Tractor Baler Accident

[kthompson]

Not sure farming is the highest accident profession there is but it is in the very top with a high percentage.

I also pray for his recovery but he was blessed the rope did come loose from his arm and not also drag him. Had a coworker years ago stick his hand through new machine which had hyd steering to operate the key to crank the machine. The steering was hosed wrong and when it cranked running full throttle it ripped his right arm off. Only by the grace of God it was me as had not taken a short detour to the rest room would have probably been the one who held that key. Maybe I would not have run my arm through the steering wheel but it was easiest way to reach the key. now those who have hyd steering know to be very careful anytime that system is worked on. The steering was controlled by a hyd motor just plumb different that as a motor so two hoses being switch was the issue.

The other one that got me because I have two daughters was the State Farm Agent using a gas powered hedge trimmer tossing the limbs behind with the trimmer as he cut them, his daughter behind him which he was not aware of reached to catch them and lost her fingers on one hand. Two years ago a Mom with infant riding on her lap on a ZTR mower, the little girl fell off and lost her arm as the mower blade ran over it. Who in the world puts an infant on their lap cutting with a ztr mower...two hands to steer...come on.

We all have done dumb things, most of us are blessed nothing went wrong.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Was just thinking how lucky I致e been all these years and no accidents to speak of. I did get out of my tractor a few times to brush off the hood air inlets with PTO on. I need to be careful on the roads, too.

I don't get off any piece of equipment while it is running. Period. But, that's me.

 

[JDAOWNER]

I don't get off any piece of equipment while it is running. Period. But, that's me.

WHEN MY SON WAS ABOUT 3 YO, HE RAN TO RIDE WITH MY BRO WHILE HE WAS MOWING THE YARD. HE SPOTTED MY DAD IN THE GARDEN AND JUMPED OFF TO GO THERE. HIS FOOT WENT DOWN WHERE THE GRASS DISCHARGES. I WAS WATCHING AND HEARD A CHUNK CHUNK. A SOUND YOU NEVER WANT TO HEAR. TOOK 10 YEARS OFF MY LIFE. WHEN I GOT THERE HE WAS LAYING ON THE GROUND LOOKING SURPRISED. WHEN I EXAMINED HIM, THE BLADE OF THE MOWER HAD HIT HIS SHOE TWICE, CUTTING THROUGH HIS LITTLE SNEAKER AND SOCK, BUT DIDN'T HIT HIS FOOT. THANK YOU LORD.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Half the pto shaft had a guard on it. I’m not sure a seatbelt would have helped. Glad to hear he wasn’t hurt worse. Speedy recovery hoped for on my part.

A seat belt. If wearing one maybe he would have lost an arm.
Maybe this will help make someone not having a PTO cover get one. I've known of several PTO accidents.
I'm very lucky, so many bad accidents over the years and every one because I was in a hurry. Now I shut any tractor, etc down completely before doing anything.
If he just had the cord tied nearby, not held by hand.
Hope he recovers ok.

 

[Fuddy1952]

WHEN MY SON WAS ABOUT 3 YO, HE RAN TO RIDE WITH MY BRO WHILE HE WAS MOWING THE YARD. HE SPOTTED MY DAD IN THE GARDEN AND JUMPED OFF TO GO THERE. HIS FOOT WENT DOWN WHERE THE GRASS DISCHARGES. I WAS WATCHING AND HEARD A CHUNK CHUNK. A SOUND YOU NEVER WANT TO HEAR. TOOK 10 YEARS OFF MY LIFE. WHEN I GOT THERE HE WAS LAYING ON THE GROUND LOOKING SURPRISED. WHEN I EXAMINED HIM, THE BLADE OF THE MOWER HAD HIT HIS SHOE TWICE, CUTTING THROUGH HIS LITTLE SNEAKER AND SOCK, BUT DIDN'T HIT HIS FOOT. THANK YOU LORD.

Why are you yelling? I'm not completely deaf yet

 

[CobyRupert]

...
Maybe this will help make someone not having a PTO cover get one. I've known of several PTO accidents.
...
If he just had the cord tied nearby, not held by hand.

Held by hand, or tied?
Not having a PTO cover was a contributing factor.

 

[aczlan]

Never heard of that. Even the ancient metal bar NH round balers had a crank to move the twine arms.

The Gehl RB1500 (also sold as the Ford 552) had it as an option for the Gehl side. The Ford version had electric or hydraulic control for the twine arm.

