hometown that was out mowing and his best buddy grand child was brought over to the house. He did not know that the grand child had run up to him to get on the mower with him. Backed up without looking. Worst possible outcome happened.

This is waaaay more common than you would think. with kids feet being chewed up. People just figure they are out in the lawn by them selves, and too many kids pay the price.

SR

 

[bmg88201]

I disabled the RIO on my mower along with the seat switch. A lot of this stuff added on is because the company doesn’t want to sued into a coma over an injury. But I wish they would do something to make hairdryers safer, cause when I’m soaking in the bathtub and using my hairdryer at the same time I might shocked. Or a safety feature on my chainsaw when wearing cut offs and bare foot and drunk it won’t start unless I’m sober and put on proper clothing.

 

[Jstpssng]

my chainsaw when wearing cut offs and bare foot and drunk it won’t start

Now you're just being a wuss.