Tractor pulling safety

[bones1]

Do NOT hook your tractor up like these folks did.I was un aware it was so easy to flip if hooked up wrong.Newbies please read.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/tractor1.html

 

[Soundguy]

Pulling at any point above the rear axle is asking for trouble..

Also.. and ice safety tip. If starting your tractor on frozen ground.. put in reverse and back out in case tires are froze to the ground..

Soundguy

 

[RonMar]

You can also do similar backwards with a 4X4 tractor and the tow chain attached to a raised FEL. IF the pull angle gets off to one side or the other you can roll the tractor on it's side.

 

[wilkesland]

You can also do similar backwards with a 4X4 tractor and the tow chain attached to a raised FEL. IF the pull angle gets off to one side or the other you can roll the tractor on it's side.

I understand why what you describe might be dangerous -seems very easy to roll a tractor with a loaded raised bucket.

My technique for pulling logs out of the weeds where I can get to them has been to fasten a chain to a hook mounted on the top of my FEL bucket, bucket lowered to just clear the ground, and slowly backup. Seems safe to me, but that is why I am making this post - I might be missing something.

Is this a safe way to skid a log for a short distance i.e. 20-30 feet?

 

[ovrszd]

Pulling at any point above the rear axle is asking for trouble..

Also.. and ice safety tip. If starting your tractor on frozen ground.. put in reverse and back out in case tires are froze to the ground..

Soundguy

Are you saying your 7610 has enough power to turn over backwards the moment you let the clutch out if the tires are frozen down???

Sorry Soundguy, I just had to say that!!! Unless you have left it buried to the axle for a week in sub-freezing temps, I can't imagine that the tires would be stuck to the ground solid enough to tip the tractor over backwards.

I agree that hooking above the axle can be dangerous. But there are many times that I have had to use that leverage to accomplish the task. Just takes caution and constant awareness!!!

 

[Soundguy]

7610s have enough power? Without a doubt. I can take off in 8th gear toting a 15' mower down the road, and not slip the clutch hasrdly at all... governor keeps that big diesel spun up pretty nicely.. Blows a second of black smoke and then we are off.. I have no doubt that if the tires were somehow fixed down.. or i had chained the toplink to a tree that that diesel would spin over until the rops caught.. and it might not take more than a second... with the chassie rotating around an axle..

Actually.. i was thinking more like my 8n.. and I've seen a N stand straight up trying to pull a stump.. happened in less than a blink of an eye.

My 7610s couldn't freeze and backflip. completely over for 3 reasons.. 1, I have a rops.. 2 & 3 are the 10' or 15' mower I keep on back. All these would stall the backflip... Not to mention that I don't pull from above the rear axle.. and can't think of a good reason to.

Soundguy

 

[ovrszd]

7610s have enough power? Without a doubt. I can take off in 8th gear toting a 15' mower down the road, and not slip the clutch hasrdly at all... governor keeps that big diesel spun up pretty nicely.. Blows a second of black smoke and then we are off.. I have no doubt that if the tires were somehow fixed down.. or i had chained the toplink to a tree that that diesel would spin over until the rops caught.. and it might not take more than a second... with the chassie rotating around an axle..

Actually.. i was thinking more like my 8n.. and I've seen a N stand straight up trying to pull a stump.. happened in less than a blink of an eye.

My 7610s couldn't freeze and backflip. completely over for 3 reasons.. 1, I have a rops.. 2 & 3 are the 10' or 15' mower I keep on back. All these would stall the backflip... Not to mention that I don't pull from above the rear axle.. and can't think of a good reason to.

Soundguy

Yep, I think the 7610 has a great power curve!!! Just giving you crap about that!!!

But, as far as a tractor accidently tipping over backwards because the tires were frozen down,,, not happening. Even the 7610 doesn't have enough power to tip over backwards if the tires are solidly fastened to the ground without winding it up and dumping the clutch. Not exactly the normal behavior found when moving a tractor for the first time that day.

As for a reason to pull above the axle, the percent of increase of dead pull your 7610 will accomplish with all four tires on the ground compared to having the front tires a foot off the ground is gigantic!!! Maybe the engineers can figure out exactly how much, but I'm gonna guess a 300% increase. Might not be the ideal situation, but if done properly is safe. Have you ever been to a tractor pulling contest??

 

[RoyJackson]

"But, as far as a tractor accidently tipping over backwards because the tires were frozen down,,, not happening."