Aaron Z

 

[Doofy]

I certainly plan on being much more safety conscience from now on especially around PTO attachments. No one deserves that much pain.

 

[Alan W.]

Talked to him tonight. Looks like it will be about 2 weeks of rehab.

I too have some pto shafts that need a little work to be up to par safety wise. Its now on my get it done list.

 

[Fuddy1952]

My friend/neighbor on farm all his life. His Dad got close to a running PTO and clothes caught. Luckily it was an old pair of coveralls and they ripped off of him.
Whenever I use my auger my neighbor always comes over to help by grabbing housing to straighten it. I immediately shut it down. I don't want anyone around when I auger. He knows better, thinks it's ok. It's not as the OPs cousin found out. Accidents happen in a split second.

 

[lennyzx11]

My 6 year old granddaughter got her one and only chewing out that I can recall ever giving her.

She got out of kindergarten early, heard the tractor and ran up behind me as I was working back and forth on a piece of trail in the woods. You know dump dirt, throw reverse and back blade smooth . Over and over.

Scared me to death.

She knows now to come from the side or front and wait for me to SEE her and wave her in. Tractor gets shut off before she gets ON or OFF.

Two weeks later, her mother got the same chewing out just a little more heated.

 

[Hay Dude]

I don't get off any piece of equipment while it is running. Period. But, that's me.

I do it all the time.
I dont fear running equipment, I respect moving parts that are running for sure.
But theres no way to check a noise that doesnt sound right unless you get out and inspect while running.
I would never condone getting close to any moving parts!

 

[2LaneCruzer]

My friend/neighbor on farm all his life. His Dad got close to a running PTO and clothes caught. Luckily it was an old pair of coveralls and they ripped off of him.
Whenever I use my auger my neighbor always comes over to help by grabbing housing to straighten it. I immediately shut it down. I don't want anyone around when I auger. He knows better, thinks it's ok. It's not as the OPs cousin found out. Accidents happen in a split second.

My Dad, who was born in 1910, grew up on the farm. He told me this story about their neighbor, an old "Dutchman" as he called him. Said he was cranking an old tractor...I think it was cranked from the side on a bull wheel..and got his overalls caught in the wheel somehow. Dad said he was a big, strong guy; he just planted his feet and braced himself against the tractor with his hands, and proceeded to have his overalls ripped completely off his body without being injured. Would like to see the video!

 

[3Ts]

Not just PTOs and tractors. Gotta be careful with all equipment. I was operating an excavator. I'd gotten out to check on something and had set the joysticks to neutral and the enabling level to disable. I was wearing a baggy shirt to protect against the sun and when I climbed back in it caught on the lever and joystick. It is quite startling to see a 1-1/4 yd bucket coming directly at you at a pretty high rate of speed. I figured it out before it got to the cab. It was a non-standard bucket and would have hit the tracks, but not sure if it was capable of hitting the cab.

 

[Fuddy1952]

When I first got my Deere with FEL & backhoe I was parking under a narrow overhang shed when it started rearing up, I flipped switch and jumped off. The backhoe seat caught a beam, flipped back hitting backhoe levers.
My excavator neighbor saw it and walked over. It looked dangerous as heck, way up like it was! A pushbroom was nearby so I used that to move levers slowly easing it back down.
All the close call stories are amazing.

 

[Jstpssng]

I don't get off any piece of equipment while it is running. Period. But, that's me.

It’s pretty hard to run my backhoe or winch without getting out of the seat. Running or not though, I won’t get out unless both loader and implement are grounded, or the brake is set and loader is down. My biggest problem has been catching the straps to my chainsaw chaps on various levers.

 

[bunyip]

Sliding off the BX the PTO lever went up the leg of my shorts and left me stranded, couldn't get up or down and SWMBO had to bring over a small step to rescue me, wasn't running but embarrassment level was high.
She delights in telling visitors about it.

 

[ovrszd]

That would be embarrassing........

 

[Fuddy1952]

Just a couple hours ago I'm finishing putting stairs up at horse barn using T25 deck screws 3.5" , DeWalt driver when one goes through end of my finger! The pain was a 12... I screamed (and cussed) so loud my neighbor came over.
At least I had the right shirt on if I had to go to a walk-In clinic.
I just cleaned it up good+peroxide. Bandaid holds it together.

 

[ruffdog]

A finger injury is far from a whole body experience!