Tractor Step - Farmer's Fix

[MountainWoods]

One of the reasons I signed up for an account on these forums was to ask how to do something; but I went ahead and did it before I ever got around to asking the question!

John Deere has some ergonomic issues (such as no seatbelt extenders for us heftier farmers, but that's a different issue).

Having to step up 19 inches from ground to the one step below the operator platform is hard on folks like me that have back issues. A day of tractor work (on my 4120) can be painful after a lot of these large steps getting on and off.

Some C channel from a friend of mine, some expanded metal (I already had from other projects) for a non-skid surface, some chain and cable clamps, and I have a swinging step -- only 11 inches from ground to its surface.


The wheels are in line with the steps, so John Deere didn't omit a second step to avoid hitting something front-on, because the wheel would have already hit it. So I guess they were concerned about turning into something and mangling a lower step. This is why I chose to make a swinging step. If I turn into something, the step will just be bounced away or over it.

When I'm satisfied with using it for a while, I'm going to paint the step and the chain links, except the quick links at the top that connect it to the JD step. You can guess which color I'll paint it. For me, I found that if I use the ball and pad part of my right foot to step on the swinging step, then I can quickly get my left foot up to the JD step, and so on.

Oh, about the seat belt issue. I've tried custom seatbelt suppliers and they all say the same thing: We can't match your John Deere seatbelt. Wonderful! So I simply bolted on a seatbelt set from somewhere (don't remember where, it was so long ago, probably O'Reilly). But it doesn't retract, and I don't like having to have 2 complete seatbelts for the operator. Just a few inches of seatbelt extender would work, until I work off the need for it.

 

[augerin]

One of the reasons I signed up for an account on these forums was to ask how to do something; but I went ahead and did it before I ever got around to asking the question!

John Deere has some ergonomic issues (such as no seatbelt extenders for us heftier farmers, but that's a different issue).

Having to step up 19 inches from ground to the one step below the operator platform is hard on folks like me that have back issues. A day of tractor work (on my 4120) can be painful after a lot of these large steps getting on and off.

Some C channel from a friend of mine, some expanded metal (I already had from other projects) for a non-skid surface, some chain and cable clamps, and I have a swinging step -- only 11 inches from ground to its surface.
View attachment 523021

The wheels are in line with the steps, so John Deere didn't omit a second step to avoid hitting something front-on, because the wheel would have already hit it. So I guess they were concerned about turning into something and mangling a lower step. This is why I chose to make a swinging step. If I turn into something, the step will just be bounced away or over it.

When I'm satisfied with using it for a while, I'm going to paint the step and the chain links, except the quick links at the top that connect it to the JD step. You can guess which color I'll paint it. For me, I found that if I use the ball and pad part of my right foot to step on the swinging step, then I can quickly get my left foot up to the JD step, and so on.

Oh, about the seat belt issue. I've tried custom seatbelt suppliers and they all say the same thing: We can't match your John Deere seatbelt. Wonderful! So I simply bolted on a seatbelt set from somewhere (don't remember where, it was so long ago, probably O'Reilly). But it doesn't retract, and I don't like having to have 2 complete seatbelts for the operator. Just a few inches of seatbelt extender would work, until I work off the need for it.

The swinging step might be a very good idea. Our big tractor, Kubota M105 gets used for everything from haying to firewood on and off the pasture. Be interesting to see if your swinging step would hold out.

Maybe one of these would fix your other dilemma. Seat Belt Extenders

 

[bspeedy]

One of the reasons I signed up for an account on these forums was to ask how to do something; but I went ahead and did it before I ever got around to asking the question!

John Deere has some ergonomic issues (such as no seatbelt extenders for us heftier farmers, but that's a different issue).

Having to step up 19 inches from ground to the one step below the operator platform is hard on folks like me that have back issues. A day of tractor work (on my 4120) can be painful after a lot of these large steps getting on and off.

Some C channel from a friend of mine, some expanded metal (I already had from other projects) for a non-skid surface, some chain and cable clamps, and I have a swinging step -- only 11 inches from ground to its surface.
View attachment 523021

The wheels are in line with the steps, so John Deere didn't omit a second step to avoid hitting something front-on, because the wheel would have already hit it. So I guess they were concerned about turning into something and mangling a lower step. This is why I chose to make a swinging step. If I turn into something, the step will just be bounced away or over it.

When I'm satisfied with using it for a while, I'm going to paint the step and the chain links, except the quick links at the top that connect it to the JD step. You can guess which color I'll paint it. For me, I found that if I use the ball and pad part of my right foot to step on the swinging step, then I can quickly get my left foot up to the JD step, and so on.

Oh, about the seat belt issue. I've tried custom seatbelt suppliers and they all say the same thing: We can't match your John Deere seatbelt. Wonderful! So I simply bolted on a seatbelt set from somewhere (don't remember where, it was so long ago, probably O'Reilly). But it doesn't retract, and I don't like having to have 2 complete seatbelts for the operator. Just a few inches of seatbelt extender would work, until I work off the need for it.