Actually, it did happen in Nebraska if I recall the article correctly. The farmer had left his tractor out in a field. After starting, he selected a lower gear and the tractor pivoted around the rear axle.
The article was similar to the CDC link in the first post of this thread. I read it in 2002 or 2003.

 

[ovrszd]

"But, as far as a tractor accidently tipping over backwards because the tires were frozen down,,, not happening."

Actually, it did happen in Nebraska if I recall the article correctly. The farmer had left his tractor out in a field. After starting, he selected a lower gear and the tractor pivoted around the rear axle.
The article was similar to the CDC link in the first post of this thread. I read it in 2002 or 2003.

That's not accidental!!! that's repeatedly yanking the front wheels off the ground in an attempt to get unstuck and not realizing how close to going over he actually was. I'll bet it didn't happen on the first try. Would have been insane to watch I'm sure!!!

 

[shane]

Soundguy, I would think you would have a #4 and it would be that you live in central Florida where you don't get enough freeze to stick a tricycle much less a tractor . Am I wrong?

 

[Birdhunter1]

My mom's dad died in 1976 (4 years before I was born) of a tractor rollover, he was pulling logs out of the woods and where he had crossed a creekbank a log caught on a stump, the chain was hooked to a hitch bar mounted between the lift arms on the tractor (I think it was either a David Brown or an Oliver), in the 60-80 horse power range I belive. Dad was the one that found him, he has always stressed not doing stupid things with a tractor. Those lift arm mounted drawbars are nothing but trouble, if used to pull a trailer they have nothing keeping them from going up, used the drawbar mounted to teh belly of the tractor, that is what it's for.

I read that CDC article above, everyone of those cases involved (to me) people trying to do things more than the tractor is capable of and of course hitching the chain to high. What sounds odd to me is I can't think of very many tractors near 50 horse (like most of those in that article) that don't have a drawbar mounted to the belly of the tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

My mom's dad died in 1976 (4 years before I was born) of a tractor rollover, he was pulling logs out of the woods and where he had crossed a creekbank a log caught on a stump, the chain was hooked to a hitch bar mounted between the lift arms on the tractor (I think it was either a David Brown or an Oliver), in the 60-80 horse power range I belive. Dad was the one that found him, he has always stressed not doing stupid things with a tractor. Those lift arm mounted drawbars are nothing but trouble, if used to pull a trailer they have nothing keeping them from going up, used the drawbar mounted to teh belly of the tractor, that is what it's for.

I read that CDC article above, everyone of those cases involved (to me) people trying to do things more than the tractor is capable of and of course hitching the chain to high. What sounds odd to me is I can't think of very many tractors near 50 horse (like most of those in that article) that don't have a drawbar mounted to the belly of the tractor.

Yep, I don't think I've saw a 3pt tractor that didn't have a rigid drawbar below the axle. I think there are a lot of people on here that use their 3pt drawbar for pulling at times. I know I do, have all my life. Is it dangerous?? You bet!!! Is it insane to get carried away with it, yanking on stuff or going fast with something hooked too high like the incident you referred to??? You Bet!!! Are we endangering ourselves and those around us when we do this??? You Bet!!!! Are you endangering yourself and those around you when you drive and talk on your cell phone??? You Bet!!! I'm willing to bet there are more people reading this thread that talk on their phone while driving than use their 3pt drawbar dangerously. I'm also willing to bet there have been more deaths from inattention while driving than from overbackwards tractor accidents. Hmmm. My point is we ALL do things that others consider dangerous. Sometimes they are even neccessary in our minds. Just gotta keep "situation awareness" at all times!!!!

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy, I would think you would have a #4 and it would be that you live in central Florida where you don't get enough freeze to stick a tricycle much less a tractor . Am I wrong?

We do sometimes get about a month or so of weather cold enough to get a few inches of ice in the correct conditions.. etc.. but for the most part.. i don't look for solid frozen ground often.

Soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Yep, I don't think I've saw a 3pt tractor that didn't have a rigid drawbar below the axle.

Actually, a good many of those early Ford N's and Fergies came without fixed drawbars. That was more of an effort to promote using the 3-point hitch than any other reason. Most came with 3-point drawbars and the "stay bars". (not sway bars) A large part of those tractors today have aftermarket fixed drawbars.

