Tractor making me sick?

[QwikDraw]

Hi guys...

Weird story here.

I own a New Holland T5070 and run a batwing mower behind it. We do 300-500 acres a year and it's been a great machine. I had a worker in it mowing an old navy air base this spring and the day he was done he left for vacation. I get a call and he said he has a real bad case of diarrehia and blames my tractor for making him sick.

About a month ago I have some bush hogging and run the machine a few days and...yup, get the worst case of the stomch bug ever...like for a week straight. I also have some other wierd symptoms like I have an ear infection, sulfer tasting burps and then my knee start to ache...

I'm starting to think maybe he's on to something.

The tractor has been sitting and I have to move it the other day and I'm not in it for more than 10 minutes and later that night..stomach issues and the next morning those sulfer burps again..

I'm just putting this out there....anybody ever have something like this happen?

Thanks...

OK

 

[MIKE R]

Could it be sun stroke. I got that once when baling hay. Needed a good cold drink and some shade and I was good.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Do you have a cab? Does it have a cabin air filter? Maybe something in that?

 

[QwikDraw]

It's an enclosed cab....

 

[Buckgnarly]

It's an enclosed cab....

View attachment 291704

Perhaps mold or something in the HVAC?

 

[tcartwri]

Does it have a cab... could it be carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

[john_bud]

Do you have a cab? Does it have a cabin air filter? Maybe something in that?

Perhaps mold or something in the HVAC?

These two things are what jumped to my mind. I would clean the air filtration system out, spray a STRONG bleach solution in the duct work, let it set and dry then spray it again and hose it out, then repeat if it was still dirty. But I have a deep "respect" for the power of molds -- they are bad bad ju-ju. Bleach them dead! If there is an AC system, I'd also pay attention to the condenser and stuff.

 

[MIKE R]

Could be mice or rats in the system too.

 

[The kid]

These two things are what jumped to my mind. I would clean the air filtration system out, spray a STRONG bleach solution in the duct work, let it set and dry then spray it again and hose it out, then repeat if it was still dirty. But I have a deep "respect" for the power of molds -- they are bad bad ju-ju. Bleach them dead! If there is an AC system, I'd also pay attention to the condenser and stuff.

John_bud, I did a quick search on the net and that tractor has a cabin filter. If moisture is getting into the air system there could very well be mold. Yes it is indeed bad juju. The mold doesn't have to be on the filter but in the ducts. I think you hit it square. I've seen mold on an AC condensers that the drain was partially clogged was the cause of it.

 

[QwikDraw]

Thanks guys. I'll check it out. yes it does have AC and cabin filters...and I did see a little mold on the roof. It also has some water stains on the fabric on the roof so I may have had a door not fully closed that allowed some water in. I hope this is the problem.

It's no fun to be scared to get in your tractor!

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks guys. I'll check it out. yes it does have AC and cabin filters...and I did see a little mold on the roof. It also has some water stains on the fabric on the roof so I may have had a door not fully closed that allowed some water in. I hope this is the problem.

It's no fun to be scared to get in your tractor!

I recommend you go to an hvac supply store in your area and inquire about a chemical to clean the hvac system and any surfaces you can get to. There are cleaning solutions for this very purpose and will also improve the overall system performance.

 

[The kid]

Here's one method using a commerically available cleaner made to sanitize your AC ducts system.

Clean Air Duct Treatment - How to chemically neutralize odors in your car - YouTube

There are other products available but this is how you would administer it. Probably find it at an autoparts store or auto dealership. Good luck

 

[Rock knocker]

Most airborne problems like mold don't affect the stomach, or at least not rapidly. Kind of takes the flu, or something you ate.

 

[Scotty Dive]

Legionaaires disease does:

Legionnaires' disease: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com

 

[murphy1244]

Legionaaires disease does:

Legionnaires' disease: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com

Where is the spraying water coming from? It has to be moving.

How the infection spreads
Most people become infected when they inhale microscopic water droplets containing legionella bacteria. This might be the spray from a shower, faucet or whirlpool, or water dispersed through the ventilation system in a large building.

 

[murphy1244]

Cloged condenser drain.....

 

[Rock knocker]

Legionaaires disease does:

Legionnaires' disease: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com

The tractor has been sitting and I have to move it the other day and I'm not in it for more than 10 minutes and later that night..stomach issues and the next morning those sulfer burps again..

Doesn't seem like the right vectors

 

[Pharm]

I had a case of giardia once that had those kind of symptoms. We had to wipe everything down with bleach. I'd make sure the steering wheel was cleaned well and wash you hands good before eating or drinking.

I would think you would see more lung problems if it were mold or bacteria in the venting system. CO is going to make you nauseated but you shouldn't see diarrhea primarily from it.

 

[8404]

i see in the picture the exaust is exited next to the cab roof. my cab air intake for the ac unit is just under the drip line of the roof. it might be sucking in carbonmonoxide from the mufler. i bet the exaust you have was an extra option to have mounted that high. a lot of tractors muflers exit out the front so the exaust is lower than the cab air intake. so im guessing you might be suffering from exaust gasses you wont filter out carbon monoxide with stanard air filters.

 

[banjodunn]

G'day I would be inclined to think it is a bug in the a/c system you should have two filters just under the roof line and a recirc filter just behind the seat, I would go to an a/c repair place and they should have an off the shelf spray that you set off in the cab ( like a bug bomb ) whilst the a/c is in recirc and they are designed to kill bacteria and mould in the evap and ducting, After you have done this then replace all the filters, I don't think it would be the exhaust as this is the same type of setup that we use over here and have not heard of anyone complaining of your symptoms. Hope you get it sorted out it is too nice a machine to have sitting in the shed.



Jon