Tractor Safety with young kids around?

[cowboy357]

The More Distractions You Have the More Chances You Are Risking Your Own safety , Or Any Others Around You That Might be Helping With Projects . Let Alone the Kids , That Should not be allowed outside, As Well As the Pets IMHO .

You Can Never be TO Safe When Your Working with a Tractor & Especially When Mowing , In an Emergency If You Are Distracted Your First Instinct is To Jump Off & help Someone . Not Shutting it Down & Killing the Mower , Let alone Taking it out of Gear . I,ve seen it Happen to Many Times Before & Have Learned From Others Mistakes . Just My Thoughts .

 

[chh]

Kids in the house period. I know someone who lost an eye to a thrown object from a mower, it does happen.
Do not give into the temptation to give her a ride on the tractor espcially if you are working. I read the story of a man who gave his son a ride while he brushhogged up the side of the driveway. "Hey its not very far and it is smooth" and "just this once" led to a heartrending story of panicking trying to pick his son up in pieces to take to the hospital, but not being able to gather all the pieces.

 

[wolc123]

I am surprised it was so many responses before someone mentioned "no riders". Failure to follow that sound advice has likely caused more kids to get injured than all other causes combined.

 

[Duffster]

I am surprised it was so many responses before someone mentioned "no riders". Failure to follow that sound advice has likely caused more kids to get injured than all other causes combined.

So you are saying they don't belong here?

 

[MikeD74T]

Tom, I doubt that you're saying that you are mowing & watching a two year old at the same time ! My children & now my grandchildren learned equipment safety very early. Like learning to stay out of the road, by age 4 they knew that no piece of moving machinery was to be approached until they made eye contact with the operator and the operator signaled for them to come forward.
I don't mow when anyone is in line with the discharge. I stop the mower before allowing the kids to approach -little toes fit under a mower deck real nice. I stop bush hogging whenever anyone is within 200'. I give kids rides but not while working. Children & grandchildren all started operating motor driven stuff, snowmobiles & ATVs by age 5. Very strick rules re: where they can go and how fast. Break the rule - park the toy - try again tomorrow. They learn fast how to follow the rule & hopefully eventually learn why there is a rule.

Personally I think locking the kids in the house creates a more dangerous situation because it delays learning how to deal with danger. From age 10 I spent most of my summers either in the driver's seat or on the fender of a tractor. Fender riding was never allowed when baling, conditioning, or mowing with a sickle bar. I don't think any of this is more dangerous than navigating a mall parking lot.

Life is full of danger, teach your kids how to recognize and deal with it. MikeD74T

 

[BruceWard]

We have a 2 year old (25.5 months) who loves our B21.

I park it with FEL, Backhoe and stabilizers lowered and let her sit in the drivers seat. She always wants the seatbelt buckled. Sometimes she wants the seat turned around so she can move the backhoe controls.

She is scared of moving vehicles and the B21. If it is moving she clings to the closest parent.

So far she is normally at home with her Mother while I am working on our new build site. But I will have to be more careful when we are finishing the yard after building.

 

[PA hayseed]

If I never let my kid outside when I was working with the tractor, she would only be outdoors maybe 1-2 days a week (and likely only when it is raining or snowing). I respect the idea, and in theory I agree with it, but in practicality I would never get anything mowed or any work done.

To the OP, my daughter was given the same rules basically. But like the other posters have mentioned, when I am doing any type of FEL work she is not allowed anywhere near the tractor, no matter how much she begs, pleads, cries and whines. She is a good kid, but it is dangerous enough work. The tractor is always parked with the FEL down, and the 3pt lowered to the ground. IF the brake would fail, the possibility of the tractor moving is slim to none. You may also think about seperating the keys from the tractor, kids are curious and will often attempt to do things when your not looking.

I believe that you are better off explaining the dangers of the tractor to them, and if possible demonstrate it to them. I demonstrated the weight of the tractor by smashing an old pallet with the tires. She understand s that the tires will flatten things easily. I would also do continuous reinforcement, have them repeat back to you what you said (a test for understanding), and a form of discipline should be involved for negative behavior. Additionally, when they do the correct things, positive reinforcement must be done.

Not trying to tell you how to raise children, its just techniques we use when training people in my profession. I also went to school for it. the same techniques work for adults, they are just harder to get through to.

 

[tommcintire]

Once again, all good comments. As I stated before, right now, if I am outside working with the tractor, and my daughter is also outside, she is directly supervised by my wife. Generally, she also is 200+ feet away. We have 35 acres, so there is a lot of "space" to work within...

The "Never outside, period" approach doesn't fit with my way of thinking. I respect it, and there are specific cases, such as brush hogging, where I would be more inclined to agree. But, if I am sitting with stabilizers down running the backhoe, having my daughter outside 100+ feet away does not pose a threat to her. I am looking ahead to her being older and wanting to "help". Helping will come in the form of helping pick rocks out of a field after I have dragged it, things like that. Not for a long time will she be close to me when I am operating...

-Tom

 

[AndyMA]

The "Never outside, period" approach doesn't fit with my way of thinking. I respect it, and there are specific cases, such as brush hogging, where I would be more inclined to agree. But, if I am sitting with stabilizers down running the backhoe, having my daughter outside 100+ feet away does not pose a threat to her. ...
-Tom

To be sure my earlier comment about never outside was a little essesive. Bu I will challange this one regarding the backhoe. Perhaps you haven't been operating backhoes as long as I have (over 40 years on backhoes and excavators) to experience this, but I will tell you that there have been numerous times that while pulling on a stone or root that a piece of it has broken off and easily flown over 100 feet with enough force to kill someone Many implements can throw things including box blades, york type rakes etc. There is a lot of stored energy in a piece of root wound up like a spring that is just sitting there ready to propell a missle when released. Yes I grew up on a farm operating by myself at 8 and riding many times. Should ask my friend Gerry how he felt when we ran a loader into a car head on and he ended up on the car hood...

Andy

 

[Dave5264]

It sounds kind of cruel, but until she hits a certain age, don't let her outside when mowing unless mom is with her nearby. There is something about mowing that really attracts kids, they love it. I can still remember when someone in my town backed over his sons foot and he lost the foot. The kid is fully grown and is doing great, but it was a traumatic experience for the dad and the kid.

That said, when my kids got a little older (5-6 years old) I would let them ride on my lap at times. It was only on the flat areas, with no trees and not very much turning and I always had a death grip on them. There are probably a dozen reasons this is not safe but I did it anyway. It seemed safer doing that for a little bit and then having them lose interest, than having them always wanting to get up close and watching me mow.

It won't be that much longer and you will be watching them mow.

Im new to all this too, but Ive adopted many of these myself, I must say I agree with the mowing point. Ive got a 5' rotary cutter, and I dont want the Kids or anyone (wife included) anywhere near me while Im using it. Who know's what will get thrown out or what it may grab ahold of (wire fence laying under the grass etc..)

last weekend I had to stop the Tractor, & Mower, get off it ,and go over to my wife and re explain why I didnt want her anywhere near...if she wants my attention or wants to talk...wave at me from a distance.