As long as a 3-point drawbar is used SAFELY, they weren't all that dangerous. Problem is/was, it's all too easy to use them in a dangerous manner.

 

[Soundguy]

The logical fallacy in your argument comparing vehicle accidents due to inattention to tractor backflips is due to the huge disproportion int he number of people driving tractors, and the number of cars on the road. I'd wager that there are more cars ont he road than tractors.. by a 'factor'.. thus you can't compair direct numbers of accidents.... For instance.. take # of all cars on the road, and then look at the number of accidents.. vs numbers of tractors in use. then the numbers of accidents.. do the math and see the percentage. Farm accidents are amazingly high.. unfortunately.

Soundguy

Yep, I don't think I've saw a 3pt tractor that didn't have a rigid drawbar below the axle. I think there are a lot of people on here that use their 3pt drawbar for pulling at times. I know I do, have all my life. Is it dangerous?? You bet!!! Is it insane to get carried away with it, yanking on stuff or going fast with something hooked too high like the incident you referred to??? You Bet!!! Are we endangering ourselves and those around us when we do this??? You Bet!!!! Are you endangering yourself and those around you when you drive and talk on your cell phone??? You Bet!!! I'm willing to bet there are more people reading this thread that talk on their phone while driving than use their 3pt drawbar dangerously. I'm also willing to bet there have been more deaths from inattention while driving than from overbackwards tractor accidents. Hmmm. My point is we ALL do things that others consider dangerous. Sometimes they are even neccessary in our minds. Just gotta keep "situation awareness" at all times!!!!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

The logical fallacy in your argument comparing vehicle accidents due to inattention to tractor backflips is due to the huge disproportion int he number of people driving tractors, and the number of cars on the road. I'd wager that there are more cars ont he road than tractors.. by a 'factor'.. thus you can't compair direct numbers of accidents.... For instance.. take # of all cars on the road, and then look at the number of accidents.. vs numbers of tractors in use. then the numbers of accidents.. do the math and see the percentage. Farm accidents are amazingly high.. unfortunately.

Soundguy

I've seen several listings of dangerous professions. The 3 that ALWAYS come to the top of the list, varying from list to list are, Underground miners, roofers, and FARMERS. Granted, the numbers for farmers reflect grain bin accidents, PTO drive shaft accidents, ect, but a disproportionate high number are tractor roll-overs/flips. Operate in a dangerous environment and sooner or later, odds catch up with some of us, attentive or INattentive.

 

[Soundguy]

Yep. the 9n and 2n did not have the diffy tapped for the under-diffy drawbar bracket. That was an 8n 'feature'. Thus.. from 1939 thru early 1947.. no fixed drawbar...

There were retrofits that used the 4 bolts around the pto bearing carrier to hold on a bracket that you could pin a drawbar to, and then have it rest on the 3pt drawbar.. etc.. but it was a potluck arangement resulting in may rear end repairs...

Soundguy

Actually, a good many of those early Ford N's and Fergies came without fixed drawbars. That was more of an effort to promote using the 3-point hitch than any other reason. Most came with 3-point drawbars and the "stay bars". (not sway bars) A large part of those tractors today have aftermarket fixed drawbars.

As long as a 3-point drawbar is used SAFELY, they weren't all that dangerous. Problem is/was, it's all too easy to use them in a dangerous manner.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Yep. the 9n and 2n did not have the diffy tapped for the under-diffy drawbar bracket. That was an 8n 'feature'. Thus.. from 1939 thru early 1947.. no fixed drawbar...

There were retrofits that used the 4 bolts around the pto bearing carrier to hold on a bracket that you could pin a drawbar to, and then have it rest on the 3pt drawbar.. etc.. but it was a potluck arangement resulting in may rear end repairs...

Soundguy

Those early Fords were from a time when saftey wasn't exactly a prime consideration. Take as an example their early attempts at a brush cutter. Farm saftey has taken the high road since those days, but still has a ways to go.

 

[Soundguy]

You mean that 3' spinning blade that more or less bolted to the angled belt pullet attachment, when it was in the 'facing down' position.

Yep.. I'll bet that would make hamburger out of an operator that hit something and when over the back.

Soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

You mean that 3' spinning blade that more or less bolted to the angled belt pullet attachment, when it was in the 'facing down' position.

Yep.. I'll bet that would make hamburger out of an operator that hit something and when over the back.

Soundguy

That be the one.