Only a few posts in and helping out already. :thumbsup:

Welcome to TBN.

 

[MountainWoods]

Thank you bspeedy. But you make me blush. Like most farmers, my "inventions" are driven by necessity. Sometimes I get these goofy ideas that actually work out. This just happened to be one of them.

And I'm glad to share them, if for no other reason than to see if someone else can improve on my idea and post back. A "can you top this" discussion can lead to a lot of very useful information/inventions/etc.! Thanks.

 

[thepumpguysc]

Paint it RED.. that way you'll never miss it.. [miss a step,lol]
I know things can get alittle fuzzy after a long day on a tractor..

 

[kthompson]

I would be careful around such as stumps and logs. Know a lady who has a L model, I think, Kubota and her husband designed a step for same reason. It is not an issue with "A" brand. On first tractor ever had (Case) first time used with rough cut mower damaged the factory step and decided it was best to just cut it off for better clearance. At same time with my age and weight it does get tiring getting off and on any of my tractor. Found the pain is not an issue since taking joint supplement.

 

[MountainWoods]

Paint it RED.. that way you'll never miss it.. [miss a step,lol]
I know things can get alittle fuzzy after a long day on a tractor..

Well, the idea of seeing it after a long day is a consideration for the color; but red goes against the prevailing color scheme. Perhaps I should paint it yellow, to make it very visible and keep with the color scheme.
(Though we do have a Massey-Ferguson disc mower, and a New Holland side delivery rake. But I'd like to keep the tractor's own color scheme unmixed.)

I would be careful around such as stumps and logs. Know a lady who has a L model, I think, Kubota and her husband designed a step for same reason. It is not an issue with "A" brand. On first tractor ever had (Case) first time used with rough cut mower damaged the factory step and decided it was best to just cut it off for better clearance. At same time with my age and weight it does get tiring getting off and on any of my tractor. Found the pain is not an issue since taking joint supplement.

Interesting account. Makes me glad I chose to make this a swinging step from the start. It takes just a bit more to get used to; but I don't have to worry about either the add-on step getting mangled, or having it cause the JD step to get mangled. Thanks.

 

[ArlyA]

I like it! :thumbsup:

 

[mjonesnh]

Made this step a few weeks ago from alum. I sourced from ebay. Tractor platform already had mounting brackets for factory step. This step only cost about 30.00 vs close to 300.00 for new holland's version.

 

[EddieWalker]

Good thinking on the design of that step, and I agree, yellow would be perfect.

 

[TX Chris]

Clever idea! Does the step not try to swing under/away from you when you put weight on it?

 

[MountainWoods]

Clever idea! Does the step not try to swing under/away from you when you put weight on it?

Yes, it does. My first attempts at using it, I was putting my foot too far in, and ended up rubbing my shin against the JD step. But I soon found that I should not use the middle of my foot at all. I just use the ball and pad area at the front of my foot (I don't know anatomy enough to know what it's called), and that works great. It swings in a little, but I'm standing over it enough that it doesn't swing that much -- not enough to swing my leg into the JD step, as long as my foot is not too far in.

After about 4 or 5 tries, I got the "swing" of it (pun intended) so that it does just what I needed: gets me up high enough for my other foot to catch the JD step without having wrenched my back to get there!

Oh, and as to color: I found that it is pretty visible in its location. So I went ahead and got some metal primer and JD green. I'll be priming the step and chains (except the quick link) today, and plan to paint it tomorrow. Probably over several days I'll add a few coats. I'm not using the tractor right now anyway. (Walnut time!)

Edit: Looking at my original photo, I can see that it is a little deceptive, because it's in the dark shop where I store the tractor. The step, to the human eye, is much more visible than it looks like in the photo. You know how that is! That being the case, I thought that yellow might look a little too "add on" or "industrial" or something, whereas the green looks like it's just another part of the tractor. Anyway, that's my thinking.

 

[MountainWoods]

Finished product. Visibility isn't really a problem, so I chose the main color to match the bulk of the tractor.



Full tractor view (at our pond):



Other add-ons:
The canopy from CoverMyTractor.com
Work lights from Tractor Supply
Expanded metal backing from Wheeler Metals

The latter is because I mow hay with a Massey Ferguson disc mower, whose manual states that it should only be used in a cab tractor. I wish! I have felt hard grass stalks bouncing off my head, so I decided that I would rather not feel some of our Ozark rock bounce off my head! Although the brush hog generally does not throw stuff this way, I have felt some bits of stuff coming at me from that, also. Better safe than in the hospital.

 

[aczlan]

On the swinging step, many manufacturers use a strip of belting (like round baler belts) on each side to hold the step on, easier on the shins that way.

Aaron Z

 

[bcp]

I often see utility co. trucks around here with a rear step suspended by a couple of lengths of about 1 inch diameter steel cable. This is stiff enough to not swing with a person's weight, but it will give if the truck backs into something.

Bruce

 

[V65ozzie]

I like it, I've always been a fan of the KISS principle.